I went down to check the water levels in my pasture troughs and nearly stepped on a 2’ timber rattler. He was slowly meandering across my top paddock. I threw a stick at him, hoping to get him to move faster, but he just coiled up in the tall grass by the fence and rattled at me.
I brought the dogs in - his path would’ve taken him close to the fence for the back yard. I’ll have to watch where I step.
StG
I almost stepped on one once. Was dumping manure, got of my lawn tractor stepped behind it and was starting to reach down to release the dump cart when I looked at my feet and there was a rattle snake moving across my path right at the end of my boots. I froze, snake kept going as if I wasn’t even there. As soon as it was out of range I climbed up on the seat of my lawn tractor to collect my wits and say a few Hail Marys.
best to leave them alone, , hopefully it will stay away.
These stories and the one I just read on facebook where a kayaker had a rattlesnake fall out of a tree and bite him - he is now in critical condition - make me happy I live in New England where rattlers are rare (except where those idiots want to populate an island in the Quabbin with them)
You and me, both, dot.
If you have rattles in your area, read up on how to react should you get bitten. Do NOT treat the bite like seen in the movies! This includes cutting the site, suckling venom, tourniquets and other dangerous treatments. You could make a bad situation MUCH worse doing that.
I am speaking from experience, having gotten bit by a rattlesnake a number of years ago. You may have to move to get help, do it in a controlled fashion. Walk steadily to get to the house or car to call 911 or go to the hospital. I was able to see my snake, recognized the variety for ID at the emergency room. You might need a specialized anti-venom for treatment, so look at the snaked to remeber it. . Do not act hysterical, run for aid, that just gets your heart racing to spread the venom faster. Keep extemities, hands, feet down, hoping to let gravity help localize the venom make it harder to reach your heart. I had to sleep sitting up for a week after getting bit on the foot. Frozen bag of veggies may help slow circulation of the venom area. Ice pack is good, but frozen veggies might be faster to grab, easy to shape on the bite site.
Hope you NEVER get bit, it is very scary, nothing I would wish on anyone. Snakes do not have to be coiled to bite. Small, young snakes pack as much wallop in venom as large snakes. Keep your eyes open, baby snake may not have enough buttons to rattle loud enough to hear and be warned to jump back away from.
Thanks, goodhors. Part of my problem is I’m hard of hearing. They have to be rattling pretty loudly and I have to be pretty darned close to hear them. A friend in TX was bitten, and she’s after me to get gaiters. I was lucky that I’d just bushhogged where this snake was - it was my dry lot. I could see it pretty well because of the movement.
StG
Nope, nope, nope, nope, nope. I wanted to move more southern, you this forum has me scared to.
Yikes! I don’t know whether I’d scream and run off or just scream and then stick around to observe him.
I feel for you! When I was 10 and at summer camp in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I woke up to hear my bunkmates screaming, and found a copperhead wound around my bed’s headboard, about a foot above me. We were hustled out there by the counselors, and never heard what they did to the poor snake. Nothing good, I’m sure. 
This got my attention because I’m at the northern edge of their range and I live by state forest. I regularly see garter snakes (which I like to see), but I will keep a look out for the rattlesnakes and give them plenty of room.
Every times I wonder why I live in a place that makes my face hurt in the winter I remember all the nasties you southerns have and … yup … I’m good. 
My mother grew up in the mountains of Pennsylvania. Not too far from their house people kept running into rattlers. There was a huge pile of rocks, and it turned out that’s where all of the snakes were coming from. At that time the solution was a bundle of dynamite to get rid of the central nest.
Don’t think that all rattlers are in warm areas, because they can be a lot of other places too. On the North Woods Law New Hampshire edition they are studying, and putting trackers in one species of rattlesnake.
We have rattlers in the interior of BC where the summers are hot and the winter’s cold. Our horses just amble past them, me, not so much.
You might want to check the range for timber rattlesnakes. I’m in Southwestern New York and we can get them here.
But the numbers are vastly different than down south. The odds of seeing a rattler in the north are probably astronomical unless you seek out the small colonies.
I know that and don’t really worry about it. Just pointing out living where we get real winter doesn’t mean there are no rattlesnakes.
LOL - the difference between winning Powerball and winning at your local Elks club bingo night.
Grew up and lived many years in the southwest. If you make noise as you walk and don’t poke around rocks, they should avoid you, they aren’t aggressive unless threatened. If you don’t want them in your barn, get rid of the reason they’d come in, rats and other small rodents. They are just looking for a meal and maybe a warm spot on a cold day and as ambush Hunters, they aren’t going to chase you.
Live and let live. Just make noise.
That’s why I love black racers. We had a lot of them on our property and nary a rattlesnake to be seen (despite the fact that we lived on the side of a PA mountain with lots and lots of snake habitat).
They are ambush hunters yes, but do not underestimate how far they can reach to strike.
Well, I just killed a rattler right by the door.
The dog was going thru her dog door, backed off very fast growling furiously, so I knew it was a rattler, only time she growls like that, been bitten twice now.
I had to get a shovel to dispatch that snake, in the dark you don’t really want to be shooting at anything while holding a flashlight.
At least this one was alone, the trouble in the dark, you can’t see if her friends are around.
Guess that it is so very dry out there, they are coming to the yard for moisture.
Wish they would stay out there where they belong, but it is what it is.
Old horse was bitten last summer, must have not seen that one in time.
Vet was out here right away and treated him, then hauled him to the clinic and he made it fine, full of antivenin.
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