Snakes out?

A

adfprpusn

Joined
Oct 27, 2005
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The last time I camped North East of Pueblo, the tent made so much noise in the wind that I could not sleep. There were so many Rattlesnakes that I didn't want to sleep under the stars.

Someone told me that cowboys would lay a rope around themselves at night and the snakes would not cross it.

Is this true, does it work, or what else would keep snakes out of your sleeping bag?
 
First I'd confirm if rattle snakes are nocturnal, which I don't think they are. Then, I'd get a better tent. Not sure if this answers your question.....
 
The idea is to surround the campsite with a coarse rope, like sisal. This supposedly causes discomfort for the snake as its underside rubs against the fibers of the rope. This is mostly myth, and probably won't work. If the snake is determined, it will get in.

There is a product on the market called Snake-A-Way, which supposedly repells snakes. It consists of granules containing napthalene which are intended to be spread on the ground; the smell is offensive. This is not a reliable system for repelling snakes, as the smell may only be effective on certain species. Again, a determined snake will overcome it.

I would suggest staying in the tent, as it will keep out any snake short of a very large, man-eating python. If the noise is upsetting, listen to music, or get some ear plugs.

And keep a large knife beside yourself as you sleep.... for those pythons.

TheSurvivalist
 
First I'd confirm if rattle snakes are nocturnal, which I don't think they are. Then, I'd get a better tent. Not sure if this answers your question.....
Click to expand...

Nearly every species of snake in the world is more active at night. While not being completely nocturnal, most rattlesnakes in do a vast majority of their hunting at night. Although, I'd be more worried about scorpions.

As far as keeping them away, good luck :)
 
Snakes are attracted to warmth, especially during cool weather when they are coming out of hibernation and hungry. Sleep in a stretcher above ground or in a sealed tent. Snakes are not interested in attempting to eat you, they either detect food scraps in your camp or are chasing warmth. They will usually go in the opposite direction when they detect humans, except during mating season, when many species get aggressive.
Snakes also feel movement in the ground, if one is looking around your camp, bang the ground near you with a stick or a boot, the vibration will send your visitor packing.
Most bites occur by accident when a snake is disturbed and he reacts as nature intended and bites you.
Learn the first aid response to snakebite, and if bitten, try and either kill or capture the snake and take it with you to a medical facility for positive ID for anti venom treatment, but don't waste time. Remember the "golden hour" after a bite is vital.
 
Saw an exterminator on "Dirty Jobs" the other night and they were using moth balls to flush out snakes. Maybe this would work for keeping snakes out, but I for one can't stand the smell either.
 
well if you ever catch one its always nice to know that all snakes are edible. If youve never had snake i recomend you try.
 
TheSurvivalist said:
The idea is to surround the campsite with a coarse rope, like sisal...
There is a product on the market called Snake-A-Way... It consists of granules...which are intended to be spread on the ground; the smell is offensive...
Click to expand...
Well, if you have a significant wind problem, I am not sure you will be able to effectively use any of these...I am no expert though.
BlueyM said:
...Snakes also feel movement in the ground, if one is looking around your camp, bang the ground near you with a stick or a boot, the vibration will send your visitor packing...
Click to expand...
Yeh, you can buy a "Dune Thumper" on Ebay. It attracts sand/spice worms but will scare away the rattlesnakes;)
dune4a.jpg

Sorry, wrong "thumper"...but will scare rattlesnakes:D
 
man will I have fun with this...........
 
Please trust me on this...snake away does not work. It's a product of complete BS. It was just a way to make some money. Ask any herpetologist.

There is no "escape all" way to avoid snakes. They really aren't that bad.
and trust me, most rattlesnakes won't bite unless provoked. THEY WILL NOT "CURL UP IN YOUR sleeping bag" either.

If anyone knows of a SNAKE INFESTED SWAMP please tell me, because I have been all over LA, FLA, NC, SC, and have not found a place where I could spend a week under nothing but the stars and be bothered by anything else but mosquitoes.

Almost 95% of what you hear is BS. Yes rattlesnakes are nocturnal, but no, they do not go after every heat source they find that is substantial. Why? That would mean every single mammal outside is a heat rock Is that a badger? Ok I should curl up next to it. Is that a duck......oooo a sleeping bag..is that a raccoon? At one point a person put out the notion that rattlesnakes are attracted to heat. Yes that is true, but they aren't friggin stupid.

I repeat for sure....NO SNAKE WILL CURL UP WITH YOU IN YOUR BAG. THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED, BUT KEEP IN MIND, ITS MUCH MUCH LESS THAN 1 IN A 1000. No snake looks for a giant source of heat as a "hibernacula". I guess they could, if you have been sitting there for 20+ snake generations (roughly 30 human years) give or take.

I promise you, most snake myths are just that, as with everything else. NO SNAKE WANTS TO BE MESSED WITH, EVOLUTION HAS MADE THEM THAT WAY, WHEN THEY SEE "HUMAN HEAT" THEY GO AWAY. There are a few discrepancies with this, but trust me they are fluke. I've slept in "rattle snake infested" fields on purpose. I've messed with "the evil Florida alligators". Most of our education is due to media. I will gladly post a study about this later on.


I will go on and on about this, but not right now! I have to go study!
 
Snakes are repelled by the scent of humans. I've never, ever heard of one crawling into a sleeping bag. The wives tail about snakes not crawling over a rope is just that, a myth. But like many myths, it's self-renewing. I guarantee that if you lay a rope around your campsite, a snake will not crawl into your sleeping bag. But I also guarantee that if you do nothing, a snake will not crawl into your sleeping bag either.

Many snakes are noctournal, depending on the climate. In the desert snakes are most active in the early evening and dawn, when other animals are most active and before the heat is overwhelming.

Don't know what the low nighttime temperatures are like east of Pueblo, but even on the warmest nights in Raton, it's too cold for snakes to be very active.

Best Wishes,
Bob
 
Many years ago there was a TV show called "You Asked For It!" that took questions from the TV audience and put on demonstrations of the answers. One that I remember was the snake/rope question. On the program they laid out a circle of rope then dumped a bunch of rattlers in the middle of it. In about a minute all the snakes were gone from the circle, went over the rope like it wasn't there. So much for using cowboy movies as training films!
Gene :)
 
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