Haven't seen any where I hut in Mtns and never have in Nov not to say they aren't out because I've heard people tell me they've seen em I just don't look to hard
No surprise as warm as its been. I heard tree frogs peeping this evening while I was sitting on stand, and if its warm enough for the frogs to be active, the snakes will be out, too.
While squirrel hunting, December 17(won't ever forget the date), maybe 1983, my cousin was walking behind me while I walked on a narrow animal trail carrying the squirrels. He said whoa. I turned around and the first thing I saw was the snake on the trail. Farthest I would have been from the snake was a half a stride. May have even stepped on it. Button Timber rattlesnake. 10 to 12 inches long. He wanted to catch it, I warned him, and he still did. Half way out of the woods he stuttered my name some and said "he's getting warm". Wanted to put it in a 5 gallon bucket at his mom's, told him repeatedly it would get out. Didn't believe me and it did. His mom had a freaking COW!!! There was a rotten wood pile behind the garage, separate from the house, told him to dig through it and he found it. It was 42 degrees when I got home that day.
Later 80's, in what is now between woodmoose's house and Juniper Creek, same cousin had his bird dogs doing a "deer drive" from the creek towards the pond. One dog jumped over a log my cousin was about step over, and the dog turned around and pointed. We heard a shot. The Timber rattlesnake was about 3 feet long. It was probably mid December. Cleaned it with plans to eat it but it got freezer burned. Meat reminded me of frog legs. There are times we have been real close to venomous snakes while hunting and not even known it. That's why I wear Rattlers chaps while rabbit and quail hunting.
Down east in NC the local reptiles never seem to completely go underground in winter. Shoot we have xmas dinner on the porch most years. On bright sunny days even if its cool they'll come out and sun awhile. Mostly what I see are rat snakes but every now and then there will be a copperhead.