TIMBER RATTLESNAKES #2

[Swattie87]

Knee high snake gaiters guys. A must for Summer time forested freestoner fishing in PA IMO. You can’t always see where you’re putting your feet with the undergrowth.

 

[k-bob]

Good reminder to be careful. FWIW, I have seen a few rattlers in carbon county, always wear gaiters. Has been tough to see through brush this year.

 

[troutbert]

Until this summer, all the rattlers I've seen were in Northcentral PA, in the Allegheny Plateau region.

This summer I saw one along East Licking Creek in Tuscarora State Forest, in Juniata County. That is the Ridge and Valley region.

But that is the only one I've ever seen in the Ridge and Valley region. And I've never seen one in the Poconos, or in SC PA, or NW PA.

For those of you who have seen rattlers, how many have you seen in areas of PA other than NC PA Allegheny Plateau region?

I'm thinking that they are pretty common in that region, but pretty rare in the rest of PA, but I'm not sure of that.

 

[Swattie87]

tb - The thing with Rattlers is they can become "locally" abundant. VERY locally abundant is some cases. "Locally abundant" is a relative thing, but it can mean there's a hot spot relative to some good denning habitat, but one valley over there may be few, if any snakes. If you see one in a given area though, odds are, there are more. In some cases, many more.

Most of my sightings have been in NC PA too. I agree the overall densest population of them in PA is probably up there. Clinton and Potter specifically for my sightings, but Lycoming and western Tioga are probably legit hotbeds too. The West Rim Trail on the west side of Pine Creek Gorge is well known for them.

That being said, I have two sightings in the same valley in Mifflin County (Ridge and Valley), with a third not very far away one valley over in Union County.

I also know of many reports of them along the AT section that's in northern Berks Co. where the trail runs along Blue Mountain...That's the furthest south and east mountain in the Ridge and Valley. FWIW.

Though I've never personally seen one in the Poconos, I know of several credible angler sightings in remote parts of Carbon County. A fishing partner of mine saw one in Venango County this year...I think that probably qualifies as NW PA.

For Summer fishing in the forested streams, if I'm north or west of Blue Mountain (or in the Michaux area) I have my gaiters on.

 

[afishinado]

Here is an interesting article about where Timber rattlesnakes are found in PA >

https://www.pennlive.com/wildaboutpa/2018/07/how_many_rattlesnakes_have_bee.html

 

[Dave_W]

That's a great link Afish - thanks.

I'd say from those stats that Carbon Co. is definitely the place to go to see one (as many comments in our threads seem to suggest).

 

[Dave_W]

Swattie87 wrote:
tb - The thing with Rattlers is they can become "locally" abundant. VERY locally abundant is some cases. "Locally abundant" is a relative thing, but it can mean there's a hot spot relative to some good denning habitat, but one valley over there may be few, if any snakes. If you see one in a given area though, odds are, there are more. In some cases, many more.

Most of my sightings have been in NC PA too.

I agree.
As one who spends most of his time in SCPA and Michaux in particular.... I rarely see timbers and consider it a great thrill when I do (I do look for them intentionally sometimes). There are some areas where I think they are more common based on personal experience and from discussion with experts.

I certainly hear a lot of anecdotal accounts about certain areas in Perry, northern Dauphin, and some other SCPA areas where folks seem to see a lot of them.

 

[maxima12]

Nice to see the many responses. With all the views, I see this as a very educational step in the right direction. Perhaps more and more people will give the Timber Rattlesnake its rightful place in Pa.


Friend, Jerry Zeidler, North central game commission, as i recall, told me of a place where 50 to 60 rattlesnakes made their den. He kept it a secret, fearing they would be destroyed! Jerry is gone now along with his secret. Wish he could have seen the wonderful response and interest of the people on this site. Mr Zeidler would be happy to know how different we view the rattlesnake now!

 

[salvelinus]

I've seen rattlers on Laurel Run in Perry Co, Broad Run in Franklin Co, Stony Creek in Dauphin Co, Penns Creek, and too many places to mention in NC PA.

 

[Prospector]

Unfortunately most rattlers that come in contact with home owners and camp owners are usually dispatched in 10 minutes or less. I just heard yesterday about 4 rattlesnakes, in a county where they are seldom seen, wandered onto someone’s property this summer and that was it. The general population feels very threatened by them.