I’m in eastern wi and all we have around here is the rare and elusive eastern flat nosed trouser snake. A bite from that can cause a 17% loss of salary and 18 years of severe headaches!
There were warning signs up around the Watertower up in the bluffs where I grew up in western Wisconsin. They are all over in the bluffs along the river system between MN and WI.
I remember growing up as a kid hunting snakes to watch. I'm from the U.P. and sadly a lot of the open land is now developed. I remember crying when I found a blue racer that had been hit by a car. I have very little fear of any animal or insect, but I do have respect and awe.
Walking in the woods in shorts is not a good idea. In addition to rattle snakes there is poison ivy, poison oak, stinging nettle, buckthorn, berry bushes and deer ticks that you are inviting to attack your legs. I grew up as a logger 25 years in this same area and suggest you use snake chaps or pants with permethrin to avoid punctures and deer tick bites. Heavy leather boots are suggested also. Tip: never step over a log. Use a walking stick to preview what is on the other side and step on the log instead of over it. May save you a trip to the hospital.
Hey there Larry!!! I’m so happy to see someone with a platform in fishing do this! I have kept bred and always been involved with snakes! What you did here is what I try to do everytime I’m out fishing and see someone encounter a scaly critter! They are such a very important animal in our ecosystem! Thanks again Larry, misinformation is such a killer. Maybe I’ll see you out on Bago this winter again! Love it and keep up the good work!
I grew up south of LaCrosse. Back in the day there was a bounty on them. The population was nearly a plague. They were everywhere. In my town (Ferryville) they changed the name of one of the bars to the Rattle Snake Inn. I think it is still the same name today.
When the DNR was trying to educate the citizens of ferryville wi about how rattle snakes were good at a public meeting in ferryville wi a couple of the “good ole boys” threw a gunny sack of rattle snakes at the feet of the Dnr personal and exclaimed “if you love these snakes so much take them home with you we are tired of them” the DNR cleared out of that room pretty fast. Most laws (or Dnr rules) are shoved down peoples throats will Dnr and snake lovers live far away from these poisoned reptiles. I grew up and lived in De Soto /Ferryville area and have seen my share of these vile creatures. Both the ones that crawl and the ones that walk on two feet.
@@randyjamesrobertson I get it to a point there has to be a. Balance for sure! I’m a reptile enthusiast and have kept bred and always went out on hikes to find them! They are needed but there has to be a line when comes to human populations! Just like all animals that are dangerous or nuisance to human populations! 9/10 they won’t bite attack or even acknowledge us. Doesn’t mean they don’t possess a danger! I do get your point though that those telling towns folk how what and where aren’t the ones that have to encounter or deal with them on a regular basis!
My dad’s best friend was bit by a timber rattlesnake while logging in the 1960’s . His whole arm swilled up like a big sausage and was in the hospital for two weeks. The doctors worried he might lose his arm. I have had friends lose their prized hunting dogs to rattle snake bites. Just last year two dogs were killed by rattle snakes above de Soto. If you like rattle snakes so much you are welcome to take home all that we have and then release them in your town. We would see how popular you would be then to your neighbors.
Growing up our next door neighbor was a rattle snake bounty hunter. He never killed the rattle snake…..just cut off the rattles for the bounty and let them go… the definition of Silent but deadly.
They overwinter in dens/caves in the limestone cliffs. Thats why you really only find them in the driftless bluff country of MN/WI. I see one just about every spring in late may when turkey hunting in SW Wisconsin and SE Minnesota. I don't hate them at all, but man snakes in general just creep me out I can't help it. That said, I'm glad they're around as long as I don't get too close to one 😂
They used to be EVERYWHERE in the 80s - 90s now they are almost extinct in Minnesota. People used to shoot hundreds of them for fun back in the day and now they are endangered species.
Great video Larry! Timbers are such chill snakes and never deserved the persecution they got for so long, (much like most snakes). You should do a spotlight on bull snakes some time, they're quite impressive too!
My mom grew up in maiden rock, WI. When she was young she had a husky that used to run away and get into all sorts of trouble. One day the neighbor called and said he had their dog tied to a tree and when my grandpa went over to get him he was in a stare down with a timber rattler. He took 5 bites to the throat and somehow survived. However, his head and neck swelled up like a balloon.
Matt the Rattlesnake Guru, lol. From his obsession with dinosaurs at age 5, to the love of these animals and his wealth of knowledge still amazes me. How do i know, he's my nephew. Larry, did you know his grandpa was a WWII veteran. Great video.
we lived in Prescott , WI for 18 years we knew a election judge who lived down just before the cemetery she had a rock wall with 4 rattle snakes nest full of baby rattlers also in Hastings across the river from Prescott and across from Applebee's that rock wall is full of rattlesnakes all along the river from Freedom Park and on down has got rattle snakes
Are you able to see the wall when you’re driving by? I drove through Hastings yesterday looked for a rock wall but couldn’t see one by Apple Bees. Thanks
Came across an eastern massasauga coiled in the trail on Oct 3, 2022 while we were grouse hunting. This was near Hertel Wisconsin. Surprised us for sure. It was a 60 plus degree day. I walked right past it first. Next my cocker spaniel walked past it on a leash, then my fiancée saw it and screamed. I stopped, went back, and sure enough. I am ashamed to say that I used a stick to hold it down (not thinking, the exact wrong thing to do the DNR said) and it was rattling mad. It actually struck out twice, then after I let the stick off of it it slithered away. Approximately 30 inches long. Honest truth. Only time in my 63 years that i have saw a rattlesnake and I grew up in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Yea these like to hang out around the train tracks in the summer. I have heard them on many occasions tring to find fishing spots on the Mississippi River but have been very fortunate to have never seen one up close.
