rattle snakes protected in Idaho?

T

tahunua001

New member
hello all,
I know, it's way to early for the plethora of rattlesnake related threads to crop up but today while I was thumbing through fish and game regulations and came to an interesting section on reptiles and amphibians.

the reason I find it interesting is that I have heard, several times in fact that all species of reptile found in Idaho are Protected species, including Rattle Snakes and yet this little PDF says that any of the listed species can be possessed, live or dead by anyone over the age of 10 with a current hunters license and have a bag limit of 4 per species per person. children under 10 are exempt and may possess legal bag limit without a license. both commonly found species in my region(the prairie rattler and western rattler) are on this list so I really am curious where people are getting the idea that it is illegal to kill rattle snakes in Idaho?

I'm fairly certain that with a bag limit of 4 per person per species this is not some new regulation change.
 
It used to say you coulden't kill a rattlesnake unless it was a threat to life or property.
Now according to "Idaho fish and game.gov" rules and regulations under questions and answers.
You can kill up to four.
 
In California, you need a fishing license to take reptiles...
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funny that this was mentioned. the only exceptiong is bullfrogs where they are considered a game fish and therefore can be caught and kept in any number(dead only) but must have a fishing license for anyone 14 and up... never would have thought of a bullfrog as a game fish.
 
If I get bit, I will kill the rattle snake (for ID purposes). Sounds stupid, but I don't kill them anymore unless they are in the yard. Same goes with Copperheads. That would be a major event now since I live in a subdivision. The only poisonous snake I kill on sight or even go out of my way to kill are Water Moccasins.

I know you can not legally poessess a live wild rattlesnake any more.
 
I don't kill on sight unless he's in an area where I intend to be for some time and poses a serious risk(IE, near my camp site with lots of under brush).

I get seriously irritated when I see dead snakes on the side of the road where it was obviously run over intentionally, mainly because 90% of the time it's a bull snake that was mistaken for a rattler. bull snakes eat the rattlers and keep them out of my yard. I've spent 10 minutes before trying to 'convince' a bull snake to get off my driveway just so he wouldn't be run over by another member of my family by accident and he didn't take kindly, given their talent for 'faking rattlesnake' it is no wonder people kill them but it still P's me off to see them killed. just because they were on the side of the road trying to get warm.
 
That's something I run into frequently as a semi-professional Boy Scout.

"there's a snake in my camp site. Kill it. Kill it now."

"Sir, it's a king snake, we like those."

"But the boys...."

"Sir, the boys can learn from it."

I'm not a fan of snakes, they give me the willies, but I hate the wanton extinction of them like they were varmits or an invasive species.
 
I won't kill one unless it's him or me, and it hasn't been him or me for over fifty years despite all the time I've spent outdoors. They control rodents, for one thing--we'd be up to our hip pockets in rats and mice without them. They're part of the Big Picture. Everything has its part to play.

I've sat on the edge of a pond and watched a two-and-a-half-foot copperhead hunting frogs eighteen inches from my boot. He wasn't bothering me, and I saw no reason to bother him.

I have eaten rattlesnake, and it's tasty. I knew an eccentric character who would invite friends to drop by for lunch, and serve them what they thought was the best chicken salad they'd ever tasted. After they'd packed away a couple of helpings he'd tell them it was rattler. Those who didn't run out in the back yard and throw up were invited back.

But I'm not killing any snakes for food.
 
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kraigwy my friends on the ranches I grew up around felt the same way about rattlers and livestock. I never quite got to that point, I only killed them when one of us was cornered and I couldn't get away. Prairie rattlers being fairly mild mannered it didn't happen often. Bull snakes were the aggressive ones. Since most folks couldn't tell the difference the rattlesnakes got unfairly blamed a lot.

On the upside, when I was a teenager, there was one incident where a fairly nice looking young lady who couldn't tell the difference was completely convinced that I had saved her from certain death. She was amazed I would pick up the "mean rattlesnake" and take it where it couldn't chase her down and attack her. My buddies were also unable to see the difference between the two species at least long enough for (as I remember) three hugs and one kiss (on the cheek, geez, I wasn't that much of a jerk!). You just never know where a little knowledge might come in handy:D
 
the reason I find it interesting is that I have heard, several times in fact that all species of reptile found in Idaho are Protected species, including Rattle Snakes and yet this little PDF says that any of the listed species can be possessed, live or dead by anyone over the age of 10 with a current hunters license and have a bag limit of 4 per species per person.
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Link?

I think they are using "protected" in a less than accurate manner. They are no protected in the sense that they are considered threatened or endangered, but covered as are many species simply as animals you can just shoot willy-nilly (for lack of a better description) unless they pose a threat of some kind or have specific regulations about them, such as the limit you noted.

Without seeing the specific text or law, that would be my best explanation for what you describe. Several states have some similar statutes.
 
"On the upside, when I was a teenager, there was one incident where a fairly nice looking young lady who couldn't tell the difference was completely convinced that I had saved her from certain death. She was amazed I would pick up the "mean rattlesnake" and take it where it couldn't chase her down and attack her. My buddies were also unable to see the difference between the two species at least long enough for (as I remember) three hugs and one kiss (on the cheek, geez, I wasn't that much of a jerk!). You just never know where a little knowledge might come in handy."

You did good. Remember the Boy Scouts' motto, "Be prepared." :D:D
 
""If you look through your scope and see your shoe, aim higher."
-- said to me by my 11 year old daughter before going out for hogs 8/13/2011"

If I were sixty years younger I'd ask your permission to take that kid to dinner. She sounds like a great, funny young'un!
 
Here in Florida the Florida Forestry Association has been lobbying against the listing of the rattlesnake for a while.

Mind you I don't kill them but the decrease in numbers has more to do with development than with what goes on in the woods.

To many Yankees in Florida.......no way I know of to fix that.......
 
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