Snakes & backcountry medical kit & spot transmitter

As much as I dislike snakes, I have to say the pictures are really cool! Great shots guys.
 
Last year elk hunting, My buddy who was walking in front of me stepped within inches of about a 5ft rattler. I hollered at him as he was jumping forward the rattler struck and got the heal of his boot, Luckily the fangs didn't puncture through the rubber sole. We were about 3 days from help.

But generally, I don't ever worry about snakes.
 
I haven't been in Y or R in some years, but in D you should be fine by October. Assume you'd be fine up north, too.

As others have noted, in most cases, I don't give snakes a second thought. I had to zap a 4.5 footer that I nearly stepped on during spring turkey season in SE CO a couple of years ago (the skin made a great display board for my 7yo son). Of all the rattlers I've seen, I'd say 75%+ have been in summer along the Arkansas river between Canon City and Salida. most of the rest have been in NM - where Fin and mtmiller may have a second job filming them by the looks of the photos.

SPOT devices seem nice, but unless you will spend cumulative weeks a year in the extreme backcountry, it would probably be cheaper (and more effective) to rent a satellite phone.
 
I haven't been in Y or R in some years, but in D you should be fine by October. Assume you'd be fine up north, too.

As others have noted, in most cases, I don't give snakes a second thought. I had to zap a 4.5 footer that I nearly stepped on during spring turkey season in SE CO a couple of years ago (the skin made a great display board for my 7yo son). Of all the rattlers I've seen, I'd say 75%+ have been in summer along the Arkansas river between Canon City and Salida. most of the rest have been in NM - where Fin and mtmiller may have a second job filming them by the looks of the photos.

SPOT devices seem nice, but unless you will spend cumulative weeks a year in the extreme backcountry, it would probably be cheaper (and more effective) to rent a satellite phone.
In regards to the last sentence, Delorme offers a month by month option. The cheapest of which is $15/mo. Easy to activate and deactivate. I've done it multiple times. I don't "need" a satellite communication device, but my wife appreciates knowing I'm okay. That results in more and easier to get kitchen passes.
 
They can also be an asset to keep hunting buddies away from your beers.
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I live with them around here and they are not much of a problem, except the Mojave Greens which are aggressive & pretty much deadly.
I've always been more concerned getting hit driving on the hwy or ripped off in a city personally.
2 legged snakes are much more of a problem IMHO.
 
I think I have seen about 1 snake in about 5-6 rifle seasons in WY, and it was unseasonably hot that year. Bow season is a little different story, but for the most part they are easy to avoid.
 
I hate snakes more then most people. It started when I was 2yo I was playing in the yard when I came nose to nose with a 6' black snake. Black snakes can pick there heads up, and being I was very small we were almost eye to eye. As I froze in my tracks all I could do was stare at his tongue that kept dancing in and out of its mouth. My mother was working in the yard when she happened to look over and see this enormous snake in a stand off with her 2 yo packing a six shooter and cowboy boots. Only my mothers screams broke up the stare down. As my mother was running to me the black bandit figured it was time to get out of dodge. To never be seen again. There were rumors over the next few years of sighting of the black serpent, but we never crossed paths.

This was my first of many encounters with evil serpents. For some unexplainable reason snakes are drawn to me. I have many more tales of intense stand offs that still occur today. I agree in snake karma I just wish I wouldn't even see them.
 
Snakes are what worries m in Colorado's muzzleloader season .We get some real warm days in September.
 
I never worry about them. Most are pretty small and easy to get along with.

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Those little ones are the dangerous ones. When they bite, they dump their entire venom load. I was taught that from a rancher friend helping him irrigate alfalfa fields. The rattlers were thick around those gated irrigation pipes. He had a half gallon jar almost full of rattles that he collected over the years. You didn't carry the shovel just to open and close the gates on the pipes.
 
Those little ones are the dangerous ones. When they bite, they dump their entire venom load.

I think that is partially an old wives tale. Do a Google search and you will see that many experts believe that to be false. Doesn't sound like it is a proven fact but widely accepted that bites from adults are more dangerous.
 
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