Rattlesnake Bite Questions

Colorado4x4

Colorado4x4

Active Member
I’ve come across quite a few rattlesnakes in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico and want to hear you guys thoughts on what to do in the event you or someone else gets bitten. It scares the shit out of me to think about getting bitten, especially when me and my family are way out in the middle of nowhere.

We do quite a bit of camping outside of Moab and in the Bear’s Ears/San Juan/Elk Ridge area west of Blanding and Monticello. I carry a Garmin/Delorme Inreach with me.

My kids roam around our camp quite a bit. They’re 12 and 10 years old. Say my son gets bitten above the ankle by a rattler, my plan would be to call SOS on the Inreach and get a chopper in for him. It would be a couple hour drive from camp to Blanding and they might life flight him to Grand Junction for antivenom treatment, and I don’t know how long a 10 year old has after they get bitten before they would die. What the hell does one do?

Thankfully I haven’t seen a bunch of the little bastards but you never know and I feel like I am unprepared. I’ve read a bunch on what to do after a bite: keep victim calm, keep bite level with heart, clean bite and apply an ACE bandage like you were wrapping a sprain. Wearing leather boots is always a good idea too for protection. Our dogs always roam with the kids and honestly they are probably more likely to get bitten instead of the kids but this shit scares me.
Any thoughts?
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
Number one thing you can do is to teach your kids and dogs how not to get bit. There are classes for dogs that you can take if you don't think you can do it yourself. Otherwise, being smart about where you're at, where snakes tend to be, how you dress, where you walk, where you put your hands, etc is the single best thing you can do.
 
wayoflife

wayoflife

Administrator
Staff member
I should note, I have come across tons of snakes over the years and the only person I've personally known to get bit was wearing sandals and walking through snake infested brush on a warm night. We were out in the middle of the desert when this happened and we were able to get her to help, even though it took a considerable amount of time.
 
NPC 6060⁸42

NPC 6060⁸42

Active Member
We have timber rattlers here in Va I always worry about the dog id be curious how do you train a dog to avoid rattlers. Though she does avoid the black snakes we’ve come across.
 
JT@623

JT@623

Hooked
Lived in AZ my whole life. have had two dogs get bit both survived but it sucked.
the snake training is good they also have a vaccine that buys you some time .
I’ve had more encounters than I can count never close to being bitten awareness is key.
 
jeeeep

jeeeep

Hooked
Colorado4x4 said:
I’ve come across quite a few rattlesnakes in Colorado, Utah and New Mexico and want to hear you guys thoughts on what to do in the event you or someone else gets bitten. It scares the shit out of me to think about getting bitten, especially when me and my family are way out in the middle of nowhere.

We do quite a bit of camping outside of Moab and in the Bear’s Ears/San Juan/Elk Ridge area west of Blanding and Monticello. I carry a Garmin/Delorme Inreach with me.

My kids roam around our camp quite a bit. They’re 12 and 10 years old. Say my son gets bitten above the ankle by a rattler, my plan would be to call SOS on the Inreach and get a chopper in for him. It would be a couple hour drive from camp to Blanding and they might life flight him to Grand Junction for antivenom treatment, and I don’t know how long a 10 year old has after they get bitten before they would die. What the hell does one do?

Thankfully I haven’t seen a bunch of the little bastards but you never know and I feel like I am unprepared. I’ve read a bunch on what to do after a bite: keep victim calm, keep bite level with heart, clean bite and apply an ACE bandage like you were wrapping a sprain. Wearing leather boots is always a good idea too for protection. Our dogs always roam with the kids and honestly they are probably more likely to get bitten instead of the kids but this shit scares me.
Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

I pack a set of snake gaiters to wear (including with shorts) when walking around in snake area.

At the campsite, with a long stick/old ski pole etc... I walk a perimeter around the campsite looking for piles of rocks or other snake hiding places and poke around; I've found snakes hiding in the fire pit rocks so watch for that.

If anyone gets bit:
Do Stay still and calm, Sit or lie down so that the bite is below the heart
Do Remove any jewelry, watches, shoes or tight clothing before swelling starts.
Do Clean the bite with soap and water. Cover or wrap it loosely with a clean, dry bandage.

Don't use a tourniquet or apply ice.
Don't cut the bite or try to remove the venom.
Don't drink caffeine or alcohol.
Don't give or take pain-relieving medicine, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve), they can increase your risk of bleeding.
Don't try to catch or trap the snake, take a picture if possible or get a good look at it to describe it to medical personnel.

