Ifly

This one I hit on the head with a stick..after it almost crawled in my lap when I was sitting against a tree calling turkey. It came up from behind me and when I saw it..it's head was about 6" from my right knee and body parallel with my leg. The body can do miraculous things when put to the test..somehow I jumped straight up, to my left and back around the tree I was leaning against when I was sitting down with my legs stretched out in front of me. All faster than a snake can strike.

Dirt2

First, I don't believe that snake is nearly as big as the report.

Second, let me put in a word for leaving them alone. They're fascinating critters, and unless you're going to eat it or it's hanging out in your kid's sandbox, leave it be.

I'm personally kind of a fool when I find a rattler, I can't help but play with them just a little bit. I've been struck on the bottom of the boot four or five times. You lift one foot in the air and thrust it out at the snake, then hop forward until it smacks your boot sole. It'sreally a rush.

Note of warning: don't believe everything you read about striking distance. I almost got nailed by one that actually launched itself into the air to get at me. Maybe "launched" is a bit of an exaggeration, but its striking distance was its length PLUS about 6 inches!

Ifly

I let all snakes go their own way..unless they strike at me or it's a big rattlesnake and I'm coming back in that area to hunt. In those cases I kill them.

reflex03

I would sh** my self!!! I HATE SNAKES

Davoh

I gotta say that image looks "shopped".

I've seen some pretty big rattlers. I gotta say that if it's against the law to kill em, I dont mind goin to jail if I climb up in my tower blind and open the door to be face to face with one. They will climb by the way. Never had one in a tower blind but I've seen one in the attic of our camp house. Most of the time, unless you step on one, you'll never know a rattler was there. I've walked up on em and been within 1-2 steps of em and it never moved. Make sure you hit it in the head with the first shot. Definitely dont want to just piss it off.

nubo

I'm, sure glad I don't huntin spot's that have snake's like this ,they make the hair stand up on my neck .

nubo

Ifly

I was showing a game warden on public land I hunt some pictures of deer I'd killed in there and came across the picture of dead dimondback..and it hit me that it was illegal to kill them...and I said.."I didn't kill this snake...but it's a big one ain't it?" I then said I think it's against the law to kill diamondbacks and he said he didn't care he would kill it too if it almost crawled in his lap.

LAbushman

I caught a 5 footer in Louisiana many years back. He was crossing the road. I am surprized by their strength.I caught many speckled king snakes and they are very strong for their size. What amazes me is to see adults running away when you catch one (like it is going to chase them down and kill them). They act as if they were running from a lion.

As far as the picture. I am confident that the man in the picture cannot pick up 91 or 97 pounds with a stick that far from his body. If he can, he should be able to throw a 200 lb deer over his shoulders and walk out of the woods. and he should run for governer of CA.

zekeskar

Disclaimer- I don't live in snake country, never had. But my guess is that I'd look at them like I do predators - I love seeing them in the wild and, while I don't disagree with those that kill them for their pelts or another useful reason, I generally feel they are an important and beautiful part of the wilderness and should be let be if possible, not just killed because they compete for our deer, elk, moose, etc. On the other hand, one fact is that bears especially can be a danger to people and possibly livestock and probably need to be kept out (ie eliminated) from areas where they are a danger to people, especially kids, or have documented economic impact on ranchers and farmers. I imagine I'd feel the same about snakes - admire and keep safe distance from in the wilderness, kill 'em quick if they're near the kids' sandbox (so to speak) or go ahead and harvest them within reasonable, sustainable limits for useful purposes such as eating or skins. JMHO, of course. But not just kill them out of hatred or fear.

Ifly

I look at it like this..With my bad heart and arteries...and way back in where I hunt..I know if a big rattler bit me I'd most likely die from it. I also know if I accidently got too close to one he'd bite me if he could. Just as I will kill him if he accidently gets too close to me and I can. Other than that, far as I'm concerned we all friends.