Snake hunting/Food gathering

[Handforged]

Didn't know where to put this so I went with here. Went out snake hunting today for a couple hours. Ended up with 10 prairie rattlers and 1 larger bull snake. I think we spent two hours out in our favorite snake honey hole. I process these hides for bow backs, use a few and trade a few from time to time. The meat my wife and I process up and eat or put in the freezer (except the bull snake they taste horrible). We stopped by the grocery store on the way home and Tasha comes out with a box of what she called "Snake and Bake". A box of parmesan panko break crumbs.  Here's a picture of the hides tacked up to cure. Hoping to get out again in the next few days to get another dozen or so.  Snake! It's what's for dinner! With a Caesar salad tonight.

[Handforged]

the largest one was a HUGE female 51" with about 2" of neck removed with the head to the start of the rattles. She was a nasty bitch too...  I think you know who won.

[bjrogg]

Well that looks like a good days hunt to me. That’s probably more snakes than I have seen here in my entire 59 years. Well maybe not, but close. Lots bigger than our garters to.

I would like to try some snake meat sometime. The other white meat.

I’m guessing if you wanted to trade those skins. You’d have some interest.

Bjrogg

[JEB]

 I have a terrible phobia with snakes, scared to death of any snake. I do use the skin for cresting arrows . 

[Pappy]

Nice catch, I love skins on bows.
 Pappy

[BowEd]

Very good haul of snakes there.I'd be interested in trading for the bull snake.How long was it?

[mullet]

Nice batch of skins. I think I saw snakes every day I went hunting in our five weeks of turkey season.

[Handforged]

This was only about 2 hours of gathering. I let a bunch of smaller snakes go.  I can only handle about 10 at a time, I mean that many fill up half a sheet of ply wood to get them dry. I don't want them sitting all over the shop, I don't need that many. I could have brought home maybe 20 or more if I wasn't so picky.

[Handforged]

Nice catch, I love skins on bows.
 Pappy

Pappy there is nothing better than an Osage self bow with a big canebrake rattler backing. We only have the smaller prairie rattlers out here who are naturally lighter brown, even orange some of them. I still think the canebrake looks better.

[Handforged]

Well that looks like a good days hunt to me. That’s probably more snakes than I have seen here in my entire 59 years. Well maybe not, but close. Lots bigger than our garters to.

I would like to try some snake meat sometime. The other white meat.

I’m guessing if you wanted to trade those skins. You’d have some interest.

Bjrogg

I started hunting snakes when I was a kid for the rattle snake roundups. My dad, uncles and grandfather went every year. I would tag along until I could handle a snake on my own and that was all she wrote. We'd hunt snakes for days on end bringing in hundreds sometimes. My wife had never eaten anything like that before meeting me. I deep fried some rattle snake for her when we were dating and she would ask if we could go get some more. That's how you know she's a keeper.  I use a snake hook and a belt knife. I don't approve of shooting them. I know that sounds hypocritical but I believe there should be fair chase. Sometimes the snake gets away, lost a few yesterday. To me that's part of it. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose but in the end there is always plenty. I think those 10 snakes made about 15 pounds of meat or more. (there's not a lot to a snake after skinning and gutting).

I soak the in garlic salty water for the night and roll them in "snake and bake" before dropping them in the fryer.  It's definitely worth eating.

[Handforged]

I have a terrible phobia with snakes, scared to death of any snake. I do use the skin for cresting arrows .

My dad told me when I was a kid that I wasn't smart enough to be scared of anything? There might be some truth there. When I was a kid I picked a baby rattle snake up in the yard and brought it up on the porch. I stepped on it and grabbed it by the back of the head but my pa still slapped it out of my hand. Then proceeded to build a nice enclosure for me to keep it in my room. Equipped with a feeding tube for mice and padlocks so I couldn't get it out and play with it.   I actually love snakes. I think they are gorgeous animals. All while hunting and eating them, which I think is a part of appreciating them.

We wear snake boots and carry snake hooks to handle them. I've been bitten a few times over the years and I wouldn't recommend it. However taking safe precautions handling them is relatively safe. The biggest thing is learning not to jump or scream like a girl when you almost step on one. I'm pretty good at locating them but their camo is beyond compare. I still have that cold chill when I hear one start rattling right next to me that I didn't see first.

I much prefer someone to tell me they are legitimately scared of snakes before going out to places like this WHERE YOU WILL SEE SNAKES, as opposed to pretending to be a macho man. Then at the first sign of a snake they jump 6 ft in the air and run scared for the truck with tears in their eyes. (that actually happened) He spent an hour on the drive telling me how he caught snakes all the time, typical bravado. Then when we got there he took 10 big steps and there was a large female coiled up rattling. He ran scared and refused to get out of the truck. When I got the tears out of my eyes laughing, I read him a riot act of why what he did was a bad thing. Also maybe in the future to just tell the truth.

[Handforged]

Here are a few more pictures taken by the PRO while I was working. These were all snakes that ended up coming home with me. The wife is an excellent photographer and insisted on pictures before I dispatched them.

[bjrogg]

I think they are beautiful to. We have very few poisonous ones though. I have never seen one myself. When I was a single I had a tarantula and a small snake for “pets” I would catch crickets for them. They were both just amazingly beautiful.

Bjrogg

I’d still like to eat one though.

[GlisGlis]

the tweens picture is awesome
beautiful  animals

[mullet]

With their coloration and the rocks I can see where it wouldn't be hard to not almost step on one without seeing them. that's why I hate Moccasins, you not only have to look for them on the ground but also on low limbs in trees.