Rattlers return to Odessa

ODESSA — As the weather warms, residents here are quite familiar of one side effect: rattlesnakes emerging from hibernation in the channeled scabland environments of southern Lincoln County.

Last weekend’s comparatively hot temperatures alerted the serpents that it’s time to emerge. Odessa Public Works crews ran into a snake near the town treatment plant Monday, May 1.

That’s not uncommon for local crews or residents.

“We hear about hundreds of them every year,” Public Works director Anthony Paszkeicz said. “Last year we probably saw a dozen or so just on city property.”

Fish and Wildlife Officer JoLynne Beauchene said most rattlesnakes leave people alone if people return the favor.

The most common rural areas Beauchene hears about a rattlesnake presence is near Coffeepot Lake and Hog Canyon, with other sightings reported near Hawk Creek and Porcupine Bay in recent years. They are much more common in southern Lincoln County, she said.