With all this talk about Timber Rattlers in PA, do we need to be on the look out while we are on the courses?? Where I live I never have to think about them.

There will be some many people on those paths, which are pretty well cleared, that any self-respecting rattlesnake wouldn't go near it. It would be way down the list of my concern. Just be aware of where you are and what you're doing. I've never seen any snakes around there, but most would likely be the non poisonous variety.

Watch out for the ones that crawl into your sleeping bag at night (if you are sleeping out under the stars) to get warm... ;) This actually happed to a guy I know with copperheads, not in PA though. He was in basic training, and woke up one morning and there were a couple of them coiled up down by his feet. Scary.

I am sure they are there. I have never seen one. I am always looking though

Been going there 23 years in the ferns and else where looking for arrows, never seen a snake of any kind. They are more than likely there but have never seen any. Now having said that I more than likely jinxed myself. Have seen what bears can do to targets tough. DANNY

Ok I’ll be careful, just hate having to look for them.

If you guys hear my 357 going off you will know I found one

I guarantee if I was to go, I would be " that guy " who got bit.

With the "1,000's" of people who have gone to this shoot over the years, I have never heard of anyone seeing one or even being struck at. From what I have read Timber Rattlers are a lot more dossal than there western brethren.

A few years ago in southern OHIO there was a news team that was out with a biologist looking for a particular tagged snake and doing a new story. They were walking through the weeds in the woods looking for it with a radio detector. The three of them walking in a straight line, biologist walk past the Timber Rattler, so did the News Person, the camera man was last. The biologist stopped, so did the other 2, turned around and backed up with the radio detector . The Snake they were looking for was about 1 foot from the camera man's foot, just laying there resting in no position to strike. It had let the first two walk past and was just laying there with the third right in front of it. I guess the camera man did move away. I just wonder how many I many have walked passed doing a cross country hikes with Campers and never saw them or Copperheads in southern OHIO around the Old Man Cave area. I know in all the years I worked for this camp no one ever got bit by either Copperheads or Timber Rattlers, and they are there. I imagine with all the noise the kids made, the snakes slithered off before we got close. We are talking hundreds of kids a summer. I imagine snakes are like people, they all have different temperaments. Glad I never ran into an aggressive one while out. DANNY

Been to ETAR many times and never seen a timber rattlesnake or a copperhead.

They are there George I herd story's of guys looking for arrows and encounter over the years.

Copperheads also around the rocks maybe as well.

Moral of the story don't mis any targets and have to look for arrows.

Don't sleep in tents go to motels. LOL

That don't mean they aren't there though. I never seen one either except for this snake he has 2 legs we call the devil. LOL

People worry about snakes WAY too much. I’m in Mississippi, where they are active almost year round and I’m not worried in the least. I stay aware of my surroundings but I don’t get too concerned about them. Snakes aren’t out to get anyone and only bite as a very last resort. No telling how many we’ve all walked right past and never saw.

Pay attention for Bears at ETAR, lots of campers equals very few snakes but lots of Bears. Bob

Bears are attracted to 'dirty' campers - folks who leave food out, don't properly dispose of cooking scraps etc. Don't camp near slobs, and don't be one.

I have seen evidence ( tracks, trash with teeth marks, etc. ) of bears at ETAR near and getting into the dumpsters in the past. Don't leave food out, properly dispose of cooking scraps and trash.

We have a couple of coolers with bear marks on/ in them from last year. Never seen a rattler or copperhead snake yet, seen many non poisonous snakes though.

hopefully the only timberrattler and copperhead skins you will see will be the ones ill be brangin'if i can get off work that week''

I never saw any snakes there but we had bears in the campground a few times at night.

There was a bear that went through the camp grounds there by the ski lodge and asphalt parking lot last year around 10pm one eveing. DANNY

Linecutter, that was Big Jim checking on his tent

I haven’t seen any venomous snakes at ETAR but plenty of bears around. This little guy hung out last year felt kinda bad for him as he only had three legs. Had to chase him out of the garbage. He went over to my buddy and sniffed him while he was sleeping in his hammock, if only I was quicker with the camera .

