2017 Lethbridge Rattlesnake Mitigation Report

Ainnakootsiiyop: We Coexist In Mutual Respect

Prepared for The City Of Lethbridge

By: Ryan Heavy Head

Project Background

Over the past three decades, increasingly intense urban development has had a massive,
transformative impact on rattlesnake habitat in West Lethbridge. With the exception of a
very narrow strip, less than fifty meters wide, immediately above the coulee rim and
following the river, there is really no mixed grass prairie remaining on the flat that
defines this area of the city, and that once provided prime summer foraging for Crotalus
viridis. Even the agricultural lands that remain are quickly being repurposed for
subdivision expansion. Two of the most recent developments, in Riverstone and The
Canyons, are building immediately adjacent to well-established hibernacula. In the latter
case in particular, conservation legislation has been formally circumvented for short-term
economic gain, such that one of the largest and healthiest hibernacula complexes in the
region will soon be as close as thirty to forty meters from someones back yard. In
addition, a lack of natural fire and grazing disturbance in remaining mixed grass habitat,
both above the rim, and down the coulee slopes, has enabled vegetation to grow to
heights not tolerated by one of the rattlesnakes known food resources, the ground
squirrel. Given these conditions, compounded by the fact that Lethbridge is already on
the extreme western fringe of prairie rattlesnake territory, the future of this population
would seem to some as rather grim.

Yet, these are certainly not the first overwhelming challenges faced in the course of this
species long evolutionary history, nor are these the only significant human obstacles this
particular population has had to overcome more recently. The rattlesnakes of West
Lethbridge have survived both a century of deliberate prosecution, and increasingly
industrialized agricultural development. Can they continue to thrive in a context that is
compelling them toward frequent encounters with humans, and their automobiles,
mountain bikes, and domestic dogs, etc all while losing vast expanses of natural habitat
and the associated diversity of prey species? Will the permanent green strip represented
by the Oldman River coulees, coupled with rodent populations of the suburban parks,
gardens, and garages, provide enough sustenance resources for them to succeed more
synanthropically? Time will tell.

Over the past twenty years or so, the City of Lethbridge has sponsored a mitigation
process that bridges the interests of safety-concerned citizens with conservation-minded
naturalists. City residents who encounter rattlesnakes on their properties in the
subdivisions are encouraged to phone an emergency hotline that brings a wrangler
quickly to the scene, to remove the snake without harm and return it to the nearest known
hibernaculum. This program - now utilizing social media and offering live presentations
for schools and other local organizations - has been extremely successful in educating the
Lethbridge public about their rattlesnake neighbors, and minimizing the mortality rate for
snakes who encounter humans. As a secondary benefit, the program also provides an
opportunity for data on snake populations, migrations, and natural history to be gathered
in the context of mitigating with these encounters.
Season Summary

The 2017 season brought a significant number of calls placed to the rattlesnake hotline,
as well as an unexpected number of snakes actually relocated:

All Calls Fielded 171

Rattlesnake Relocations 104

Bullsnake Relocations 5

W. Garter Relocations 8

P. Garter Relocations 0

T Salamander Relocations 1

Rattlesnake Deaths 11

Compare these 2017 rattlesnake figures in particular with corresponding data gathered in
previous seasons over the past decade, in the chart below. [Note that data for 2014 could
not be located at the time of drafting this report, although it is remembered as having
been a fairly typical season, aligned with the average of previous years]

Year Rattlesnake Relocations Rattlesnake Deaths

2007 38 4
2008 10 1
2009 31 4
2010 54 5
2011 24 3
2012 49 7
2013 44 7
2015 43 9
2016 25 2
2017 104 11

At present, we do not understand why this season was so drastically different. It could
reflect a combination of factors, including:

Greater public knowledge-about and participation-in the program (promulgated

through various education campaigns and media efforts)
Increased pressure on the population, due to continued urban expansion
Response to this seasons prolonged drought (seeking moisture?)
Reduced numbers of prey species in remaining natural rattlesnake habitat
Data on the movement of individual snakes, who are monitored via photographic records
from each relocation, will be analyzed over the 2017-2018 winter season, and may offer
further clues for understanding the sudden shift. One thing is clear though, the vast
majority of snake-to-human encounters are occurring where large-scale construction is
being carried out near to established hibernacula complexes and rookeries. Looking at
where most of the calls being placed to the hotline derive from, we see that the Canyons
(with their expanding subdivisions) and the University of Lethbridge (with its
Destination Project) are by far the most dominant sites of these encounters.

Snake Calls Per Subdivision

Hardieville
Sandstone Ridge
Indian Battle Park
Legacy Ridge
Ridgewood/ Heritage
Sunridge
Popson Park
Varsity Village # Snake Calls
Scenic Drive
Riverstone
Bridge Drive
Lower Canyons
University
Upper Canyons
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65

Field Notes/ Case Details

The following is a case-by-case description of all reports attended to by the Lethbridge

Rattlesnake Mitigation Program in the 2017 season:

8May17 Lethbridge Police phoned the hotline, after receiving a report about a rattlesnake
crossing the street by at Wildwood Crescent W. Visited with the initial caller and
searched several properties around the area where the snake was sighted, to no avail

11May17 Received a call through the hotline in the early evening about a large snake
crossing the road by the new northside 7-11 of Scenic Drive. Though probably a
bullsnake, it was not found when I visited the site

