Hawk Mountain & Timber Rattlers?

[Daniel]

I was thinking about trying to go to hawk mountain next year but the idea of being in the timber rattlers 'stomping' ground scares me. Has anyone at hawk mountain been bit, or woke up next to a timber rattler, etc.

[lordmonar]

If you live anywhere in the contintial United States and spend anytime in the woods you are exposed to some sort of pit viper. 

Don't sweat it.

99 times out of 100 the only way you will see a rattle snake is as it is trying to get away from you.

If you follow some basic precautions:

Check your shoes before you put them on. 
Look where you put your feet and hands near rocks and sunny spots
Look at the snake...don't touch.

You should be fine.

[Spike]

Not one person has been attacked by a snake at Hawk.  You should be no different.  Do what Lordmonar typed, you should be fine. 

[jimmydeanno]

A definite advantage to living in New England. 

Of all the New England states, Maine is the only one without venomous snakes. In the other regional states, there are only two species of such snakes, and encounters are as rare as hens' teeth.

The snakes involved are, Timber Rattlesnakes and Copperheads, the venom from which is nowhere near as potent and deadly as it is from say the Diamondback rattlers in other parts of the country.

While there are venomous snakes here, New England isn't anything like the wild wild West where rattlesnakes proliferate in large numbers and people wind up getting bitten with enough frequency to encourage everyone to walk with care and with high boots when they're hiking amongst the cactus or Florida's Everglades.

In New England, the sum total of the two species of venomous snakes number only in the hundreds, bites are virtually unheard of, and death from a bite even rarer. In fact, in Massachusetts, only one person has died of a venomous snakebite, and that was well over two hundred years ago.

[EMT-83]

There was a story on the news a couple of weeks ago, where a guy from CT decided to play with a rattlesnake that he saw in his back yard. The snake wasn't in a playful mode, and the guy almost lost his hand!

[Spike]

There was a story on the news a couple of weeks ago, where a guy from CT decided to play with a rattlesnake that he saw in his back yard. The snake wasn't in a playful mode, and the guy almost lost his hand!

Wow...... common sense was on vacation that day.

[lordmonar]

There was a story on the news a couple of weeks ago, where a guy from CT decided to play with a rattlesnake that he saw in his back yard. The snake wasn't in a playful mode, and the guy almost lost his hand!

Wow...... common sense was on vacation that day.

See precaution #3 

[Mullins]

You might see some snakes (as I did at Hawk ) but you probably will not be attacked.

[DC]

You'll see snakes any time you decide to go live in the woods for a week.

Like people have said, even if you don't think it's poisonous, leave it alone, and it should leave you alone. Snakes typically don't attack unless they feel threatened.

[cap235629]

You'll see snakes any time you decide to go live in the woods for a week.

Like people have said, even if you don't think it's poisonous, leave it alone, and it should leave you alone. Snakes typically don't attack unless they feel threatened.

Exception is the copperhead.  It is territorial and aggressive.  If you see one, leave to AO immediately.

[sarmed1]

That is not a hard and fast rule either, I have seen numerous coperheads in the Hawk Mountian area (1 this year unfact) and never been attacked....and we are talking within a less than 5 foot distance...

mk

[Turbo]

I didn't see a single snake when I was there, but as others have said, when you live in the woods for a week, you're bound to run into them.

Just don't be dumb and you'll be ok.

[Airrace]

You will probally not see any snakes at all but if you do follow "Lords" advice. Most snakes are more afraid of humans and will run or avoid them as much as possible.

Check your shoes before you put them on. 
Look where you put your feet and hands near rocks and sunny spots
Look at the snake...don't touch.

And most importantly enjoy yourself!

[Major Lord]

Rattlesnakes are excellent eating! Just filet and cook as a kabob in the field, or better if you have butter or bisquick, to fry them. Every case I have personally seen of rattle snake bite has been the result of people trying to handle a live snake, and alcohol was a factor in almost every case. Its important to remember that not all rattlesnake bites transfer poison; That's up to the snake. The pain will be proportional to the amount of venom. Every place in the country with pit vipers will have anti-venin, so a bite is generally not going to be too awful an experience (as opposed to say, a gunshot wound)

Major Lord
Chief Tactical Officer
Cadet Survival School

[Airrace]

The one anly time I ate rattle snake was barbequed and it tasted like chicken.

[Spike]

Outback Steakhouse years ago (mid 90's) sold rattlesnake.  It was expensive but worth the try.  I must say it was tasty, but very grainy. 

[Rodriguez]

Ive been Ranger Staff for 3 years and in 2 Years of going to Hawk I have yet to see a snake outside the area of pulpit rock or pinnacle at the top of the mountain. Even then they are confined to the rocks and cracks of the mountain. The general rule still applies if you don't mess with them they wont mess with you. Now I live in South Florida so snakes aren't a real biggie to me but I can understand peoples fears concerning them

[jimmydeanno]

Now I live in South Florida so snakes aren't a real biggie to me but I can understand peoples fears concerning them

In Southern Florida you have:

Southern Copperhead
Cottonmouth
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Timber Rattlesnake
Pygmy Rattlesnake
Eastern Coral Snake

I'd be more concerned about snakes where you live than I would at Hawk...

[PHall]

Well, anybody who wants to eat Rattle Snake just needs to go to Northern Texas/Oklahoma during the springtime.
They have "Rattlesnake Roundups" where they try to catch every rattlesnake they can find so they won't bite the cattle.
Many of them end up on the menu.

[Rodriguez]

Now I live in South Florida so snakes aren't a real biggie to me but I can understand peoples fears concerning them

In Southern Florida you have:

Southern Copperhead
Cottonmouth
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Timber Rattlesnake
Pygmy Rattlesnake
Eastern Coral Snake

I'd be more concerned about snakes where you live than I would at Hawk...

Yes, Thats what I mean. I didn't mean we don't have them, believe me we do. We even have bounties on certain snakes in the Everglades

[Grumpy]

Ive been Ranger Staff for 3 years and in 2 Years of going to Hawk I have yet to see a snake outside the area of pulpit rock or pinnacle at the top of the mountain. Even then they are confined to the rocks and cracks of the mountain. The general rule still applies if you don't mess with them they wont mess with you. Now I live in South Florida so snakes aren't a real biggie to me but I can understand peoples fears concerning them

No, but you got them crockagators and aladiles runnin around in the swamps. 

[Rodriguez]

  Yes, indeed we do. In my years in the Florida Ranger program I have seen quite a few. Up close and personal many times. Although It astounds me that the local government is so restrictive on hunting of these gators, which are becoming overpopulated.

[flyerthom]

That is not a hard and fast rule either, I have seen numerous coperheads in the Hawk Mountian area (1 this year unfact) and never been attacked....and we are talking within a less than 5 foot distance...

mk

Almost of the Snakebites I dealt with were when I was working in Lehighton or Pocono and involved large amounts of adult beverages and a rattle snake round up in Carbon County PA.