Just a usual Sunday morning. The dogs and me walking out on the mountain. Champ was just ahead of me and ran off the path, as he often does, to check on something in the weeds. He stopped. Ominous rattling sound started just in front of him. I called him to me. He came right away.

Then, while keeping the dogs between me and the point of rattling, I investigated. Yes, it was a rattlesnake. Very beautiful and equally threatening looking. This snake was about 1 1/4 inch in diameter and probably was about 3 to 4 feet in length. (Although I couldn't tell because its body was coiled.) I immediately turned around and headed for home, being sure to stay on well defined paths and keeping the dogs right behind me.

This is our third rattlesnake encounter in the past 4 outings. I don't know if there are dozens of these vipers in the hills or if we keep running into the same snake. All three times we have been within 50 feet of a covered reservoir. All sightings have been in the same general area.

I've been a little slow to react to the presence of rattlesnakes. After the first sighting I was a bit nervous. Seeing my dog face to face with a snake didn't, however, prompt me to end the walk. I did spend the remainder of that outing thinking about the snake. I rationalized that the hills are filled with snakes and this was a chance encounter.

The second encounter was different. I was the one who found the snake. Champ and Bomsa had run ahead. I was deep in thought walking up a paved section of road. The rattling noise came just three or four feet away in some brush at the side of the pavement. I called the dogs back and we headed home. Just another unlikely snake crossing? Maybe.

Yesterday's walk resulted in no rattlesnake incidents. Then, today, another snake. This last time prompted me to go right to the web for information. I found a May 1998 KSL story about the danger of rattlesnakes in the Wasatch Front foothills. It was unusually early for rattlesnakes that year. So May sightings this year are probably earlier than usual, too.

I found a USU extension article written in July 2001. It addressed the question of why there were more human encounters with snakes than in the past. The author speculated that one reason was snakes ranging farther away from there usual habitat due to the drought. Another possible reason was that more people were going into snake territory. Huh? No indication if snake populations were increasing.

I found a source that answered many of the questions I have about my dogs' safety. In general here is what I learned:

1. A snake's striking distance is about half the length of its body.

2. Relating specifically to dogs, about 70% of all bites are on the face or neck. 25% of rattlesnake bites are on the legs and the rest, a minor amount, are on the body.

3. Not all bites are fatal. About 20% of all bites are "dry".

4. The factors determining fatality are the size and health of the dog and the amount and quality of the snake's poison.

5. Snakes release about 10 - 15% of their venom in a typical hunting bite. If threatened, a snake will release about 50% of its venom in a defensive strike. And a snake will release about 75% of its venom in a multiple bit attack.

6. Rattlesnakes must regenerate venom once it is expended. This can take anywhere from a couple of weeks to almost two months.

7. Baby rattlesnakes, usually born in the late summer, are venomous right from the start. And don't let their cuteness fool you. Baby rattlers have particularly potent, concentrated venom.

I called Mikey right after the first encounter. And I called him again today. He talked to a friend of his that is a hunting guide and is constantly in the field with his dogs. Mikey's friend says that when a dog is bitten it is usually fatal, regardless of what you might read. He uses a shock collar and a rubber snake to teach his dogs to steer clear of danger.

Oh, I've also read in several articles that it is unlikely that your vet is stocks rattlesnake anti-venom. It is very expensive and has a short shelf life. Still, tomorrow I's calling my vet to talk this over with him. And I've decided that our adventures in the hills above my house are over for a while. I don't want to take any chances with the boys. They don't understand the danger and I'd feel awful if either of them got hurt because of my stupidity.........
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