12May17 City landscapers came across female rattlesnake, approximately three years
old, under a young spruce tree in Canyon Park. I picked her up and brought her to the
Upper Popson den
18May17 An early morning call came through the hotline from a landlord of a southside
residence. He said that his tenant was reporting several large, black snakes in the house. I
phoned the tenant to speak with him directly, and quickly recognized that he was having
a hallucinatory event. He described a scenario where a number of ten-foot long black
snakes with hydra-like tentacles were having babies in his couch, and crawling out of his
gym bag. I told the guy I'd be right over, and then contacted Dave Henley to explain the
situation and suggest we get the Lethbridge Police Service involved. They visited the
man, to find there were of course no snakes, and he had taken some medications

19May17 Picked up another young female, this time from the Paradise Canyon golf club.
Relocated her to the Upper Popson den site

23May17 Was phoned relatively early in the morning to pick up a rattlesnake in the
Destination Project compound at the University. Turned out to be a tiger salamander,
who I released at Elizabeth Hall Wetlands

23May17 Toward afternoon, I received a second call through the hotline, this one from a
woman in Heritage Heights who was concerned she had a "snake hole" on her property.
Reluctantly, I agreed to scope the burrow, to ease her mind. Turned out not to be a hole at
all... just a small patch of grass removed in a little circle, from who knows what

23May17 My third call of the day actually did produce a rattlesnake, this one oddly on
someone's doorstep at a Ryerson Bay residence. This was a mature female who I relocate
to Cottonwood

24May17 A fourth call of the day brought me to Popson Park, where a rattlesnake was
seen on the dog-run trail. Predictably, it wasn't there when I checked, having moved on
about its business

25May17 Received an early-morning call regarding a snake on Canyon Parkway. Of

course, it was found dead when I arrived. A mature female. Canyon Parkway was built
closer to the Upper Popson den than the conservation legislation normally allows... but
because of economic motivations, exceptions were made

25May17 Received a second call about a roadkill snake on Canyon Parkway in the
afternoon. I did not find this snake when I searched. Someone must have removed it

25May17 A third call about a roadkill rattler on Canyon Parkway came in the evening.
Again, it was found at the roundabout close to the Upper Popson den. This was the
second mature, probably breeding female confirmed killed this day... and probably
actually the third

26May17 Was called to a residence on Canyonview Place, where a rattlesnake had

reportedly went under a board in the back yard. This "board" turned out to be a railroad
tie that was bolted down. There was a hole beside the tie where I suspect the snake
actually went. I promised the caretaker of the home (owners were out of the country) that
I would stop in again and see if I could find the snake basking

26May17 Got a message at dusk through the Facebook page about a snake on Canyon
Parkway. Went to check it out, but couldn't find the animal

27May17 A resident of Riverside Bay phoned the hotline to ask for assistance with a
rattlesnake in his back yard. The snake had been discovered by a young child while
opening an outdoor toy box. Fortunately, nobody was struck, and I was able to relocate
the (probably male) relatively young snake down to near the South Riverstone
Hibernaculum

28May17 Picked up a young male rattler from a Canyon Garden resident who had
rescued it from the road, and trapped it in a cooler. Released it at the Upper Popson den

29May17 Was called to a Canyonview Place residence to remove a young adult

rattlesnake, most likely male, from one of their backyard window wells. This snake was
also released at the Upper Popson den, though the resident indicated that there is a
hibernaculum on the coulee rim immediately behind his house. This site has not been
confirmed yet

30May17 A call came through the hotline at noon for a snake that was swimming in a
pool at Canyon Close. I suspected it would be a garter snake, but the caller said it looked
like a rattler to him, so I attended it. The snake had departed from the pool, out the back
fence, and into the coulee by the time I got there

30May17 In the afternoon, I went to the University, to deal with a snake that was basking
beside a concrete pad on the south side of UHall. Just as I was arriving, construction
trucks passed near, and the snake retreated under the concrete. I tried to retrieve her, but
she wedged tight, and I was concerned about hurting her

30May17 While dealing with the snake at the University, another call came through from
a resident of Canyon Close, who followed a rattlesnake into her neighbor's back yard. I
left the University snake, in hopes she'd relax and make herself easier to capture later,
and went to attend the Canyon Close issue. It was a mature female, probably four or five
years old, who I moved to the Upper Popson den

30May17 The next call came from Canyonview Place, the same residence I'd picked up a
snake at yesterday. Today's was a young, perhaps second-year female. I released her at
the Upper Popson den

30May17 I was pulling in at the University, to check on the snake from earlier, when a
fifth call for the day came from a resident at one of the houses in lower Paradise Canyon.
They'd been feeding birds on their back patio, and it attracted a young (again) female
rattler. I relocated her to the Upper Popson den with the others, even though I highly
suspect there's a hibernaculum much nearer
30May17 Finally, I returned to the University and found that the snake had either
departed, or moved completely out of view beneath the concrete where it was holed-up

31May17 My first call of the day came fairly early in the morning, and brought me to a
Canyonview Place residence where I picked up a mature (but perhaps not breeding age)
female, who I relocated to the Upper Popson den

31May17 While releasing the first snake, I received a second call, this one to a sand and
gravel operation at the top of Bridge Drive. Unfortunately, the snake had scooted under a
shipping container before I arrived

31May17 Before I could go home, a third call came... this one from the Paradise Golf
Club. They'd trapped a young male rattler, who I relocated to the Upper Popson den

