Being a Kansas boy, it's hard to believe there are areas of the country that are unsafe because they're infested rattlesnakes! A few years ago a physician friend of mind talked me out of hiking the "wilderness" around Yreka, CA. Looked good to me on the map. No towns or roads for miles, etc. But he said he and his buddies growing up around there avoided those hills like the plague because the land is literally crawling with rattlers this time of year, BRRRRRRRR! I can deal with an occasional snake. But the idea of walking out into a field and finding it's got one snake in every square yard, does give 'ya the shivers.
friend of MINE, lol
My brother had a new neighbor move in from CA. He wanted to go with my brother to his place NW of Strawn, TX. While out there, guy was showing his kids Texas' non-venomous snakes. Picked up a Copperhead and it bit him on the hand. It took two days to find a hospital that carried anti-venom to treat his snake bite. Went from Breckenridge to Abilene and then to Arlington to find some.
He didn't know that we had Copperheads here nor what one was.
>> his buddies growing up around there avoided those hills like the plague because the land is literally crawling with rattlers this time of year <<
Yep. Rattlers den up for winter. In the spring time, if you see one, there are others you don't see.
I've been to Yreka. In a car. So glad we didn't step out to take in the scenery, as I didn't know this about the rattlers.