I was on the way out of my claim and the area I was snake bitten earlier this year my mining partner walking a few feet behind me yelled Rattlesnake, and he almost stepped on it because it was crossing the road and I had just walked over it. Having been bitten earlier this year I bought snake gators to prevent it from happening again. Sure enough we get to the truck and there were two sets of puncture marks in my Right gator and I never heard or saw it until he pointed it out. Sure enough a small rattlesnake, too small to rattle loud enough for you to hear it, and the last time I only  heard a hiss.

Get some light weight gators if you are in snake country, there are two dens on the route to one of my claims. I call it the "Highway to Hell, and then to Hell and Back again".