MCALESTER NEWS-CAPITAL (Oklahoma) 12 July 08 Large rattler found on trail (Porky Falcon)
Most people walking up on a coiled rattlesnake would freeze or run in the opposite direction — not 28-year-old John Hardy.
Rattlesnakes strike — luckily, not the rattlesnake Hardy came face to face with.
Thick green weeds, above his head, grew along pipeline he was walking, on a small trail leading back to Hardy’s truck, just about one half mile away.
“I was at work, in late June, walking down a pipeline heading back to my truck,” Hardy said. “I was popping the weeds out of the way with a stick I had in my hand when I came up on the rattlesnake laying in the trail. She (the diamondback) was coiled up on the trail in front of me.”
The coiled up rattler was nearly dormant after the heavy, cold, rainfall. The drop in temperature allowed Hardy to easily grab the snake.
Hardy, said there was no visual signs of a threat from the rattlesnake. The snake was cold and trying to stay warm, according to Hardy.
“With the stick in my hand, I put it on the her head real slow and picked her up,” Hardy explained.
“After walking about a half mile back, I put her in a backpack that was in my truck and sat her in the cab so she didn’t get too hot.”
“The snake was pretty secure in the pack,” Hardy said. “There wasn’t much room for her to move around or rattle.”
Hardy usually keeps a tote sack in his truck, just for rattlesnakes. He hunts them in the springtime, when breeding season begins. Hardy thinks it’s the best time of the year to hunt.
“It’s an awesome adrenaline rush,” Hardy said. “After carrying the rattlesnake a half mile to my truck, then finally getting her into the backpack, I was shaking pretty good after I got her out of my hands.”
The Western Diamondback rattlesnake has a blood poisoning venom which attacks the blood of its prey by killing red blood cells.
Partly because of its wide distribution, the diamondbacks account for more serious and fatal snake bites than any other North American reptile.
“You should get to the hospital as quick as you can, (if bitten by a rattlesnake),” Hardy explained. “If possible call the hospital or someone to let them know what happened and where you are headed, along with the route, just in case something happens on the way to the hospital.”
The venom of the western diamondback rattlesnake can be potent for years, causing swelling, bleeding and tissue damage.
“The first thing I did when I picked the rattlesnake up was, milk all the venom from her fangs. Just in case she did bite me, it would have been a small dose. She didn’t have any venom when she went into the truck.”
The diamondback primarily feeds on small rodents, rabbits, birds and almost anything alive that can be swallowed whole.
Pit vipers, like the diamondback, also use heat sensitive areas in "pits" on the front of their heads to locate their victims even in total darkness.
Sizes range from about 10 inches at birth to around 60 inches when grown. Specimens exceeding six feet are rare.
Hardy took a look at the rattlesnakes body size, length, head size and rattle to determine a rough age on the reptile.
“Each time a rattlesnake sheds it’s skin, it gains another rattle on it’s tail,” Hardy said.
Some rattlesnakes can earn up to two rattles a year. It’s inaccurate to determine on just the rattle alone, as rattlesnakes break some rattles off.
The record in Oklahoma for the longest diamondback rattlesnake is 88" long. It was caught by the hunting team of Pat Meek, Mike Meek and Lyman Redgate, during the 2002 Waynoka Rattlesnake Hunt.
“The length on this rattlesnake is 72-inches long, quite shy of the Oklahoma record,” Hardy said. “As far as the rattle goes, she tied the record, which is 16 rattles and a button. You can see where some of her rattles have broke off.”
The Western Diamondback has a high-rising threatening coil, fearsome loud buzzing rattler and will stand its ground when threatened.
Not all rattlesnakes give a warning to it’s victim or prey and not all rattlesnakes bite their victims with venom.
“You will not always know when a rattlesnake is ready to strike. Sometimes the rattle will shake and the head will be up and in strike position, that’s just to warn off predators.” Hardy explained. “A rattlesnake can jump half their body length and strike a victim.
“Call animal control or a game warden, let them know the location of the rattlesnake, if you happen to come across one. It’s very rare.” Hardy explained.
“We may get about two calls a year regarding just rattlesnakes in general,” Oklahoma Wildlife Game Warden Shane Fields said. “Most people call asking if a snake is poisonous or non poisonous.
“What I tell them, if they happen to get that close, to look at their eyes and make sure that the eye is not a cat eye rather than a round pupil.”
“The coral snake is the only snake in this area that has a round pupil, that produces venom. They are mostly reported toward the Arkansas boarder. Their pattern is red, yellow, black.”
“I was 12 years old with my uncle, the first time I caught a rattlesnake. It was a timber rattlesnake,” Hardy explained. “You should never go alone and should only go with someone who has experience, just in case the snake decides to bite. I don’t recommend anyone hunting rattlesnakes. They are unpredictable, dangerous and lethal.
“I fear them. I’m afraid of them — of course,” Hardy admitted. “That’s what makes me careful and I don’t get a big head about it. I’m cautious and respect the snake every time. I take all precautions so I don’t get bit.”
Large rattler found on trail

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