I was walking in a nature preserve, dry brush/pine needles, listening to music with earbuds.
Between songs I hear a sound like hawking up a phlegm. I look down and a diamond back rattlesnake is less than 6 feet from me, coiled up rattling away.
I think we stumbled on each other and that phlegm sound I heard was a strike at me. If I weren’t between songs, I would have walked right on top of him.
I was about a mile in from the trail head too. Could have killed me. Still gives me the hee-bee geebies.
good reminder, if your walking in flat brush, always scan for the rattlers.