I am very lucky in that I have a great place to mountain bike and hike in preparation for elk season not 15 miles from my house. It is Palo Duro Canyon State Park. Even though it pales in comparison the Grand Canyon, the fact is that it is the second largest canyon in the U.S.. While the vertical drop is only about 900ft and we are only sitting at around 3500' elevetation, it is rough country and a good place to prepare for the mountains. That, and along with close to 20 miles of intermediate mountain bike trails, is where I spend as much of the offseason as possible getting ready for elk season. As many of you know, I am also an amateur photogtapher. I caught this guy crossing the trail in front of me this evening while biking, and while not the best picture I could have taken(I couldn't get him out of the brush) , I thought I would share one just the same. The close up is the same pic only cropped. I had a 105mm lens with me, so I was a good 3-4 foot from him. I didn't get the tape measure out, but I would guess he is about 2 1/2ft which is kinda average for us. I have seen a few as big as 5ft in the canyon but most are 2-3foot like this guy.
I was playing with one of these the other day and it did not hurt me. I agree with bowtech! I would even roll around with him on the ground! Dont be scared! LOL
Awesome picture! Whether you're afraid of them or not, that is one COOL looking critter. I've never seen a rattlesnake in person, but maybe this year I will. My new lease is in Timber Rattler country.
Sure is! (Good eating) Makes me wonder... would other snakes taste as good? When I was in college I found a bunch of HUGE black rat snake eggs and tried to fry one up... I can tell you without a doubt that those do NOT taste like chicken eggs. :D