@@killinitgaming5781 near the river good chance they are massauga cattle snakes which in my opinion are more aggressive than Timbers but just the same would rather not bother with a human unless it absolutely has to.
I grew up in Southern Appalachia & we had them all over the place. I've seen a batwing hybrid with a head as big as a baseball. I'm not the bigeest fan of handling snakes but rattlers will at least attempt to warn you b4 they bite you. Copperheads/cottonmouths on the other hand will not & they are far more likely to strike at anything that comes close. Lots of folks get bit on the ankles/feet & wrist/hand areas when stepping over logs & reaching into places they cant see well.
Wonderful video. I grew up in southern Indiana and never did see any rattlesnakes. Now I live in Southern Missouri and have seen two timber rattler snakes in my yard. They were huge. I didn’t have my phone with me for the first one so I don’t know how Big it was. I visually tried to break it up into 1 foot links and I guess it to be over 5 feet long. The other one seem to be the same size and I was able to get a video of it and some still pictures. The next day, I went to where I found it and laid out a string exactly how it was in the picture and it was about 5‘4“ long, and had 10 rattles. It was as wide as my forearm. Very beautiful I hope to see some in the future. They are definitely a beautiful creature.
My late wife and I were taking a guided nature tour in Governor Dodge State Park one evening when I nearly stepped on one that was crossing the trail, at first I thought it was a water snake, until I saw the rattles, then I got pretty shook, as I had gotten bitten by a diamondback in Texas in the summer of 1973, and spent 3 weeks in the hospital then, ( I was on a military obstacle course, and fell into a creek the bite came when I was trying to pull myself out, I was only a few minutes away from the base hospital and received prompt care, but I almost lost my right arm, and I've avoided any type of snake since.)
I’m in northern Illinois and they are a rare sight here to the point most people have no clue or refuse to believe they are here! The timber is the only venomous snake here other than a hognose but being fear fanged they lose zero threat to humans! So many people tell me they see cotton mouths here and I try to tell them those are water snakes that cottons aren’t in our area!
Awesome video Larry, love the variety we get on your channel.This was very educational and interesting and it changed the way I feel about snakes in general.Thanks for the video but when you chose the snake over a 35 incher I had to grab my heart for a split second, lol.
Much appreciate the info. The dry bite is something most avid outdoorsman are not aware of. The purpose of venom is for prey in almost all cases. I spent most of my life hunting and hiking in Lacrosse and Trempealeau counties along the Black river and never encountered a Timber. Thanks for sharing
@@rossbideon a friend had the pleasure of a dry bite on the creek we were panning in California from a forest rattler…we were along ways in and watched him very close for quite a while…it’s amazing how the animal can control that venom…thankful for it too…
You can only take one rattlesnake per year in PA .... you need a license, and there are strict rules about length and sex. There are quite a few TH-cam videos on people hunting them here, and most of the vids discuss the parameters for snake hunting.
I live near Viroqua WI and am along the Mississippi often. We are warned about the massasauga rattlesnakes around here. The WI DNR say my home is in prime territory. I actually live in between Hillsboro and Elroy on my 30 acres.
This is what makes it tough to say we don't have any in northern Illinois. Their at the bottom of the state and in Wisconsin but many believe they are here.
When a friend and I were hiking at devils Lake, we sat down on a rock, and I noticed a Timber Rattlesnake sunning itself less than a foot from my friends hand. He almost laid his hand right on it, so I told him not to move, and then we slowly moved away from it. It was such a cool sight, though!
Puke. This is NOT ok. As a Minnesotan, I'm willing to endure brutally cold winters because we don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, or VENOMOUS SNAKES. (Edited from poisonous to venomous, for grammar integrity)
Actually there have been mild earthquakes. I remember in the early 70s our neighbor lady said during one day all the dishes in her cupboards started rattling. Anything is possible.
I grew up in Gays Mills area in the 1970s and my dad was friends with Virgil Pittsley and he would stop by our house and tell us rattle snake stories. He also taught me how to walk in the woods and to never step over logs until you check them with a walking stick. He also told me if he was near rattle snakes he could smell them. I was always in school when he stopped with a bag of snakes.
In the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River on both sides, (Wisconsin and Minnesota). What surprised me was learning that even in around Red Wing, Minnesota where it has been as low as 35° below zero, and the river ice can be 3’ thick, there are rattlers in the cliffs.
