Rattlesnakes

[The_Real_TCIII]

These guys find tons of them


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[greensider]

I have and also in mid March on very warm winters 

[Freytown]

As has been said, they are denned by now. The areas in Delaware county along the east and main branches of the Delaware river have lots of timber rattlers. Rocky out crops are sure to have them and also along the railroad tracks. Gotta keep an eye open when fishing up there. FT

[Steuben Jerry]

We’ve seen two timber rattlers on the property and one dead on the next road over. But that’s over a 35 year stretch. All in the middle of summer.

[cbyzerman]

10 hours ago, LongWayFromHome said:

have you ever seen a Rattlesnake in Dutchess County NY ?

YES.......  Several times... Huge rattlesnake den in dover on the top of east mountain rd...........

[Nytracker]

I have only ever seen one copperhead. That was down on the little beaverkill while fly fishing . At the time I wasn't sure what I was looking at .  I was sitting on a large boulder changing flies when he slithered  acrossed the same rock I was sitting on.  And down into the water. I remember  climbing out of there   through rocks and knee high ferns.  Used a 4 foot stick to clear my way ahead .

[greybeard]

In the late 60's it was legal to shoot timber rattlers  and  there was a $5.00 bounty on them in Warren County, but the bounty was only paid to residents who lived there. At that time they called Tongue Mountain the Rattlesnake Capitol of New York. In July of '69 I almost stepped on one on that mtn. and shot it. It was about 5'3" long. Shortly thereafter someone I know went up there to hunt for them and shot one also. There was even a guide that offered rattlesnake hunts.  A law enforcement officer up there told me that they were around Bolton Landing also and told me a couple of stories. I have not been up that way in years, but I assume that there are still a number of them up there.

[Al Bundy]

31 minutes ago, greybeard said:

In the late 60's it was legal to shoot timber rattlers  and  there was a $5.00 bounty on them in Warren County, but the bounty was only paid to residents who lived there. At that time they called Tongue Mountain the Rattlesnake Capitol of New York. In July of '69 I almost stepped on one on that mtn. and shot it. It was about 5'3" long. Shortly thereafter someone I know went up there to hunt for them and shot one also. There was even a guide that offered rattlesnake hunts.  A law enforcement officer up there told me that they were around Bolton Landing also and told me a couple of stories. I have not been up that way in years, but I assume that there are still a number of them up there.

Excellent post. Thanks for sharing this. 

[Nomad]

There’s a Sidewinder right in my family room !

[greybeard]

I forgot to mention that after I skinned the rattler  I found 2 whole animals inside his stomach and some mouse remains. I think that I misidentified the small mammals at the time and now believe that they were both red squirrels.

I couldn't wait to tell people down here,  where I  worked, about my great " manly" hunt. However, when I was telling my story a woman that I worked with asked why I had to shoot it. She said when she was a young girl she killed them with a broom... so much for my story and my  young man's ego.

I waited too long to salt the skin and left it in my car and when I eventually got home it stunk so bad that I had to throw it away. I kept the rattle, but have no idea where I put it.

By he way, bbq rattler did not taste like chicken !

[LongWayFromHome]

I grew up on a farm in NY State , with heavy "concentrations" of Timber Rattlers. The common coloration was predominately dark, although some light color specimens were observed. A few times, even the melanistic color phase was seen. DEC has the rattler listed now as "threatened". Good call  by DEC. It was common back in the early 60's to drive the dirt gravel back roads in the evening during July/August, and go 'rattling.  This is what the big boys did, I was a 'youngin soon to see many of those big fellows march off to south east asia.  Those 'rattlin rodeos, were a big deal. I knew where the dens were, little fellows running around the country side knows the lay of the land. We are talking about 55 years ago... Many places that I hunted and fished, are now built up. You can read into my metaphoric intentions here, but once you start loosing one species, more critters start falling soon after like dominoes. I'll go out on a limb here. NY DEC, the scientists, the biologists, the wardens, and most of the hunters and fisherman are the most unique assortment of sportsmen and conservationists in the world. Suny universities kick out world class wildlife caretakers. There is no huge funding really, to save a snake. I don't want to see the Big Apple Cascavel exterminated no more then the grouse or any other species of critter. DEC in a round about way, saved 22,000 acres of Sterling Forest, Orange County, by purchasing it for 55 million dollars. Quite a few cascaveles in that chunk of forest. I am so much looking foward to seeing a NY rattler again. The politics sucks. The gun laws suck. The taxes suck. The liberal onslaught sucks. But there is no place like home, no place like N.Y. Thank You.

