When I was stationed at Cecil Field in Florida, they caught a rattlesnake somewhere around the airfield, and the guy was standing in the bed of a pickup holding the snake by the head, and its tail was touching the ground. Being bitten by that snake would have been like being introduced to Vlad The Impaler and his twin brother!
It’s best to first KILL the rattler, then hold it by the
TAIL; well away from the body. - We have got to where we
mostly just don’t kill ANYTHING any more. - A while back,
I did turn around and drive back to run over a rattlesnake
crossing the road across from a house where several kids
were playing in the yard. Mostly, animals out here stay in
their designated areas and don’t bother us.