This year's garden buddy. He was helping my wife with the circle drive garden that has gone somewhat to seed. He was hanging out keeping track of mice and voles when she found him. I should say she, since the tail conformation suggests female. I'd guess maybe two or three years old. About two feet long. Nice coloration.
Was most unhappy about being caught. We took her over to where there is a big, fallow field with no one around and released her, which did not in any way improve her disposition. We normally get one or two rattlesnakes a year. The dog is trained to avoid them. He doesn't "alert." He just changes course when he smells one, so you have to follow him if you want to avoid what he detects.
We is trained to the different odors of rattlesnakes, copperheads and moccasins, since all are different and different from other snakes. Other snakes don't interest him at all. It's very unlikely he will ever be bitten. Not so with the goat. He had to lay up for a while last year getting over a snake bite, but he's fine now.
