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Western rattlesnake, Crotalus oreganus. The only rattlesnake species in the state. https://www.oregonconservationstrategy.org/strategy-species/western-rattlesnake/ Timber rattlesnake, Crotalus horridus, aren't found west of the continental divide.

Some years ago I had email contact with a habituator human who claimed to be trading food for other things with a group of BF. Your comment about following the rules triggered something I remember he said. According to him, while he was often face to face with them, he wanted a picture. The BF leader told him that photographs are not permitted. Permitted by whom? Who makes and enforces rules on a 9 plus foot bigfoot? They seem to be in lock step on no pictures. That implies enforcement somehow. I always felt as if I was contantly under observation when I was in my research area. Feeling of being watched never went away. I when I slammed the truck door at my normal parking area sometimes I got a responding wood knock as If they wanted me to know they were around too. But that said, my first contact was likely the result of a blunder by two BF who lost track of where I was. I had changed direction of travel three times in a period of less than an hour. And the two traveling together nearly ran over me. They are not perfect but they are very good at avoiding us. Human travel on human developed trails and logging roads make avoiding us easier. Two or more humans are usually talking. The most likely way to have BFcontact is like deer hunters, stay off trail, move quietly, do not be predictable and hope some BF blunders into you.

Interesting how those pesky Missouri squatch stay on the edges more than the interior in the spring in the east. Definitely prefer those woody edges that are heavily forested. This in itself is very instructive no matter where your squatchermetric vicinity is state-boundary wise. Keep up the great work @BobbyO Very unique perspective to be gained. I was wondering about waterways within those Missouri perimeters even ponds, lakes and reservoirs. I suppose you could drill down on Google Earth and access that info too with known sighting points retained. I am remembering some of the earliest Missouri researchers I read about that used old mailboxes as dropboxes and had interactions within. Edited to add: Thanks for your huge input on the SSR database @BobbyO as it is obtainable data for all that can remember the password, lol!