31May17 My last call for the day came from a Canyon Boulevard resident, who found a
rattlesnake in the back yard while gardening. This was another very young female snake,
probably in her second summer season. I relocated her to the Upper Popson den with the
others

3Jun17 Was called to a Canyon Close residency where a woman had been bitten while
gardening seven or eight years back. They had trapped a mature female under a bucket
off the side of their driveway. I released her at the Upper Popson den

3Jun17 After dark, around ten o'clock at night, I was called to a Canyon Estates to deal
with a young rattlesnake who was under the concrete foundation of the front porch of one
of the residences. Unfortunately, the gravel had sunk so much under this concrete that the
snake was able to go deep, out of reach. I left after advising the resident to just maintain
awareness for the next couple days, but predicted that the snake would vacate during the
night

4Jun17 Was called in the early evening to a residence on Trent Road, where I picked up a
mature female rattlesnake from the front yard. I subsequently released him at
Cottonwood Park

4Jun17 Almost as soon as I'd released the Trent Road rattler, I got a call to pick up a
second snake, this one at Mount Sundial Court. It was a mature male, who I released in a
wood pile near the Upper Popson den

7Jun17 Attended a morning call to a Canyon Boulevard residence, immediately next door
to where I picked up a snake a week or so ago. This one was much more mature though,
and probably male, by color. I released him at a woodpile near the Upper Popson den

7Jun17 A second call came at quarter to eleven o'clock at night, and brought me back to
the same Canyon Estates residence I'd visited at night four days ago. This time, the
couple who live there had the snake caught under a bucket. She looked to be at least four
years old. I released her above the access road to Popson Park
8Jun17 My first call of the day came before eight o'clock in the morning, and brought me
to a Paradise Canyon residence where the home-owner had trapped a young female
rattlesnake under a bucket. I released this snake at the Upper Popson den site

8Jun17 By eleven o'clock, I was onto my second call... again in Paradise, but this time at
the golf course. They already had the mature female rattlesnake in a bucket, so I swapped
out with them. I didn't have time to release her right away, because I was due to present
at a grade school on the south side of town. Because it was too hot to leave her in my
vehicle, I brought her into the presentation with me, and of course she garnished a lot of
attention

8Jun17 I ended-up leaving the grade school twenty-minutes early, before finishing my
presentation, on account that there was another rattlesnake call. This one was on the front
lawn of a Rivermill Landing residence, and it too had been trapped under a bucket by the
time I arrived. I released this young male, along with the mature female from the golf
club, near the south Riverstone den site

8Jun17 My work was not done yet though. I soon received a fourth call through the
hotline, which would bring me to Paradise for the third time this day. The resident who
phoned was one I had visited earlier in the season. Like the first visit I had with him, this
gentleman trapped the snake in a cooler. It was another male, maybe in his fourth
summer. I released him at the Upper Popson den site

8Jun17 My fifth and last rattlesnake call for the day came again from Riverstone, this
time on Rivermill Manor, just around the corner from the snake I'd picked up earlier. This
was a young female, probably in her second summer. I released her near the south
Riverstone den. An hour later, we began receiving severe thunderstorms that lasted
through the night

12Jun17 In the morning, I was called to a Canyon Boulevard residence where a home-
owner encountered a rattlesnake, cold and lethargic under her lawn mower. I moved this
mature female to the Upper Popson den

12Jun17 Toward afternoon, I got a second call, this one from a neighbor two doors down
from the Canyon Boulevard residence I visited in the morning. This too was a mature
female, and she was in the midst of devouring a starling. I waited for her to finish eating,
the picked her up and subsequently released her at the Upper Popson den

12Jun17 In late-afternoon, I attended a call on the south side of town, where a resident
was pretty sure she'd uncovered a snake den with eggs. I was kind of hoping for
something exotic. Turned out to be some small puffball mushrooms

12Jun17 In the early evening, I went looking for a snake that was reported near one of the
entrances to Canyon Park. It must have moved on, because I never found it
14Jun17 Took a call in the afternoon about a young rattlesnake on someone's lawn at
Mount Crandell Crescent. This is not a usual place for rattlesnake pick-ups, and when I
arrived the snake could not be found. But a quick-passing thunder storm probably chased
him off

15Jun17 An afternoon call to the city bylaw office sent Sheri M to Riverstone Boulevard,
where there was a mature male rattlesnake on the road. Sheri released this snake in the
Riverstone Coulees (no photo)

16Jun17 Dave also handled a call this afternoon, while I was away to Waterton. He
picked up two rattlesnakes, numbered #10 and #11 for their respective holes on the
Paradise Canyon Golf Course. Both snakes went to the Upper Popson den

18Jun17 Went to Canyon Estates midday, where I picked up a young male rattlesnake
that one of the residents had trapped in a bucket. This snake was released at the Upper
Popson den

19Jun17 Picked up an approximately four year-old male snake from the street at Mount
Sundance Landing, and relocated him to the Upper Popson den

23Jun17 Was called to Canyon Park in the morning to pick up a young of the year
rattlesnake, who was subsequently released at the Upper Popson den

23Jun17 Around two o'clock in the afternoon, I got a double call, with both snakes being
in Paradise. I attempted to deal with the first one, at a home on Canyon Boulevard. It had
gone under a porch before I got there, and I couldn't see it, even with a good light. I left
to deal with the second call, but then immediately returned and found this one emerging
from the porch, where I caught it, and moved it to the Upper Popson den. It was about a
four year-old female

