rattlesnakes (Scottsbluff, Chadron, Ogallala: live, areas, firm)

[ron van bergen]

Looking for places to catch rattlesnakes in Nebraska. I've heard the Chimney Rock area has lots of snakes as well as the Chadron area and dog towns around Ogallala. Scottsbluff area is supposed to have lots of snakes also. Anyone have good information about snakes in these areas?

[IsThisOneTaken?]

Find a rancher just about anywhere in the western 1/3 of the state to get permission from, and start walking the sandhills.

[RYNO71]

There are also some Massasauga rattlers down around Burchard Lake in SE Nebr.

[itsMeFred]

You'll find very few rattlesnakes in the Sandhills, but all of the rocky areas already mentioned will have them.
This time of year you're probably out of luck though.

My dog found one in our pasture last year. They're pretty common.

[Gunluvver2]

Originally Posted by ron van bergen

Looking for places to catch rattlesnakes in Nebraska. I've heard the Chimney Rock area has lots of snakes as well as the Chadron area and dog towns around Ogallala. Scottsbluff area is supposed to have lots of snakes also. Anyone have good information about snakes in these areas?

Just about any river or creek with sandy or rocky soil along the banks is good habitat for rattlesnakes. Bull snakes kill rattlesnakes and they are dominant over the rattlesnakes although they can both inhabit the same area. The Snake River close to Valentine and Merrit Reservoir is aptly named. Fishing in the area can be hazardous if you don't have knee high boots.

If you can locate Prairie Dog towns you will find rattlesnakes.

GL2

[IsThisOneTaken?]

Originally Posted by itsMeFred

You'll find very few rattlesnakes in the Sandhills,

I'll remember that next time I'm antelope hunting in the sandhills and encounter numerous rattlesnakes...

I would agree that you will find many on rocky areas, but the grassy sandhills hold many too. When you are sneaking up on antelope you tend to sneak up on snakes as well...

[IsThisOneTaken?]

By the way, here is an earlier thread about them. I had some photos posted there, but they seem to be gone now.

scottsbluff and rattle snakes

[ron van bergen]

After posting a thread about snakes I really enjoy reading other people's experiences with snakes. Keep them coming. I'm a northern Minnesota guy and we have bears, wolves and moose that some people fear. Personally I don't worry about them.....but when I am traipsing around in snake country I use great caution but still Inever get comfortable.

[itsMeFred]

Originally Posted by IsThisOneTaken?

I'll remember that next time I'm antelope hunting in the sandhills and encounter numerous rattlesnakes...
.

Where??

I've lived all over the Sandhills and this has not been my experience at all...

For the same reason you don't find too many prairie dogs in the Sandhills, you don't usually find rattlesnakes, either. Generally speaking, you need rocky areas, and/or, firm soil for rattlesnake habitat.
You don't find that type of terrain in the vast majority of the Sandhills.

Then again, now that I'm thinking about it, you don't really find too many antelope in the Sandhills either. If I'm thinking correctly, you can't even GET an antelope permit in almost all of the Sandhills counties because they're pretty uncommon...

Are you sure you're hunting IN the Sandhills, and not one of the surrounding regions, like the panhandle or the Platte Valley?

[bustaduke]

Hope you have snake boots are they will find you first