Shan, now that you mentioned the rattlesnakes.....that is the very reason I was raking leaves. Thank goodness I don't have as many as most of you do or any of the big leaves like you probably have. I do have pecan tree leaves scattered across the backyard and Chinese pistachio leaves across the front yard, but neither make very large leaves. Then there are mesquite leaves coming down now, but they are very small, more like willow leaves. I don't bother to rake any of these tree leaves. They are thinly scattered and will blow away or break down with time.
I went to town yesterday so later, after the car engine had cooled down, I went out to put the rodent repellent pouch back under the hood. Time got away and it was almost dark when I thought to go do it. The car is parked under a kind of carport-like shed that comes off the back side of the old cinderblock garage/shop. When I went to open the hood, right where I was about to step to do it, was Mr. Rattler. It was truly a mercy of God that I didn't step on it or that it didn't bite me anyway, since I was certainly close enough by the time I saw it.
I got my capture stick but was having trouble getting the catcher part under the snake. It didn't like me fooling with it so it went under an old push mower that was parked nearby. When I moved the mower, the snake got pretty mad and started thrashing around and rattling like crazy. Then it took off and went between the car and the cinderblock wall, which is a tight space of no more than a foot or two. Also, there were some pvc pipes and other junk on the ground, and an antique wash tub on legs at the entrance to the space. There were pecan tree leaves everywhere, piled up. It was getting too dark now so I went for a flashlight. But how am I going to hold a flashlight, a capture stick, and a gun all at the same time?
I picked up a rock and got stung by a fire ant in the process. But again, a mercy. Who ever heard of anybody getting bitten by ONE fire ant? I propped the light up on the rock, ditched the capture stick, and took a shot at the snake, hoping I wouldn't shoot the car or have the bullet ricochet off the wall of the garage. Missed on the first try and the snake was really having a fit now, flailing around, rattling, biting at the air. I got it on the second try, which was a surprise. Truth is, I didn't expect to be able to hit it at all, as I was several feet away and the light was poor and I was using a little .22 handgun.
This morning I went out and moved the car, got rid of all the little junk that was on the ground, moved the lawn mower, and raked all the leaves away. At least it is clean and smooth under there now (dirt floor) so I have a better chance of seeing anything that hadn't ought to be there.