Snake Karma: To Kill or Not to Kill

[Outlander]

Any person who spends a significant amount of time outdoors in Arizona will eventually be confronted with a rattlesnake. The probabilities of encounter depend on four variables: the number of miles hiked, the location, the season, and the time of day. Much like a Las Vegas casino, where the House always wins, finding a rattlesnake is a positive expectancy.

The question is: Will you kill the rattlesnake, and what are the consequences, if any, of such action?

First, let’s explore the legality of snake killing. Under Commission Order 43, a valid Arizona hunting license is required to possess or kill a rattlesnake in areas open to hunting. No more than 4 rattlesnakes per year can be killed or possessed. Of the 13 species of rattlesnake present within Arizona, three are protected and cannot be killed or possessed: the rock rattlesnake, the twin-nosed rattlesnake, and the ridge-nosed rattle snake.

So it is now established that rattlesnakes can be harvested if done in a lawful manner. Why then, do we feel compelled to kill every rattlesnake that we come across? The motivations are many, but these are the two most common:

A. Fear
B. A man must protect his family

There is no doubt, rattlesnakes are very dangerous. Their venom can cause massive nerve and tissue damage, and in rare cases, even death (1% mortality rate). For this reason, this animal deserves a great deal of respect and should be dealt with caution. However, it is not necessary to destroy all things that might do us harm, to kill what we fear. Is this fear justified in relation to other, much more likely, dangers to our person? A good example is the television program, 1000 Ways To Die, which shows a cornucopia of interesting and gruesome ways ordinary Americans have met their end. The dangers in this world are many, but it is pure folly to live your life in a state of constant fear. We fear snakes, so we destroy them. We fear terrorism, so we allow our wives and children to be molested at the airport. etc. etc. etc.

It is a man’s duty to protect his family from harm. Under no circumstances would he allow venomous reptiles to come in contact with those under his care. Therefore, any and all rattlesnakes found near his home should be removed. This is just common sense and the right thing to do.

However, this line of reasoning can be taken to extremes: If the snakes that live near his hearth and home must be destroyed, then should not the ones further away be killed, as well? For they too, pose a threat to the lives of his family, however remote. The motives behind this rationale are sound, but the likelihood of his family ever coming in contact with a rattlesnake deep in the backwoods is essentially zero, so why then must the animal be killed? It poses no threat to anyone but him, the man who hiked deep in-country, not because it was easy, but because it was hard.

Rattlesnakes have been very good to me in the field, so in gratitude, I have become an advocate of sorts, and refrain from killing them. I have sat on, kicked, brushed aside, and crawled next to, over a dozen rattlesnakes during my travels. Never once did they bite me. Was it mere luck, or something else? Perhaps there is guardian angel looking out for me? This is unlikely. Being a ‘C and E’ Christian, (they only attend Christmas and Easter church services) I am not eligible for divine intervention, so I am told. On the contrary, my luck with snakes has to do with Snake Karma.

Snake Karma: Those who live and let live, who choose life over death, create a peaceful coexistence with the snake. The snake poses no threat to those who are no threat to him. It gives pardon when it has the upper hand, as do you, when the advantage is yours. Goodness begets goodness, just as evil begets evil.

Kill one snake too many, and your fate just might be sealed,
for a rattlesnake awaits you, in some faraway, forgotten field.
You have a rendezvous with death, you that unlucky one percent,
The Reaper has your name now; it is far too late to repent.
He will arrive in the form of a snake, whose bite will be your end,
For those who choose a different path, the snake is a lifelong friend.

[Trishness]

Forget the snakes!

If Te-wa is 4'8", I'll take him on.....I'm 5'1".

[te_wa]

i've had several snake "incidents" but most memorable was along the Pine mountain loop, a diamondback rattled at us from at least 40 yards away.. then there was a stepped-on blacktail along haunted canyon, an arizona black in the scree chute of brown's, and the one that landed ON liz in peralta canyon... that was crazy. your pic of the western patched-nose with a horned lizard takes first prize tho.. to even see something like that much less capture in action is remarkable.

[PatrickL]

I've only encountered two rattlers, and the thought of harming them never crossed my mind. Even though my head was filled to the brim with thoughts of "STOP!" and toilet paper, the point still stands. The only time I can see someone harming one is if it wandered into their yard or around their home/family, but even then there's no need as one phone call to the right person can have it off your property and back in its home in no time.

[paulhubbard]

I don't own a snake hook, but my 5 iron and a paper bag have moved more than 3 rattlers from close proximity to my house to spot back out into the desert. Every one that I've returned to the wild has never even rattled...

[haggster]

@te-wa The hammocks look super comfy but I don't think they would work for me. I like to sleep on my side.

I have never considered killing a snake. I think the mentality comes from how I was raised. My dad never told me not to kill snakes. He just never attempted to kill or harm a snake whenever we encountered one. This thread reminds me on my first encounter with a rattle snake. I was 3 or 4 years old and camping with my dad and some family friends. We were camping down near the Gila outside of Florence. My dad took me away from camp so I could take care of business. He squatted me down next to a bush and then said, "whoa, whoa, whoa", as he picked me up and moved me to the next bush. He then explained his excitement and pointed to the snake. The snake never moved or rattled. That was the first time I had ever seen a snake.

