I was putting stuff away in the barn and came a step away from this guy! He buzzed before I saw him and I jumped about 6 ft back while making the above exclamation in my best soprano voice. Got my adrenaline going for sure. Immediately got a shovel and made him a good snake. About 2 1/2 feet long.

I killed 3 of them in the barn last year in early Spring. They must den somewhere in or around it. We have a resident roadrunner that hangs around the cabin and is always coming around and inspecting what we are doing when out there. I thought they killed rattlers. Guess he sucks at it or it's just a myth.

A 2 1/2 foot snake looks much better as two 1 1/4 foot snakes.

Good snake, glad you got him and not the other way around

Shouldn't be hearing these kind of stories in January. Glad you're alright.

just had one of the tthar moments of a different kind sitten here at me favorite blind like de ol saying: opinions tis like as pappy once said: mine stinks

Just for info, it isn't a myth that Roadrunners kill rattlesnakes. Back in the 80's I was watching a small rattler slowly working his way across a caliche parking lot next to our camp. In a flash, two roadrunners ran to the snake and immediately began tag teaming him. When the snake would strike at one bird, the other would nail him in the back of the head. Quickly the snake was dead/stunned/whatever and the bigger bird picked him up and off they went into the brush. Very fast and efficient. Probably wouldn't work on one of those south Texas monster rattlers though.

Our resident, 1/2 tame roadrunner we call "Beep Beep" sucks at killing rattlesnakes then. Maybe he needs a tag team partner, or I need to buy a mongoose.

Agreed that January is way too early to be on guard for snakes. By the way, this snake's rattler is mostly missing. Collateral damage from the "Bam Bam" treatment he received from the shovel.

Man be careful

Had to kill a copperhead the other day. Them things are sneaky!

If you have the ability to feed and water them, peacocks will take care of the snakes. We have about a dozen around the camp house and haven't seen a snake within 100 yards of the house, barns, sheds etc since we got them. Still and all, I'll be wearing snake boots from now until the first fall freeze.

My peahen must have missed the memo, or she's just trying to be different? Last year while she was sitting on her nest in the hen house, a snake curled up around the eggs & pushed her off the nest. I thought the peafowl would've killed the snake as well, but didn't.

yagh, back in de day on me hog hunts, used ta use thermal. tis thinken bouts getting me some depends for them OH ____ moments. times tis changen

I'm glad he rattled before you stepped on him! That's even stranger than him being out right now, usually don't give a warning this time of year until your right on top of them. Absolutely hate rattlers. A bull snake will eat a rattler head first seen it several times, allways like seeing them around.

A friend of mine has probably two dozen or more guineas that absolutely hate snakes. I was over at his place in Freer last spring and we heard the birds making clucking and making all kinds of noise. When we found them they had surrounded a large rattler and they tore it to pieces.

Bullsnakes eat rattlesnakes: A thorough search of the literature and discussions with researchers who study both snakes has revealed next to nothing that supports the idea that bullsnakes eat rattlesnakes. Bullsnakes are primarily consumers of warm-blooded prey. In one instance, the body of a small rattlesnake showed up in the gut of a bullsnake, but no information exists on whether the ingested rattlesnake was already deceased or even what species it was. It is possible that a young bullsnake may eat a lizard, but no rattlesnake population could be significantly affected by bullsnakes. The natural mortal enemy of rattlesnakes is, in fact, the kingsnake.

http://www.justgetout.net/wenatchee/post/SnakeMyths

Scary for sure. Not something you think about this time of year.

We just had a week of freezing temps and I had one of those moments this weekend as well. Caught a 12" bull snake that was at the entrance of my sea crate. He got a pass but was moving very slow and was pissed about me messing with him.

Always heard bulls snakes will keep rattlers away. All I know is that we have 6' bull snake that stays around my camp. Haven't seen a rattler since we bought the place. He gets a pass but scares the @&)$! out of me several times a year.

Spoiled my upcoming weekend, planned on cutting some timber...

Do rattles sticking out of bull snakes mouth count as research? When you spend 12 hours a day in their habitat you are probably qualified as a snake researcher lol

down in de bottom, tis a jungle out thar. on de calm cool dark nights ya can still hear de screams. some say, tis a panther. tis just me, wondering about the woods with no flash light The Greatest Enemy of Knowladge is not Ignorance, it is the illusion of Knowledge. some say i'm an illusionist as pappy would say

last year bout this time, or little earlier. hogs were coming across creek behind food plot & old feeder. put up cam on other side. went ta pull SD card, it just a big step ta get across, pulled card went ta step across, ya can still hear the screams, somre say tis a panther, okay thats getting old. twas a big fat water moccason with mouth wide open werre stepping across. still get the webegeesies every time go thar. wjat fid happen ta that cold spell wr were supose ta get from the Gulf

Gonna Be in the mid 70's this week North of DFW.

Wait!!! I thought rattle snakes no longer rattle anymore. Glad this one did.

anytime the temps get over 75, it's not unusual to see snakes, they wont get far from their den.

I've heard emus work well