Biggest snake you've ever seen (in the wild)

[BearBio]

Ever run into any rattler in the woods around your place? I hiked and hunted the area a lot and never saw one. Closest encounters were bird hunting in the basin, I'd see one on the road once in a while. Heard a few too, that'll get your heart started!

The only rattler I've seen around here was one dead on the road by The Palisades (dead).

I managed the funding for a State Project identifying ranges and habitats for many species, including Western Rattlesnakes (Great Basin subspecies) and they were pretty exclusive to riverine areas.

 

[arjay]

I was wandering some BLM land with my brother in law looking for prairie dogs when John (a big oldish guy) let out a scream,leapt into the air and took off running.Looked a few feet to my left and it was a little rattler maybe a foot long.So I was watching it and here comes John running back shouting something unintelligible with his rifle at the ready! Ever see anyone try to hit a target with a scoped rifle from 6'?

 

[rog8732]

The following is not one of my original thoughts on the subject of snakes; but since reading it the first time, (likely on this forum ), I have adopted it as my feelings regarding "ole Mr NO hips".

I hate and fear snakes;..dead snakes,..live snakes,..sticks that look like snakes,..worms that resemble snakes,..people who yell "SNAKE !", if for real, or just because they think it is funny to watch how high a 76 year old can jump.
I also find it difficult to drum-up any real camaraderie with those who do NOT fear the devil's spawn, who advise me, "they are good for the "planet, never kill one, they keep the mouse population down"; and once and for all; please stop telling me, there are no poisonous snakes.

To my mind, as well as "Adam's", there is no difference between venomous and poisonous.
Either way, once seen, if eating a rat, or offering free apples,our little part of the world is changed forevermore !

There is one size snake I can tolerate. That would be size 10 1/2 or 11 Justin, Nocona, or first generation Dan Post.

Perhaps the oddest quirk regarding my feelings about snakes, is: I like to read accounts of ya'lls dealings with these beasts;... never miss the chance to do so.

 

[A10]

The only rattler I've seen around here was one dead on the road by The Palisades (dead).

I managed the funding for a State Project identifying ranges and habitats for many species, including Western Rattlesnakes (Great Basin subspecies) and they were pretty exclusive to riverine areas.

Used to hunt up the far end of the Palisades. There are (or were) good size deer there. Ringneck, quail, and there used to be a ton of chuckar up top of the coulee. Friends of the family farmed the area, corn, hay, wheat, etc. It's where I learned about bucking bales. Lots of rattlers got wound up in the bales. They'd hide up the irrigation pipe sometimes. Changing irrigation can be a thrill.....

 

[Jinglebob]

One summer, back when I was 12 years old, my dad and his hired hand, Jack, went out to repair the cooling system on an oil rig located between Pecos and Midland, Texas. I tagged along.

When dad turned off the highway we say a rattler lying across the dirt road. That snake was at least 6 feet long and thick across the middle.

Dad stopped the truck and reached into the glove box and retrieved his S&W model 10. At that point Jack says, “Let me shoot it!”

Jack got out of the truck about 10 feet form the snake and emptied the cylinder. All he did was kick up dust around that viper who didn’t budge.

Dad reloaded, walked up to within a couple of feet of that snake and shot it through the head.

As we headed down the dirt road, dad kept his eyes straight ahead and sighed, “Jack, you’re a hell of a welder but a lousy shot.”

 

[CBus660R]

Growing up on the north coast of Ohio, I didn't come across many large snakes. The one place I saw anything other than standard 1-2 foot garter snakes was a private park my family was a member of. At that park, there were lots of what we called rat snakes. They were black and typically slithered away before you could get close. Finally, on the morning of my senior prom when I was at the park catching some bass I had my chance. I cornered a 4-5 foot rat snake, got it pinned with stick just behind it's head. I picked it up. Success! At that point it wrapped it's body around my arm and released it's secret weapon, digested rat! Let me tell you, that was a stink that was fierce! And it didn't wash off. I spent a good hour once I got home scrubbing my arm with anything and everything mom could think of to get the stink off. I wound up applying a generous coat of underarm deodorant with the hopes of hiding the smell from my date that night. She never said anything, but prom didn't go as well as I hoped, so I'm blaming that! Hahaha

 

[soFlaNative]

When we were kids we'd wander the area around where Joe Robbie stadium was built. Mostly scrub with slash pine and live oak. We stirred up a d-back and when it coiled Big Mel snatched up a tire still on the rim and dropped it Mr. Rattler.
Brought it home with us as we figured it was dead, named it One Fang Leroy because that was all that was left. Stretched out (4 ft.) one the asphalt drive with it's fang laid over my brother's finger it tried to slither. Not sure if it revived or just reflex but we put a popsicle stick splint on it's head and hoped for the best.
We were idiots but had good hearts.