[te_wa]

I like to sleep on my side.

all the reason to own one. i'll lend you one of mine, you'll see how good it works.

[Outlander]

Here on HAZ I'm just a Trendsettin" Kokopelli, but on another site they call me the "SnakeCharmer".

Your Snake Karma is strong. You have earned it, and you will reap the rewards. When hiking off-trail, in heavy brush or grass, it is difficult to see what is under foot; some folks end up stepping on a snake, but others will not. Your Karma protects you, much like a purpose designed Pope-mobile, except it runs on trails instead of city streets, completely safe and secure, oblivious to the happenings underfoot. Well done.

When walking blind, my Snake Karma offers no help when it comes to footing. A few days ago, I stepped into a couple of deep, dark holes that appeared to be solid ground, ended up taking some hard hits!

[azbackpackr]

I like snakes. I used to keep non-poisonous ones as pets when I was 11 or 12. I had a California King, a gopher snake, a garter snake, and maybe one or two others. As for rattlesnakes in the wild, I have killed one which was on property we used to own down near Douglas, where we went to go camping. We had little kids. If I still owned that property I wouldn't kill it, though. The kids are grown.

I am just not inclined to kill things. You just walk around it. And the point is, if you are hiking in the desert, especially in springtime, and it's comfortable shorts weather, you should be on the lookout. You should be on the lookout any time, but especially if the temperature is warm but not hot. I have a friend who lives in Dome Valley outside Yuma. She says you can count on NOT seeing snakes when nighttime temperatures remain under 60 degrees, even if it's warming up during the day. She sees dozens of them around her house all the time during the spring.

[kevinweitzel75]

Has anyone ever had a problem with rattle snakes getting too close while sleeping outside under the stars as opposed to sleeping in a tent? I try to leave a tent behind whenever I can. I sometimes wonder if I will wake up next to a rattler trying to warm itself.

Growing up with cowboys for most of my childhood, I remember a trick that my Uncle used to aways do when sleeping on the ground. He would take a rope and make a circle on the ground around his sleeping blanket. He says that any wild critter would never cross the rope cause they didnt know what it was. I don't know, worked all the time but once. A skunk went to investigate what was making all that noise (snoring uncontrolably) in the middle of the night. Still makes me laugh.
As for killing rattlesnakes, used to all the time. Now that I'm older, not so much now. Most animals I don't kill, unless I'm hunting them. Then I only hunt animals that I eat, excluding dove. But my dove always go to someone that will eat them.

[big_load]

BTW, killing rattlesnakes is illegal around here. Copperheads are not protected, although I'm not sure why. I see more Timber Rattlers than Copperheads most years.

[haggster]

I nearly stepped on this guy while out on a hike today. He never rattled or anything. He just moved the other direction. It seemed like he didn't want anything to do with me. I am pretty sure it is a Great Basin Rattlesnake. Sorry about the photo quality, the lighting was bad.

After the hike, I was telling a friend about the snake and he asked me if I killed it. I thought the question was interesting especially after participating in this thread. I normally would have answered the question with just, "no". However, this time I went ahead and explained why I don't kill snakes.

[Tough_Boots]

Last night at the Peralta TH someone had left a note in the sign-in box that they had seen a rattlesnake on the trail and called the NFS to come and remove it. I just couldn't figure out where they thought they were going to move it to. They're supposed to be there!

[big_load]

Last night at the Peralta TH someone had left a note in the sign-in box that they had seen a rattlesnake on the trail and called the NFS to come and remove it.

Even if somebody were inclined to respond, what are the chances of it still being there by the time they could get to it? I almost slipped on some loose gravel there once. Maybe I should call and let them know.

[Al_HikesAZ]

... I almost slipped on some loose gravel there once. . . .

When gravel attacks you like that, it's probably bad karma to sit there and pound it into dust.. Just sayin'.

[kingsnake]

They should also call the National Weather Service and complain about the heat in Phoenix ...

[sbkelley]

Rattlers are very fair creatures - they always will give you a heads-up, at least the ones I've encountered in the Arizona backcountry. I figure we owe them the same respect they show us...so I won't be calling the USFS to remove the next one I see ;)

Diamondbacks in particular will give you plenty of warning, as a previous poster mentioned. I'd rather get my nerves standing on end hearing the buzz, only to see the snake is still a ways away, then deal with the reverse situation

[Alston_Neal]

Four out of the last six rattlers my wife and I came upon apparently were to lazy to buzz.
Which always reminds me of what an old Navajo friend once told me...Rattlesnakes will always rattle when you get near them, unless they don't.

[kingsnake]

You have to figure that you walk by snakes all the time, you just don't see them very often ...

[skatchkins]

... I almost slipped on some loose gravel there once. . . .

When gravel attacks you like that, it's probably bad karma to sit there and pound it into dust.. Just sayin'.

We had to halt our procession out of WCC this wknd so my brother-in-law could work out of the ground a branch he tripped over and scratched himself on so he could chuck it over the edge to "teach it a lesson."

[kingsnake]

Snake survival story ... http://www.truecrimereport.com/2011/07/ ... man_13.php