TX Snakes during Moderate Temps

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hi-tailyn
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas

TX Snakes during Moderate Temps

Post by hi-tailyn » Mon Feb 13, 2017 9:30 pm

Has any TX hunters had sightings or contacts with Rattlesnakes during the several warm spells in the Panhandle? Got invite to go work dogs north of Childress this weekend before going to Nats in Boonevile the following week. Lows will be low 40's and highs to upper 60's-70 degrees. Don't want to have problems.
NASDC 3xNGDC-RU FC AFC Gertrudes Blue Brandi JH (Brandi) http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/3genview.php?id=4915
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hi-tailyn
Rank: 4X Champion
Posts: 608
Joined: Mon Nov 10, 2008 12:26 pm
Location: Fort Worth, Texas

Re: TX Snakes during Moderate Temps

Post by hi-tailyn » Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:58 pm

Anyone still hunting in the TX panhandle in the last week or so?
Any birds still around.
Been hearing of a ice storm that may have killed a lot of the birds.
Any sightings of snakes?
NASDC 3xNGDC-RU FC AFC Gertrudes Blue Brandi JH (Brandi) http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/3genview.php?id=4915
FC Hi-Tailyn Elektra Fly'n (Elektra)http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=4916
Hi-Tailyn Katara (Katara) http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=4917
Hi-Tailyn Brandi High (Heidi) http://www.perfectpedigrees.com/4genview.php?id=4920

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CowboyBirdDogs
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Joined: Wed Nov 10, 2010 9:21 pm
Location: Sachse, Tx

Re: TX Snakes during Moderate Temps

Post by CowboyBirdDogs » Thu Feb 16, 2017 7:56 am

I've had several friends go and no one has had any issues at all or seen any. That's not to say they're not there, but we haven't seen them.

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tekoa
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Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2016 11:58 am
Location: George, WA

Re: TX Snakes during Moderate Temps

Post by tekoa » Thu Feb 16, 2017 9:19 pm

Snake Experience:

Hunted the Panhandle for Quail every winter for 10 years with my Setters, neither of which could leave snakes alone. Never saw any snakes in temps below 50 degrees. Saw a few above 50 degrees but they were soaking up the sun and could barely move, saw active snakes above 60 degrees. My solution was always to hunt from first light until lunch or 50 degrees, which ever came first, and then head for Abuelos, in Amarillo for tamales and a Shiner.

Morning hunting on the Ilano Estacado is also a lot less windy in the morning . Wind rarely drops below 15 kts in the mid afternoon until evening; The dogs don't care but I found Quail almost impossible to hit when they had a 15 kt speed boost.

Big plus to the warmer weather; the bugs are active giving the Quail motivation to move out of cover.

Even in warm weather I never saw many snakes and none of them were aggressive unless cornered. Biggest issue is that fast moving dogs, like my Setters would run right over a snake and force it to strike. The slower, closer ranging dogs that I saw hunting the same areas never seemed to encounter any snakes.

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