In the event of a rattlesnake bite, your suction based snake bite kit will increase localized tissue damage. They are not recommended anymore. The best thing to do is to call for help and get to a hospital.

The Sawyer extractor might be acceptable if applied immediately, and if the bite is from a Mojave Rattlesnake. That's because most populations of Mojaves have a strongly neurotoxic venom that is quite deadlly, so although application of the snake bite kit may be result in the destruction of your bitten limb, it might also slow down the venom enough to keep you breathing until hospitalization/antivenom is administered.

In Arizona, the fatality rate of snakebites is around 1% and that is primarily because of the availablity of antivenom.

Thanks for the info. I have the Sawyer and is good to know even it is just not going to do much good. I got pretty close to the last Mojave Green I saw, I think I might take a little more caution next time.
After browsing the forums last night I got caught up in watching a bunch of Steve Irwin on youtube- as silly as he seems at times he was an expert and crazy, er brave handler.
Here he handles a mojave green (which amazes me, they are really much more excitable than any other species I have encountered):

Also, what about Benedryl or ephedrine or other methods for emergency bite treatment? Are there any?
Thanks,
Clifford

Snake venoms are very complex and will manifest a horrid combination of symptoms that could be further aggravated with OTC medications. The rule is to ingest nothing.

Among serious herpetologists, Steve Irwin was an example of wrecklessness typical of the sensationalist (mis)direction that nature shows have gone lately. While I admired his pro-conservation contributions, his snake handling exploits were unacceptable.

The Mojave's that I find in my area are quite docile. I think their temperments depend on the population (genetic propensity), as well as the individual specimen's mood.

Thanks much for the reply. Valuable info.

What specifically about Steve Irwin's methods is glaringly unacceptable? I ask from a place of total inexperience in the field and commonly accepted protocol (ie ignorance- heh). I can assume that simply picking them up and handling them in the first place is a bad idea not for the risk of being bitten but for other reasons like stress to the animal, etc.

Cheers,
C

The part where he sets a bad example to kids and cowboys about how exciting it is to free-handle venomous snakes. He would have done better to respect the venom, which clearly he did not.

My catch phrase is: "You can always trust a rattlesnake!" (They don't pretend to be your friend, and then bite you!)