I have never seen any venomous snakes at ETAR, but I have a seen a few garter snakes. Two years ago I saw three or four smaller garters right at the shack that would operate the ski lift

Ya, leave it 3 or 4 garter snakes to take the ski lift job away from 1 human who probably really needed the work.

Snakes are where you find them. They live in lots of places, lots of folks would never expect. Running in to one isn't the end of the world, and typically if you leave them alone, they will leave you alone. The one exception to that in North America may be the Cotton Mouth. I really dislike those critters. If you watch where you sit, and pay attention to where you put your hands and your feet, it's highly unlikely you are going to have a negative experience with them. We have plenty of all different kinds here in Texas, so we pay attention to those kinds of things.

I lived in Coudersport for 10 years and have never seen a rattlesnake or copperhead but if you get south of Coudersport and over towards Galeton you may run into them.

Ron

I sure hope my dog doesn’t run into one of them up there

I never realized there was a real paranoia about snakes. Keep in mind, poisonous snakes aren't just lying in wait to bite you. That toxin they have is how they make a living to get food, so they don't like to randomly bite things they aren't going to eat. They will move out of the way 99.9% of the time if you are noisy or even from the vibration of your walking.

I would worry more about humans than snakes at Denton Hill, or getting run over by a car getting across the road from the other side. As for copperheads, they are rare in Pa. anymore. I grew up around them when they were plentiful and we never got bitten, and didn't know anyone who did, and we were outside all the times. It may help to be realistic and not work yourself into a frenzy that isn't necessary. Situational awareness is the name of the program. You would really have to be going out of your way to get in trouble. Over sixty years of woods running I never even had a close call..and I'll guarantee there are rattlers around our area.

Your going to get bit there but not by a snake, could be a deer fly or a tick, and as wet as it's been the skeeters probally will be out. There is also something that hits there and that's bow fever, can only be cured with a new bow. Highly contagious.

How do you get into etar? Is it an invite thing?

show up and pay the fee to shoot/spectate- don't know about venders PA got lots of Tax rules and they also might charge to set up if a vender

The Denton Hill area for sure is rattlesnake country. However I have never seen one there and with all of the human activity I doubt if you will. Just be carefull when looking behind the targets for lost arrows

They're in the area. My camp is near there, about 20 minutes south, and this one was on the road warming itself last summer about this time. It wasn't aggressive at all and I helped it off the road so it wouldn't get ran over. When I'm at Denton or in the woods near camp, I'm cautious, but not worried.

Nice limb backer

Am I mistaken or not. Seems I read somewhere that it is illegal to kill a venomous snake in PA.

They are more than likely protected in PA same as here in OH. I imagine though a lot die ACCCIDENTLY on purpose. DANNY

They are protected/regulated in Pa. You can get a permit which allows you to legally harvest 1 timber rattler and 1 copperhead a year. There are size and gender specifications.

Same as WV.

Timber Rattler Snakes are fairly secretive. No way one is gonna mosey over to the middle of where guys are shooting w all the commotion. Where I live is a rattle snake colony very close. I’ve even seen them on my driveway once or twice. The Appalachian trail runs very close to my house. A local zoo keeper used to get rattlers and copperheads from that very area yet exactly on the trail how come no one ever sees one? There’s signs all over this is bear area. I see 6-8 a day often but the snakes just don’t make themselves that obvious and there’s no sign about them.

We had a very crowded kids fishing derby on Hicks Run creek some years back. One area was for 10 and under lots of mom's watching and helping. Alot of noise and excitement and a big rattle snake slid down the bank and into the middle them. People screaming, tripping, breaking fishing rods, but one got hurt. You never know what's on a snakes mind.

I've also seen them sunny themself over at wellsboro along the hiking trail. People walking, biking past them and never seeing them.

What you really need to be concerned with is not snakes. Ticks are more of an issue, and nearly as dangerous if you get bit...depending on the quality of your immune system. I would sooner be in a snake area than a tick area.

