Just remember, "pretty much zero chance" of getting bit is not the same as "zero chance" of getting bit.
Most people who get bit by rattlesnakes are somehow messing around like this. I have an INCREDIBLE amount of respect for Murphy's Law. Mr. Murphy had patience on your soul this time.
Think about it. If you get bit, you could die. Most likely, you will live. Your leg would never be the same again. And, as a bonus, the treatment for a snake bite can be as much as $100,000.
The wife was right.