Michigan Guy Goes Fishing – Catches Rattlesnake

According to MLive.com, Jonathan Hotham and his wife Jessica were kayaking and fishing earlier this month in Cleveland Lake near Brooklyn, when a large Eastern massasauga rattlesnake – Michigan’s only venomous snake - swam up beside them. Jonathan was all excited. We'll get to Jessica's reaction in a second.

What would you do?

If you said, "beat it to death with the paddle" - that would be the wrong answer. Eastern massasauga rattlesnakes are protected in Michigan.  The DNR reminds you that killing one would be a violation of the Endangered Species Act, unless the individual feels his or her life is in danger. They're rare - and from all the stories I've heard - not very aggressive. And, it would seem that was proven again during the Hotham's encounter. Jonathan says he caught the 2 1/2 foot snake with his fishing net and then let it hang out on his paddle while his wife took photos.

It probably helped that it was early spring and the snake was probably still sluggish. I'm sure if it had tried to come into the kayak there might have been some more action. In the article he mentions his wife's reaction, saying, "“She was a bit concerned."

I bet. Here's the story. With Jessica's photos.