We live in San Diego and my husband is always THRILLED to find a rattlesnake in our yard. We have a gopher problem and my husband would never dream of harming a rattlesnake, on the theory that if he leaves them alone, they'll gratefully eat our gophers for us. Once I found him kneeling out in the yard, gently holding a live rattler stretched out straight between both his hands and trying to poke it down a gopher hole. The snake did NOT appear to be enjoying the experience!

yes there are rattlesnakes. I have had friends hunt them for fun. (Don't ever let them urinate on you - as bad as a skunk's odor)

You might also worry about scorpions. We kill about 1 a week in our house.

Don't go to Yellowstone without reading about all the people who fall in the geysers and are boiled to death.

We were in Zion last month and saw a rattlesnake while on the Riverside Walk. A group of people were watching it, so we had some warning. When it "rattled" everyone took a large step backward! My kids were thrilled. No one got hurt - I think the snake was happy to get away from everyone. While in Sedona, eat at the Cowboy Club - they have an appetizer which includes rattlesnake, buffalo and cactus fries - FUN!

BBEAR,

WOW, your first time at Zion and you see a rattlesnake! We've been at least 25 times to Zion and never saw one.

Utahtea

1441 is so freaked out tht she posted two like messages. You better change your plans you could ruin everyone in will be in Arizona vacation. Try Detroit or Watts it is much mich safer there.