Timber Rattlers

[MASTERS]

Ive seen lots of them..in my lifetime.... They are all around the Trinity river..and as far west as I45 here in Freestone county....

Most of the ones I've seen have been in freestone county, did see one on steele creek in limestone county in '06 that wouldn't fit in a 5 gallon bucket. I don't know what it'd swallowed but it was about 10'' across its back. My wife jokingly said it had to have swallowed an armadillo to look that big!

[bobby314]

If they come in my yard they better have the Game Warden with them.

Hahaha, no joke.

[Killer]

I have a fiddle that's been in my family for around 175 years and handed down for many generations and there is a set of rattles inside that have 23 rattles and no button. I was told the snake came from a place on Red River north east of Telephone, Tx called Stallion Bend where they used to swim horses across. Old family tales said the snake was big enough to bite a grown man in the throat.
I researched the reason for putting rattles in fiddles and guitars etc and it was said the smell would keep mice and dirt dobbers out. Back then fiddles were hung above the fireplace to keep the wood dry and keep the instrument from getting out of tune from the wood swelling from moisture. Weren't many houses air conditioned back in the 1800's.

That is about as cool of a story as I had read on TBH in a while! Thanks for sharing.

[Shinesintx]

I've seen quite a few over the years at our place East of Edna. Have never seen a Western Diamondback though.

Saw a big one NW of El Campo several years back off of 1160.

Same experience. Very docile. The only one that rattled or acted somewhat aggressive what the one off of 1160.

That’s kinda funny as I’ve never seen a canebrake...but I’ve seen hundreds of western diamond backs.

[Reelthreat]

Back in high school I caught every snake I came across... saw a snake on the road so I stopped to get it. In Karnes County I thought there were only 3 venomous vipers cotton mouth, diamondback and copperhead. I didn’t ID it as any of those 3 so I grabbed it with my barehands instead of my snake stick.... it started to rattle as soon as I picked it up.

I didn’t get bit but **** near crapped my pants. That was the one and only timber rattler I have ever seen which was about 30 years ago.

[Greenheadless]

I've spent close to 60 years squirrel hunting, hog hunting, deer hunting, fishing, and just plain living in East Texas woods in the Big Thicket in Polk Hardin, Liberty, Angelina and Nacogdoches counties. I've killed enough squirrels to fill up a big 18 wheeler tractor/trailer. I've never seen one. Now maybe that's because when I'm squirrel hunting, I generally am looking up in the trees and not on the ground... Guess I've been doing it all wrong all these years...

Interesting, most of the ones I have seen have all been in Hardin county, specifically in big bottoms where we would squirrel hunt.

[Burnadell]

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That's good to know. Thanks!

[Pineywoods]

In my short 40 years, I have spent countless hours in the woods. I have seen only 3 Timber Rattlers in all those years. They blend in so dang good by the base of a tree that they are easy to miss. I grew up mostly running around the woods near the Big Thicket in Polk, Liberty, and Hardin County. I saw one in Liberty County near Menard Creek in a pipeline when I was a teenager, one 5 footer in my Dad's backyard under a big White Oak in Livingston, and one about 3ft crossing the road by my house near Livingston coming out of a creek bottom. I know they are around but haven't seen too many.

[Kade Thompson]

They are thick around our lease in Polk county.

[686PPP]

I've seen several in Montague co. over the years mostly along the Red River.

[Clay C]

That’s kinda funny as I’ve never seen a canebrake...but I’ve seen hundreds of western diamond backs.

Sorry should have clarified. I've seen more WDBs than I care too, just not on the property I was talking about.

[Tx_Wader]

I've seen quite a few over the years at our place East of Edna. Have never seen a Western Diamondback though.

Saw a big one NW of El Campo several years back off of 1160.

Same experience. Very docile. The only one that rattled or acted somewhat aggressive what the one off of 1160.

I've never seen a diamondback on my property either but I used to kill them all the time south of El Campo when dove hunting. Funny they're not around Edna but maybe they are and are just really good at hiding lol.