Rattlesnakes

[Elessar]

This is a pretty good article on rattlesnakes. Of course the focus is
local to far NW California, but the precautions are valid nationwide:

http://kymkemp.com/2017/04/09/be-rattlesnake-safe-this-spring/

My Granddad taught me (back in WVA) to never kill, or remove a blacksnake from a locale.
They will kill Rattlers, copperheads, and water moccasins.

[Bilgerat]

I gots me a 5 foot black racer out in my pole barn. They keep down rodents too :)

[Gunny]

This is a pretty good article on rattlesnakes. Of course the focus is
local to far NW California, but the precautions are valid nationwide:

http://kymkemp.com/2017/04/09/be-rattlesnake-safe-this-spring/

My Granddad taught me (back in WVA) to never kill, or remove a blacksnake from a locale.
They will kill Rattlers, copperheads, and water moccasins.Sounds like what we call a chicken snake down here. I don't care what they do. If it aint a garter snake, it's getting shot. Did you know snakes are too smart for their own good? All you got to do is get close with your shot and they're fast enough to strike the bullet. Genius.

Jarhead story from when I was a troopy. They catch this sidewinder and put it in a cage. Then they get stoned and screw with it. I'd just sit there rolling my eyes. And imagine the shock and awe when one of them got struck. They were like why did the snake do that? More rolling my eyes. Finally my roomy says It's a f-ing snake? And in 29 Palms in 1980? You're screwed for medical. We had to run that idiot 10 miles to base. Good thing Yogi's hero was that PI that drove a brown Camaro or Trans AM or whatever. We made it in about 3 minutes. I was trying to not laugh. I live in rattlesnake land. I'm like what a dumbass. Let's screw with the snake.

Oh, and he pulled through. I wouldn't find it funny if he hadn't. :)

[Balu]

A nice article. Thank you.
I met them in the desert of Turkmenistan and learned a very peculiar thing how to secure against all the snakes in a deserts, steppes and in mountains, and against the rattlesnakes in particular.
All the snakes are afraid of the smell of the sheep wool as the sheeps eat the majority of them. So, a sheep woolen neat around your tent or a pair of sheepskins is enough to protect yourself. You can see the clothes of herdsman in the Caucasus mountains. His felt cloak is not only a blanket under which he can keep warm at night, but also a means of protection against snakes.

https://kavkazsuvenir.ru/files/uploads/gde_kupit_burku.jpg

P.S.
If it is interesting I can tell you how to grow watermelons and melons in the waterless deserts in field conditions. http://s19.rimg.info/aee19e2775457d135efdf745e7d94e15.gif (http://smayliki.ru/smilie-1224821991.html)

[Gunny]

A nice article. Thank you.
I met them in the desert of Turkmenistan and learned a very peculiar thing how to secure against all the snakes in a deserts, steppes and in mountains, and against the rattlesnakes in particular.
All the snakes are afraid of the smell of the sheep wool as the sheeps eat the majority of them. So, a sheep woolen neat around your tent or a pair of sheepskins is enough to protect yourself. You can see the clothes of herdsman in the Caucasus mountains. His felt cloak is not only a blanket under which he can keep warm at night, but also a means of protection against snakes.

https://kavkazsuvenir.ru/files/uploads/gde_kupit_burku.jpg

P.S.
If it is interesting I can tell you how to grow watermelons and melons in the waterless deserts in field conditions. http://s19.rimg.info/aee19e2775457d135efdf745e7d94e15.gif (http://smayliki.ru/smilie-1224821991.html)This is now about melons? They're easy to grow and if S Texas isn't a desert, I'm not sure what is.

I didn't know that about sheep though. We have cows here. The snakes don't mess with the cattle. Snakes are defensive. Only a couple of species are offensive. They are a threat, regardless. Especially if you have little kids in the yard.