Close encounters

Last weekend I had my first close encounter with a rattlesnake.  Literally my next step was right onto it.  Luckily it had started rattling, but that's not what I thought it was, I thought it sounded more like a couple dragonflies mating.  That kind of wrinkled paper sound of their wings.  I'm sure it was because it only had four rattles on it that it wasn't as loud as I would have thought it would have been.  The point is...it stopped me dead in my tracks, but I was looking in the air, not at my feet.  Luck was on my side though and I happened to look down right before I stepped and saw it coiled up with its head reared back, it was not happy.  I think the cold was also in my favor though and it was a little sluggish.  Kati was coming up by my side and I grabbed her collar and pulled her back.  She was upwind and didn't smell it or I'm sure she wouldn't have had anything to do with it.

No bird hunter is a fan of rattlesnakes.  They pose a serious threat to the hunter and the dog especially.  If you've never seen a dog that's been bitten by one just Google it.  It's not a pretty site.  I've heard that if they get bit on their feet they have a lot better chance of surviving then if they are bit on their chest or neck.

It wasn't a huge rattlesnake, but I'm sure it would have done plenty of damage if we wouldn't have gotten lucky and been made aware of it's presence.

If you've been reading this blog for a while then you know I've taken my gun dog through snake avoidance class a few times.  I was curious if she remembered her training so I let her have a smell.  I was glad she had not forgotten.