Jason Magee was walking a popular trail in Mission Viejo when a familiar sight caught the corner of his eye — a rattlesnake slithering in the nearby bushes, dangerously close to a skatepark, playground and a dog park.
“I have my tongs with me, let me just grab this thing,” said Magee, a trained professional who owns and operates OC Snake Removal. The snake struck and shook its tail to protect itself, releasing its notorious rattle warning.
Magee put the rattlesnake in his bucket and transported it further up the hill, away from homes and people.
To the everyday hiker or biker, the venomous rattlesnake would likely have gone unnoticed. But authorities are warning about an early snake season: be on high alert, because rattlesnakes are already out in abundance this year.
Rattlesnakes typically start showing in greater numbers later in April, but extreme heat in recent weeks has brought the snakes out earlier than usual. The urgency of the warnings comes following a fatal bite in Irvine earlier in February and a teenager struck by a snake in Ventura last week.
“We want people to enjoy going out and the nice weather and be active – but they always need to be cautious,” Capt. Greg Barta, spokesperson for the Orange County Fire Authority, said.
Make sure to have situational awareness, and always scan ahead of where you are going, he warned.
“There’s an increase in sightings,” he said. “It’s a pretty rare event, but there are more snakes out and about; it’s an early season.”
A captured rattlesnake held with snake tongs by Jason Magee of OC Snake Removal in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A sign warns visitors about rattlesnakes on the Quail Hill Trail Loop in Irvine, CA on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jason Magee of OC Snake Removal uses a plastic barrel to move captured rattlesnakes in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People hike on the Quail Trail in Irvine, CA on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jason Magee of OC Snake Removal with a captured rattlesnake in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A rattlesnake near Beebe Park in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jason Magee of OC Snake Removal captures a rattlesnake near Beebe Park in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Jason Magee of OC Snake Removal with a captured rattlesnake in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A sign warns visitors to be on the lookout for rattlesnakes at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach, CA, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A trail at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach, CA, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Show Caption
1 of 10
A captured rattlesnake held with snake tongs by Jason Magee of OC Snake Removal in Mission Viejo on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Leonard Ortiz, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Magee, who has had his business for more than 20 years, said he’s been busy with an influx of calls from homeowners, golf courses and HOAs needing snakes removed.
He’s already captured hundreds of snakes since the start of the month, he added. Just on Tuesday, when he found the snake in Mission Viejo’s Gilleran Park, he had already been to four properties by noon — from Irvine to Santa Ana Hills to San Clemente — searching for snakes.
“We’re doing so much, we’re all over the place,” he said.
Snakes don’t hibernate as a bear does during winter, he explained, but come out of brumation, their winter dormancy, when the weather warms around springtime.
“It’s a form of slowing down, but not completely shutting down,” Magee said. “They can be somewhat active if it’s a warm day or week. I could find plenty in February, but most people wouldn’t see them unless it is really warm.”
It’s not totally unheard of for the snakes to be active in March, but this year is especially busy, he said.
Magee captures the snakes and releases them in designated areas back in the wild or gives them to educational groups. When he takes them back to the wild, he makes sure to release them in a safe place, he said, but near where he found them.
“It’s better to keep them locally specific,” he said. “I would never remove a snake in San Diego and bring it to Orange County, they have their own little ecosystems and if you remove it too far, it can stress the snakes out. You never want to cross-contaminate locations.”
And he never, ever kills a snake.
Magee first found a passion for snakes as a kid, as young as 6, he said, when he and his dad would go on hikes in a canyon near their Dana Point home searching for reptiles. He said his dad taught him at an early age how to handle snakes safely, but joked that it was the ’80s, a different time back then, and he would not recommend doing the same today.
“I would go out there and find them for fun,” he said.
He earned the name “snake kid” around town, and would often be called out by nervous neighbors to remove snakes on their properties.
Magee, 42, started doing snake removal as a business while in college, and today offers everything from monthly inspections to erecting snake fencing on properties.
Education is important, he said. Snakes are a vital part of the ecosystem, important for rodent control, he said. “Without snakes, there would be an abundance of rodents.”
Most bites occur when people mess with snakes, Magee said. If you come across one, give it space and reach out to a professional, he said.
“A good respectful boundary from snakes is a key thing to take away — to give them space,” Magee said. “As much as we don’t want to be around them, they don’t want to be around us.”
If bitten, treat it as a medical emergency and call 911, authorities say. Also important: Stay calm.
Barta had a few more tips for rattlesnake safety, such as making sure you can hear your surroundings.
“If you have AirPods in and music, you can’t hear the snake in the area,” he said.
A sign warns visitors about rattlesnakes on the Quail Hill Trail Loop in Irvine, CA on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People hike on the Quail Trail in Irvine, CA on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A trail at the Bolsa Chica Wetlands in Huntington Beach, CA, on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Jeff Gritchen, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Show Caption
1 of 3
A sign warns visitors about rattlesnakes on the Quail Hill Trail Loop in Irvine, CA on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. (Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Always hike with a partner for an extra pair of eyes, and so they can call 911 if you get bit, Barta added. Keep pets on leashes and stay on marked trails. Most bites come from the edges of trails.
Wear sturdy boots and loose-fitting long pants and do not wear sandals or flip-flops in brushy areas. Stay on well-used trails and avoid tall grass, weeds and heavy underbrush. Also, check rocks, stumps or logs before sitting down.
Let others know where you are going, when you plan to return, and carry a cellphone.
According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, rattlesnakes are generally not aggressive and will avoid people. They usually retreat if given a safe space to move and are not provoked or threatened.
A startled rattlesnake may not rattle before striking defensively. They also may not deliver a bite with venom — instead, a “dry bite” may be used as a warning because venom creation and use can tax a snake’s energy.
“However, all bites from a rattlesnake should be treated as a venomous bite until appropriate medical attention is provided,” CDFW warns.
The U.S. Forest Service also sent out a warning and more tips on treating a snake bite, including keeping the victim still, because movement helps the venom spread through the body. Also, keep the injured body part motionless and lower than heart level.
Do not allow the person to eat or drink anything. Do not apply a tourniquet, slash the wound with a knife or attempt to suck out the venom, officials warned.