When do rattlesnakes come out/hatch?

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

I'm planning another backpacking trip near Sunflower in about two weeks. (Trail # 91.)

The highs there a week from today are forecast to be in the low 60's. I expect the same, or warmer, in two weeks.

This seems warm enough for rattlesnakes to be out, yes?

When do the babies hatch?

I found a post in this forum from years ago, warning someone about rattlesnakes in the Superstitions in February. That seemed early to me. But I'm ignorant.

I think my hearing is still okay, to hear a rattle of an adult ... but I hear that baby rattlers don't have rattles.

But my reflexes are way slow. I've run over things with the lawnmower even though I saw them a few feet beforehand.

[wallyfrack]

There's always snake gaiters if you want assurance. Not very popular with most hikers.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@rcorfman
Tnx for the link But, Yikes! I don't know if your video is making me feel better or worse about hiking in the middle of nowhere.

If it's nice and green out, I might spot the snakes soon enough. But in the dry vegetation (and rocks) of your video, they blend right in.

The one at 1:47 looked like it was thinking about going on offense. And they can move fast when they want to. I was visiting a buddy in Quartzsite and a large snake (not prisonous) raced right by me.

[big_load]

But in the dry vegetation (and rocks) of your video, they blend right in.

Well, that's their job.

At least they're not as dumb about it as deer. For some reason, few things crack me up like a deer still pretending to be invisible long after I've made eye contact.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@wallyfrack
I just saw your post after I ordered some Turtleskin SnakeArmor Snake Gaiters.

I guess I'm a scare-Dee-cat. But at least, from your link, I'm not the only one.

(I carried a survival kit while flying in my homebuilt plane.)

I found a low price on the Turtleskins. (Lower than the major online retailer.) They're the lightest and most flexible of all the gaiters available.

One forum comment was that the money would be better spent on a satellite communicator thingie. Perhaps. But I think that I would be in such a panic, my racing heartbeat would spread the venom in minutes.

Some reviewers say that the Turtleskins don't breath, are hot.

If they are, I'll write about it after my next planned backpack trip. (I've never thought about my calves becoming hot.)

FWIW, I bought the camo color. I don't know if snakes see colors. But I thought that the camo pattern might confuse them a bit when they aim to strike.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

Here's Darwin (on the trail) talking about his rattlesnake encounters on the AZT (near where I plan to hike).

Jump to 4:22

[CannondaleKid]

They're the lightest and most flexible of all the gaiters available.

I'm willing to bet you will find them too constricting as well as too hot to wear all the time and they'll end up being just another 11 ounces in your pack.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@CannondaleKid
I expect that you're correct.

But it's like carrying a firearm. It's better to have it but not need it than to need it but not have it.

Either way, I'll plan to report about them in the Gear section of the forum after my planned excursion.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

The odds of being struck by lightning are very low. Yet some ppl have been struck twice.

This unfortunate fellow has been 'struck"/bitten twice by rattlesnakes in Arizona. Jump to 1:12 in this video.

I couldn't justify the Turtleskin brand snake gaitors that he's pitching now that they just jumped $5 on the major online retailer to over $200 now. (I had found them for $150 from a site in Wisconsin, but they never delivered, nor ever returned my messages. (They just silently cancelled my order.))

Instead, I placed an order for Dan's Hunting brand gaitors. Just a bit over $40 with shipping.

You'll laugh because I didn't order their true Snake gaitors ($10 more), which weigh 1 lb 4 oz a pair. I ordered their briar gaitors, which aren't as thick or heavy. (13 oz.)

The briar gaitors aren't snake proof. My thinking - perhaps flawed - is that some protection is better than none, and perhaps briar gaitors will keep me safe from a baby rattler. (With small fangs, small velocity/momentum for penetration.) And since the odds of being bitten are very low ...

(I'm not wearing boots either. So at least I'm consistently inconsistent in my protection plan.)

Or if I am unfortunate like the Oldster in the video, the briar gaitors might lessen the amount of venom in me, giving me a little more time to obtain help.

And since you all think that gaitors are unnecessary and/or that I will not wear them after finding that they're too hot/too heavy, I lose only $43 if I don't wear them.

[CannondaleKid]

Or if I am unfortunate like the Oldster in the video

Based on his video, I'd just recommend you don't get engrossed in stalking game while you're hiking and you'll probably be fine.

I must be lucky because twice I've stepped on unseen/silent rattlers with no dire consequences... for me anyway. As for them, they quickly became both visible and loud.

BTW, I DO wear short light nylon gaiters when:
#1. Hiking off-trail and expect to encounter a lot of fox-tails, burrs, or the like.
#2. Mountain biking off-trail to keep debris out of my low-cut shoes.
But in the overall scheme of things, after thousands of miles of off-trail hiking and biking have never felt the need for SNAKE gaiters.

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@CannondaleKid
Tnx. Out of curiosity, what brand gaitors do you wear?

[CannondaleKid]

@TooOld2HikeQ
Ox Shoe Gaiters.
I got them on Amazon but they are now unavailable.

After a quick search I only found them on sites like Ubuy Indonesia, Ubuy Nepal, Waoomart (takeoff on Walmart?), Desertcart United Emirates... unfortunately not places I'd want to shop at so Tracey and I will have to take good care of the ones we have.

The only issues we had were after wearing them for a few months they were hard to re-zip when putting on, so we no longer unzip them fully, just take off shoes/boots first, then slide them off.

[Pivo]

@CannondaleKid
What do you do for foot protection? Most of the snake gaiters I have seen don't fully protect the foot. Wear heavy leather boots?

[TooOld2Hike_EP]

@Pivo
No foot protection, per se. It's like wearing a seatbelt/shoulder strap but not having air bags. Some protection is better than none.

And since just about everyone here says that protection is unnecessary (can even step on snakes w/o harm), I'm no worse off not wearing boots.

[Pivo]

@TooOld2HikeQ
I have stepped on one while quail hunting. It squirmed and rattled, I levitated.

[rcorfman]

...I levitated.

How high?

[Alston_Neal]

@Pivo
I can't believe how lucky I am after years of quail hunting. Probably the worst or best condition to put oneself in for a rattlesnake encounter. Bushwhacking in brush in a mutually favorite territory for both critters, looking in the sky and not the ground, downing a quail into the brush, or running after it if it's winged, hands digging around in the brush for it, ears ringing from the shotgun blast not hearing squat. But I did levitate once deer hunting. Oh and I've never owned gaiters.

[CannondaleKid]

@Pivo
As I said, while at times I wear low gaiters to keep out debris, I never wear any type of gaiters for the specific purpose of snake-bite protection... it just isn't high enough on my list of things worth fearing to require special attire.

As far as foot protection... when I first moved to AZ, when hiking on regular trails I used to hike exclusively in Teva sandals, but once more of my hikes took place off-trail and thorny vegetation became a big issue, I switched to hiking shoes/boots. Boots on the heavier end for hiking very rough and rocky terrain, lighter ones for the majority of hikes.

Now IF I were to play an active role at the annual rattlesnake roundup in Texas, obviously that would be worthy of more protection, for me anyway... for the others involved? I'll let Darwin handle them.

[Pivo]

How high?

In the words of Ralph Kramden... "To the Moon" imagining his body English.

[SpiderLegs]

have stepped on one while quail hunting. It squirmed and rattled, I levitated.

Best I've got is pulling a Michael Jordon on Pima Canyon leaping over a big one who refused to yield the trail.

[The_Eagle]

pulling a Michael Jordon

Is that the French Michael Jordan?