I’ve hunted a lot of different animals in my day, but one species I would probably shy away from would be rattlesnakes. I don’t hate snakes, but I definitely am not attracted to them. However, rattlesnake hunting in Pennsylvania is more popular than what you probably think.
John Royer, of New Bethlehem, who is a friend of mine, has been hunting timber rattlesnakes since 2005. He’s had a passion for snakes since he was a little kid. Over the years, he’s become as good of a rattlesnake hunter as one can become.
When John started hunting rattlesnakes, he had no clue how many existed in Pennsylvania. Once he learned how to find them, he was amazed at how many there are. “Once I learned the types of areas and habitat that rattlesnakes prefer, I was amazed at how big the population really was,” said Royer. “I had only ever seen a couple rattlesnakes in my life until I started hunting them. They are actually the easiest snake to find once you know what to look for.”
Rattlesnake season in Pennsylvania typically starts around the second Saturday of June and ends the last week of July. There are many regulations on rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes must be a minimum of 42” long and have at least 21 subcaudal scales to be harvested. All other rattlesnakes that don’t meet those size requirements have to be released. Most snake hunters force the snake into long, narrow tubes in order to measure them properly.
Rattlesnake hunting can be very dangerous. They are one of two types of venomous snakes that live in Pennsylvania. Nevertheless, when handled properly, they are very docile. “I’ve never been bit or had a close call,” stated Royer. “I handle them with caution and respect. I also wear chaps. The people who get bit are often the ones who don’t take them seriously or let their guard down.”
Rattlesnakes can be found all over Pennsylvania, but they are not heavily populated in most counties. Some of the biggest populations of rattlesnakes are in the north central part of the state. “I mainly hunt rattlesnakes in Elk, Clearfield, Cameron and Potter counties,” said Royer. “But I’ve found rattlesnakes in other counties where they are hardly known to exist. Once again, the key is knowing how to find them.”
Royer finds most of his rattlesnakes on south facing slopes, in rock piles. They prefer the southern slopes because that’s the part of the mountain that gets the most sunlight. The biggest key is locating gestation areas. “Where I find the biggest groups of snakes is in gestation areas. These are rock piles that are close to the den site. This is where they like to lay in the sun. Often within 200 yards of the den,” Royer added.
In close to 20 years of snake hunting, Royer’s biggest rattlesnake harvested was 50 inches. However, he rarely keeps snakes, but mostly just releases them after being caught. His biggest rattlesnake he ever released was 52 inches. “I’ve handled many 50-inch snakes over the years. Many of them my buddies caught. This year at the Sinnemahoning snake contest, a 57-inch rattler was brought in. That was a contest record snake,” Royer noted.
A 50-inch rattlesnake is often at least 20 years old.
Even though Royer rarely keeps the snakes he catches, he does enjoy cooking and eating rattlesnakes. He prefers to cut the meat into chunks, coat the meat in breadcrumbs and fry it like chicken. “I do occasionally eat them but anymore I enjoy catching and releasing the majority of what I find,” Royer added.
For some, rattlesnake hunting is an adrenaline rush, but for Royer, it is beyond that. “I love rattlesnake hunting because of where they live. They live in the most beautiful, remote areas in Pennsylvania. It gives me an added reason to go explore these parts of Pennsylvania,” said Royer. “I also love it because I do it with other people, mainly my friends and family. It’s a great social activity. I also recommend to never do it alone.”
Rattlesnake hunting is not common in the Bradford area. Even though some claim that this part of McKean County still holds rattlesnakes, it is believed that the population is extremely low. After the 1960s, rattlesnake populations in northern McKean County rapidly declined. There is no solid reason why rattlesnakes diminished in this part of the county. In my 30-plus years of spending a great deal of time in the woods, I have never encountered a rattlesnake. Nonetheless, I never let my guard down. It is always important to be cautious while in the woods during the spring and summer months. If you encounter a rattlesnake, remain calm and walk away from it. To say the least, I will have no regrets if I never encounter a rattlesnake in the wild.