23Jun17 The second call was from a Canyon Close residence, where a snake had been
seen by a gardener, but I couldn't find it

23Jun17 John N removed a large male rattlesnake from the road in Popson Park, and
immediately deposited him about fifty meters away

25Jun17 I fielded a call from the University, regarding a large rattlesnake on their new
pathway by the stadium. It was indeed a very mature female, who I released at the coulee
rim east of the stadium

25Jun17 While attending the ULeth snake, I got another call. This one would bring me all
the way out to 43rd Ave N to pick up an approximately four year-old female. I released
her among the ground squirrel colonies at Pavan Park
26Jun17 My first snake call of the day came around noon, and took me to a Canyon
Close residence, where I picked up (and was bitten by) a wandering garter snake, who I
released a few hours later at the Upper Popson den

26Jun17 While dealing with the garter snake, I received a second call through the hotline,
this one taking me to Riverstone. A resident thought he'd heard a rattlesnake in his back
yard. No snake could be found, however, and my best guess is that it was an insect

26Jun17 My third call of the day brought me to Canyonview Place, where I picked up a
female rattlesnake of approximately four years age from the side of someone's house.
This snake, along with the garter snake who I'd been carrying in my bucket, were
released at the Upper Popson den

26Jun17 In the evening, I was called to Canyon Estates, where residents had trapped an
approximately four year-old male rattlesnake under a bucket on the street. I relocated it to
the big woodpile in Upper Popson

26Jun17 My final call of the day came at almost ten o'clock at night. This time, it was to
pick up a large bullsnake from a front yard on Marie Van Haarlem, in Legacy Ridge. This
snake was released in the Alexander Wilderness Park

27Jun17 At around 11:00 in the morning, I went to look at a road-kill rattler in Paradise.
It was a large male, alive and alert, though with part of his intestines hanging out. I
dispatched this snake when it was obvious he was going to die

27Jun17 I headed back to Paradise in the evening, to a Canyon Estates residence, where I
was unable to locate a rattlesnake who the residents had reported and photographed. It
disappeared into a current bush before I arrived, and was no longer in there when I
searched

27Jun17 Next, I drove down the hill to fetch a mature male rattlesnake from the Golf
Club. I released this one at the wood pile in Upper Popson

27Jun17 After that, it was off to attend a double call. The first was at Canyonview Place,
where I actually found two mature rattlesnakes, a male and female. The former was
caught-up in garden netting. I cut him free, but the damage he sustained was significant.
Not at all sure if he'll survive, but I let him go at the Upper Popson den all the same

27Jun17 Second of the double calls was hardly a couple blocks away, at Canyonview
Crescent. A resident had trapped a snake under a bucket. It turned out to be a wandering
garter. I released him in the same place as the couple

29Jun17 Got a call through the hotline for a rattlesnake at an Oxford Road residence. It
was a mature male, who I released at Cottonwood Park
30Jun17 In The early evening, I went out to Canyonview Place, to pick up an
approximately four-year old rattlesnake along the fenceline. I released it at the big
woodpile on Upper Popson

1Jul17 My Canada Day started with a call to Canyon Close, in the morning, where one of
the residents had seen a rattlesnake in the back yard. He regularly steers these snakes out
his gate, into the coulee, but apparently this one wasn't having it. Unfortunately, the
snake had disappeared by the time I arrived. I searched the property to no avail. However,
I did find a large rattlesnake shedding in a neighbouring yard. Checking against my
database, I found no match. There's a big snake in the neighbourhood

1Jul17 Before I was finished searching for the first snake, I got a call from a residence
just down the road, also in Canyon Close. She had a rattlesnake against the outside of her
fenceline. Investigating, I found a mature male caught in garden netting. With some care,
I extracted him, and subsequently released him at the big woodpile in Upper Popson. This
was not the same snake who left the afore-mentioned shedding

1Jul17 Picked up a young male snake, approximately four years-old, at the south end of
Canyon Park Lake. This snake was released at the big wood pile at Upper Popson

1Jul17 Accepted a call past midnight from a Diamond City resident who came home to
find a rattlesnake on her front deck. I released this snake in an adjacent coulee

2Jul17 An early-morning call brought me to the Paradise Golf Club, where I picked up a
wandering garter snake, who I subsequently released just up the hill

2Jul17 From there, I was called to Canyon Close, to pick up a mature female rattler who
was in someone's garden. She was dropped at the Upper Popson den

2Jul17 Half an hour later, I was back in Paradise, at a Canyon Boulevard residence,
where I caught a large male rattler. He was also brought to Upper Popson

2Jul17 In The afternoon, I was called to Mount Sundial Court, where a dog was bitten by
a mature male rattlesnake in someone's back yard. This snake was released in
Cottonwood Park

2Jul17 Next, I was back down to the Golf Club again. They had caught a young male
rattlesnake, maybe four years old. He was released at the big woodpile of Upper Popson

2Jul17 My last snake of the day came from the University campus, against the south wall
of University Hall. It was another young snake, maybe four years old. He was of course
released in the coulee down below the 6th level

