Rifle for Hiking Defense Part II

Hueco is Hueco Tanks! I'm impressed!! But that isn't where I'll be going -- just a dream of mine. (Too bad TX Park Association shut most of it down to climbing) If I were going out there, I'd be more concerned about the rattlers than anything, and I'd be most certainly packing a shotgun.


Hueco
 
Yeah...snakes and bad guys. Here it's bad guys and bears. I'd rather be here. :) So for snakes (we do have a few rattlers and copperheads and such here) what is the recommended shotgun load? To me, a birdshot load (6 shot or so) would seem best. I don't really see any need to go to 3 inch magnums though, if the snake is that big -- then you are WAY to close to be able to be using a shotgun! :) A snake's brain is right where it should be -- in the head. But it's heart and lungs are about 6 or 7 inches back, right? So which of those would be best to "aim" at? I'm not really worried about snakes, they can be very easily walked around, I am just mentioning all this for the sake of conversation. But in the case that one should strike and actually get a bite on someone, I've heard that it is best if the snake can be taken in to the hospital (if you can even get to one) along with the victim. So it would seem logical that the snake would have to be killed. So if I'm out, I get bitten...I gotta kill the snake. So is using 2 3/4" 6 shot gonna do the trick? Of course, if I were out there, I'd alos be watching out primarily for bears and bad guys. So in that case, I'd have 3" mags with larger shot. I don't really see any sense in carrying a special snake load, I am sure that the "bear" loads would work fine.


Hueco

[This message has been edited by Hueco (edited May 03, 2000).]
 
Hueco, I work at a boys camp in the summers over here in California, and the whole take the snake with you thing is BS. Snake venom is pretty much all the same, so they don't need it. Plus, the majority of bites are actually dry bites, meaning they only bite you and do not inject you with venom. IF you should be bitten, the best thing to have a one of those yellow Sawyer Extractor hickie givers. You do not cut the bite, you do not use a turnaquete, you simply stick the Sawyer Extractor on it, push in the plunger, adn let it suck while keeping your bitten extremity below your heart and get to a hospital as quickly as possible. Just keep in mind more people die of bee stings a year and the calmer you are, the better off you are.

The only thing that is going to happen when you haul in your headless rattlesnake or blown in half rattlesnake in with your bitten butt is probably laughs as they chuck it in the dumpster.

As you said, snakes aren't a problem, you just walk around them. I used to have that macho kill 'em all attitude, but I quickly learned to like running into rattlesnakes on the trail. It is a good exhilerating experience and they are usually pretty docile and interesting to observe.

So despite my feeling there really is no need to kill a rattlesnake as they are pretty harmless if given their proper respect and clearence, I would say some dove or qual loads of 7 1/2s or 8s would be seem to be the best load for me. I remember shooting the head clean off a rattlesnake with my little 20 gauge at about 10 yars when I was a bit younger. I think that the smaller but more abundant shot would do just the trick. Besides, with rattlesnakes, you are probably not going to be shooting at more than 10 yards away. One they coil up you can get with 1-2 yards and they just stare at you with a pissed off look.

My main point here is, leave the snakes alone. They eat vermin such as squirrels, mice, and rats. They are really docile creatures and 99% of the time they only want to get as far away from you as possible.
 
Hueco,
El Rojo is right. I too, thought you were supposed to take the snake with you and that is exactly what I did when I got bitten by a rattler. At the hospital, they told me that while they used to say that, they found that many people were getting bitten a second time trying to kill the snake. I did a lot of research on snake bites after I was bitten. There are several good sites on the web where you can look this stuff up for yourself. Here is what I have learned to do if someone in my party gets bitten.

1. Do not try to suck out the poisen by cutting the wound and sucking with your mouth. (Reminds me of a joke I heard.) ;)

2. Most snake bite kits are junk. If you think you want to prepair for a bite, get a syringe type extractor and just use it over the puntures.

3. Do not use a tournaquet.

4. Ice the bite sight.

5. Get to the hospital as soon as possible, even if it means the victim has to walk.

I suggest that you take a comprehensive CPR and First Aid class if you are going to be a guide. I would think you are way more likely to need them than you will a rifle. Good luck.

Halffast

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"I say that big talk is worth doodly-squat." Granny Hawkins from the Outlaw Josey Wales
 
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