We hunted in South Texas for years and saw/killed a lot of rattlesnakes. I shot one with my deer rifle and it blew the snake up in the air. I have killed lots of snakes but that was my only rattler. I hate snakes!
Not many people can say they’ve been hit by a rattler and even fewer can say they’ve been hit 4 times. My first bite was a big rattler hit me right behind the left knee, second was in the right shoulder, third was in the right butt cheeck and the fourth was my left index finger. No helicopters or ambulances just drove to the ER. I’ll kill around 75 rattlers here on the ranch before it starts getting cold and they den up. That seems to be the yearly average.
I used to work with a guy who was from west Texas and had been bitten by one when he was younger. He said he got used to them where he lived. I don’t know if I could get used to the critters. I am a little careful when traveling through west Texas and stopping at their rest stops with signs that say “beware of rattlesnakes.” Yes sir, I will be aware.