Wow, a rattler in WV...I have never seen one east of the Mississippi.
I've yet to see one in the wild, but they are common in the mountains, and in densely forested coastal plains areas along the east coast. Eastern Diamondbacks are now rare, but timber rattlers and canebrake rattlers (in the coastal areas) are somewhat common. About 5 years ago, we had a severe drought in the summer, and at nearby Cacapon State Park (golfers would know about this park) they closed parts of the park due to a nasty infestation of rattlers along the stream bed area. In a drought, small animals migrate to available water, and the rattlers follow them and setup ambush areas along the stream beds.
So if you want to see rattlesnakes in the wild, one strategy is to hike up the middle of small creek or stream beds in the heat of a dry summer, but do so carefully.
