in that area, even on a measly 5 acres, if you are doing ranch-type work you need a pistol - a fucking revolver you assholes - round about a .38 loaded with snakeshot for rattlers, and it should be on you at all timew.
Rattlesnakes eat mice and rats and grophers and all sorts of pests a functioning farm - even a non-functioning one - don't want around, so you shouldn't go gunning for them. But they like to hide in areas you might not see them until you're ontop of them - and if there's one rattler there in front of you, there might be more behind you, so retreat is a bad idea. If its tail is going, and you're closer than 6 feet... its not quite "Him or me" but unless you feel really lucky you need to respond that way.
You should also have a .22 somewhere you can run and grab it. Its good for varmiting. Ground that open and that populated you shouldn't need to worry about bears to much. Its also good to have if there are methheads skulking about. Methheads aren't going to try to do the 22lr calculus, they are going to see you have a gun and go to place that doesn't have a gun.
And you should have a 12 gauge in the house and your wife should know how to use it, and be comfortable grabbing it if she hears you yelling. If there is bear, or a mountain lion, that will likely save your life.
When the sanest Tranch Troon is the one who stuck his flacid dick in crazy and hears voices.
Also Boner is very close to admitting KWF was right about Phil trying to get them to standardize on moon ammo.