[RATTLER56]

There is a rattlesnake hunt waynoka olkahoma on 17,18,19 of april....i rattler56 says so because i will be there ...fo sur.

[mkfarnam]

RattleSnake Round-Up
April 10-12, 2009
Waurika, Ok.

Waurika Oklahoma Hosts Forty-sixth Annual Rattlesnake Hunt

[Bobby H]

I'm not a fan of most rattlesnake roundups. Rattlesnake populations have remained somewhat steady in Oklahoma. However, the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake has been all but eradicated from North Carolina and is in serious decline in many other areas in Deep South coastal areas. I have serious doubts rat roundups will be popular at all in drawing tourists once those snakes are gone.

If the roundups have to take place I think they need to do more to stress the ecological angle. Basically they don't need to kill every snake they catch. Snakes are very necessary predators for the food chain. Snakes and predatory birds are the primary animals that control rodent population.

The manufacturing business where I work occasionally has snakes show up on site. We'll get juvenile corn snakes warming themselves on the concrete factory floor. They shy away from people and aren't any sort of threat. We like having them around so they can eat as many mice and rats as possible. I hate the stink of a dead rat decaying in between the walls of our office after eating rat poison than I do any snake.

Originally Posted by Mattie Jo

what are those 7 snakes?

If you count various sub-species of rattlesnakes there is at least 7 kinds of snakes in Oklahoma that are venomous: Copperheads, Cottonmouths, Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Timber Rattlesnakes, Massasauga Rattlesnakes, Prairie Rattlesnakes and Pygmy Rattlesnakes.

The Lawton-Fort Sill area, particularly the Wichita Mountains, has Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Pygmy rattlesnakes, Massasauga Rattlesnakes and Copperheads.

Cottonmouths can also be found on occaision near shores of lakes in or near the Wichita Mountains although they're more common farther south in places like Waurika Lake. The Wichita Mountains has an almost countless variety of harmless snakes, including several species of King Snakes that eat venomous snakes.

Cottonmouths can be confused with more common and harmless snakes like Black Rat Snakes, Speckled King Snakes, Mud Snakes and a number of other species.

Incidents of Cottonmouth bites on people are very rare since those snakes prefer watery areas with dense brush, basically areas that are difficult for people to access. And this is a good thing. Cottonmouth venom is very potent. Worse yet, Cottonmouths will tend to hold on to prey when they strike. They eat a lot of fish so holding on when biting (often under water) is critical for the snake to secure his meal.

Overall snakes in the United States, even the venomous ones, get a bad rap. On average snakes kill only half a dozen people in the US per year. That is minuscule compared to the over 10,000 in India who die every year from King Cobra bites or the thousands per year in Africa who fall to the Black Mamba.

Americans who die from snake bites often are harassing or even handling the snakes that kill them -and sometimes the idiots are doing this while drunk! Eastern and Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes are the most common culprits in the deaths, but only due to their numbers and great range across the country. Highly venomous species like the small Mojave Rattlesnake found in the desert Southwest are known to be lethal. Deaths from Coral Snakes (a type of Cobra) and Cottonmouths are very rare.

[mkfarnam]

Originally Posted by Bobby H

I'm not a fan of most rattlesnake roundups. Rattlesnake populations have remained somewhat steady in Oklahoma. However, the Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake has been all but eradicated from North Carolina and is in serious decline in many other areas in Deep South coastal areas. I have serious doubts rat roundups will be popular at all in drawing tourists once those snakes are gone.

If the roundups have to take place I think they need to do more to stress the ecological angle. Basically they don't need to kill every snake they catch. Snakes are very necessary predators for the food chain. Snakes and predatory birds are the primary animals that control rodent population.

The manufacturing business where I work occasionally has snakes show up on site. We'll get juvenile corn snakes warming themselves on the concrete factory floor. They shy away from people and aren't any sort of threat. We like having them around so they can eat as many mice and rats as possible. I hate the stink of a dead rat decaying in between the walls of our office after eating rat poison than I do any snake.



If you count various sub-species of rattlesnakes there is at least 7 kinds of snakes in Oklahoma that are venomous: Copperheads, Cottonmouths, Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Timber Rattlesnakes, Massasauga Rattlesnakes, Prairie Rattlesnakes and Pygmy Rattlesnakes.