Thank you for a very imformative video, just leave them alone and the snakes will do the same. I found the snake facts informative-live birth and returning to its home den of its birth wow, and people will see this video, and learn that we can all get along after all we are going into their home not them into ours such a beautiful snake they deserve to be protected
I live in Wisconsin, we have some but they mostly stay up in the bluffs where I live is close by Red Wing, MN. We have seen some at our tree brush dump area. We had flooding in early July & we have sandbags out there & when pulling them up to use we discovered some under the sandbags. We killed them as we really didn't want to deal with anyone getting bitten during the flooding. We needed to ge5 to the sandbags.
@tristanmann1408 yep we have rattlesnakes here in Wisconsin, we have these sandstone bluffs that have lots of caves where the snakes & bats go during winter months. In warmer months they come out. Those caves stay a constant temperature which help these creatures survive the cold harsh months. Not advisable to let pets off least around here for sure. They could get bitten & before you know it they die as they are virtually undetectable.
@@animallover4ever229 I understand. Just a little ironic given your name is animal lover yet you kill rattlesnakes because you live in their habitat and don’t want to deal with them
@@TheMW2informer I never said I would want them to. The DNR does relocation, you can go out with your dog. There are many other solutions than killing.
Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s the DNR released hundreds into western Vernon County and we live SE Monroe County we had a spring snake den with over 10 babies and mama snake was large while my husband was moving a piece of tin but he had to kill one brought it to me and I identified it as a timber rattler! And that was about 10 years ago and I have all of the food that they want!
Had a Timber crawl between our neighbor's and my house a couple of decades ago (SE MN in the river bluffs). We have a den in our valley so they are not unheard of for us.
My coworkers son found a Eastern Massassuaga in Plainfield IL recently. Hanging out near a small river, exactly as described in their habitats. Maybe a foot or a foot and a half long.
Wisconsin has had rattlesnakes for a long time. There was still a bounty on them around 50 years ago.. not anymore. Dane County has known places where they were hunted, and still can be found.
I'm going to be retiring in the Driftless (Vernon County) and these are definitely on my radar. Thanks for the informational video. Interesting how complacent it was just hanging on that snake pole.
Reminds me of the story I told my scouts when I was a scoutmaster. The story goes like this: one day a man was contemplating going over a mountain. As he was standing there he heard a voice. Startled he looked down and a rattle snake was coiled by his feet within striking distance. The rattle snake said ; do not be afraid as I have not bit you and I could easily bite you as I am within striking distance of you. I have a favor to ask you. I would like to go over the mountain but I need help to get over it as it is cold up there. Would you please carry me over the mountain and i will not bite you. But you are a rattle snake said the man. Again I could bite you right now if I wanted but I did not. The man very gingerly picked up the rattle snake and held him out at arms length and proceeded up the mountain. As they neared the top the rattle snake said; I am getting very cold please put me inside your coat next to your body so I can get warm. The man said; I do not know about that after all you are a rattle snake. The rattle snake responded; I will not bite you. I easily could have bitten you as you carried me but I did not. So the man put the rattle snake inside his coat next to his body and proceeded down the other side of the mountain. When they got to the bottom of the mountain the man reached into his coat to retrieve the rattle snake and the RATTLE SNAKE BIT HIM. Why did you bite me said the man. The sake replied : well after all I AM A RATTLE SNAKE. THIS STORY APPLIES TO POLITICIANS AND LAWYERS ALSO. do not get to friendly with any of these species if you do not want to get bit.
Last summer our cats were having a fit in the garden next to the house. I found they had a rattlesnake cornered. This is in northern Indiana. I took it to the woods behind the property.
Careful out there. I've seen them next to hiking trails in Wisconsin sitting on logs. They've never chased or attacked and I've only heard one rattle a few times.
Very interesting. I turned the old family farm into a wildlife preserve on the Wolf River very near the "Timber Rattler" stadium in the Oshkosh/ Appleton area (Winneconne/ Omro). Have seen the local Sandhill cranes eat snakes but in all my years I have never ever had a rattler encounter in Wisconsin. Super cool, thanks for the info and please continue B-).
@@TheMW2informer Winneconne where the Fox and Wolf meet up. Not from there but lived in Grand Chute for 12 years. My family go's way back and it was a pain for me with all the guys having the same names. Middle name is different always. Catch a walleye and get a moon tan for me!!
I was so afraid you were hunting snakes to kill or to capture them. I like snakes and was so relieved to see how caring you guys are of the snakes. Thank you for an excellent video!
Defiantly seen a couple where I live (in the SE corner of Wi). And we used to find them in the razor grass and brush around Lake Michigan beaches In NE Il. too.
My siblings babysitters second son worked trimming under power lines. He came home one night in the early 60's with the body of a rattler. He was over 6' tall and holhing his arm slightly elevated above his shoulder the tail was just off the ground. One afternoon in the mid late 60's I was out in our backyard and noticed a 3'+ rattler headed towards our neighbors rear end in his hammock. He killed it with a garden rake.
