Man, you're one lucky guy! Around here, we don't have rattlesnakes, I'm very thankful! In mid September, I went to Montana, Fort Peck area to hunt big horn sheep with my brother in law. I knew there was snakes around those parts, so I always had that in the back of my mind when walking in the hills and the thick sage and other grasses. I was 50/50 on wanting to see a rattler, I've never seen a live one in the wild, and I've always kind of wanted to, but at the same time, I wouldn't want to be surprised by one! On the last day of the hunt, my brother in law shot his sheep, and the first guy down the hill radioed back up to us other guys coming down behind him that he had just been surprised by a silent rattler that struck at him and missed him by inches. I was jacked and scared sh!tless at the same time, lol! We walked extra careful on the way out in that part, never seen the snake, which was a bummer and a blessing all in one! I still would love to see one in the wild, but on my terms, haha!!
And another thing on the snake boots, I had a veteran hunter that has seen many snakes in the wild and even had some strike his boots before, tell me that the snakes strike out, not up for the most part. So more than likely, they will usually strike below your knees, so with snake boots being tall, they protect your legs from snake bites.