3Jul17 Received an early call to the Sunridge greenstrip, about a rattlesnake on the grass.
It was a young-ish male, maybe four or five years old, who I deposited in Cottonwood
3Jul17 My second and last call of the day came just after dark, around ten-thirty at night,
when the Paradise Golf Club had a young (maybe four year-old) rattler for me to pick up.
I released her at the Upper Popson Den

4Jul17 The day started off fast with three back-to-back calls in Paradise. The first snake
was a mature female lethargically basking along a fence-line on Canyon Boulevard

4Jul17 With the one female already in my bucket, I went to the Paradise Golf Club,
where they had Tobias - a legendary and giant male who I encounter at least once a year.
Both the female and Tobias were eventually deposited at the big woodpile of Upper
Popson

4Jul17 Before I was able to release the two snakes though, I visited Canyon Park Lake,
where a woman who was walking a dog saw a rattlesnake beside the walking trail. I
couldn't locate it

4Jul17 I also couldn't catch a fourth snake of the day, this one inhabiting a ground
squirrel burrow in the parking lot of the ULeth Stadium. I advised security there to put a
couple orange warning cones near the hole, and that I'd check back later in the afternoon
or evening

4Jul17 Around rush-hour, I was called to Scenic Drive near the Sugarbowl, to pick up a
rattlesnake who'd been killed on the road. I chucked the carcass in a nearby coulee for the
scavengers to feast on

4Jul17 My last round for the evening was my promised return to check on the snake at
the ULeth Stadium. There was no sign of him, and looking at the proliferation of ground
squirrel activity, I'm sure that snake has plenty going on below the surface to keep him
busy

5Jul17 Received an evening call through the hotline for a rattlesnake at the sand and
gravel operation on Bridge Drive. When I arrived, the shop owner told me the snake had
slithered down a ground squirrel hole

6Jul17 Went to an address in Riverbrook Close, in Riverstone, where the residents

believed they'd heard a rattlesnake in the park behind their home. Conducted a search, but
found no snake

7Jul17 Late in the morning, a call came through the hotline reporting a rattlesnake
sighting behind Mount Crandell Crescent. The call came at least a half-hour after the
sighting, and of course the snake wasn't present by the time I investigated

7Jul17 Later in the night, after dark, I was called to a Canyon Court home, where the
resident had trapped a young-ish male rattlesnake under a garbage bin. I relocated this
snake to the Upper Popson area
7Jul17 While working the one snake, I got a call for another in the ULeth parking lot E
by Anderson Hall. No snake was located, though security and I searched the scene
together. There were a lot of ground squirrel colonies in adjacent grass areas

8Jul17 Took an evening call, close to dark, at Canyon Boulevard, where a resident saw a
rattlesnake in her yard, but retreated inside until my arrival. As in many such cases,
where the snake is not monitored, it had gone on its way before I arrived

9Jul17 A message came through the RS Facebook page about there being a rattlesnake on
the road at Bridge Drive. I hustled out there, but the snake must have already found it's
own way off

10Jul17 First call of the day came at about eight thirty in the morning, from two ULeth
workers who encountered a large snake by the stadium. This was another one with no
rattles, a sizeable male. I released him in the coulees directly behind the stadium

10Jul17 The next call was about an hour later, for a mature male at a Canyonview Point
residence. I released him at the big woodpile near the Upper Popson den

11Jul17 In the evening, I got my third and final call for the day. This was a large, mature
female who was hunkered up out of the passing thunderstorms beside someone's garage
door on Canyon Close. I released her at the Upper Popson den

11Jul17 Dave took an afternoon call to pick up a young female rattlesnake, who he
released at Upper Popson

12Jul17 Was called at noon to the University of Lethbridge, where a mature male
rattlesnake was cooling off in the shade beside the building where they receive parcels. I
released this fellow down below the sixth level den

12Jul17 At about eight o'clock in the evening, I got my next call. This one pertained to a
mature female rattlesnake who was on the island by the roundabout closest to the Upper
Popson den. Though in fair shape, externally, I believe she was bumped, and may or may
not survive. The behaviour was oddly non-defensive, and I found a sensitive spot on her
belly

12Jul17 My last call for the evening came after dark, around eleven o'clock. A resident at
Canyon Crest Point had a rattlesnake in her back yard. I moved this mature male to the
Upper Popson den

14Jul17 Dave took an early afternoon call to Coachwood Point, where he picked up a
four foot bullsnake. He released her on the coulee slopes above the Elizabeth Hall
Wetlands
14Jul17 I had three back-to-back calls starting at dinner time. The first was a young
mature male rattlesnake at the Lethbridge Country Club. I released him near the cemetery
just south of the club

14Jul17 My next call was about a rattlesnake who had been observed on a Canyon
Boulevard yard by passers-by. The resident wasn't home, and I was unable to locate the
snake

14Jul17 While looking for the second snake, I was called to a third. This one was also on
Canyon Boulevard, but down in the floodplain. I brought this mature female to the Upper
Popson Den

14Jul17 Ancillary Snake Call (raccoons in a living room)

17Jul17 Received a message through the FB page in the evening about a rattlesnake on
the edge of University Drive, just north of the ULeth stadium. I scooted over to check it
out, but the snake was gone. There was, however, a spot of roadkill evidence. No telling
if it was the snake, or something else... just a spot of blood

18Jul17 Returned again (maybe third time this season) to the sand and gravel operation
on Bridge Drive. This time, it was to pick up a pair of mating rattlesnakes, both of whom
were very mature... elders. They were not happy at all to be relocated down toward the
den site