Just after I posted the above comment I remembered that we were at a local river in Grant Co. Having a picnic and fishing the first two catches included in the net were two juvenile rattles! We packed up and went home. We were on a bend of the river with a "beach" on our side a limestone bluff as the other side of the river.
I saw one on a trail at Big Foot Park in loves park Illinois when I was in high school. I didn't know what species it was at the time but later found out it was a timber rattlesnake.
I had read that some years ago, the government had the military or some other group catch a large amount of timber rattlesnakes in another state, then let them go in northern Wisconsin.....they also didn't let anyone know where they were let go
Absolutely amazing guys. 👊 I live in southwest Michigan and I seen quite a few massasauga rattlesnakes here but I’ve always wondered if there was any timber rattlers possibly in the UP of Michigan or even in the northern lower peninsula where there’s plenty of limestone outcroppings. But anyways thanks again that was a great show.
I live in the UP and have hunted all my life, Have never heard of or seen a rattler in the Central UP. I have seen them just north of Muskegon in the Lower Peninsula.
The only venomous snake in Michigan is the Massasauga rattlesnake. Timber rattlesnakes only live south of the glacial line. The entire state of Michigan and nearly all of Indiana were covered by glaciers, along with the northwestern part of Ohio (approximately north & west of I-71). The area of Wisconsin this video talks about is called the “Driftless” region, which is a unique area the glaciers missed during the last ice age. The other 3/4 of Wisconsin was shaped by glaciers, and there are no timber rattlers in those areas, only massasaugas. Copperheads and water moccasins also only live south of the glacier line.
@@sc100ott well why does every one in the up keep posten pics of them? Good thing you checked google but google doesnt update the migration patters of animals.
I’m in eastern wi and all we have around here is the rare and elusive eastern flat nosed trouser snake. A bite from that can cause a 17% loss of salary and 18 years of severe headaches!
😂😂
I live in Central Wisconsin. I've seen Timber Rattlers along the Wisconsin River.
There were warning signs up around the Watertower up in the bluffs where I grew up in western Wisconsin. They are all over in the bluffs along the river system between MN and WI.
I remember growing up as a kid hunting snakes to watch. I'm from the U.P. and sadly a lot of the open land is now developed. I remember crying when I found a blue racer that had been hit by a car. I have very little fear of any animal or insect, but I do have respect and awe.
Here in northern Illinois I love the Eastern Fox snake I've found 5 alive in my 40 years here and 3 dead in the road :-( it makes me sad too
They are in Minnesota too, especially along the banks of the Mississippi in the St. Croix river
Had a timber rattler behind my home in north central Wisconsin last summer. It’s why I love winter.
No kidding!
Walking in the woods in shorts is not a good idea. In addition to rattle snakes there is poison ivy, poison oak, stinging nettle, buckthorn, berry bushes and deer ticks that you are inviting to attack your legs. I grew up as a logger 25 years in this same area and suggest you use snake chaps or pants with permethrin to avoid punctures and deer tick bites. Heavy leather boots are suggested also. Tip: never step over a log. Use a walking stick to preview what is on the other side and step on the log instead of over it. May save you a trip to the hospital.
Hardcore Wisconsin guys are known to wear shorts year-round, even in bitter winters.
Yeah brother you don't work outside all I got say
My brother-in-law works outside on a commercial farm in Wisconsin. He wears shorts year round, even all winter long.
The Midwest had plenty of rattlesnakes in the frontier days. The introduction of pigs got rid of them.
Yeah, pigs consider rattlesnakes to be a kind of meat spaghetti noodle.
Got rattlesnakes on my property here in central Wisconsin
Thanks for standing up for snake conservation
Hey there Larry!!! I’m so happy to see someone with a platform in fishing do this! I have kept bred and always been involved with snakes! What you did here is what I try to do everytime I’m out fishing and see someone encounter a scaly critter! They are such a very important animal in our ecosystem! Thanks again Larry, misinformation is such a killer. Maybe I’ll see you out on Bago this winter again! Love it and keep up the good work!
I grew up south of LaCrosse. Back in the day there was a bounty on them. The population was nearly a plague. They were everywhere. In my town (Ferryville) they changed the name of one of the bars to the Rattle Snake Inn. I think it is still the same name today.
Here in northern Illinois they are extremely rare! They have almost disappeared sadly!
When the DNR was trying to educate the citizens of ferryville wi about how rattle snakes were good at a public meeting in ferryville wi a couple of the “good ole boys” threw a gunny sack of rattle snakes at the feet of the Dnr personal and exclaimed “if you love these snakes so much take them home with you we are tired of them” the DNR cleared out of that room pretty fast. Most laws (or Dnr rules) are shoved down peoples throats will Dnr and snake lovers live far away from these poisoned reptiles. I grew up and lived in De Soto /Ferryville area and have seen my share of these vile creatures. Both the ones that crawl and the ones that walk on two feet.
@@randyjamesrobertson I get it to a point there has to be a. Balance for sure! I’m a reptile enthusiast and have kept bred and always went out on hikes to find them! They are needed but there has to be a line when comes to human populations! Just like all animals that are dangerous or nuisance to human populations! 9/10 they won’t bite attack or even acknowledge us. Doesn’t mean they don’t possess a danger! I do get your point though that those telling towns folk how what and where aren’t the ones that have to encounter or deal with them on a regular basis!
