Biggest rattlesnake you've seen?

[Texas Grown]

My two biggest are 5"-8" and 5'-9". Both from the same ranch in Jack County. Both about a month apart, back in 2001.

My first, and also my third biggest was 5'-6" from a ranch on the Llano River just west of Llano in 1984. Biggest skin I've ever seen was in someone's home in Campbell, Texas. Feller's last name was also same as mine. But we are not related in any way. And that thing would have to be measured to be official. He never bragged about having it. But it defiantly would be worth bragging about. And know it would bring big dollars to collectors.

[furtrapper]

My largest timber rattler was 7 feet long missing several inches of it's neck and head. Largest snake was a coach ship over 9 or 10 feet long, it stretched across the gravel road from ditch to ditch, I jumped out of the truck and chased it for about a hundred yards before it got away. I wasn't worried about being bit by it as long as I caught it.

[KNEE DEEP]

Killed one last year that was the width of a Ford Ranger. Ran over him with both front tires and backed up over him. 12 rattles. Didn't measure but that thing had a head as big as my hand. At least 6 ft I would say. Their thick down here on the coast. Lots of 2-3 ft rattlers killed lately by all my neighbors.

[Hot4huntin]

[HainesNYT]

Seen 2 big blue indigos on my 25 acres, in the hills north of Hondo, both about 6', and FAST...My neighbor and I killed a 4.5' rattler on another neighbors place yesterday.

So, the biggest snake track I have ever seen was in eastern South Africa. I shot a zebra and was following my two guides/trackers. We were moving down a soft dirt/sandy road when they stopped and started talking in something I surely didn't understand. They started moving again so I started to walk, when the main guy stopped and turned around and tried to explain in english what they were looking at. There was a perpendicular track across the road...looked like someone picked up a 12" diameter tree trunk and drug it across the road. It was the track left by a rock python. Pretty freaky! Made me look a little more careful at the places I walked.

The owner of this ranch in South Africa was talking to me about the wild pigs we have here in Texas and was explaining that he had purchased "Bush Pigs" and let them go on his place to have another species to hunt. I told him that may be a bad idea. Then he went on to explain that he cannot keep them alive. I asked why?...he said the Rock Pythons eat them. If I remember correctly, I think he told me they were protected, but he kills everyone he sees.

[okrattler]

I forgot about the biggest Water Moccasin I've ever seen. During the Summer we would go to Missouri to visit family when I was a kid. I don't remember if my cousin had baseball practice or what but I was bored so I took a little stroll down by the pond by their house. I had made it almost all the way around the pond when I saw something slide off into the water. I know this will sound ridiculous but I guarantee you the water moccasin I saw couldn't have been but a few meals away from being 5 foot long. It wasn't no water snake this thing had his whole body floating on top of that water swimming and it was a chunk I vividly remember that. I didn't bring my BB gun on that outing for whatever reason so it swam away and I never saw it again. But I'll never forget how massive that snake was. I saw several up there over the years but nothing like that. Makes me wish I'd have had my gun with me that day so I'd have a picture as proof.

I'd say on average the water moccasins we normally saw were 2 to 3'. But before anyone calls BS the record for a Western Cottonmouth is 62" so a 5 footer is possible. Just not likely to be something you stumble across. The one I seen was an impressive size I know that much. And fatter than all get out.

Had it been on land I'd have snagged that sucker up by the tail before it knew what happened. Don't kid yourself I would have. I got whooped for trying to grab a baby one out of the pond by hand one time. I don't know if I didn't know they could hurt me or if I just wasn't afraid. I think it was more because of the fact that everyone told me not to mess with them probably.

[B&C]

I wish we would have measured this one. It was a very large and healthy snake. A warm winter night followed by a warm winter day with an approaching cold front and they are on the move in South Texas.

[okrattler]

I wish we would have measured this one. It was a very large and healthy snake. A warm winter night followed by a warm winter day with an approaching cold front and they are on the move in South Texas.

It almost looks like there's only about 3/4 of the original snake actually there. There's not much of a taper in its body where it's cut off. It's hard to tell from the picture how big it is but it's dang sure longer than that wood fence post.

You don't look like a short guy to me either so I'm gonna say that snake was right around 6'? That's just a wild guess.

