Mushroom hunting rattlesnakes
Mushroom hunting rattlesnakes
Yesterday mushroom picking I ran into some giant rattlesnakes. Rattlesnakes are delicious. Is it legal to take them?
Re: Mushroom hunting rattlesnakes
Yup.But you'd have to check the regs to see if any specie is non hunting, or any area is closed. I don't have the hunting regs so I can't look.
Tom.
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Occupation: old
Interests: living
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sinkerswim
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Re: Mushroom hunting rattlesnakes
What general area are you finding mushrooms and rattlers?
Re: Mushroom hunting rattlesnakes
Around Leavenworth. I was looking at WDFW regs page and couldn't find it after about 10 minutes so I asked here. The dang thing was about 6 feet long, and would have been pretty tasty.
Re: Mushroom hunting rattlesnakes
But were you looking in the hunting regs, or the fishing regs? 
If you get the snake from the water, is that hunting, or fishing?
![[laugh]](./images/smilies/msp_laugh.gif "Laugh")
If you get the snake from the water, is that hunting, or fishing?
Tom.
Occupation: old
Interests: living
Occupation: old
Interests: living
Re: Mushroom hunting rattlesnakes
I dunno. He was next to the water 
Who can figure out the regs anyway? A lawyer?
Who can figure out the regs anyway? A lawyer?
Re: Mushroom hunting rattlesnakes
I'm thinking things have change since I was a kid and killing and eating a rattlesnake is now not legal in Washington state. From the WDFW website:
Legal Status
Several snake species in Washington hold special state status. Because their legal status is currently undergoing change, contact your local state Fish and wildlife office for updated information.
It is unlawful to import into the state, hold, possess, offer for sale, sell, or release all snake species into the wild without the proper license to do so (WAC 232-12-064).
And in the Big Game regs you have this:
9. Endangered Species:
It is illegal to hunt, possess, or control protected wildlife or endangered species. Endangered species are: pygmy rabbit; fisher; gray wolf; grizzly bear; sea otter; sei, fin, blue, humpback, black right, killer (orca) and sperm whales; Columbian
white-tailed deer; woodland caribou; American white and brown pelicans; sandhill crane; snowy plover; upland sandpiper; Northern spotted owl; tufted puffin; Western pond and leatherback sea turtles; mardon skipper, Taylor's checkerspot,
and Oregon silverspot butterflies; and Oregon spotted and northern leopard frogs.
10. Protected Wildlife:
It is illegal to hunt, kill, possess, or control protected wildlife. Protected wildlife are: Cascade golden-mantled ground, golden mantled ground, Washington ground, red, Douglas, northern flying and western gray squirrels; Mazama pocket gopher, steller and California sea lions; seals; dolphins; porpoises; whales, green sea, loggerhead sea and painted turtles; Larch Mountain salamander; Greater sage-grouse; sharp-tailed grouse; bald eagle; peregrine falcon; ferruginous hawk; marbled murrelet; pygmy whitefish, margined sculpins; Olympic mudminnows; cony or pika; North American lynx; common loon; least, yellowpine, Townsend’s, and red-tailed chipmunks; hoary and Olympic marmots; wolverines; California mountain kingsnake; all birds not classified as game birds, except starlings, house sparrows, rock doves (pigeons), Eurasion
collared doves, and magpies; all bats, except when found in or immediately adjacent to a dwelling or other occupied
building.
I'd call the office closest to where you'd be harvesting them.
Legal Status
Several snake species in Washington hold special state status. Because their legal status is currently undergoing change, contact your local state Fish and wildlife office for updated information.
It is unlawful to import into the state, hold, possess, offer for sale, sell, or release all snake species into the wild without the proper license to do so (WAC 232-12-064).
And in the Big Game regs you have this:
9. Endangered Species:
It is illegal to hunt, possess, or control protected wildlife or endangered species. Endangered species are: pygmy rabbit; fisher; gray wolf; grizzly bear; sea otter; sei, fin, blue, humpback, black right, killer (orca) and sperm whales; Columbian
white-tailed deer; woodland caribou; American white and brown pelicans; sandhill crane; snowy plover; upland sandpiper; Northern spotted owl; tufted puffin; Western pond and leatherback sea turtles; mardon skipper, Taylor's checkerspot,
and Oregon silverspot butterflies; and Oregon spotted and northern leopard frogs.
10. Protected Wildlife:
It is illegal to hunt, kill, possess, or control protected wildlife. Protected wildlife are: Cascade golden-mantled ground, golden mantled ground, Washington ground, red, Douglas, northern flying and western gray squirrels; Mazama pocket gopher, steller and California sea lions; seals; dolphins; porpoises; whales, green sea, loggerhead sea and painted turtles; Larch Mountain salamander; Greater sage-grouse; sharp-tailed grouse; bald eagle; peregrine falcon; ferruginous hawk; marbled murrelet; pygmy whitefish, margined sculpins; Olympic mudminnows; cony or pika; North American lynx; common loon; least, yellowpine, Townsend’s, and red-tailed chipmunks; hoary and Olympic marmots; wolverines; California mountain kingsnake; all birds not classified as game birds, except starlings, house sparrows, rock doves (pigeons), Eurasion
collared doves, and magpies; all bats, except when found in or immediately adjacent to a dwelling or other occupied
building.
I'd call the office closest to where you'd be harvesting them.