My dad’s best friend was bit by a timber rattlesnake while logging in the 1960’s . His whole arm swilled up like a big sausage and was in the hospital for two weeks. The doctors worried he might lose his arm. I have had friends lose their prized hunting dogs to rattle snake bites. Just last year two dogs were killed by rattle snakes above de Soto. If you like rattle snakes so much you are welcome to take home all that we have and then release them in your town. We would see how popular you would be then to your neighbors.
Growing up our next door neighbor was a rattle snake bounty hunter. He never killed the rattle snake…..just cut off the rattles for the bounty and let them go… the definition of Silent but deadly.
They overwinter in dens/caves in the limestone cliffs. Thats why you really only find them in the driftless bluff country of MN/WI.
I see one just about every spring in late may when turkey hunting in SW Wisconsin and SE Minnesota. I don't hate them at all, but man snakes in general just creep me out I can't help it. That said, I'm glad they're around as long as I don't get too close to one 😂
Wonder if they were just eradicated out of Door county? With all the bluffs / Limestone here in Door - Kewanee area
They used to be EVERYWHERE in the 80s - 90s now they are almost extinct in Minnesota. People used to shoot hundreds of them for fun back in the day and now they are endangered species.
Great video Larry! Timbers are such chill snakes and never deserved the persecution they got for so long, (much like most snakes). You should do a spotlight on bull snakes some time, they're quite impressive too!
Wisconsin always a good time
My mom grew up in maiden rock, WI. When she was young she had a husky that used to run away and get into all sorts of trouble. One day the neighbor called and said he had their dog tied to a tree and when my grandpa went over to get him he was in a stare down with a timber rattler. He took 5 bites to the throat and somehow survived. However, his head and neck swelled up like a balloon.
They can regulate how much venom they inject. Sometimes they won’t inject any or very little because they save it for actual intended prey
Matt the Rattlesnake Guru, lol. From his obsession with dinosaurs at age 5, to the love of these animals and his wealth of knowledge still amazes me. How do i know, he's my nephew. Larry, did you know his grandpa was a WWII veteran. Great video.
we lived in Prescott , WI for 18 years we knew a election judge who lived down just before the cemetery she had a rock wall with 4 rattle snakes nest full of baby rattlers also in Hastings across the river from Prescott and across from Applebee's that rock wall is full of rattlesnakes all along the river from Freedom Park and on down has got rattle snakes
Are you able to see the wall when you’re driving by? I drove through Hastings yesterday looked for a rock wall but couldn’t see one by Apple Bees. Thanks
they look far different than the Timber Rattlers we have in Appleton WI.... Fang is especially friendly too :-)
⚾️ yah
Their species range extends north in the Driftless Area of WI/MN Most northern range. Great snakes and a rare sight‼️😀
They aren't that rare.
Came across an eastern massasauga coiled in the trail on Oct 3, 2022 while we were grouse hunting. This was near Hertel Wisconsin. Surprised us for sure. It was a 60 plus degree day. I walked right past it first. Next my cocker spaniel walked past it on a leash, then my fiancée saw it and screamed. I stopped, went back, and sure enough. I am ashamed to say that I used a stick to hold it down (not thinking, the exact wrong thing to do the DNR said) and it was rattling mad. It actually struck out twice, then after I let the stick off of it it slithered away. Approximately 30 inches long. Honest truth. Only time in my 63 years that i have saw a rattlesnake and I grew up in Minnesota and Wisconsin.
Yea these like to hang out around the train tracks in the summer. I have heard them on many occasions tring to find fishing spots on the Mississippi River but have been very fortunate to have never seen one up close.
@@killinitgaming5781 near the river good chance they are massauga cattle snakes which in my opinion are more aggressive than Timbers but just the same would rather not bother with a human unless it absolutely has to.
I grew up in Southern Appalachia & we had them all over the place. I've seen a batwing hybrid with a head as big as a baseball. I'm not the bigeest fan of handling snakes but rattlers will at least attempt to warn you b4 they bite you. Copperheads/cottonmouths on the other hand will not & they are far more likely to strike at anything that comes close. Lots of folks get bit on the ankles/feet & wrist/hand areas when stepping over logs & reaching into places they cant see well.
Vwry cool! You shoul do one on the 4 Wisconsin lizzard species.
Wonderful video. I grew up in southern Indiana and never did see any rattlesnakes. Now I live in Southern Missouri and have seen two timber rattler snakes in my yard. They were huge. I didn’t have my phone with me for the first one so I don’t know how Big it was. I visually tried to break it up into 1 foot links and I guess it to be over 5 feet long. The other one seem to be the same size and I was able to get a video of it and some still pictures. The next day, I went to where I found it and laid out a string exactly how it was in the picture and it was about 5‘4“ long, and had 10 rattles. It was as wide as my forearm. Very beautiful I hope to see some in the future. They are definitely a beautiful creature.
