[Inyo-Mono]

Just be careful eating rattlers. Make sure they are a clean kill. If they bit themselves in the throes of death, you can't eat them. Best to separate their heads quickly and cleanly.

You’re right about that! I use a machete to cleanly and safely remove the head. If anyone cares, here is an easy way to tan a rattlesnake skin:

Slit up the belly from rattles to neck then peel the skin off and pour rock salt all over the fleshy underside.

Stretch the skin out and tack it fleshy side out on a board for a couple of days until it is dry. Then untack the skin from the board and rub the salted fleshy side across the top of a wooden sawhorse or other secure board, back and forth for about 20 minutes or so until the fibers in the skin break down and begin to look like suede. You are done, that is all there is to it!

[Cvengr]

Good to know,..the one we took out fell victim to a falling stick and bit itself in the throes of its demise. Nothing would eat it afterwards.

[CH3CN]

A bit of borax doesn’t hurt.