I took a friend of mine mountain biking this morning and as we were heading down a descent pretty close to our turnaround point, I see a rattle snake on the trail. I grab a fist full of brakes and yell "STOP!" to my friend behind me and we both stop about 10 feet away. I was surprised that it was just laying there, refusing to move. Most of the time, they sense me coming so far in advance that all I see are fresh tracks, or a tail disappearing into the brush at best. No, this guy was sunning himself and was not interested in moving. My friend made the comment "it wouldn't be nice to throw a rock at it", but that got me thinking that maybe if I throw a rock near it, it will scare it off. The goal was to get the rock to hit the ground 3 or 4 feet away from it and see what happened. I picked up a small and light rock and tossed it.

Now, when I played little league, I couldn't get the ball in the strike zone to save my life. In football, the passes usually ended up in the arms of an opponent. I never got a person wet in the dunk tank, and I can't even win the smallest toy at a carnival ring toss. But this rock seemed to bank right and hit the peaceful sunbather right on smack on the top of its diamond shaped head. The result was for it to quickly retreat into the brush while hissing and rattling while my friend and I ran up the hill as if our lives depended on it. I know it was probably just me, but I thought I heard multiple snakes hissing and rattling when we stopped running and looked back. At that point, we decided that we had gotten close enough to the turn around point and headed back.

Now, I'm pretty sure the snake was ok because it had no trouble getting off the trail in a split second and seemed to have quite a healthy hiss and rattle for quite a while afterward. I've seen snakes get run over by bikes and cars and seem just fine. Still, I felt a little bad. I view myself as a guest when I venture into nature and try to respect all creatures. Now I just clocked one on the head with a rock. I hope he doesn't take it personally.

Dang, that's a bigg'n! I reckon he's probably ok if it was just a pebble.

I encountered a trail-hog snake (not a rattler tho) once up near Mt. Saint Helens. I started off with a couple of pebbles thrown kinda close to him that didn't do a thing, didn't even flinch. I eventually got him off the trail by getting a big ass rock and just throwing it up in the air, not even close to him. The impact got him outta there.

That part actually made me laugh.

Those instances are kinda funny. You fling one, does not matter what, and as soon as it leaves your hand, you realize that it is going EXACTLY where you had somewhat aimed for, but never thought it would actually go.

Seems to arc in slow motion, and "BLAMMO", you've got a bullseye. Never to be repeated again.......

Only downside I see to the whole incident is that, on this particular day . . . in that hour . . . you weren't throwing an anvil.

It was a Southern Pacific Rattlesnake, I'm guessing about 3.5 to 4 feet long, and I think I counted 6 rings on its tail. That makes it a teen or young adult, right? The rock was a 1.5" diameter and less than 1/2" thin piece of slate.



You described it perfectly. I can still see in my mind the little disc as it started to bank and I realized it was going right towards the little guy.

I just carry a blacksnake (in my Hydro pack) with me and let him eat the rattlers. HEY, Black snakes need to eat too.

https://www.metacafe.com/watch/290439...lesnake_whole/

You have to put up with the bogus commercial, but this is one way to clear the trail. Kinda gross, poison doesn't rule the day.





All my life I've been told not to kill black snakes because they kill poisonous
snakes, but this is the first time I've actually seen proof....!
The guy who snapped these photos said the rattler was still rattling all the way down!!!






*... burp! ...*

Dont sweat it. He'll get over it.

Eisshhh. I think I would have thrown my poo that I just produced in my shorts on him. I have ridden over a couple of Black snakes (i think "black racers"?) in florida on accident. Just haulin and notice one cruising through the brush on the trail at the last second. The only thing I could do was lift my legs quickly and yell some obsene words. Id be packin heavy if those were around. Well, more often then the idiots that have them as pets in florida and let them loose.