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HANOVER, COLO. -- A man is in critical condition after being bit by a rattlesnake.

It happened around 10:40 p.m. Tuesday in the backyard of the man's home located in the 21000 block of La Plano Point.

The Hanover Fire Department said 45-year-old Roy Smith was reaching down to pick up his dogs when he was bit on the hand several times.

At first they said he did not know that he had been bitten, and added it was not until he felt his hand swelling up and saw the snake that he made the connection.

The Division of Wildlife meanwhile said El Paso County is home to only one kind of rattlesnake.

"You are not going to necessarily see them more in open space, we do see them in the cities, they are pretty much anywhere they can find shelter and their prey," Tina Jackson, Reptile and Amphibian Coordinator with the DOW said.

Jackson said right now is when people need to be aware and alert because the snakes are out of hibernation.

She said most bites occur when people are not looking and accidentally stumble upon them like Smith did in his backyard.

Jackson's number one tip, always watch where you are walking.

"If you do see a snake, whether it is in your yard or on a hike, just give it plenty of room, if you get to the point where the snake is coiled up and rattling at you then that means it is uncomfortable," Jackson said.

If you do get bitten, Jackson said it is important to seek immediate medical help because every person reacts different to the venom.

She said some people may be allergic or have underlying medical conditions that make the bite worse such as asthma.

In the end though Jackson said the best thing people can do is educate themselves and their children.

"Leave the snakes alone, whether it be a small child while they are out playing and they see the snake, just let an adult know and do not touch it," Jackson said.

The Hanover Fire Department said Smith was airlifted to Penrose Hospital where he remains in critical condition.

They said he made the right decision in not trying to drive himself because not every hospital can treat venomous snake bites.