and couldn't talk.....Quick, help. Calm down and tell me whats happening. I just now for the first time heard my first horrible rattle of a rattle snake and he is about ten foot in front of my shop and about 30 foot long. I ran over to the neighbors house and got everybody there to come help. He shot him lots of times but all I find was 7 spent rounds but I know there was at least a whole box of 50 he shot. At least he was real dead when I come in here. I bet he was too!!!! Well what are you gonna do about it to help me.....Honey all I can do is fan and feed you and get you to cool down. No, she said. What can you do out side to help me.  You mean go ask a dead snake what he was doing in your yard??

Well she did miss the measurement by a couple of inches but she always thought I was taller than I actually am so I forgive her for that. 

That's a big ol Rattler Jess! Well fed. Get ready for a mouse and gopher population explosion! You just can't win can ya.

42 minutes ago, John Morris said:

You just can't win can ya.

turn it into dinner..

We run into these guys frequently in the field. If you make noise as you walk they just run off. They are more scared of us then we of them. 

Personally I like rattlers. But, if one was found in my back yard where my kids play, he'd get the business end of a shovel. But I'd feel bad about it. 

Use a shot gun next time Jess, 50 rounds???!!!

Like you and John, if they are close to the house, they're goners. Out in the fields, they're OK.

Gopher snakes OTOH, can stay near the house. In fact, there's one in the back carport right now. They're pretty laid back snakes.

 

Thst is not good to have one that big in your yard. Glad you made it into a good snake

Looks like that rattler is well fed. You probably shot your best friend, but,- - - , likely, I'd have done the same thing.

Oh, Lord, I'd have to change my drawers if I saw that in the yard!

I killed a rattlesnake in our driveway a month or so ago.  It was about 18" long.

It was a shock, I had not seen one around the house before...

Cal

3 hours ago, John Morris said:

They are more scared of us then we of them. 

Doubt it!!!!

4 hours ago, John Morris said:

They are more scared of us then we of them

when you come up on one.. stand still.. it'll move on...

In all the seriousness, I really thought the story was funny. I am glad it didn't have any serious consequences in it. I've heard they make great chili.....though I've never had any.

2 hours ago, Fred W. Hargis, Jr said:

In all the seriousness, I really thought the story was funny. I am glad it didn't have any serious consequences in it. I've heard they make great chili.....though I've never had any.

Me neither, Fred. Didn't know they could cook.

  Good idea to off him for being too close to the house.  Get the rattle off and use it for the pendulum for one of your clocks.

Fred I am like you on how she came in scared to death. So much so I had never seen her that way but still I thought it way more funny than she did. And she didn't appreciate my joking to her about it..This happened about 4 Sat afternoon, I was in bed for I had poured concrete all day and had worked myself into being sick so I took a shower and went to bed. No I,m not going out there and try to find the snake, thinking it had probably crawled away so I told her to go and get the neighbor to help her. That's when the gatling gun came into being. Everyone figured it had just eaten something by the knot in its belly and got lazy and also the reason it was still almost  where was when she came upon it.

Why did it have to be snakes?  I hate snakes.

18 minutes ago, Ron Dudelston said:

Why did it have to be snakes?  I hate snakes.

Yep!

1 hour ago, Gene Howe said:

I've heard they make great chili..

better BBQ...

3 minutes ago, Grandpadave52 said:

Yep!

They can keep em Dave.

Good Idea Handy Dan, I wonder if it would rattle every time it would change directions????????

 

The neighbor shot it so I would think he already got it pinned to his hat or laying on top of his wife's pillow!!!!!!