Gun Dog Forum

Do you run into many rattle snakes during the early Chukar season in October?

In the last 8 years that I have been chukar hunting in southern Nevada, I have never seen one. That's from opening day to end season. I plan to keep it that way.

I lived and hunted chukars for eight years in northwestern Nevada and never came across a rattler hunting chukars.

I have seen two in twenty plus years of Chukar hunting in Chukar season, both in October. I did see one a week ago Sunday training. IMO chances are slim, though nothing is a sure thing, that a pointing dog is at too great a risk in the desert. If you have a nose up dog drifting objectives, rather than pottering around cool dark crevices, the odds of snake avoidance go way up...now please do not jinx me...

There are tons of snakes in Nevada best to hunt chukar in Idaho and Oregon........

You mean these dudes I saw this morning?




They are everywhere in UT and I would highly recommend people to go to ID or NV to avoid them.....

ahhhhhh!

Elkhunter wrote:You mean these dudes I saw this morning?




They are everywhere in UT and I would highly recommend people to go to ID or NV to avoid them.....

That probably won't happen with all those awesome chukar pics you've been posting.

My concern is for my dogs, so wise a$$ remarks just don't cut it.

reba wrote:My concern is for my dogs, so wise a$$ remarks just don't cut it.

Are your dogs snake broke? I'd start there first.

reba wrote:My concern is for my dogs, so wise a$$ remarks just don't cut it.

That was not wise a$$ just as serious as a heart attack

I did see one a week ago Sunday training. IMO chances are slim, though nothing is a sure thing, that a pointing dog is at too great a risk in the desert.






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cjuve wrote:There are tons of snakes in Nevada best to hunt chukar in Idaho and Oregon........

There are more in Oregon, so head for Idaho. Better, go to Alaska for chukars. No snakes.

I would stay away from Chuk habitat until the snake sleeps. I'm like you, concerned about my dog. More than likely your hound will have an encounter with a rattler long before you will

This is what good snake sleepin weather looks like

Thanks for all the replies.

I have always waited for a good freeze or snow.

I just know some guys that want to hunt opening weekend.

Opening weekend or not I'm waiting for the cold weather................................

35 years of chukar hunting and have seen two or three snakes. Most of the time they are out of your way. My dogs have seemed to avoid them as no probs yet.

No t too many snake encounters in over 25 years of hunting chukar, can count them on one hand. Early season is the worst time of the year. I thnk they do a good job of avoiding us too. They don't like us or our dogs as well.

I've seen two in almost 40 years of chukar hunting. Could say how many my dogs have seen and not said a thing???

Mic

They is where they is..... what if your dog falls off a cliff? Runs off? Gets caught in a trap? Gets run over? Gets shot? Breaks a bone? There are SO SO SO many different ways a dog can get hurt/killed hunting chukars. Snakes are just one of em. I like the dudes that stay home, gives me an 8 week head start!

It's called taking precaution Elk

what if your dog falls off a cliff?

Highly unlikely, unless yer shooting birds off a cliff

Runs off?

Garmin Astros, beepers, close working hounds, etc,etc

Gets caught in a trap?

Use the above methods and walk in and release the hound
Although cyanide worries me

Gets shot?

Hunt alone or be careful who you hunt with

Breaks a bone?

That's a long way from death due to a rattlesnake bite

gives me an 8 week head start!

Good luck with that

Sierra Wirehair wrote:35 years of chukar hunting
25 years of hunting chukar
40 years of chukar hunting

What the ****?

A lot of the pictures you posted Quill are steep, if old Creek took off chasing a chuk he could easily fall off a ledge/cliff. A big time trial dog was killed when he impaled himself on a branch of a tree or sagebrush. I had a dog run into a burnt cedar buried in the cheat grass, split him open pretty good.

What if you garmin breaks? Bell falls off? Many a dog has got caught in a trap, you have seen the posts on UBD.

I would recommend just staying home Quill to avoid any potential accidents befalling Creek, I will take care of the chuks for us!

It is inherently dangerous for our dogs to hunt, just part of the game. To sit your dogs because of the very small chance you might run into a snake is your choice, I have no qualms at all releasing my hounds. I have seen 2 snakes in 8 years of hunting, and those were the pics I posted.

Have a good season! See ya in November!

QuillGordon wrote:

Sierra Wirehair wrote:35 years of chukar hunting
25 years of hunting chukar
40 years of chukar hunting

What the ****?

