Thomas,
Saw a few rattlers in East TX last week, far too up close, although they are slowing down now. Looking back, I have only had one real close snake encounter over 39 years in the biz, stepping on some slow water mocs and getting away with it.
My closest rattler encounter was opening week at Sand Hills. Dana Fry sent me up the bunker bank on 18 to snap a photo of his shot, and darn near sat on one, just a foot to the left. He rattled, looked at me, but didn't ever strike.
Should be a separate thread, but I wonder what injuries architects have suffered in the field. Snakes are out there, a la the Tillie photo (among others) of him holding a 5 ft dead rattler......There was Frank Duane and encephalitis, but in all the years I have only heard a few stories. Paul Cowley did get a snake bite a few years back.