Rattlesnakes in MN. ?

[Fish- N- Hunt]

Just curious if anyone has ever encountered a Timber Rattlesnake or a Massagua? not sure on the spelling but it is another species of Rattler in MN.? I know that they inhabit SE MN.

Fish-N-Hunt

[Swamprat72]

I haven't seen one in about 10 years, but I try to stay away from the habitat they like. The last one I saw we were bass fishing and he was curled up under a half rotten tree next to a rock bluff. It was quite a while before I fished there again I've been back but haven't seen any since.

[TUMBLEWEED]

Saw one timber version in a Crosslake
area stand of red pines. It was a long time ago, and I have never seen another, even
down in the southern bluff county regions
of the state. Speaking on bass fishing,
a buddy and I had five foot diamondback
swim right up to our minnow bucket on
a lake in Oklahoma one day. I didn't realize
they could swim!!!!!

[CornPirateKiller]

I have encountered timber rattlers numerous times while trout fishing and hiking in Whitewater State Park. Also found a den near Trout Run Creek, South of Chatfield.

As for the Massasauga Rattlesnake, twice I have come across live ones in the rocks along the dike road between Wabasha and Nelson. It's been many years since I've seen one, but they're still around, according to the DNR.

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Quando Omni Flunkus Moritati (When all else fails, play dead)

[FOOT]

Come on down to the Bluff Country of far SE Minn and you can see all the timber rattlers you want. Wait for warm sunny spring days and look for rocks in the open getting sun.
If you want to see Missisauga (I believe that's the spelling) just frequent the backwaters of the MIssissippi. Haven't seen any myself for 15 - 20 years but you will know when you see your first.
I've seen several T-rattlers while Grouse and Turkey hunting. Good idea to carry a long walking stick if you don't have a weapon. BUT if you can don't hurt them. Leave them alone and don't corner them and you should be OK.

[jlm]

Actually, I feel lucky not seeing one. I am a tad bit shy around snakes!

[The Grebe]

My boys and I seen a Massassagua, or however you spell it, on one of the dirt roads in the White Water State Park, years ago. I guess it was sunning itself and we drove around it.

We were down there camping and fishing trout.

On the way back out of the area we were able to get a closer look at the critter, because someone had run it over and killed it.

[Bogsucker]

I grew up along the mississippi in extreme SE MN, prime rattler country. I've hunted, fished and hiked the bluffs and valleys there all my life and I've only seen 4 timber rattlers and I've never seen a massasauga. Now if you specifically go looking for them perhaps you'd see more but they are extremely reclusive creatures. Consider yourself lucky to have seen one.

[SCCO9803]

I've never seen one but was very close to one, (it could have been a fox snake, as they like to imitate rattlers in the leaves) down in Whitewater while trout fishing. I wasn't about to investigate it as it got my heart beating. I trout fish quite a bit down in SE minnesota and always make a mental note of the rattlers before heading out.

[buzzsaw]

Absolutely! In LaCrosse/LaCrescent/Hokah area when I was a kid. We used to lift up boards and put our foot or a stick (Y) on the neck of snakes ie... green racers, gartner snakes and one time a baby rattler that we brought home and my cousins parents kept in a huge empty fishing tank for like 5 years... Whenever I see them they bring up that story... I was like 10 years old and not afraid of much... or maybe just too dumb to realize the potential danger... Iguess it was too young to be able to do much damage if it had bitten me, so I've been told. But yes, there are definitely Rattlers in that SE corner of the state.

[Fishook]

Going back to my Boy Scout days, we were taught that small, baby rattlesnakes are just as able to inject venom as is a full grown one. The difference is the volume of venom is much less. This maybe right or wrong, I do not plan to field test it!

[The Grebe]

"Whew!" I had to read your post twice, I find that when I read it, I can construe it in 2 different ways, one as running him over and one as making sure he was between the wheels...I'm sure it was the latter and not the former. Just seeing one is pretty cool stuff!

[Shwangman]

While driving around the back county roads between Caledonia and Reno, came across one suning right across the road. We drove over the top of him and just seeing that snake gave me thoughts about the next days hunt when I was going to be running in the woods!!

[Shwangman]

The snake was very long and yes, we managed to run both wheels over him! I was in the backseat and one of the guys in the front asked me to get out and the rattles off the snake and I told him, right, I'm over it, right!!

[T-Rex]

Had the same thing happen to a buddy and me near Spring Grove. Came across a rattle snake that had been run over. Got out and took and look and it took off for the ditch. Being young and stupid at the time we chased it into the tall grass and caught it. It was about a 4 footer. Pretty cool.

[Monster Buck]

I've seen one at school. My science teacher invited in a snake catcher. He catches Minnesota snakes and he only finds them in the SE part of MN. He taught us all about the snakes and how they catch/tag the snakes. It was pretty cool.

[tex22]

Buzz

From everything I have learned growing up in Texas the info you got is wrong. I used to go to rattlesnakes round ups, where they put on a little seminar and a QA session. And from what I understand it is true baby rattlers have less venom, but it is more intense. Its more dangerous to be bitten by a baby. But these where diamonback rattlers,so maybe it's different.