 

[adkhunter71]

3 hours ago, greybeard said:

In the late 60's it was legal to shoot timber rattlers  and  there was a $5.00 bounty on them in Warren County, but the bounty was only paid to residents who lived there. At that time they called Tongue Mountain the Rattlesnake Capitol of New York. In July of '69 I almost stepped on one on that mtn. and shot it. It was about 5'3" long. Shortly thereafter someone I know went up there to hunt for them and shot one also. There was even a guide that offered rattlesnake hunts.  A law enforcement officer up there told me that they were around Bolton Landing also and told me a couple of stories. I have not been up that way in years, but I assume that there are still a number of them up there.

You assume right.....and they can swim!

 

[greensider]

Please please do not give timber locations out there ate poachers who will wipe out dens for illegal trade and not only was it legal to kill at one time but when the bluestone quarries were first opening the dec blew up many huge dens 

[LongWayFromHome]

County and Township does no harm. Specific locations will endanger the rattlers. I'd love to catch a poacher.

[greensider]

You and me both 

[DirtTime]

@LongWayFromHome , just a couple very curious questions. You don't live here, so why do you care about rattle snakes and mountain lions in NYS?

 

Do you have rattle snakes and mountain lions where you live now?

Do you see them regularly where you live now?

 

How would you catch a poacher in NYS if you don't live here?

 

Where are you hunting again? What state? I would love to learn about what species you hunt these days. NY is limited to mainly black bear and whitetail deer for big game. I would love to read what you hunt and where.

[LongWayFromHome]

I'll answer your questions. If a man witnesses a criminal act, and has the capacity and ability to intervene,  and he does not, then he is as culpable as the criminal commiting an offense. This is my law, my morality, my way of life. As for the rattlesnakes, they have a place in nature just like the deer and the grouse. Any more questions? 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Edited November 25, 2019 by LongWayFromHome

[DirtTime]

37 minutes ago, LongWayFromHome said:

I'll answer your questions. If a man witnesses a criminal act, and has the capacity and ability to intervene,  and he does not, then he is as culpable as the criminal commiting an offense. This is my law, my morality, my way of life. As for the rattlesnakes, they have a place in nature just like the deer and the grouse. Any more questions? 

Happy Thanksgiving

 

You answered none of my questions! Not a one!

 

[LongWayFromHome]

quod patientia sit virtus

[Bionic]

Wtf

[Nomad]

‘81 Arizona desert, we would drive dirt roads  at night miles into the desert and find them laying on the hard packed road,because it was warmer . We had pvc pipes with bent coat hangers duct taped to the end in a V . Pin their head down,and either shoot them with .22 bird loads, or just cut the head off with our knives . Great fun , and you learned to jump backwards fast when things went south !

Edited November 25, 2019 by Nomad

[grampy]

13 hours ago, Bionic said:

Wtf

X - 2   

[DirtTime]

22 hours ago, LongWayFromHome said:

quod patientia sit virtus

I looked up a translation. Will post a pic below. This is the same crap stormy posts. Patience, or all in due time.

Just another troll IMO.

 

 

 

[Water Rat]

Seen quite a few rattlesnakes in Fishkill over the last 50 years. Here's an article that some might remember.

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/21/nyregion/animal-vs-mineral-mining-is-proposed-for...

[Water Rat]

https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/21/nyregion/animal-vs-mineral-mining-is-proposed-for...