burniegoeasily

I went out last night to do a little hunting. We had a major wind out of the North East. So I found a spot on my land, on the river valley. I found a funnel that had lots of trails, with a ledge on the South West side of the funnel, where I gutted a mesquite tree to use as a blind. Cleared all the brush from the ground so it was just dirt. Used some of the branches from the mesquite as a back drop and a few in front to serve as a bit of a cover. Had a great vantage point. After about an hour of scoping, I see a buck to the South west of me, headed to the ledge I was set up on. The wind was perfect to blow my stink just south of him. All I had to do is wait and see what quality he was and if I wanted to shoot him. That is if my game plan played out. He was off about a mile, so it was taking him some time to get to me. I was just hoping he would do as I had planned and follow the ledge to keep out of the wind. It appeared he was. He went out of site, but still following the ledge. After about 30 min of waiting, I hear a noise behind me. I think it’s a hog down on the river and ignore it. A few sec. later, it sounds louder, and right behind me. I get up off my butt to turn to see what it is, and right between my legs is a rattle snake slithering. I’m there with my longbow in one hand and my quiver setting next to my right foot. I only have two arrows, so I take the one in my quiver out and ram it through the snakes head. Actually, right behind his head. While he was squirming, I throw him and the arrow off to the side, to deal with later and hunker down again waiting on the deer. I have no clue if the deer is still on his way or not, but I set and wait. Again, I heara noise in the mesquite. I turn to my left and another dang rattle snake is moving about 3 feet from me. Since he was moving away, I didn’t bother with him, just keep my eye on him. Well, it appeared he wanted to be where I was because he turned and headed straight for me. I had only one arrow left, and since I threw my other arrow off to the side with a snake stuck to it, I had nothing to deal with this guy with. I look around to find a stick I could use to catch him with, so I could throw him far away from me, and I cannot find one. While I was digging around in the mesquite I just cut up, I reach for a stick that looks like it would be a great snake getter and next to it, was another damn rattle snake. At this point I say, "Oh to hell with it" and grab a big post size stick and smash both their heads in. In the mean time, I look out where I had planned on seeing a deer come into the funnel at, and sure enough, the buck was setting there watching me smash these snakes heads in. He didn’t stick around to see what I was going to do next. Only good thing, he was a medium sized 8 pointer. I would not have shot him anyway. After I finished my snake dance, I figured I had stirred up the place so much, I should just go home, so I did. I guess the snakes are trying to den up. Kind of early for my part of the world, but the quicker they do, the less I’ll have to deal with them.



Here is a pic taken 6 years ago, not far from where I was set up at. My buddy was shooting hogs on the river.

WV Hunter

LOL, your a magnet![8D]

You could always go into the boot making business....

MO_Bowhnter

You're more of a man than I am! I would have been up and running as fast as possible after seeing the first one.

2 Lunger

My hunt would've ended after seeing the first one!

tsoc

I hate snakes! I would have been dealing with a clothing change after the first encounter!

OKbowhunter20

You find a rattlesnake between your legs and you sit back down??[&:]

I would have been halfway back to the truck by the time you had the first one killed

Jasonlester

Tose snakes just wanna be on a bow Burnie. Skin them and back a bow with em!

burniegoeasily

That was the first thing I did, size them up to see if I could use them as a bow backing. The first one had a messed up skin. He got injured some time in life, which messed up the skin. The second two were too short. Besides, ive got a few skins already tanned and waiting for bows. Ive got a few snakey staves I cut last winter that are just about ready to be made into selfbows. Ill be backing them with some skins ive gotten this year.

crenshaw

Your a magnet because the spot where you are sitting is either on the way to where the snakes go to hibernate or it is where they hibernate. I have worked with snakes my whole life. This is the time of the year when the snakes (especially rattlesnakes) rush to there wintering holes. It could be that there is some kind of underground cavaran under some rocks or something. to see two rattlesnakes in the same area and traveling at this time of the year is usually a good sign that your in there wintering area, check the spot in the spring and if there in there again its cause there coming out. Its not uncommon to find a hundreds of them traveling to an area where they hibernate.

burniegoeasily

Yep, Ive gassed several dens on my land. We found 60 in one den under an old barn two years ago. I was somewhere near a den. Ill gas it this spring and get some skins for bow backs. I know of several dens on my land.