Wildlife Officials Remind Hikers To Be Mindful Of Snakes In Their Path

As temperatures warm up, more people are hiking, but being out in nature increases your risk of encountering snakes.

"People that see snakes will see snakes sunning themselves or basking on a trail in an open setting either the first few hours in the morning or the last hours in the afternoon," Howery said.

Mark Howery with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation says that by May, all the snakes are out of hibernation which makes it more likely you'll come across one. Howery says you shouldn't be too worried about your time exploring nature.

"The chances of going out to a trail and encountering a snake are pretty small," Howery said.

Out of 47 snake species in Oklahoma, only seven are venomous.

"The vast majority of snakes that you see are going to be harmless, harmless nonvenomous snakes,” Howery said.

He says be mindful when stepping across fallen logs or on scattered leaves.

"If there is a log cross your path to step on top of the log then step off of the log as opposed to stepping over the log directly because sometimes there can be a snake on the other side," Howery said.

In the rare event someone is actually bitten by a venomous snake, ER doctor Eric Engstrom has some important tips to follow.

"The thing that most people try to do is suck out the venom or put on a tourniquet or put it in ice and those are actually things we don't want," Engstrom said.

Engstrom says you should go to the hospital immediately if you've been bitten and try to keep the area that was bitten as still as possible.

This also goes for pets, which should be taken to the veterinarian immediately.

Howery says he wants people to remember that snakes don't try to bite humans unless they feel provoked. So, if you happen to come across one it's best to give them plenty of space.