18Jul17 In the afternoon, I attended a call on Canyon Boulevard, for a snake at one of the
residences that I'd already visited twice before this season. This time, it was a young
(maybe three year-old) female, resting under some rhubarb leaves in the garden. I
relocated her to the Upper Popson den

18Jul16 While dealing with the rattler in the garden, a neighbor two houses down came to
get me about a snake in her back yard as well. This was just a young wandering garter
snake, who I picked up by hand and released in the coulee immediately behind her house

18Jul17 In the evening, I received a call from a gentleman concerned about the welfare of
a couple snakes in the Popson Park dog run. He visits the park every evening, and has
trained his dog to avoid the snakes. Every evening for a week, he'd been watching a
couple male rattlesnakes wrestle by the bench in the southeast corner of the park. Indeed,
I had received a photograph of these wrestling snakes from another individual earlier in
the day. The caller was worried that, being so exposed, someone might try to hurt the
snakes. There had been a snake killed nearby earlier in the day... it's head smashed, it's
rattle removed, and it's body hung on a rail for display. I went and collected these two
mature males, along with a mature female who we found nearby. All of them were taken
to the Upper Popson woodpile

19Jul17 I was down at Popson again, to meet with a couple reporters regarding the
murdered rattlesnake, when I got a call about a snake on someone's drive pad at Heritage
Point. This turned out to be a young female, approx three years old. I released this snake
on the coulee slopes above the Elizabeth Hall Wetlands

20Jul17 In the afternoon, I accepted a call from a Diamond City residence, where there
was a rattlesnake in the back yard. I released this mature (though young-mature) female
in the adjacent coulees

21Jul17 Attended a call in the afternoon for the Par 3 Golf Course, by the wetlands.
Turned out to be a bullsnake, maybe four years-old, eating a full-size ground squirrel.
Once the snake had finished its meal, I brought it to the south end of the course and
released it into some currents and buckbrush along the coulee slopes

23Jul17 In the morning, I responded to a call about a large rattlesnake crossing

University Drive near the ULeth Stadium. By the time I got there, she had safely made it
to the west side of the road (thanks to a citizen who pulled over to stop traffic), but she
was now entering residential areas. I caught her and did the release in the coulees east of
the stadium

23Jul17 Three back-to-back calls came in around ten o'clock at night. The first one,
handled by Sheri, involved a mature male, just off one of the new pathways by the ULeth
Stadium. It was released in the coulee east of the Stadium

23Jul17 The second one was a large snake seen in someone's yard about half-way along
Canyon Boulevard. This snake could not be found, and searching was made more
difficult because of the darkness

23Jul17 The last snake was a young male, maybe three years old, who showed up in
someone's garage on Canyon Close. The residents there are comfortable with the snake
presence, and allowed me to conduct the release in the coulee just behind their home

23Jul17 A fifth call for the day came in just past midnight. Most of us involved with the
program were, of course, sleeping. Fortunately, Dave heard his phone and went to deal
with the situation, which involved a mature female rattler in the window well of a
Canyon Close residence. He released her at the Upper Popson den

24Jul17 Received a call through the hotline in the morning about a snake beside
someone's house on Canyon Close. Turned out to be a mature male, who I relocated to
the big woodpile by the Upper Popson den

27Jul17 Attended an early evening call to Canyon Estates, where a family had a four or
five year-old female rattlesnake in their backyard. I relocated her to the big woodpile near
the Upper Popson den

27Jul17 Around eight o'clock in the evening, I caught a fully mature (7+ years old)
female rattler in the ULeth community gardens. This snake was released in the coulee
below the sixth level den
27Jul17 Not long after dropping off the mature female rattler, I got another call from the
ULeth community gardens. This time, a snake was on the access road. When I showed
up, it was apparent that it had been clipped. I took it away and hastened the death process

28Jul17 Received a call through the hotline in the morning, regarding a rattlesnake in
someone's backyard on Canyon Boulevard. This turned out to be a young female,
probably in her second or third summer season. I released her at the Upper Popson den

28Jul17 Two hours of posting snake signage in westside green-strips, coulee access
points, and parks

29Jul17 Took a late-morning call to the Paradise Golf Club, where they had a familiar
elder male rattlesnake, the one I call Leonard, in their bucket. I brought him up to the
Upper Popson woodpile for release

29Jul16 Just after noon, I was called by a dairy farm outside the city on Hwy 25. They
had a mature female rattlesnake beside one of their residences. I moved it away, back to
the nearby coulee

30Jul17 Had one call in the afternoon, which took me to the Bridge View RV Resort to
remove a rattlesnake from one of the campgrounds. I released this mature female near the
Bridge Drive Hibernaculum

31Jul17 In the late morning, I was asked to check on a snake who was on the dog run
pathway at Popson Park. It had moved on before I could find it

31Jul17 By early afternoon, a message came through the RS Facebook page about a
woman trying to pick up a bullsnake along Scenic Drive north. I got the location, and met
two women at the site. They told me that the snake had bitten the woman who had tried
to pick it up (hoping to take it to her grandson), and that she was convinced to leave it
alone. I then collected the snake and returned it to Peenaquim Park

1Aug17 Responded to a call from city Parks workers in the morning, regarding a dead
rattlesnake in Indian Battle Park, near the Elks parking lot. It was a roadkilled mature
male

