Appreciate this video. I worked for about 36 years in the desert and camped in prime rattler country. I never got struck, but came close to stepping over a rattler in a bush one early morning before it woke up and slid away to get out of the heat. My advice for preventing rattler strikes is simple: Watch where you put your hands and feet. Know the times of activity in your area when rattlers will be out looking for prey. Know when they'll be on the move to get out of the heat. You can often find them late evenings or very early mornings on a black top road to stay warm. I moved more than a few to save them from getting ruined over.

I used to live in the rattlesnake-rich regions of So Cal. I hiked every chance I could get ... and almost every Saturday when I was a kid. I've NEVER had a rattlesnake come towards me with any of my many encounters. They are usually startled and rear up in defensive mode. When they perceive that the human in front of them, they will quietly retreat. I hiked the Pacific Coast Trail once and took break along side one of the rivers there. I sat on a large boulder in a pile of boulders ... after looking closely for critters before sitting down. After sitting there for several minutes with my group, I noticed some activity under me. It was an adult rattlesnake that came out from under the boulder I was sitting on, moving directly under my legs on the ground ... just inches from my ankles and feet. I was sure that if I let my group know of this, the young lady sitting next to me would have screamed and panicked. That would have precipitated a bite for sure ... to me. I just kept quiet and watched the snake calmly moved out of our way to another boulder. There is NEVER a need to kill a snake. Let them be. After all of my years of hiking, I can usually smell and discern the musky smell that rattlesnakes excrete. Other snakes do that to, but it seems that rattlesnakes have a pretty unique scent, and a very strong one when a group of them live in a particular area for a while. The best weapon you have out in the wilderness, is the one between your ears.

I live in Arizona and run into rattlesnakes all the time, so much so that I started wearing hunting boots that are snake bite proof.

Informative and entertaining. thanks for making the video!

Me and my friends always hiked out in the desert in California. We used to like to kick rocks or gravel every so many feet. More than once that has served us and alerted us to the presence of rattlesnakes. We also had to walk through a lot of brush in the places we hiked. So we will always pick up rocks and throw them in the brush first to make sure we weren't walking into a den of rattlesnakes. Which happened a bunch of times. Thank God we threw the Rocks instead of just went trudging in there😢 well that's my two cents I hope it helps everybody stay safe out there I think we should all pass along as much knowledge to each other as We Know have a great day🎉

Good info. You covered everything important. I try to remember the Rattlesnake was here B4 lil ole MEeee, that I'm invading it's home, to be respectful & give it a chance to move away from MEeee. If that doesn't happen, I give the Rattlesnake a wide birth as I walk around it. I've lived in Arizona & Nevada for the past 35+ years; I've seen/heard rattlesnakes but never have I caused one to curl into a raised "strike" position.

April marks the end of my desert hiking with my dogs. No more desert hikes until November. When the temps are below 55 degrees, the snakes usually stay in their lairs. Still on the extremes of my hiking trips I use snake-proof gaiters. Thanks for the tips. I always have at least one trekking pole. Stay safe!

Simple, watch where you put your hands and feet. Then remember, CCI IS YOUR FRIEND!!!

excellent video. sound advice. exactly the same as my dad a career forester taught us kids in the 50s and 60s. the advice works in southern pine forests too. dad’s stick was always well made and about shoulder height. he always said better than a pistol for shooing rattlers etc out of the way.

Planning a trip to Arizona and Utah for some hiking and sightseeing This video is very helpful Thank you 👍👍👍

Tips 5 and 6, yep. I use a stick or hiking pole in areas that are thicker and known to have rattlesnakes.

Rattlesnakes are actually low key. They just dont like being stepped on..

very good friend

I have been real lucky, but lots of people get bitten by rattlesnakes every year. I think hiking poles help. It lets them know you are coming, and if they strike they might only strike at the pole instead of your leg.

You don't always " hear" a rattlers warning. I live in CA Mohave Desert. I sometimes hear rattlers in the distance. But I haven't for a long time. I've got Red Racers and Coachwips and I even encountered a Rosy Boa one year. Something did strike my leg one morning. I never felt it because I have diabetic neuropathy. I noticed a small bite and some bleeding. It never swelled up. Thank God. Scared hell out of ne because I never saw what kind of snake it was. I must have almost stepped on it. Im more catious now.❤

"Baby rattlesnakes are born in the fall"- yet in the coastal hills of California I encounter the babies in June.

You forgot your stick ! 😆

I heard rattlesnakes come out between 60-95 degrees.

You gotta include foot wear !! Probably most important of all.

🎉

Are Rattlers active on the wetter west side of the Cascades and is there an elevation above which they won't be?

this is good stuff, BUT you totally failed to cover any sort of advice for if you actually get bitten! that right there is just as important and possibly even more important than these tips were.

I thought Washington State was the land of two foot slugs.