Guess what I found in the Havahart trap....

 

Oh MY!

I've been trying to get rid of the mysterious critter(s) munching
on my garden by setting out a Havahart trap.  I looked out the
window this morning and noticed the Havahart trap had been sprung.  
I figured it was another toad or a mouse that easily got out of the
thing.

So, I went to fix coffee and outside to see what the trap had
caught.  It wasn't a toad.  Rattlesnake.  ACK!

I moved the trap (with the somewhat angry and scared snake) to a
shady spot for permanent relocation later today.

(I'm pretty much a lurker 'round these parts but I thought I'd
share.)

~~BB

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Maybe there was a small rodent in there that did easily get out, but not
before attracting the attention of the snake?

Statistically speaking, the biggest risk of getting bitten is by handling
it, so keep that in mind in any case. Unlike some other venomous snakes,
rattlers will at least do you the courtesy of warning you when you've gotten
too close. Releasing it right where you trapped it might not be all that bad
an idea after all. Once the varmints disappear, so will the snakes.

 


Not necessarily so. Canebreak/timber rattlers around here will not
rattle even when you're trying to do them serious harm.  Other species
will, but not these.  I had a 3+ footer with 13 rattles on it's tail
coiled well within striking range of my leg when I was cleaning some
paint brushes.  Never did rattle.  I killed another one half that size
by throwing brick pieces at it.  Never did rattle. I let all non-
poisonous snakes have the run of the place, but the poisonous ones are
promptly dispatched.  My health/life is more important than their
theirs.

 



Not necessarily so. Canebreak/timber rattlers around here will not
rattle even when you're trying to do them serious harm.  Other species
will, but not these.  I had a 3+ footer with 13 rattles on it's tail
coiled well within striking range of my leg when I was cleaning some
paint brushes.  Never did rattle.  I killed another one half that size
by throwing brick pieces at it.  Never did rattle. I let all non-
poisonous snakes have the run of the place, but the poisonous ones are
promptly dispatched.  My health/life is more important than their
theirs.
----------------------------

Most would rather avoid you if they see you, even sometimes after you're
already too close - it's when they can't escape that causes trouble. I do
know of someone who stepped directly over a timber rattler without incident.
I've always read they are fairly mellow snakes, and what you say seems to
reinforce that notion. Did any of them strike at you?

My place has a few kinds of snakes, among them copperheads. Now those are
not nearly so polite. They also flee if they see you coming, but once close
enough their only response is to let you have it. We used to kill them a
long time ago, but stopped when the mice started coming back. They've been
mostly replaced by blacksnakes now, but still when traipsing through the
understory shrubs I'll wear boots.

 

On 7/31/2010 2:13 PM, BB wrote:

You have to be prepared to catch anything.  Last thing I caught was a
skunk and fortunately I could open the trap without getting close to it.
Wish I had video taped it because mother skunk had four babies jumping
around the trap and on top of it.  I did collect pictures of a raccoon a
few years ago:

http://home.comcast.net/~frank.logullo/thief.pdf

Not sure my trap would keep a snake from escaping.

No rattlers around here but I've caught a couple of big black snakes in
deer netting around plants.  Snakes just roaming around get into things.