Hawkeye you sure that was a timber rattler? Not saying it wasn’t but that’s not normal by any means. Certain poisonous snakes are more aggressive but none in the area. I’m not far at all from you. I’ve even purposely looked for rattlesnakes and copperheads in Pa as it’s legal. When I went to school I went in Pa w a fellow from West Virginia who had vast experience yet it was hard to find any at times

Yea and I see these u tube videos of guys going from rock to rock in Pa finding them. Always thought that was bull

We have to be aware in WV, every where you drive there is signs warning of falling rocks.

Keep this in mind: Dead people don't post.

jk, and they don't complain much either which is a good thing :-).

Jk I know what you’re saying but how many people you think die from timber rattlers a year in Pa? How bout country wide? Not too many. Lots of dogs even live through it. So before anyone states allergies. How many folks die from bee stings , shellfish or peanuts? Bet a lot more than rattlers a year and you’re chances of being bit or having a close call w a bee is extremely high.

I'll kill all I see. Might bite a lil kid or a dog. I've been know to kill mosquitos and ticks too.

If snakes leave me alone I leave them alone. The few times I ran into timber rattlesnakes they let me know they were there so I just detoured around them. I hate ticks. I was bowhunting Indiana County one year and I brushed twelve of them off me.

No crazy phobias here. I'd only kill a timber if a) it tried to bite me, but probably not even then, or b) I had a permit, hunted it and wanted to eat it and use it for a bow. They're secretive, beautiful, interesting, impressive creatures, and the more sensible folks learn about them, generally, the more they respect, and even grow to like them.

Buddy of mine took a vacation week this past week to hunt timbers in north central Pa near my camp... just south of it I think. I told him I still need a yellow and a black to match what I have for bow backings, but he's grown to like them so much that he doesn't like to kill them and turns them loose. Last year he did keep one because I remember eating some of it. It was actually pretty tasty.

"Kill'em all..." such a sad attitude.

It just screams "I'm not the master of my fears..." If that's your position... just stay inside in the A/C. You're not qualified to walk in the outdoors.

Well said Jarhead.

Kinda what I was thinking too.

All sorts of things could maybe bite a kid or a dog... Heck, dogs bite a lot more kids than timber rattlers do. Maybe we should kill all the dogs we see. Sound rational?

Say what you want. I feel the same about ticks. You guys can't pick and choose what i kill. You kill what you want and I will kill what I want. Yep and I will kill a dog that bites a kid around me. I saw a Pit bull about take a kids face off once. He was killed.

And you can't tell me to stay inside. LOL. You same guys will kill ticks and mosquitoes but not snakes.

I kill ticks and mosquitoes that are on my person biting me or attempting to. I've never had a poisonous snake on my person attempting to bite me nor do I wish to. I view ticks and mosquitoes as pests and treat them as such. I know plenty of people that will kill every snake they see, I'm just not one of them. I always consider myself a guest of mother nature and it's inhabitants when I'm outside and act as such.

Few million mosquitos doesn't compare to a few hundred snakes. Mosquitos won't leave you alone, a snake will if given the chance. They don't hunt you, mosquitos do. DANNY

There is always a certain paranoia when it comes to rattlers, and along with that are the myths, and just plain nonsense.

Unfortunately the myths usually develop from people that really don't know, and just as unfortunate is the nonsense that comes from people that DO know.

First rattlers are not always the passive nonchalant reptiles the snake lovers would have you believe them to be. And although they don't hunt you down, or look for confrontation some are clearly more aggressive than others.

I've had rattlers not try to strike even though you roll them over or pick them up with a walking stick, I've stepped within striking range, and came face to face on my hands and knees in the woods while crawling under a log to big to climb over, and they didn't strike.

I've also encountered rattlers that wouldn't hesitate to strike, and did so repeatedly.

I've had them slither away to safety, and I've had them coiled and ready to strike without provocation.

I've seen snake lovers poke at a rattler with a walking stick or tongs and exclaim "see they are passive" because the snake doesn't strike the stick...well duh, that rattler knows full well the difference between a hickory walking stick and your warm hand. Coiled and ready he might not strike your stick, after all he crawls over them every day, but reach down there and see what happens.