My late wife and I were taking a guided nature tour in Governor Dodge State Park one evening when I nearly stepped on one that was crossing the trail, at first I thought it was a water snake, until I saw the rattles, then I got pretty shook, as I had gotten bitten by a diamondback in Texas in the summer of 1973, and spent 3 weeks in the hospital then, ( I was on a military obstacle course, and fell into a creek the bite came when I was trying to pull myself out, I was only a few minutes away from the base hospital and received prompt care, but I almost lost my right arm, and I've avoided any type of snake since.)
Just found the first one at bottom of my drive this week. First in 30 years. Im sure there are more.
I’m in northern Illinois and they are a rare sight here to the point most people have no clue or refuse to believe they are here! The timber is the only venomous snake here other than a hognose but being fear fanged they lose zero threat to humans! So many people tell me they see cotton mouths here and I try to tell them those are water snakes that cottons aren’t in our area!
There are cottonmouths in S Illinois though
@@arthurbrumagem3844 agreed
Last timber rattlesnake sighted in Tinly park illinois was 10 years ago. And probably 20 years before then!
@@AlexPerez-fc3ov There are small protected populations, they keep it a close secret because people go destroy them.
@@AlexPerez-fc3ov I didn’t know they were even out that way myself
Awesome video Larry, love the variety we get on your channel.This was very educational and interesting and it changed the way I feel about snakes in general.Thanks for the video but when you chose the snake over a 35 incher I had to grab my heart for a split second, lol.
Much appreciate the info. The dry bite is something most avid outdoorsman are not aware of. The purpose of venom is for prey in almost all cases. I spent most of my life hunting and hiking in Lacrosse and Trempealeau counties along the Black river and never encountered a Timber. Thanks for sharing
@@rossbideon a friend had the pleasure of a dry bite on the creek we were panning in California from a forest rattler…we were along ways in and watched him very close for quite a while…it’s amazing how the animal can control that venom…thankful for it too…
Amazing. I've seen a few in my life near the diamond bluff area. I was definitely frozen in my tracks. My brain couldn't process what I was seeing.
Awesome thanks for letting people know about snakes in Wisconsin
That intro! 😂 Don't move.
Totally awesome video gentlemen ❤
EVERYWHERE on Mississippi River basin / BLUFFS
Come to Pa , you can take back home as many as you want ! Have a season on them here ! 😂
Bucket list hunt for me.
You can only take one rattlesnake per year in PA .... you need a license, and there are strict rules about length and sex. There are quite a few TH-cam videos on people hunting them here, and most of the vids discuss the parameters for snake hunting.
How venomous is the wisconsin Timber rattlesnake?
Almost stepped on one on a back trail at Devil's Lake State park as a teenager..... 40 years ago
I live near Viroqua WI and am along the Mississippi often. We are warned about the massasauga rattlesnakes around here. The WI DNR say my home is in prime territory. I actually live in between Hillsboro and Elroy on my 30 acres.
This is what makes it tough to say we don't have any in northern Illinois. Their at the bottom of the state and in Wisconsin but many believe they are here.
When a friend and I were hiking at devils Lake, we sat down on a rock, and I noticed a Timber Rattlesnake sunning itself less than a foot from my friends hand. He almost laid his hand right on it, so I told him not to move, and then we slowly moved away from it. It was such a cool sight, though!
What county? Pierce or Pepin?
Puke. This is NOT ok. As a Minnesotan, I'm willing to endure brutally cold winters because we don't have hurricanes, earthquakes, or VENOMOUS SNAKES. (Edited from poisonous to venomous, for grammar integrity)
I agree. There are plenty of non poisonous snakes that could replace the poisonous ones .
Actually, there are Timber Rattlers in the Lanesboro area along the bike trail there. Saw one just off the trail a few years ago. So cool!
@@randyjamesrobertson Is there a NO snake option? 😳
@@dlab00
Actually there have been mild earthquakes. I remember in the early 70s our neighbor lady said during one day all the dishes in her cupboards started rattling. Anything is possible.
Wow. I didn’t realize there were rattlesnakes in Wisconsin. Any chance of finding one in Illinois? I’ve never heard of any here.
Yeah, we have them in eastern Minnesota along the river bluffs, too, so not a surprise they're also on your side.
Go to devils lake Wisconsin. There is norther rattlers there all over. I got pictures of two of them hiking. And you could hear others.
I've never seen rattlesnakes hiking, usually just crawling:)
Always had timber rattlers in Wisconsin.
You definitely have to seek them out.
I just seen my first 2 timber rattlesnakes this past weekend in Crawford county. And one of them had lost its entire rattle and it was a big one
Great video I’m freaked out by snakes but I wouldn’t kill them. Just turn and run haha
I grew up in Gays Mills area in the 1970s and my dad was friends with Virgil Pittsley and he would stop by our house and tell us rattle snake stories. He also taught me how to walk in the woods and to never step over logs until you check them with a walking stick. He also told me if he was near rattle snakes he could smell them. I was always in school when he stopped with a bag of snakes.
