what will stop an rattler strike

[slim rem 7]

 im hunting in an area with rattlers . the copperheads worried me some back home .. but now a hit from a big rattler might just be bad enough to take me dn ..i hunt at least an hour or more deep in hilly woods..
 id like to hear what you folks, who have more snake bite experience than i
  might have to share.. if you would..

[hardertr]

I hunted in San Angelo, Tx and the place was FULL of rattlers.  For the most part, I heard them long before I ever saw them.  When it's cool (early morning mostly), the snakes seem pretty sluggish.....and didn't rattle.  Once it cools off to where the high is in the 70's, I don't think I saw any snakes at all.

I did have one REALLY close call, and short of knowing the snake was there, I couldn't have avoided it.  He did buzz at me for a couple of seconds before he actually struck.  Fortunately, my lab running up to check out the noise threw the snake off.

Good luck!  Just keep your eyes and ears open, and you'll be fine.  If you are really worried about it (to where you can't enjoy your time in the field), you can get the leggins from just about any sporting goods store.

A pissed off moccasin still scares me 10 time more than a mad rattler.

[Glanceblamm]

Those Chaps & boots really would be the best protection but you need to really watch what you are doing with your hands also.
Those strikes (as reported by those who have had it happen) are supposedly comparable to a hand thrown stone upon impact even through leather boots.

[slim rem 7]

 well ive never worried before ,,but ive mostly hunted copperhead country..
 now he don t warn you at all.. but you are right the aggressive cotton mouth is
the one i would fear more .. its the only one that i know will come after you if disturbed..i caught one in a creek on an fish hook.. i tried to lay him dn on the bank an the little sucker came at me wide open..reminded me of a snapping turtle..
 i guess i ll look a bit longer but id just assumed that if you were where they were
you would sooner or later probably get bit..ive spent right much time in the woods so my hands[or ft if i can help it] dont go where i cant see..

[Wynn]

Here in Florida, we have huge Eastern Diamond Back rattlers. When I was in college, we would catch and sell them for spending money to Ross Allen's Reptile Institute at Silver Springs or Gatorland in Kissimmee. They seldom ever rattled until we attempted to pin them with a snake hook. Have had many just strike without rattling or coiling. Thick briar patches on a sunny day following a cold front brings them out. We wore leggings back then but I wear knee high snake boots now when I will be hunting Palmetto thickets or near briar patches. A 6 footer can knock you off your feet if he hits without warning. Snake protection from boots and chaps is cheap insurance. As bad as a bite can be; the treatment can be worse. Ask me how I know!

[torpedoman]

I was wearing some plastic snake guards in fla and one hit the right one so hard it buckled my leg and put  deep dents in the guard that i had been cussing because they were miserable to wear and noisy. never seen the snake it was in tall grass on the edge of a swamp. a bud that was into snakes measured the distance between the dents and  and said it had to be 7-8 foot long to have that much space between the fangs. Never rattled either.

[the lone gunman]

Carry a nice long walking stick also, good for getting them out of the way. if you see them first, that is.

[NONYA]

A 12 guage semi auto loaded with 3" bb shot.

[kombi1976]

What will stop an rattler strike?

I reckon giving them a pay rise might get them back to work. 

[Land_Owner]

As bad as a bite can be; the treatment can be worse. Ask me how I know!

I'll bite (pun intended).  How do you know?

I'll verify that the cotton mouthed moccasin is one of Florida's most aggressive when disturbed.  Stupid snake don't know when to quit following a round of .45 LC home brewed #7 bird shot from 5 feet.  He came at me so fast I hardly had time to deliver the 2nd dose into its now too close head.  I changed my shorts immediately after that.  First you say it, then you do it (quote from Bill Cosby).

[MGMorden]

As suggested, a good pair of chaps or snake boots are worth their weight in gold.  That'll handle most common snake strikes. I've never had a time when I technically have needed them, but better safe than sorry.  Had one fairly close call though.  Pulled up near the bank of the river during early Teal season to dump the boat (it had rained a few days earlier and there was a bit more water under the boards than me and my bro had realized before we put in).  It was near some rock pilings and as we were dumping the boat I looked down and there was a moccasin laying right between the rocks I was standing on.  Scared the crap out of me, but I was able to jump back into the boat without him snapping at me (and of course I wasn't wearing chaps that day b/c I was duck hunting from the boat and didn't expect to be in that sort of situation). 

Copperheads you actually don't need to worry about as much.  In this region they are very common and so result in the most number of bites, but their venom is weak enough that they are very rarely fatal.