> Probably age and poor health contributed to his death. I pretty much stay out of the woods during the Summer months here in NW Florida.
What makes this especially unexpected isn’t just that only about half a dozen persons are killed nationally yearly. It’s that a grown man bitten by a rattlesnake on the lower leg died within fifteen minutes (and apparently collapsed earlier). The bite caused stress, and perhaps the venom contributed to the death, but almost certainly something else was the primary cause.
I’m in South Carolina and often take walks in the woods in the summer. I’m careful where I step, of course, but sometimes it’s hard to avoid stepping near underbrush in which a poisonous snake could be lying. I consider the risk low, though.
Maybe where you are there are more rattlesnakes, but in decades I’ve only encountered two. One rattled before I saw it, then slithered away. The other was crossing a trail. I kept my distance, but managed to get it to stop and coil, so that I could get a better look. Then I let it go on its way. I wouldn’t want one near my house, but out in the woods I don’t think they pose much of a risk.
they are fairly common around here but not like some places. I might see two or three in a year. This one was killed by my dog in my yard.
I have read that places in the American South West have so many sidewinders that you will see them daily. The Florida subspecies of the Eastern Diamondback is the largest (heaviest) snake in North America.
Just so. This is why I live in Minnesota.
I lived in an area with so many of them I simply leapt backwards without thinking at the first shake of a rattle. This was pretty reliable until I ran into the 1/100 rattler that pursued me regardless of my retreat. I was lucky to nail him without getting bit. Adrenaline is a wonderful thing.
Not so long ago I opened an electrical box on an abandoned property unknowing it was a giant wasp’s nest inside. Thankfully that old reflex was still there. An interesting moment where I could see a cloud of wasps before my eyes actually straining to catch up with me as I literally ran backwards, before twisting around into forward motion and higher gear. Luckily they gave up the chase after 50 yards or so, a bear can move quickly but only for short distsnces ;)