Death by Rattlesnake

[Sideshow]

The summer I was bite there were 4 other people bitten in about a 30 mile radius! Two of those bitten died despite heroic measures for the time (1962). I consider myself lucky.
You are correct that the anti-serum has become so over priced it is essentially not affordable, this is thanks to the Animal Rights people in the US that wont allow a horse that has survived a Rattler bite to have blood drawn for serum. I get mine from Canada at about $160 a Kit.

Yes when I was told of the US price for serum I was shocked! Used to stay at a place outside of Arusha that made snake bite serum for the locals. Was no we’re near what you guys are paying!

 

[Flbt]

I am not sure how many rattlesnakes and copperheads I have killed. But I am certain I’m top 5 in my state on numbers. lol.
Going to the beach one time and this northerner was stopped middle of the road letting a 6 ft rattler across the highway. I slowed. Identified the beast while in my vehicle and then proceeded to be sure both my wheels caught the serpent square on his neck.
There were looks of horror at me for the split second I could see the driver.
I was smiling and waved as I went by.
Haha.

Your nicer than me.
I have gotten out in that same situation and took there head off with a machete or bush ax.
And when it was legal grabed gopher tortoises and snapping turtle crossings rds. ( cracker chickens) lol

 

[Flbt]

Your nicer than me.
I have gotten out in that same situation and took there head off with a machete or bush ax.
And when it was legal grabed gopher tortoises and snapping turtle crossings rds. ( cracker chickens) lol

Years ago I was still in high school. We had 2 cows that got struck on the head.
We had a. New vet in town he said he had know idea how big that snake had to be to nearly kill to full grown angus cows.
That normally there was just a bit of swelling for a animal that size much less 2.
He did a tracheotomy on them on them. At cost because he had never did that before
Told us how to doctor them.
He guess that it had to be 9 feet long or bigger if it was one snake or that they had stuck there head around a den.
Both recovered over about 6 months both lost the hair on there head.

About 15 years ago had a 1/4 horse die from a bite. 6 1/2 foot long 15 rattles and a botton
Bigger around than my upper arm.
Track her back she had stepped on him on the branch rd and broke his back.
Killed him. Still miss that horse a big 15 hand palomino cow pen horse about 1300 lbs 1/4 horse . The venom that that thing had to pump into a horse that big she made it less than 1000 yds from the bite

Dammiet I hate snakes

 

[Doug Hamilton]

Hiker in Tennessee killed by Rattlesnake.
First Rattlesnake fatality since 2022.

While I do feel bad for the hiker and his family, I have to ask what would make anyone pick up a snake in the wild? Too much wildlife education by Disney? "Exotic" pet dealers selling all kinds of snakes as pets? Makes you wonder.

 

[Doug Hamilton]

I was bit by a Prairie Rattler at age 8, received 14days of treatment in the hospital, and several weeks to fully recover. Since that time I have lived by the moto "the only good snake is a dead one made into a pair of cowboy boots"

Sorry for being crude but I call this the Steve Irwin effect. It was happening before Steve Irwin, but he made it famous.

The Steve Irwin effect is when neophytes "get in nature's face" simply for their own publicity. Wild loosely means separated from humans. Let the wild remain wild. Venomous or not, snakes do not want to be picked-up regardless of whether someone has a facebook page or not.

The "Steve Irwin Effect" or maybe SIE for short. I like it! I've seen a lot of this same kind of thing from Forrrest Galante, et al. Or maybe we can take a lesson from Forest Gump, "Stupid is as stupid does."