[Hank Hill]

6 1/2 footer in Briscoe County.

[Thumper]

This is Harold, he's in charge of barn security, came out the evening to say hello. He's a healthy 6'4".

[okrattler]

This is Harold, he's in charge of barn security, came out the evening to say hello. He's a healthy 6'4".

Nice! The last rat snake I caught wasn't quite 6' but one thing that stood out about that snake is it's the only snake I've ever caught that only had one eye. It was an old injury and his head was scarred up. I don't know what got ahold of that ol' boy but he managed to make it through it. Seemed to get along just fine.

A lot of those old bullsnakes seem to always be all scarred up. They're tough son of a guns.

Oh geez I might have set myself up for some jokes with that one. One eyed snake....Yeah I know. It wasn't the trouser variety trust me.lol

[Serbin]

Indigo

We dove hunted a stockyard about 10 miles out of eagle pass towards El Indio for 20 plus years. Always was told to not shoot the big black snake. This guy was said to be 8 ft plus. Maybe 9. Legit. I saw him a few times and he was unbelievable to see. But what really made him so big was his girth. The guys that worked there said he took care of the rattlers and rats. Looked like a python. Seen a lot of indigos and some long ones but this outweighed x2 anything I have ever seen. Perfect food supply for him or her.

[Junkers88]

As a general rule I don't kill snakes and I've caught and held many of them in my hands. Just last night I headed to the neighbors place as she had a snake "bothering" her dogs. Over the fence I went in shorts and a T shirt without shoes, I hate wearing shoes. Brought home a little 3' Hognose for my 4 year old to pet and give a name before we turned it loose on the other side of the property, no I didn't let the snake go in my daughters hands. Back to the topic at hand the biggest rattle snake I've ever seen I can't even guess at. A few of us were out walking a prospective dove hunting place down in Beeville and came across a Blue Indigo with a rattler hanging out of it's mouth. The BI was easily 9' long and there was a heck of a lot of rattle snake still to be eaten. We did nothing more than watch for a few minutes and then continue our walk.

Richard.

[okrattler]

As a general rule I don't kill snakes and I've caught and held many of them in my hands. Just last night I headed to the neighbors place as she had a snake "bothering" her dogs. Over the fence I went in shorts and a T shirt without shoes, I hate wearing shoes. Brought home a little 3' Hognose for my 4 year old to pet and give a name before we turned it loose on the other side of the property, no I didn't let the snake go in my daughters hands. Back to the topic at hand the biggest rattle snake I've ever seen I can't even guess at. A few of us were out walking a prospective dove hunting place down in Beeville and came across a Blue Indigo with a rattler hanging out of it's mouth. The BI was easily 9' long and there was a heck of a lot of rattle snake still to be eaten. We did nothing more than watch for a few minutes and then continue our walk.

Richard.

Hognose snakes are very cool. My little sister has grown up around snakes and she loves hognoses. Last year I brought her a Eastern Hognose and she wanted to keep it. I told her it might not eat if it was cooped up so she agreed to just have it for a few days. Well a day or so went by and I got a text that the snake had gotten out in the garage. I had it in a tote with sand in it and sometime during the day my sister went out to hold it and didn't get the lid back on very good. I went to look for it and she helped. We could not find that snake anywhere and I told her "This is not good. You do know that right?" She looked at me and said "I know! But it's alright we'll just have to get another one.".......I'm pretty sure she completely missed the point. Everyone that goes into that garage is terrified of snakes except her and me.

A few days later my mom was opening the garage door and somehow the snake had crawled up onto the ledge at the bottom of the garage door and almost fell on her car. I got a phone call that time. If it had fallen on her......it would have been funny. Can't lie.

[Thumper]

In fifth grade I got called to the school office over the PA system during class. Mom was on the phone and my pet Hognose was loose in the living room and trying to "attack her". I told her to just pick him up and put him back into his cage, he doesn't bite and just wants to be fed. In no uncertain terms I was told to get my butt home now. When I got there Mom was standing on top of the telephone stand, Herb had her treed. I picked him up and placed him back into his cage and all was well. I knew there was going to be a butt whooping so I showed Mom how it was impossible for him to get out on his own. My little sister finally admitted to letting him out and I was off the hook.