2Aug17 Accepted a call in the evening to remove a rattlesnake from an acreage near
Diamond City. This was a mature male. The family had it trapped under a large
Rubbermade container. It seemed healthy at first, but was acting strange by the time I
went to drop him off at the coulee. Concerned, I returned the next morning. The snake
was still there, and behaving like it was having hallucinations (i.e. acting fearful of things
that weren't there). I took him away, and he died that afternoon. Autopsy showed that
there was trauma to the spine and back muscles right above the heart, and corresponding
internal bleeding. It must have been attacked or run-over at the acreage, but the residents
never told me
4Aug17 Picked up another roadkill adult male in Indian Battle Park, pretty much in the
same Elks area. This one was reported by some runners in the morning

4Aug17 In the evening, I was called down to retrieve a snake from the Paradise Golf
Club. It turned out to be a wandering garter snake, who I released in the coulee behind
the pump house, about half-way up the hill from the course

5Aug17 Was called to a Canyon Estates residence in the evening, where a passerby had
reported a rattlesnake observed on someone's property. The home-owner had not seen the
snake, but wanted me to check around the yard, which I did. No snake was found

7Aug17 Received a call through the hotline reporting a rattlesnake on one of the trails
south of Indian Battle Park. The caller waited for me to arrive, but we could not find the
snake when we went searching for it. Told him that, other than just ushering it a little
ways off the trail, I wouldn't relocate it far anyway

11Aug17 Attended a call to a Canyonview Point residence, where a mature male snake of
6+ years was moving along the side of the house. I picked up the snake and deposited it
in the coulee not too far away from this home (as that was the trajectory he was moving
in)

12Aug17 Got a report around noon of a large rattlesnake on the new pathway by the
University Stadium. The caller didn't stick around, and I was unable to locate the snake
when I arrived

12Aug17 A bit later in the afternoon, a woman phoned to alert me that there were a
couple young boys playing with what might be a rattlesnake in one of the parks in the
Canyons. I drove over, didn't find the boys, but asked a girl on the scene about it. She
said her brother had been one of them. They were trying to pick up a snake. The girl's
mom had come out to chase the snake away and admonish the boys

12Aug17 Just around dusk, I got called to a Canyon Close residence where I picked up a
yearling rattlesnake. This snake was released not too far, in the coulees behind Canyon
Close, overlooking the golf course

12Aug17 Right after dropping off the Canyon Close snake, I was called to the
Bridgeview RV Resort to deal with another rattler. This one unfortunately could not be
found, in some thing bushes, at night

13Aug17 Just before noon, I went to the community gardens on the ULeth campus to
pick up a large female rattlesnake. She could have been the same one seen on the path
year there around the same time the day before. I released her at the North Riverstone
Rookery, where there were neonates on-site. The female began bleeding while in my
bucket (bucket-cam footage later showed this to be caused by a self-inflicted bite). In the
moment, I suspected she might have been induced into labor by the stress of the
relocation. This bleeding is why I chose to bring her to a rookery site specifically
16Aug17 Attended a call about a rattlesnake in the driveway of a show home on Canyon
Meadows Road. The snake had scooted under the porch stairs before I arrived.
Construction workers on-site dismantled the stairway so that I could climb under and
retrieve the snake, an approximately four year-old female, who I released at the Upper
Popson Den

18Aug17 Received a call in the evening about a rattlesnake that had been bumped on the
road by the ULeth community garden. The snake was dying when I arrived. I discarded
the remains in a nearby coulee

20Aug17 Visited a Canyon Boulevard residence in the afternoon, where a rattlesnake had
been sighted in the back yard. A thorough search of that yard and one of the neighbor's
properties did not turn up a snake

21Aug17 Went to inspect the new Riverstone Dog Run, at the request of Abbey Slovak,
in the afternoon. Advising a double gate for maintenance and three foot hardware mesh
all around

21Aug17 Had a call in the late-afternoon to pick up a mature female rattlesnake from a
residential front porch on Canyon Court. Brought her to the Upper Popson den

21Aug17 Another call in the early evening took me back down to the river-bottom at
Paradise to pick up a mature male rattlesnake from a residential property on Canyon
Boulevard. Released him at the Upper Popson den as well

22Aug17 Crossed the river to pick up an adult male snake off the Scenic Drive Dog Run.
It was subsequently released in the coulee behind the cemetery

22Aug17 In the evening, I'm called to the community gardens at the University. There, I
pick up a mature male who was subsequently relocate to the coulees just north of
Riverstone

22Aug17 My third and last call comes a bit later in the evening, when someone reports a
rattlesnake in a high-traffic area by the Popson Park boat launch. This turns out to be a
little yearling who I move up to the coulee rim

23Aug17 Messages through the FB page bring me to Indian Battle Park in the morning,
where a snake has been sighted curled up in the structure of one of the garbage cans. It
turns out to be a large bullsnake, who I merely usher off into a less traveled area of the
coulee

23Aug17 Just after ten o'clock at night, I'm called out to a residence at Sandstone Lane,
by the airport. This is the first snake call I've received for this subdivision. It's a young
male rattler who I release in a field south of the neighborhood
23Aug17 My last call of the night takes me to Bridgeview RV Park, where I pick up a
mature male rattlesnake. It was relocated to the Bridge Drive Den area

24Aug17 At about nine-thirty in the evening I head down to Bridgeview RV Resort, for
the second night in a row, to pick up a rattlesnake. This one's a female, maybe five years
old, and I release her at the Bridge Drive Den area

