Not 100% if this is the right place to ask, but I figure the best knowledge pool is located here ...
At the end of a Cub/Scout camp this weekend outside of Drumheller (Alberta), I learned from one of the scouts that they had both heard and seen a rattlesnake the day before. I was quite alarmed, as I know for a fact that several of the younger cubs (and even a couple of the scouts) would likely have gone to try and see it, likely not realising how dangerous that could be.
This was a risk I had honestly not thought of before, given that Canadians don't generally think about wild snakes, let alone venomous ones. As we are likely to hold camps/hikes in that area again in the future, this is something I will have to consider going forward.
My question is thus: In the unlikely event that a venomous snake (specifically Crotalus viridis, the prairie rattler) must be moved in order to prevent possible harm to a youth, what is the best way to do so, while minimizing risk both to oneself and (more importantly) to the youth? I already know the basics of how not to end up in a situation where you could get bit (and have covered that with my cubs during my last Snake Night), but besides using two hooks, I gather handling of hots is nothing like any of my other snakes or ones I have caught in the past.
Same as what I already know for other wildlife, I just want to be prepared for the possibility, no matter how remote.
Reply With Quote