In the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River on both sides, (Wisconsin and Minnesota). What surprised me was learning that even in around Red Wing, Minnesota where it has been as low as 35° below zero, and the river ice can be 3’ thick, there are rattlers in the cliffs.
Nice video, liked it better than the repeated fishing
i came across them in 2005 at Devils Lake
They are all over devils lake
I camped at Devils Lake and did a lot of rock climbing there in the nineties. Never saw one and gladly never got bitten LOL!
Cant wait to see my first one. I typically hit the lumber in pella, tigerton and bowler.
Rattlesnakes are really thick around Winona, Houston counties in the hills and along bluffs in both counties.
What part of western wisconsin was this video taken ?
Thank you for a very imformative video, just leave them alone and the snakes will do the same. I found the snake facts informative-live birth and returning to its home den of its birth wow, and people will see this video, and learn that we can all get along after all we are going into their home not them into ours such a beautiful snake they deserve to be protected
Cool episode ! Good switch ‘em up !
I live in Wisconsin, we have some but they mostly stay up in the bluffs where I live is close by Red Wing, MN. We have seen some at our tree brush dump area. We had flooding in early July & we have sandbags out there & when pulling them up to use we discovered some under the sandbags. We killed them as we really didn't want to deal with anyone getting bitten during the flooding. We needed to ge5 to the sandbags.
Animal lover huh?
@tristanmann1408 yep we have rattlesnakes here in Wisconsin, we have these sandstone bluffs that have lots of caves where the snakes & bats go during winter months. In warmer months they come out. Those caves stay a constant temperature which help these creatures survive the cold harsh months. Not advisable to let pets off least around here for sure. They could get bitten & before you know it they die as they are virtually undetectable.
@@animallover4ever229 I understand. Just a little ironic given your name is animal lover yet you kill rattlesnakes because you live in their habitat and don’t want to deal with them
@@tristanmann1408I mean you wouldn’t want your dog to get bit, if you disagree your just trolling.
@@TheMW2informer I never said I would want them to. The DNR does relocation, you can go out with your dog. There are many other solutions than killing.
Cool show fellas!
Cool to learn about these. I've lived in wi my whole life and never noticed one, only heard of them.. Used to rock climb too lol.
Wow! I was not expecting to hear that!
Back in the late 70’s and early 80’s the DNR released hundreds into western Vernon County and we live SE Monroe County we had a spring snake den with over 10 babies and mama snake was large while my husband was moving a piece of tin but he had to kill one brought it to me and I identified it as a timber rattler! And that was about 10 years ago and I have all of the food that they want!
Had a Timber crawl between our neighbor's and my house a couple of decades ago (SE MN in the river bluffs). We have a den in our valley so they are not unheard of for us.
Good information. Supposedly Maine has small population of timbers in the western part of the state as they where hunted in the past as well.
Iv got 60 acres in lacrosse. I should go check my limestone shelf.
Wow there in Canada also , 😮😮😮😮
GREAT VIDEO 👍
Awesome video, showing snacks
My coworkers son found a Eastern Massassuaga in Plainfield IL recently. Hanging out near a small river, exactly as described in their habitats. Maybe a foot or a foot and a half long.
These guys are crazy
Really cool to see a fishing channel take time out to educate the public on a rare and special animal. Well done. 🎉
We ran into one in Door County years ago, crazy experience.
Just go to devils lake. Seen them in the parking lot. Lol
That's crazy! I've been there a lot and never saw any snakes there. I always heard they were there, though.
That's cool! Can't wait to see this one
Bro I’m from Minnesota like to see one down in Winona or Red Wing
Wisconsin has had rattlesnakes for a long time. There was still a bounty on them around 50 years ago.. not anymore. Dane County has known places where they were hunted, and still can be found.
We have Eastern Massasauga Rattlers in Michigan, harmless really unless continually provoked. A really startling and beautiful sight in the wild
I'm going to be retiring in the Driftless (Vernon County) and these are definitely on my radar. Thanks for the informational video. Interesting how complacent it was just hanging on that snake pole.
Reminds me of the story I told my scouts when I was a scoutmaster. The story goes like this: one day a man was contemplating going over a mountain. As he was standing there he heard a voice. Startled he looked down and a rattle snake was coiled by his feet within striking distance. The rattle snake said ; do not be afraid as I have not bit you and I could easily bite you as I am within striking distance of you. I have a favor to ask you. I would like to go over the mountain but I need help to get over it as it is cold up there. Would you please carry me over the mountain and i will not bite you. But you are a rattle snake said the man. Again I could bite you right now if I wanted but I did not. The man very gingerly picked up the rattle snake and held him out at arms length and proceeded up the mountain. As they neared the top the rattle snake said; I am getting very cold please put me inside your coat next to your body so I can get warm. The man said; I do not know about that after all you are a rattle snake. The rattle snake responded; I will not bite you. I easily could have bitten you as you carried me but I did not. So the man put the rattle snake inside his coat next to his body and proceeded down the other side of the mountain. When they got to the bottom of the mountain the man reached into his coat to retrieve the rattle snake and the RATTLE SNAKE BIT HIM. Why did you bite me said the man. The sake replied : well after all I AM A RATTLE SNAKE.
