another thing to watch out for while hunting, snakes.

That would be a pretty good sized rattler for my part of the world. I've run into some really big ones in North Dakota.

I leave'm be. I figure any snake that has the courtesy to warn me that it's around deserves that respect.

I was born and bred in Georgia, and snakes are a fact of life. Size for size the most toxic of the bunch is the S.E. canebrake rattler. One autumn near where we lived a man was bitten when he climbed down out of his deer stand. He was dead in a documented 15 minutes. They were all over our yard and even came up on the porch. Never had a problem with them as they are shy and not as prone to strike as, say, copperheads and cottonmouths. The eastern diamondbacks pack a punch, being the largest venomous snake in North America. A canebrake is very big at 75 (+or -) inches. But the E. diamondback would only be "modest" at that size. The main thing about the diamondbacks is their huge, out sized heads which pack a much larger quantity of venom than any of the others.

I do most of my hunting in the low country of SC. Beautiful area, but full of snakes. We rarely leave the road without snake boots. Snakes are just part of the experience and I’ve come to enjoy them.

A friend of mine killed a diamondback last week in his barn just under 6 foot.

Diamondbacks are getting scarce around here. I haven't seen one in the last 6 years. I tend to leave them alone if they're in the woods but all poisonous snakes near the yard get executed. I also kill any cottonmouth or pygmy (ground) rattler I come across anywhere since they seem to want to harm folks .. ill-tempered serpents are they.

Had a surprising afternoon. Wife and I were watching a movie and I thought one of the dogs were sniffing around where they didn't need to be but all of them were napping on the couch. Look over an wow, about a 4 foot snake in the house. Non poisonous thankfully. Only one of 4 I've seen in 35 years here. Freed it out back.

I have lived in Florida all of my life. Diamondback and pygmy rattlers, and cottonmouths. When I was a boy we killed every rattler and moccasin we came across. I don't kill non-vemomous snakes.

Nowadays rattlers have become scarce and I don't kill them if they aren't right up close to my house, barn, etc. They're an important part of the ecology and should be conserved where possible so long as they're not an active threat to my family.

Cottonmouths still seem to be plentiful.

I can’t remember where I copied this one from and it was just a couple months ago.



Hats off to you guys, venomous snakes and spiders generally don’t last a long time around me.

In GA it is the three Cs and the three Rs

Cottonmouth
Copperhead
Coral Snake

Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
Canebrake/Timber Rattlesnake
Pygmy Rattlesnake

I wear snake boots whenever I am off the beaten path.

Anybody eat them?

HB said:

Anybody eat them?

Click to expand...

I have. Just about stepped on a big timber rattler one cold morning while I was muzzleloader hunting for deer.

Turned him into a hatband and lunch. Tasted like chicken, but with bones like a fish.

I’m somewhat unsure what venomous snakes do for the ecosystem what king snakes could not also.

It is true though that the numbers of the Eastern DB are dwindling. I have heard this is more due to human extermination than anything else like habitat destruction or whatnot. We don’t have a rattlesnake roundup anymore. At least not officially. Maybe that will help them survive for a bit longer.

One thing I know is that in GA, the killing of non-venomous snakes is illegal. If one were to twist the interpretation of that a little bit then it could be read as the killing of venomous snakes is encouraged. Don’t know but that is the impression I get whenever I ponder the first time I read that statute.

I live in the NW corner of GA and hunt mostly in the mountains of North GA. I see the occasional copperhead during warm weather months. I've only seen 1 rattler and that was on a summer backpack trip in the mountains many years ago. He was a big one, at least a 5 footer, maybe 6'.

Never seen a venomous snake while hunting and only 1-2 period. Turkey season here is early enough that it is still cool enough that they don't get out. That might be more of a problem farther south. This year it was March 24- May 15. By the time big game season gets started in October they are usually not out either.

Have run across so many snakes in my years, especially cotton Mouths, copper heads and Rattle Snakes. Never killed a one. Just have let them be in in the woods or swamps. No problem.

Don't really care for snakes, startles me when ever I see one. Have run into rattlers while hunting Wyoming for Mulies, Antelope, and prairie dogs. Found one coiled up by a rifle once. They blend in so well to the natural landscape, makes it hard to seem them.

Copperheads, pygmies, and eastern diamondbacks are all we ever see around here. I believe the pygmies are considered a protected species here in Tennessee now. One thing that might ease some folks fear of copperheads a bit is they have very weak venom. For a full grown adult, you are more likely to die from an allergic reaction to the venom than the actual power of the venom.

Almost all of the snake bites where have been from People handling them. ( and not many of those, especially considering the high number of Poisonous snakes) The Caneback Rattler is a protective species.

I like to think I've grown smarter over the decades but I'm sure the kid who used to say "Cool, let's catch it!" is still alive and well deep inside.

It's amazing how many people go off the deep end whenever they come across a snake of any kind, venomous or not.

Unless the encountered snake in question presents a real threat to people they should be left alone. Especially in the wild.

jmorris said:

I can’t remember where I copied this one from and it was just a couple months ago.
View attachment 919787
Hats off to you guys, venomous snakes and spiders generally don’t last a long time around me.

Click to expand...

I have never seen a copperhead in the wild. I'm pretty sure they don't live in Florida.

Maybe you see less rattlers in Florida because the pythons are eating them all? When I lived in Missouri, nearly every fishing and canoe trip involved seeing cottonmouths coiled on the bank or swimming. Luckily, they never bothered me so I left them alone.

I'm pretty much for live and let live but I have seen situations where it's out of control. One experience was at a state park lake. Signs all over. Don't kill wildlife. Nice dock and fishing area. Only problem. When evening came there were Mocs all over the place. You couldn't keep fish on a stringer. Even in basket there were so many small snakes that could get through the mesh. It was nerve racking. Had to be on guard all the time while fishing, going to and from car and bathroom. Was definatly no place for kids. That was like 10 years ago. Have never gone back.
At home I don't mind non venomous but others are removed.