25Aug17 Attended a call to pick up a yearling rattlesnake from a farm off Hwy 25, a
short ways beyond the Hwy 3 overpass. It was a property I'd visited earlier in the
summer, but was unsuccessful at locating the snake at the time. Could be the same snake.
But this one, the yearling, I was able to catch. I relocated it to the nearby coulee

26Aug17 Got a call in the early afternoon about a rattlesnake that had been trapped at the
Lethbridge Country Club. This turned out to be the same mature snake I picked up not a
week earlier (22nd) at the Scenic Dog Run. I released it, as before, behind the cemetery

26Aug17 Received a second call shortly after the first, this one at the Popson Park boat
launch. The snake had already moved itself off the high-traffic area by the time I arrived,
and so I didn't search more than about five feet off the path, and never did find it

27Aug17 In the morning, I visited a residence of Mount Sundial Court to capture and
relocate a mature, breeding-age female rattlesnake, who I deposit at the big woodpile by
the Upper Popson Den

28Aug17 In the morning, I drive all the way out to Taber, to check on a rattlesnake that
someone reported under the deck of a research company's rural building. I did a thorough
search, but never located the snake

28Aug17 In the early evening, I was called to Stonecrest Point, where a rattlesnake was
observed just off the walking path. Like the earlier snake, it had moved off before my
arrival

28Aug17 Just after visiting Stonecrest, I headed down to the Paradise Golf Club to pick
up Tobias, a senior male who I've collected from there every year since 2013. He was
released at the Upper Popson Den

27Aug17 After dark, I was alerted to a rattlesnake in a high traffic area of Pavan Park.
Because it was after hours, I did not go in search, confident that the snake would make its
own way off during the night

30Aug17 In the afternoon, I went to the University 'Bone Yard' to pick up a very mature
and well-fed female rattlesnake. She was released in the coulees north of Riverstone

31Aug17 Picked up a young male rattlesnake, maybe four years old, at the Paradise
Canyon Golf Club in the early evening, and subsequent released him at the Upper Popson
site
31Aug17 Later in the evening, I picked up the same rattlesnake again, for the third time
in less than two weeks, from the Lethbridge Country Club. At this point, I seriously
suspected this snake belongs - and has been trying to return to - the other side of the river.
With that notion in mind, I released at the North Riverstone Den area

1Sept17 In the morning, I was called to a home in the Ridgewood subdivision, where
someone reportedly had a rattlesnake emerging from their bathtub drain. This turned out
to be a moth

1Sept17 In the evening, I was called to pick up a mature female rattlesnake at the
University Stadium. She was released along the coulee edge north of Riverstone

7Sept17 In the late afternoon, I went into the utilities area on the fourth level of
University Hall, where I picked up a neonate wandering garter from a drain. I released
this snake at the UHall Den site

8Sept17 In the afternoon, Sheri attended a call to retrieve a roadkill rattlesnake from
Canyon Boulevard. Checking against the database, this snake had not been picked up
previously

9Sept17 Sheri attended a call to pick up a rattlesnake from the Paradise Canyon Golf
Club. It was released at the Upper Popson den site

10Sept17 In the afternoon, a call came through the hotline regarding a rattlesnake under
someone's vehicle at the University Community Gardens. I arrived within about fifteen
minutes, but the snake had already moved off into a field by the Bone Yard. I did not
search further

12Sept17 Attended another afternoon call to the University, where I picked up a mature
female rattlesnake, who I released at the 6th Floor UHall Den

16Sept17 In the early afternoon, I was called to Popson Park to deal with a mature male
rattlesnake who was on the road. I just walked him up the coulee slope away from human
traffic

16Sep17 In the late afternoon, I ran out to a residence on Oxford road, where a family
thought they had a rattlesnake in their back yard. Turned out to a wandering garter. I
relocated it to an adjacent field

19Sept17 Picked up a female rattlesnake in the afternoon from a residence near the
airport. I released her across the river, at the Upper Popson Den

19Sept17 Also was called to the University, to pick up a neonate from inside a
construction area on the NAS patio. Released it directly at the 6th Floor UHall Den
21Sept17 Responded to an afternoon call about a snake at a Canyon Estates resident. A
construction worker on the site had already caught it in a cooler. Turned out to be a
wandering garter snake which was subsequently released in the adjacent coulee

24Sept17 Had simultaneous snake calls in the late afternoon. The first of these involved a
young - possibly three year old - rattlesnake who was on the road at Popson Park. This
snake had a broken jaw and was collected for medical observation

24Sept17 The second snake call was from a resident of Legacy Ridge who had seen and
tracked a large bullsnake into a neighbor's yard. The snake was not found when I
attended

26Sept17 Had two back-to-back rattlesnake calls, both from the University. The first was
in the Destination Project area, a young male who I released at the 6th Floor UHall Den

26Sept17 The second rattlesnake was a mature male in the stadium parking lot, who I
released at the North Riverstone Den

27Sept17 A male rattlesnake of about four years age was hit on Riverine Lane and died
of the injuries

Conclusion/ Recommendation

While we dont know whether the number of requests for rattlesnake mitigation services
will continue to increase in the drastic manner they did during in this season, it is at least
clear that the present services need to be maintained in the foreseeable future, both for the
safety of the citizenry and the conservation of this threatened wildlife population.