I wondered about this as well.

Watch the temps once they start to drop the snakes will disappear.

I live in the High Desert of California and we have run into Mohave Greens or other rattle snakes , almost every year early in the season.

The state that I've seen the most rattlers early in the season is Idaho. We've ran to as many as 10 in a week of hunting before.

Snakes are everywhere in the deserts, whether you hunt Washington , Oregon , Nevada , Arizona or California. If you hunt early season when it's warm you run the risk of running into one or more. My advice is to give your dog the snake vaccine and the booster, and have your dogs snake broke. These aren't a 100% guarantee but it betters your odds of a safe return home for you dog.

I'll add that as many rattle snakes as I've seen over the years, I've been lucky in that no one or no dogs have ever been bitten. We've had them up close and personal but never an injury. That said I know several people that have experienced their dogs getting bit. Last year one of my customers had both his GSPs get bit on the same day while training in September.

All this said the chances are slim of an actual bit, I'd be more worried and mindful of over hunting my dog early in the season on a warm day. Without looking at exact stats I'd guess more dogs die of heat stroke during early season than from snake bites.

Good Luck, and Happy Hunting

Larry Lowell

Have a good season! See ya in November!

You better hurry Elk this was early Oct last year, I believe around the eighth or ninth. You know Utah, she can change over night

All this said the chances are slim of an actual bit, I'd be more worried and mindful of over hunting my dog early in the season on a warm day. Without looking at exact stats I'd guess more dogs die of heat stroke during early season than from snake bites.

No doubt. I actually lost a prized hound to heat stroke on a preseason scouting trip a couple yrs back. Tore my heart out
Don't tell Elk but I'm just tryin to get in his head so he don't kill me Chukars


Apparently it's not working

The wifes elk hunt put a damper on my early season chukar hunting, then I went to WY for 4 days. I have a trial this weekend then a date with the wife, after that I am full speed! I cant shoot very well so there will be plenty left over!

Chances are I may beat ya to the Chuk hills then. Waitin on a phone call as we type for tomorrows plans. A particular area's temp's for tomorrow; low 32 degree's high 60 degree's. If the sun doesn't shine I would say were safe, if it does we haul butt back to the iron harses and head higher a couple thousand ft into Blue Grouse terrain

Good luck Quill! Wish I could roam the hills tomorrow, think the wife would leave me though.....

Good luck Quill!

Thanks for the luck, I believe it served us well. New area to us, it only produced a single covey of about fifteen to twenty Masked Marauders. I was lucky enuf to put the hurt on two of them after hiking me guts out. Sign of snake with a shedded skin but way to cool for snake to show himself in person. Overcast with I'm guessin temps in the forties combined with a pesky north breeze.
Let the fixation begin

Great photo's Quill.
My shorthair was snake bit last month, as far as I could tell.
Got home from Grouse hunting here in Idaho, and her leg was all swollen from foot to elbow.
Vet thought same thing, put her on meds, in a couple of days she was fine. Happy ending.

pumatom,

What part of Idaho was you dog snake bit?

Get the vaccine, teach it to avoid snakes and carry anti-histamines and steroids in your first aid kit. The only rattler that I go out of my way to avoid is the Mojave. 14 times stronger then a diamondback and it has neuro toxin which the vaccine won't help.

I've known 6 dogs that have been bitten by westerns or Pacific's.
1 went in for anti-venon and that cost $2k.( survived)
2 had the vaccine, were given pain killers and monitored by the vet. They cost Less than $100. (survived)
3 others that weren't on the vaccine were given pain killers, antihistamines and steroids. They cost between $200-$300 (survived)

Sorry about the mispostings. I first started hunting the little buggers in high school in the 1975 range. Stopped for a while and then got started up again in the late 80's. However long, I'm hooked now!!

Mic

QuillGordon wrote:

All this said the chances are slim of an actual bit, I'd be more worried and mindful of over hunting my dog early in the season on a warm day. Without looking at exact stats I'd guess more dogs die of heat stroke during early season than from snake bites.

No doubt. I actually lost a prized hound to heat stroke on a preseason scouting trip a couple yrs back. Tore my heart out
Don't tell Elk but I'm just tryin to get in his head so he don't kill me Chukars


Apparently it's not working

Thats a picture to die for. You took it yourself or found it on internet? I am going to steal it.

Yes sir, shot by myself. Happy you like it.
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