5 Tips for Hiking in Rattlesnake Season | Avoid Rattlesnakes on Trail | Rattlesnake Safety Tips 

It's very good of you to put out advise however, after dealing with rattlers for decades in the Sonoran Desert I would advise against an inexperienced person using trekking poles to move a snake. Rattlers can jump about as far as they are long. A 4 ft pole against a 5 ft rattler is unsafe. Arms from elbow down are one of the most common bites specifically for this reason. Instead, throw sand at it to move it. Or get a longer stick. Thanks for your input. Stay aware.

Desert dweller here. Snakes are still out even in high 60’s low70’s.

Don't step OVER a log or fallen tree blocking a trail, step ON to it, then over. Less chance of something resting under the log or behind a rock biting you. (From Africa where the vipers/adders don't have rattles to warn you!)

Pushing 80 and can no longer hear them. Bought a pair of knee high snake boots. Great investment!

Personal experience; While moving through deep sage, my trekking poles alerted a large and very angry rattlesnake just as I was about to step on it. Highly recommend poles for desert hikes.

Here in the Sierra when daytime temps are over 95 our Rattlesnakes become Crepuscular. Active at twilight. You’ll rarely encounter one in the sun. Also most Rattlesnakes won’t Rattle, they prefer to blend in and let you pass on by. Most envenomations in the US happen on the hand or arm. Because the victim is messing with the snake. Also worth mentioning is that the Lion’s share of envenomations in the US come from Copperheads not Buzzworms. I caught two on my deck this summer and neither rattled even after I picked them up with my tongs. The first one was a yearling and just layed there comfortably coiled next to our front door. My dog and I walked within a foot of it twice before I even spotted it. The second one was a ten plus pounder. Big Pacific Rattlesnake. Again, wanted nothing to do with humans aside from getting away. They are so much less aggressive than wive’s tails would have us believe. I’ve been hiking in Rattlesnake country for lost 60 years with zero close calls. Cheers. +x

Some great tips and practical advice in this one. I'd recommend that hikers become familiar with the snakes in the area they are going to hike. Googling reptiles and amphibians of (whatever state you're hiking) should yield a few sites to see species, range maps, and typical behaviors. Cheers!

Best advise I heard was in Boy Scouts, "Watch where you put your hands and feet." My father was in New Guinea during World War II. There were serious snakes there. He said only one guy got bit, the guy who played with the snakes. "Don't play with snakes." Also, in New Guinea don't accept the natives' invitation to dinner. You could be on the menu.

Appreciate the temperature tip. Here in north Georgia, i encountered a very shy, non-rattling rattlesnake. Temperature was around 60 so that may have explained his lack of aggression.

Great video! Thanks for sharing, nice tips! We are currently driving through Oregon!

I was 15 miles into a 30-mile day hike in the Santa Catalinas in Tucson and got tricked by the wind and the faux rattles. Heard that for hours and dismissed all “rattling” sounds…until I saw a Mojave on a boulder about chest level and feet from me coiled and threatening to strike. That was the day I stopped listening to music in both ears. (Trekking pole probably saved me, and that was the only time I’ve ever used one)

Thanks for sharing this information!

Great video! It’s spring here in Southern California and the babies are out. We almost stepped on one that was in the middle of the trail last weekend. Blended right into the dirt. Better believe I am on high alert now!!

Good advice. I only hike in the Mojave Desert in the winter when it is cold at night and only 50-60 degrees in the daytime. Still stay alert for reptiles.

Great tips, thanks for sharing!

6th tip. Leave them alone and they will leave you alone. I would also suggest to never step over a log , step on it and look down to see if one is laying there , they are ambush hunters and like cover. Now as crazy as it sounds if you see some hogs or sign of hogs in the area there is a better then normal shot a rattler will not rattle at you so pay attention to where you step. Hog's eat rattlers and apparently the snakes know the rattle sound will attract them so they don't rattle. Well experienced snakes ( bigger ones ) don't.