Most of all, teach them to have fun but be aware, watch where they walk - walking sticks are great for poking ahead to warn the critters you're coming.
 
WJCO

WJCO

Meme King
I grew up catching reptiles/amphibians and still do. I taught my kids around age 2 about rattlesnakes and other poisonous snakes and where they are most likely to habitat. As others have stated, education is key. It is tricky with dogs though, especially if not on a leash.
 
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jeeeep

jeeeep

Hooked
WJCO said:
I grew up catching reptiles/amphibians and still do. I taught my kids around age 2 about rattlesnakes and other poisonous snakes. As others have stated, education is key. It is tricky with dogs though, especially if not on a leash.
Click to expand...
Agree, I've taught all my dogs "Leave it" but not all of them responded at the same level of quickness to leave it so I either keep them leashed or don't take them.
 
Traciehue

Traciehue

Active Member
NPC 6060⁸42 said:
But how do you snake proof them? Oh and GSD always. Got a working dog this time and woah kinda crazy.
Click to expand...
The snake proofing place had live snakes in cages along a trail. Shock collar on the dog. Everytime he got curious about the snake they shocked him. The dog then associates the smell and sound with a shock. It was a low level shock but more than enough for him. Some dogs take more than one trip down the trail but the trainers said most German Shepherds figure it out fast.
 
Sharkey

Sharkey

Word Ninja
Learn what kind of venomous animals are in the areas in which you explore. Do what you can to avoid interactions.

Don’t waste your time or money on snake bite kits. Stay calm, have a plan for getting help.

Deaths from rattlesnake bites in the US are extremely rare. Driving to the trail is a bigger risk.
 
jeeeep

jeeeep

Hooked
Sharkey said:
Learn what kind of venomous animals are in the areas in which you explore. Do what you can to avoid interactions.

Don’t waste your time or money on snake bite kits. Stay calm, have a plan for getting help.

Deaths from rattlesnake bites in the US are extremely rare. Driving to the trail is a bigger risk.
Click to expand...
never drive the trails with your kids or dogs leashed to the rear bumper....unless you're on your last "don't make me stop this Jeep"
 
AZVAJKU

AZVAJKU

Hooked
NPC 6060⁸42 said:
But how do you snake proof them? Oh and GSD always. Got a working dog this time and woah kinda crazy.
Click to expand...

We used a well known trainer in AZ. They put an e-collar on the dog and have a rattlesnake in a cage. The dogs, see, hear, and smell the snake and get the zap. Some dogs take a few runs to learn. Our dog only needed one. He would not get anywhere around any snake. Even a dead snake was something he wanted no part of. Even stuff that remotely sounded like a snake he wanted no part of. The trainer recommends refreshers every few years.

The added benefit of the dog having this ability is that if you pay attention to them you’ll greatly reduce the possibility of being bit yourself. I highly recommend it if you spend time in snake country.
 
OverlanderJK

OverlanderJK

Resident Smartass
AZVAJKU said:
We used a well known trainer in AZ. They put an e-collar on the dog and have a rattlesnake in a cage. The dogs, see, hear, and smell the snake and get the zap. Some dogs take a few runs to learn. Our dog only needed one. He would not get anywhere around any snake. Even a dead snake was something he wanted no part of. Even stuff that remotely sounded like a snake he wanted no part of. The trainer recommends refreshers every few years.

The added benefit of the dog having this ability is that if you pay attention to them you’ll greatly reduce the possibility of being bit yourself. I highly recommend it if you spend time in snake country.
Click to expand...
Hey Ace........

Traciehue said:
The snake proofing place had live snakes in cages along a trail. Shock collar on the dog. Everytime he got curious about the snake they shocked him. The dog then associates the smell and sound with a shock. It was a low level shock but more than enough for him. Some dogs take more than one trip down the trail but the trainers said most German Shepherds figure it out fast.
Click to expand...
 
NPC 6060⁸42

NPC 6060⁸42

Active Member
Traciehue said:
The snake proofing place had live snakes in cages along a trail. Shock collar on the dog. Everytime he got curious about the snake they shocked him. The dog then associates the smell and sound with a shock. It was a low level shock but more than enough for him. Some dogs take more than one trip down the trail but the trainers said most German Shepherds figure it out fast.
Click to expand...
Thanks. I’m thinking since she’s already averse to snakes she’ll avoid any she comes across. Timber rattlers are quite rare but I found one at my last place in Luray.
 
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