The Lawton-Fort Sill area, particularly the Wichita Mountains, has Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes, Pygmy rattlesnakes, Massasauga Rattlesnakes and Copperheads.

Cottonmouths can also be found on occaision near shores of lakes in or near the Wichita Mountains although they're more common farther south in places like Waurika Lake. The Wichita Mountains has an almost countless variety of harmless snakes, including several species of King Snakes that eat venomous snakes.

Cottonmouths can be confused with more common and harmless snakes like Black Rat Snakes, Speckled King Snakes, Mud Snakes and a number of other species.

Incidents of Cottonmouth bites on people are very rare since those snakes prefer watery areas with dense brush, basically areas that are difficult for people to access. And this is a good thing. Cottonmouth venom is very potent. Worse yet, Cottonmouths will tend to hold on to prey when they strike. They eat a lot of fish so holding on when biting (often under water) is critical for the snake to secure his meal.

Overall snakes in the United States, even the venomous ones, get a bad rap. On average snakes kill only half a dozen people in the US per year. That is minuscule compared to the over 10,000 in India who die every year from King Cobra bites or the thousands per year in Africa who fall to the Black Mamba.

Americans who die from snake bites often are harassing or even handling the snakes that kill them -and sometimes the idiots are doing this while drunk! Eastern and Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes are the most common culprits in the deaths, but only due to their numbers and great range across the country. Highly venomous species like the small Mojave Rattlesnake found in the desert Southwest are known to be lethal. Deaths from Coral Snakes (a type of Cobra) and Cottonmouths are very rare.

I lived in So Cal for 36 years, 28 of those years in the Mojave Desert. Always outside the city. Not once,,,,in all the time I lived in SoCal, did I come across a rattlesnake. In fact,snakes (of any kind) seemed to be fairly rare to medium creatures out there. But that's my experience, and I've been all over out there. To the sea shore, the mountain tops to several different types of terrain in the Desert.

[debbie at bouontiful]

I've stepped over rattlesnakes (accidentally). My house is built into the woods and I have the 4900 different snakes along with scopions. I've never seen so many insects and rodents along with the snakes before moving to this ranch. Can be pretty scary at times.

[HeatherDawn]

Snakes are like tornadoes in Oklahoma but more common. They are something to pay attention to but it's not a reason not to move here. I have seen a lot of rattlers and have run over a lot of them then backed up again just for good measure.

Even though they aren't out in cold weather, you need to watch for them year-round since we might have an 80 degree day in February. When we were kids, my dad took us to a cabin in eastern OK. We went for a hike and my six-year-old sister was leading. By the grace of God my dad had the good sense to grab a gun on our way out the door. My sister sat down on her butt to slide down an incline and her foot hit a six-foot diamondback. He was coiled and ready to strike when my dad shot him. We were an hour away from a hospital. This was in February. My dad brought the snake home to show people and my mom had nightmares for years.

I am an outdoors woman and I am not scared to be out amongst them. However, I always watch my step in high grass and wear boots when I'm going to be out in it. Just keep your eyes peeled and it's not a big deal. It's mostly people that don't know to be careful that have a problem.

[debbie at bouontiful]

I should be more careful HeatherDawn. Living on a ranch I am always running through creeks to check on cattle. Sometimes I do not wear the high boots, like yesterday....but I do look for snakes all the time.

[BornToFly]

Originally Posted by HeatherDawn

Snakes are like tornadoes in Oklahoma but more common. They are something to pay attention to but it's not a reason not to move here. I have seen a lot of rattlers and have run over a lot of them then backed up again just for good measure.

I would, too!


I don't think I've ever even SEEN a venomous snake. I'm going to be so paranoid about 'em til I get used to having them around and learn what to do if/when I come across them.

My friend in OK was drunk and playing with some snakes a few weeks ago. It made me so nervous, but he's a big boy so I kept my mouth shut about how bad of an idea I thought that was and just told him not to get himself hurt - or worse! And he's an Eagle scout! Shouldn't he oughta know better?

[Goodpasture]

What was an eagle scout doing drunk?

[BornToFly]

Oops! Is that not 'allowed' ??

Now that I'm thinking about it, I don't know that the snakes were venomous, but I still don't see the point. Is there really so little to do there people have to resort to playing with snakes? ...I don't think I'd buy that excuse. lol