Awesome vid man!!

Tip: When walking imagine an area...... the size of a sheet of plywood .......in front of your feet .... just make sure the area is clear.... if it's not slow down a LOT.

Thank you for these tips 👍🏽

Thanks for this!

Nice presentation, I agree except for one point. I worked for a mining company in exploration and have hiked hundreds of miles in Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Wyoming, Idaho and New Mexico. I never see them because I am not looking for them. Iguana

Very Good advice. Thanks for the video.

Nice 👍 Thank you for sharing and wishing you a wonderful day.

TIP#6 - Don't hike below 9,500 ft. If you have a real fear of snakes. There are no snakes typically above 7,500 ft. In Colorado. Typically.

I'm hiking in a week in Arizona, Utah. Good advice and a great reminder 👍 Thank you 👍

I am always on the lookout for rattlesnakes. Last year, I bought trekking poles and Crackshot Snake Guardz that give me peace of mind in the desert.

Timely information for the SOBO season here in AZ. I hope you are staying safe up there.

Good advice

Just found your channel here and this informative creation here. We especially appreciate your knowledgeable, conservational approach. Too many viewers on our rattlesnake video leave negative, hate ridden responses about them to the point where we've had to delete a few. Full support here, full watch 6:24 and a huge 👍🏽308🧡Happy trails!✌🏽🌟

Thanks, I’m a hunter and I spend a lot of time in the woods. Good tips. Thanks and God bless.

Great video.

Great vid.. hope see on trail, you seem supper chill brother 😎🌲🐍🦅🍹

Hello 👋 my outdoors friend, thank you for sharing this informative video. Stay safe out there. 🤗 👋

I’ll be out in Florida next month and honestly that is where I see the most snakes… I have done hundreds of miles of trails In The SW but see maybe 2…in the SE dozens…

Thanks for sharing these tips! Moved to a state that is ridden with rattlesnakes and am petrified. Your tips helped to make me feel a little more confident on what to look for when I leave my house! What would you say is the best course of action if you are hiking/walking and hear the rattling but cannot identify where it’s coming from?

I went to a conservation reserve along the beach this morning. Within 100m of my walk, along a dirt track, I heard rustling, then very loud hissing. When I looked to where the hissing was coming from I saw a snake in the striking position. I stepped away slowly then it slithered up a tree close to the track and hid. I think I just startled it. I was just as scared as it was not knowing if it was venomous and coming very close to it's striking zone. I was wearing thongs (*flip flops for Americans; not a g-sting 😅) and had no stick. My heartrate jumped a bit 😅 but I continued along the path. They hide very well and will blend in with just about anything. I wouldn't recommend hiking with headphones in otherwise you might not hear the warning signs, such as hissing, and get smashed by some snake who is just terrified that you are intruding on their home.

Remembering the words of good old Forest Dump..life is like a box of Rattlesnakes..You never know which one is going to bite You first.

There are several other tips. If the air temp is over 95 degrees F, the rattlesnakes will be in the shade since even a few minutes in the sun will kill them. Keep your hands and feet more than 2 feet from shade, bushes, etc, and then chances of being struck are much lower at this temp. If the temp is cooler than 80 degrees but warming and they are out, they usually will not rattle nor move out of your way. I stepped on a big diamondback in just this condition. I also walked up into about 40 of them on an outcrop in AZ during February when the temp suddenly rose to 80+ and they had all come out of a den to sun themselves. I did not see any of them until I almost jumped on one and this made him rattle. After that I could see them all around me, and there was at least 40 of them. Took me almost half an hour to safely work my way out of this crowd.

