Does anyone on this board hunt rattlers. here in colorado we have a season on them. I dont really kill to many but if i catch a big one then i want to make it into a belt or hat band. i only caught one little one this year but i only went up 3 times to tabletop mountain right outside golden. its actually pretty scarey when u stick a pole under a rock and a rattler starts going off. how do u guys try for them. i think it would be best if i went out in the early morning and tryed to find them sunning themselves on the rocks to warm up. i basically new to the sport.

I have hunted rattlesnakes here in Texas for several years. Rattlesnakes are easier to hunt than other animals, in that they are outside on the same days people like to be out. They are difficult to hunt here in the summer because they are unpredictable, but hunting improves as the nights get colder. Here, the best hunting is from November to February. They are less likely to stray from their den. The ideal time is when the sun is directly overhead. I usually hunt from 11:00 to 3:30. The rocks and the air haven't warmed enough in the morning to bring snakes out. Shadows grow long and the snakes begin getting too cool late in the afternoon. Another point to remember is that good dens are almost always located on the south side of hills and abandoned homes. This is because sunlight makes the south side warmer.

Since the snakes are worth more alive, I use snake tongs. I believe they are made by Midwest ( http://www.animal-traps.com/midwest.htm ). They are the standard tong. To prevent the snakes from backing up, I filed some small grooves on them. I also use a rubbermaid trash can with holes drilled under the lip for ventilation. After I locate a den, I always approach very slowly and cautiously. Snakes can feel the vibration from footsteps, alerting them to seek cover. I grab them carefully and put them in the trash can. Some go easier than others. I grab smaller snakes about the middle, larger snakes about 10 to 12 inches from the head. Grabbing them right behind the head makes them flail wildly, occasionally able to free themselves. I plan my moves carefully before grabbing the snake, and then never take my eyes off him until he is safely in the barrel. People usually get bitten because they were not paying attention. Most people look where they step, but act carelessly after catching the snake (when he is mad!).

Snake hunting is fun, but be careful.

Me and my buddy Lenny hunt rattlers. We do it the lazy man way though, riding the government roads on summer afternoons looking for snakes sunning in the road. Then you just have to get out and get ahold of them with a snare and cut the heads off and throw them in the back of the truck. The year before last we got like 5 rattlesnakes and 10 or 12 copperheads. Another friend of ours tans the hides for us.

Two years ago on the first day of squirrel season in October, he killed a really nice rattler. He walked up on it all coiled up and i guess being mid oct. it was too cold to strike because he kicked it a few times and it just slowly squirmed around and curled back into a ball. He eventually killed it, it was 52 inches from where he cut the head off too the end of the tail and had 13 rattles and a button.

Everyone thinks we are crazy for actually looking for them and then getting out of the truck and messing with them but heck its a small town and you need something to keep you occupied