Also if you think rattlers will not be near a well used trail, start riding bike on the bike trail along pine creek In Lycoming and tioga county from Blackwell to slate run, They see them often. Or hike the trails in Thickhead wild area in the Rothrock SF.

I just read a article in a PA publication advising folks that it is illegal to kill a rattler or copperhead without a permit, and if you do encounter one in your yard its a simple matter to sweep it into a bucket slap a lid on it and remove it. Somehow such advice seems a bit idiotic to me, especially when you consider many folks haven't a clue when it comes to handling a poisonous snake. And can you BLAME!!! a guy for not wanting a rattler coiled in wife's flower bed! For petes sake, does the snake have more rights than the homeowner concerned for the safety of his wife children and grandchildren!! We see a few rattlers around the house every summer usually. I enjoy them in the Mts, I do NOT want them around the house.

I am strictly opposed to the unnecessary killing of PA timber rattlers and copperheads. They are part of our PA wilds, I enjoy seeing rattlers in the wild, they add to the "wild" nature of the mts. But I also believe in truthful common sense and fact. Not Myths, or ridiculous comments that come from over protective folks.

I'm not directing this toward anyone in particular, just trying to use a little common sense....it goes a long way.

Along with my last post i'll also add that I know a avid snake hunter well, in fact people refer to him as the snake man. Back in the day he was really into it.

He is STRICTLY against killing rattlers. To my knowledge I have NEVER heard him speak of them as "friendly, passive creatures" (awww aint they cute). After all he's been bit a number TIMES!!... I'd say he likes them, but he also knows.

Exactly. Common sense. I wish it was more common.

I don't disagree with anything you said, Steve.

Why would anyone hunt snakes?

And my whole point is that people can't tell people what they can kill. You guys can kill bugs and I will kill snakes. Live and let live.

Well for one reason, killing bugs isn't illegal. Killing protected/regulated snakes is. But I don't much care what you do. It just speaks a little ill of your character, that's all. And no, I don't expect you to care what I/we think.

Why hunt snakes? Well, I think you know why, but like I said above, folks get interested in them, respect them, want to learn more about them, interact with them. They're tasty. Their skins are useful. It's challenging. And I suppose there's an element of danger that some folks find appealing. The vast majority of those hunted and caught, legally, are released unharmed. Any hey, why not? Live and let live, right?

When it comes to pests or dangerous critters, I kill only what I have to. If at all feasible, I let them go their way or remove them from the immediate area and turn them loose. That includes flies, spiders, stink bugs and such in my home, snakes in camp, snapping turtles in my buddies pond, bats from bedrooms, etc. I'm not much for wanton killing. But that's just me.

Yea yea. hunting before legal shooting hours is illegal too but guys do it all the time. Not many guys I now of that wait til its daylight to go to their stand. But that is ok. My point is that guys do what they want to do and condemn other guys for it. I shoot shovel and shutup but shoot all that i see. The difference is there are a lot of guys that will kill one but I have the balls to admit that if I see one it is dead. I will pay the fine and kill they next one I see.

I respect you don't kill them but you are not allowed do judge my character because I do. I could judge your character but I didn't . :)

I have no problem with snakes, but then I don't live in an area with poisonous ones. I've seen a few good-sized water and garter snakes around here. Okay, wildlife, cool.

On the other hand spiders and bugs in my living space get vacuumed immediately. There's something satisfying about watching the vacuum cleaner sluuuurp! a spider down ;-)

On the other hand, spraying them with permethrin - indoors - is a bad idea. That stuff lingers!

Sigh.....

I've never seen anyone protecting the ones I killed . Lol

You don't have to kill the snakes !

Snake and other natural hazards are what making going outside better than the local indoor archery range.

Turned over a john boat the other day and there was a big copper head under it. I had my 10 year old poke it with his fishing pole to see/learn how they react. He poked it... and it just eased away into the grass. "Oh... they aren't looking for trouble are they dad?" "Nope. You're not bite sized boy. He's not interested." "What if I stepped on him?" "He's only got one way to tell you to get off him." "So... watch my step. Got it."

If you have already registered, please

sign in now

For new registrations

Click Here