Hiking along a creek makes it impossible to hear anything! Eyes open! BUT ...in my area we have 30 to 50 foot creek beds vertically....trees usually grow in these outcropping of rocks, and snakes will get onto the branches to wait for birds‼️🚩‼️ I found this out the hard way when leaves and acorns kept hitting me when I stopped to enjoy the shady area and drink water....the snake didn’t expect the limb to break any more than I did I’m sure! But, I heard a little snapping sound, and had just started to walk ahead when the snake fell out of the tree! He was just as freaked as I was but he moved just as fast, and the same direction I chose! He veered to the left and I went home!

Sometimes my anxiety just makes me wanna leave my hiking hobby all together🤣

I went hiking down in southern Arizona a few years ago where western diamondbacks are common but I didn’t even see one. You just have to keep alert when you are on the trail because they are around. If you step close too one you’ll know it.

Good to know that fall is a dangerous time … leapt over a baby a few weeks back on a trail run.

Very good presentation, I don't look for them but in sept of 2020 one came to see me, in fact it came to the base of my front porch step. It was around 3pm and right around 80 F. I was sitting in my living room and suddenly heard a very high-pitched rattling/ ringing sound out front. I looked out the window and there was a classic full grown north American diamond back rattlesnake coiled and ready to strike. I opened the front door threw a stick towards it and one of my dogs ran under the deck, the other dog chased it away. It was close to the dog's water dish when it got chased away. I live in the high desert of rural Idaho. I'm scared of them now.

This was so informative! I’m thinking about moving to Lake Havasu City, AZ. What are the chances of seeing snakes in neighborhoods, in or near your home?

If you’re near a creek, be super cautious! You cannot Hear them! Even adults are not audible near rapids or even just a bit of rushing water! And...they don’t rattle while swimming across ponds and lakes!

Watch your step

My friend and I recently hiked down Zion Top-Down Narrows Virgin River. On the rare times we were hiking on land, my friend walked by him and I just noticed him just in time, baby two feet away and rattling. Yikes. No Search and Rescue really on that hike either.

I live in snake country and what is most troublesome is its very difficult to distinguish between a baby snake and a simple twig. I lager Rattlesnake can be difficult enough to spot, but there is an internal visual warning of danger with the shape of a Rattlesnake, but the young ones are very tough to see. Like he says 'keep your eyes open".

I was nine when we moved to CO; red rocks to climb, sage and scrub oak to frolic thru - Pop told us "Don't put your feet, your hands or your face anywhere you don't look first!"

What about gaiters?

They don't always rattle. I came up to within six feet of a rattler sunning himself midday and perfectly motionless. Never rattled, even after I very gently touched him with a long stick to get him off the trail so I could proceed.

Stay groovy🥰

As someone who summer hikes in the Sonoran desert, get yourself some snakebite proof boots. Can't tell you how many close calls I've had hiking. Some will rattle and some stay still. The sidewinders are the worst.

Any tips for tent camping?

Another good idea, Hoss, is to wear snake chaps. Get good ones that go up to the knee. Sooner or later you will accidentally get too close to a snake and not see or hear it.

Get some high top kevlar lined boots

80 is way too high to be your “worry temperature.” I’m in Southern CA and almost learned the very bad way - 50s and 60s but sunny… THEY ARE EVERYWHERE. This is much cooler than I thought the “worry temperature” was supposed to be. Don’t go, or heavy boots + snake gaiters, or snake boots. Disagree? More than welcome to! Just know 800 people a year are bitten by rattlesnakes. It happens.

When I come to a a part I can’t see my feet I usually Usain Bolt myself out of there🤣

Not kidding, I saw a video of young rattlesnakes resting in small pine trees, on the limbs, on clusters of pine needles. There were five or six of them. Watch out if going through tightly grouped small pines. Sheesh.

