Rattlesnakes are on the move

This is the time of year when our native rattlesnakes are leaving their winter dens and heading out to their favorite hunting areas, where they will feast on rodents all summer.

Occasionally they run afoul of man, with disastrous results for snake and, at times, mankind as well. Some people are bitten, while there are people who are intolerant of snakes in general, and rattlesnakes in particular, and Ka-Bam! they're dead meat.

This summer, Camp Polk Meadow will be temporarily unavailable to snakes that find all the delicious gophers and voles so handy; the Deschutes Land Trust is in the process of putting Whychus Creek back in the meadow where it belongs, and that will require machinery to excavate the old channels.

While a previous article in The Nugget announced this fact to the humans of the Sisters area, unfortunately, our resident rattlesnakes didn't get the word. A number of them that spent winter in dens around Camp Polk are heading for their old-time feeding grounds on the preserve. Imagine their surprise when they arrive to find the ground shaking (something snakes do not enjoy).

Snakes, especially the larger ones, are one of Nature's rodent management organisms; racers, gopher snakes and rattlesnakes devour rodents all summer long.

With Camp Polk Meadow temporarily closed to humans and wildlife, the nature of the area is going to be out of whack for a while. This means that some of the wildlife neighbors may end up in places where they are not expected, or welcomed.

If a wandering rattlesnake appears in an unexpected place, it would be helpful for the landowner to muster up patience, understanding and self-control. Even if you're a snake-hater, please take a deep breath and hold off killing it - there is a solution to removing it.

Just pick up your phone and call 388-1659 or 480-3728 and state your snake problem; someone will come and remove the animal from your home and put it in a place where it is welcome and safe.

Don't let fear of snakes get to you. They're not all that dangerous. There are thousands and thousands more people killed by motor vehicles, falling off mountains, or tripping over sidewalks than there are killed or injured by rattlesnakes. In fact, motor vehicles account for more accidental deaths than everything else combined.

The people who are living and recreating in the Camp Polk area should be alert when they walk their dog, ride their horse or go hiking. You may meet up with a hungry and lost rattlesnake.

Most of the time, snakes will do everything they can to stay hidden. If, however, they are discovered, their usual reaction is to coil up in a defensive posture and get prepared for what trouble may be heading their way. The buzzing sound they make with their tail usually comes first.

A dog will almost immediately take notice of a rattlesnake, as they can smell it, hear it and see it long before you or me. Keep your dog on a leash, that will help to reduce the chance of an unrehearsed meeting, and the possibly painful results.

The excavation machinery will leave the meadow in about a month-and-a-half, but a workforce will remain, placing trees, native plants and fencing to keep the little deersies from eating all the new riparian vegetation. The disturbance is only temporary; by next year everything will be back to normal with a healthy meadow, better salmon habitat and plenty of room and food for our resident rattlesnakes.