Remarkably, Cochise County’s Snake Guy Survives Deadly Rattlesnake Bite

William "Bill" Schumacher is a legend around Cochise County.

Bill's confidence and swagger are reminiscent of the storied cowboys Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday. The Earps stared death in the face from rogue outlaws of the human kind; Schumacher locks eyes with herpetological outliers, staring down deadly rattlesnakes, and living to tell the tale.

How Did Bill Schumacher Get Bitten, then Survive a Rattlesnake Bite?

The local Chit Chat sites were buzzing with information: the Snake Guy, William Schumacher, had been bitten by a Western Diamondback. He was being ferried by ambulance to a Tucson Hospital. No, Bisbee's Copper Queen Community Hospital. No, airlifted by helicopter, possibly to Phoenix. 

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The rumors were swirling. News of the snake bite came from Bill himself as his wife drove him to Copper Queen Hospital. In the melee, updates from Bill were slow, so the local internet filled in the gaps.

Bill succumbed to his injury, one person said. Another person said the snake bite had come from one of the snakes in Bill's own menagerie. Someone said he was doing poorly. Another said he'd never been bitten and was just fine. Eventually, Bill was able to share his story.

The Snake Guy: Setting the Record Straight

Bill Schumacher has done a lot for folks in Cochise County. An expert with decades of experience, he knows snakes, how to safely remove them, and the best places to relocate them so they can live their lives in peace—away from humans and animals.

Residents call him 24/7 to come to their homes or businesses to remove venomous snakes. They share photos of snakes so he can help identify them, and he continually works to educate the public at community events and through educational initiatives. While he helps humans with their snake encounters, he's actually on the side of the snake, working to protect them.

But even an expert can rattle a Diamondback if it's caught unaware. And yes, even Bill "The Snake Guy" Schumacher is not immune to the consequences.

READ: Is It Illegal to Kill a Rattlesnake in Arizona?

The Real Story: How the Snake Guy Survived a Deadly Diamondback Bite

In an interview on K101, Bill shared the details of his encounter with a deadly snakebite.

"I was cleaning out a brush pile behind my emu pen," Bill recounted. "I reached into the pile, heard what sounded like a "tick", then got bit by a Western diamondback. It didn't rattle, like they usually do. Just one "tick", and I got bit on the arm."

Lucky for Bill, the snake only managed to get one fang into Bill's arm, which meant it wasn't able to inject as much venom as it typically would. Being able to identify the type of snake and sharing that information with the medical team made getting and using the right antivenin a much easier process for the medical teams who treated him.

"I got around 20 vials of antivenin at Copper Queen, then they sent me by ambulance up to Tucson, where they gave me more." After a few days in the hospital, he was released to recover at home.

"Would you do it again?" I asked. "Go through the pain and the experience to keep advocating for snakes, even Diamondbacks?"

"You bet," he replied without hesitation. "It wasn't her fault. She was just defending herself."

READ: What Kind of Snake is that in my Arizona yard?

Continuing the Mission for Rattlesnakes

William "the Snake Guy" Schumacher is licensed with the Arizona Department of Game and Fish and has the experience and knowledge to remove snakes in Cochise County. If you encounter a snake, clear the area and make sure pets and children are safely removed.

Then, call Bill at (520) 227-3597 or find him on the Snake Guy Snake Removal Facebook page.