Been my experience that baby rattlesnakes are more dangerous because more people try to pick them up on account of the lack of rattles. Yup, I've know of 3 individuals in my small home town in BC Canada who have been bitten by baby rattlesnakes attempting to pick them up thinking they weren't rattlesnakes, one small child, unfortunately. However the child ended up being okay, RCMP cars raced from my town to the next town and from that town towards our town with antivenom, met in the middle. Don't pick up snakes, that's the lesson there, I've had a large rattlesnake right up on the front step while the kids where playing but every since they where young I've taught and drilled them over and over, what to do when you see a snake: calmly step away and come get an adult immediately and never try to pick up a snake. Same thing I've done with firearms since they where 2 years old, my neice could properly handle a firearm by 6 years old and never touches one without permission. To this day I randomly drill them on things like what to do when you see a snake and when do you put your finger on the trigger of a firearm. Answer are: calmly step back and find an adult and Never unless you are ready to shoot. There, simple, constant training and drilling so it's always in their minds and there's nothing to think about if something happens, just automatically follow training.

What ARE the most dangerous seasons for Rattlesnakes? I do a lot of climbing in the mountains and high desert canyons of the Chihuahuan desert in Southern New Mexico. I want as many useful tips in avoiding them as possible.

So I’m heading to Sedona, Arizona on vacation next month and I’m trying to learn all I can because I am not trying to see no snakes lol. On a another video someone left a comment and said snakes like to hide in rental cars; in bathtubs and under beds. I don’t know if this person was pulling my leg or if they were serious. Do you know any of this to be true? Also what about night time? Do they come out at night, say you are doing a night hike?

What about wearing snake gaiters

Get some snake proof boots or gators.

What if they come to ur tent at night

What is considered Rattlesnake season?

A rattlesnake can have a bad day too or be rattlesnake mentally ill as they will chase you first before entering their immediate space. I have such experiences in my wood travels. Always in hot July. My relatives and friends have had similar encounters too. Moccasins will definitely come after you. However, armadillos and wild pigs have reduced the snake population in my area of the country as I do not encounter near the same number these days.

For the last five or six weeks I've been on 5.5 acres of wooded undeveloped land. The front acre is not as wooded but had very tall grass higher than my vehicle. I've mowed that on a few occasions now and need to do it again but I am terrified of snakes. 2 days ago a utility company was driving down out rural road and a rattlesnake was in the middle of the road heading towards an area that i need to mow. Now z I'm afraid to go outside let alone mow. Allo ready fighting a major tick battle this is ruining the tranquility for me. I'm a 58 year old city girl learning. Help lol

Maybe I missed it: When is rattle snake season? Thanks

Tip number 6 stop wearing low cut shoe's and wear boots or snake leggings Obviously

What does this time of year mean

Trip 6… snake boots to your thighs! 🐍

wear snake boots, that should be number 2 after number 1, watch where you're going

I've killed a lot of snakes with 44mag rat shot works Way better than 38,357mag rat shot much more range, Way better than a shot gun, where I live on a creek in a swamp, I just couldn't get the shot gun on the Snake fast enough plus long guns don't swing both ways like a Hand gun so quickly where the snake is on the bank and can get in the water in about 2 seconds I tried it once with a 12 gage but In the thick woods I was Just to slow that lasted about a day, when I worked out of town I would come home on the weekend and walk the Creek and kill 3 or 4 snakes in about an hour and a half for about 2 years 4day work week 3 days off, 38 shot shells are good for about 3 yards go for protection when they are close to you, 44 shot shells have always reached as far as I could see them, 15 yards or so,

Take only pictures...not snake bites 😂😂😂

Tip #6 Leave the rattlesnakes alone.

Tip # 1- stay out of the woods.

Tip number 6..learn to say AW HELL NO!! to your friends who want ro hike in rattlesnake areas..tip number 7..bring a pet mongoose, thats entertainment...your welcome

Snakes do NOT hibernate…..they brumate……

I don't think you can AVOID a rattlesnake.. maybe wear tall boots

This guy looks like he LOVES Donald Trump 😝

I do land surveying for a living. Its best job in the world if hiking in the woods is something you enjoy. Our region being all mountains this is something that always worries me in the warmer months. Got some snake gaiters but still. When you do it all day every day it ups the chances of an encounter. Good tips man!