THIS STORY APPLIES TO POLITICIANS AND LAWYERS ALSO. do not get to friendly with any of these species if you do not want to get bit.
Wonderful video!
Also a huge walleye would be awesome but please do a search in MN I used to hang out around Taylor's falls as a youth and was told they existed there!
Last summer our cats were having a fit in the garden next to the house. I found they had a rattlesnake cornered. This is in northern Indiana. I took it to the woods behind the property.
Where in Northern Indiana?
@@calronske1853 20 miles south of South Bend.
@@MikeC-ry1dk holy s**t! I thought we were safe here in Union Mills!
I know the general area of where yall are.
So cool.
Born and raised in Wisconsin and dreamed of seeing some in the wild also.
We in fla call them cainbacks,also live in ohio,had pigme rattlesnakes Dayton Ohio area.rare put they there
*canebrake(s)
Careful out there. I've seen them next to hiking trails in Wisconsin sitting on logs. They've never chased or attacked and I've only heard one rattle a few times.
We have them in southern Indiana. I find it neat that you have them that far north.
Thats me @2:40!
Uh, I rather see a sasquatch..😅
be careful what you wish for.
Me too. They have been reported. I have never seen one. If I do I hope I’m locked in my car with it idling and ready to go.
@@Phil-y8chave you encountered one?..
Very interesting. I turned the old family farm into a wildlife preserve on the Wolf River very near the "Timber Rattler" stadium in the Oshkosh/ Appleton area (Winneconne/ Omro). Have seen the local Sandhill cranes eat snakes but in all my years I have never ever had a rattler encounter in Wisconsin. Super cool, thanks for the info and please continue B-).
The wolf river never really comes close to the Timber Rattlers Stadium in Grand Chute. I’m guessing the farm your talking about is near Orihula.
@@TheMW2informer Winneconne where the Fox and Wolf meet up. Not from there but lived in Grand Chute for 12 years. My family go's way back and it was a pain for me with all the guys having the same names. Middle name is different always. Catch a walleye and get a moon tan for me!!
I was so afraid you were hunting snakes to kill or to capture them. I like snakes and was so relieved to see how caring you guys are of the snakes. Thank you for an excellent video!
Defiantly seen a couple where I live (in the SE corner of Wi). And we used to find them in the razor grass and brush around Lake Michigan beaches In NE Il. too.
My siblings babysitters second son worked trimming under power lines. He came home one night in the early 60's with the body of a rattler. He was over 6' tall and holhing his arm slightly elevated above his shoulder the tail was just off the ground. One afternoon in the mid late 60's I was out in our backyard and noticed a 3'+ rattler headed towards our neighbors rear end in his hammock. He killed it with a garden rake.
Just after I posted the above comment I remembered that we were at a local river in Grant Co. Having a picnic and fishing the first two catches included in the net were two juvenile rattles! We packed up and went home. We were on a bend of the river with a "beach" on our side a limestone bluff as the other side of the river.
Horrible story
I saw one on a trail at Big Foot Park in loves park Illinois when I was in high school. I didn't know what species it was at the time but later found out it was a timber rattlesnake.
I seen 2 in Symco, Wisconsin by the Little Wolf River.... I was flipping rocks looking for grass snakes
I had read that some years ago, the government had the military or some other group catch a large amount of timber rattlesnakes in another state, then let them go in northern Wisconsin.....they also didn't let anyone know where they were let go
Ran into one Trout fishing 2 yrs ago on Radley Creek in Central WI
Perrot park and the wildlife refuge in Trempealeau have a good population of all kinds of snakes including Timber rattlers...
Absolutely amazing guys. 👊
I live in southwest Michigan and I seen quite a few massasauga rattlesnakes here but I’ve always wondered if there was any timber rattlers possibly in the UP of Michigan or even in the northern lower peninsula where there’s plenty of limestone outcroppings.
But anyways thanks again that was a great show.
The locals say there timber rattlesnakes here in the U.P
I live in the UP and have hunted all my life, Have never heard of or seen a rattler in the Central UP. I have seen them just north of Muskegon in the Lower Peninsula.
The only venomous snake in Michigan is the Massasauga rattlesnake. Timber rattlesnakes only live south of the glacial line. The entire state of Michigan and nearly all of Indiana were covered by glaciers, along with the northwestern part of Ohio (approximately north & west of I-71). The area of Wisconsin this video talks about is called the “Driftless” region, which is a unique area the glaciers missed during the last ice age. The other 3/4 of Wisconsin was shaped by glaciers, and there are no timber rattlers in those areas, only massasaugas.
Copperheads and water moccasins also only live south of the glacier line.
@@sc100ott well why does every one in the up keep posten pics of them? Good thing you checked google but google doesnt update the migration patters of animals.
@@sc100ott you gonna tell me there are no mountain lions too right..just like dnr says..
They are all over devils lake too- ive seen them there
Very cool. We should go catch gators some time. Hello from the northwoods