Found a Diamondback Rattler in the chicken pen @ 8:45pm... (pic)

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Wow, in the coop! Good thing you found it!

My dh just killed one this past week with 15 rattles and a button. It was about 6 feet long and big as a leg.

 

[detali]

I just killed one yesterday about noon. It was racing accross my driveway. When I went out to kill it, it had stopped moving. I was 2 feet away from it and did not see it. BUT THEN I HEARD IT RATTLE Wham!!! I struck it with my spade and decapitated it.

I didn't know rattlesnakes were out at night. I thought that their metabolism slows down like that of lizards and they get sluggish at night.

I'll have to be more careful

 

[juliect]

Quote:
Yep...nature abhors a vacuum...just ask my garden

 

[mikesbigroo]

when my boy was 5 he came running to me as i did yard work as was telling me of a snake in the driveway, being pretty presistent to look at it i walked down the drive 1300ft long, and was taken back at the site, the biggest rattle snake i ever killed, 17 rattles and a button, seems to me it was as big as a beer can, shedding (molting) it skin at the time, and every bit of 6ft, well i still have the rattles and my friend ate the snake

 

[rufus]

Ahhh! The joys of living in Arizona. If it were not for the rattlesnakes, the Gila monsters, the scorpins, the rabid skunks, not to mention the mountain lions and bears, all of back east yankees would be out here.

Thank you dear Lord.

If they come just for the winter, we call them snowbirds. If they stay for the summer, we call them carpetbaggers. If they stay longer, we call then in laws.

Rufus

 

[codybird]

If you are going to kill it , you should eat it. I'm serious. Rattlesnake is delicious. Think of it as a crawling chicken. No need to gut it, just skin it, cut the meat off the ribs, slice into smaller pieces, tenderize with a meat mallet, bread with flour or cornmeal, and fry. Use ranch dressing or your favorite wing sauce as a dip and voila.

Nice tasty white meat.

Two items of warning:

1. Snakes can bite as a reflex action even after the head is removed.

2. There is a musk gland near the vent that can exude some nasty smelling stuff. Don't get it on you or the meat.

3. Tenderizing is not necessary, but snake can get chewy so I do it.

I'm not a big fan of killing snakes, but I'm also not a big fan of poisonous snakes in my yard.

 

[Doormantnt]

AMEN, Codybird. Snake is very good, and I ABSOLUTLY agree, you kill it you eat it. That is a rule I have lived by for many years now. So I have "tried" some strange things.

Snake is also good grilled...I've found it easier to treat it more like fish, then chickens....

you should also try groundhog, and coon stew. LOL...not bad actually. Sorry for the hijack.
TNT

 

[juliect]

Quote:
Agreed. Snake is good eatin' as long as someone other than me cooks it...I am known for overcooking things like snake, gator, & squid. I just can't seem to get it right.

And yes...sorry...but we members of BYC are notorious for highjacking threads.

 

[Sissy]

Hummmm
and a mighty tasty tidbit it is.loL

 

[Chicks_N_Horses]

Quote:

I would have to be starving to eat a snake LOL Lots around here eat them and love it. We have an annual Rattlesnake Rodeo where thousands are gathered up and lots of them are cooked and eaten.

I do love to eat gator though!! That is excellent...just not a snake - ick

I was going to suggest skinning it and using the skin in some craft....