Watch out for Rattle Snakes

[Claudia Love]

I was working where I work this afternoon and a man told me he misses going for hikes and fishing. So I said to him well whats stopping you he says my fear of getting bitten by a rattler. He then said he was near Gravenhurst and a rattler bit him twice in the fingers. It was a juvenile. He did not hear it or see it until it was too late. I asked him how much is it to save you in this situation? he said OHIP paid for it it was $9000 a vile and if im correct I think he said 11 miles are used so basically 100k per treatment. Little things such as wearing hiking boots instead of runners are safer when in the bush and wearing gloves if picking up things especially near rocks. Anybody hear ever bitten by a snake or had a close encounter with one?

 

[mburner]

Some close encounters, yes, for me and others in my family. Stepped over a copperhead lurking in the crevice between rocks while hiking a stretch of the Appalachian Trail when I was 12. My SO did the same with a big timber rattler stretched out along a wide, groomed downhill trail one very warm April day in Woodstock, NY. It instantly coiled and shook its rattle, trapping me on the wrong of it and the rest of trail. At the time my knees were shredded from years of athletic endeavors (have "bolt-ons" now) so running wide of it downhill was iffy--falling was very possible. I gave it as wide a berth as I could and let loose, not gaining control of my legs until 100 yards or so down the hill. Made it though.
Have a family member who lives in New Mexico. A young rattler once set up a tanning bed in his doorway; a bite from a young rattler can be worse than one from an older one. And more likely too, as they're not as wary and have less self-control. There are rattlers all around his home and in his tool shed. He's also had bull snakes come into his house. They look very much like rattlers but aren't venomous. He keeps a cat to control mice and other prey the snakes seek. Another family member, who lived down in the interior South for a while, regularly encountered curious water moccasins when swimming in ponds and small lakes.
Now, how about ticks and mosquitos and mountain lions (for real out West) and bears (for real everywhere) and.........

 

[Silkroad]

I was working where I work this afternoon and a man told me he misses going for hikes and fishing. So I said to him well whats stopping you he says my fear of getting bitten by a rattler. He then said he was near Gravenhurst and a rattler bit him twice in the fingers. It was a juvenile. He did not hear it or see it until it was too late. I asked him how much is it to save you in this situation? he said OHIP paid for it it was $9000 a vile and if im correct I think he said 11 miles are used so basically 100k per treatment. Little things such as wearing hiking boots instead of runners are safer when in the bush and wearing gloves if picking up things especially near rocks. Anybody hear ever bitten by a snake or had a close encounter with one?

He must of been hiking in the Barrens area at Torrence (between Gravenhurst and Bala). It's a popular 'dark sky' star gazing site and it's common knowledge rattlers frequent the area. But for some unknown reason they don't venture past the the Barrens terrain.

 

[peteeey]

The Massasauga rattlesnake is generally found in the Georgian Bay area and are considered "threatened." They were also known to be in parts of Muskoka but sightings have been very rare lately. We had a cottage in Muskoka and hiking was never an issue. We once went camping at a provincial park near Tobermory and they had one pickled in a jar at the gatehouse just so you could see what they look like.

 

[silentkisser]

Wow, that's crazy. The Massasauga rattler is so reclusive. Also, thankfully, their bite isn't as bad as some other rattlesnakes. Still serious, but there hasn't been a death in something like 70 or more years.

 

[John Wick]

The Massasauga rattlesnake is generally found in the Georgian Bay area and are considered "threatened." They were also known to be in parts of Muskoka but sightings have been very rare lately. We had a cottage in Muskoka and hiking was never an issue. We once went camping at a provincial park near Tobermory and they had one pickled in a jar at the gatehouse just so you could see what they look like.

Yeah, wouldn't be too worried. As mentioned, they are essentially an endangered species in Canada and exceptionally rare. Even if you came across one, they aren't inherently aggressive, and would likely only attack if you tried to pick one up, or accidentally stepped on it in the woods. I think there have only been 2-3 recorded rattler bites recorded in Canada over the past 40-50 years, maybe longer.

 

[jerbear15]

Wow, that's crazy. The Massasauga rattler is so reclusive. Also, thankfully, their bite isn't as bad as some other rattlesnakes. Still serious, but there hasn't been a death in something like 70 or more years.

There has only been 1 death from this rattlesnake and was during the war of 1812. I did a high school project on them. There venom is very toxic but there teeth are very tiny so getting a fatal dose just doesn't happen. I was working on my boat a few years ago and I grabbed a rag to wipe something down and a baby rattler fell out unto the grab. It scared the crap out of me. The most dangerous animal in the province is a moose.

 

[John Wick]

The most dangerous animal in the province is a moose.

Funny. I thought it was the Toronto Maple Leafs' Wayne Simmonds.

 

[jerbear15]

Funny. I thought it was the Toronto Maple Leafs' Wayne Simmonds.

It was Clifford last night

 

[Ponderling]

I designed some varable message traffic management signs on Hwy 69 in the area of the Massassuagas about 20 years ago.

We did snake awareness training before we started field investigations .
Had a project specific OHS policies for:
Laced up 8" high work boots
Thick elasticized canvas gaiters over top of the boots
Always wear leather gloves
Look before you step, put you hand down when climbing, etc.

The signs were cantilever mounted because of concerns a span gantry would mislead folks to think that they were on a single direction carrigeway.
Full four laning was not all the way through on 69/400 at that time.

So the sign vertical support leg , a 4' diameter steel pipe, was bolted to anchor bolts well seated in solid surface igenous bedrock.

So working on said rocks quite a few snakes were spotted in the spring time, warming themselves.

We turned the fauna sightings log in to weekly by fax to Ministry if Environment ecologist.
( yes, remember, 20 years ago) She was thrilled at the number of Massasauaga we spotted doing the construction oversight.

And we were all fine at the end of the project.

The endangered rattlers we saw were very timid.
And would slither off as soon as you began to approach them.

 

[blacknblue]

I’m not sure how endangered the massaasauga rattler is. I see probably 10 every year for the last 30yrs. Around my cottage and g-bay area up near Point Au Baril