It's dripping snakes around here.

[hillbilly]

Here in Crawford County, Arkansas, we've had two very mild winters in a row. I mean at my house, it's been two years since we had a measurable snow fall.

And as a result, the snake populations have EXPLODED!!!!!!

This morning, I went fishing at Lee Creek at the National Forest canoe access.

Walking to the creek, I came across a 14-inch garter snake on the gravel road. I picked it up and tossed it into the weeds so on coming traffic wouldn't squish it.

Then, on the creek itself, I saw four more separate snakes in about two hundred yards worth of stream bank.

Two were probably cottonmouths....thick, dark bodies that floated on top of the water as they swam, with large heads that stuck up characteristically at about a 45 degree angle.

A third was for sure a banded water snake. Another was too far away to identify, but the head and sinuous ripple could have been only a snake.

In fact, for about 10 minutes, the two probable cottonmouths cruised around the same hole of water together. That's pretty much unheard of for this stretch of Ozark Mountain stream.

All the while, I had a Kimber Ultra Carry II in a Versa Max II on my hip.

But at the time I would have gladly traded it in a heartbeat for a .410 shotgun and box of #7 shot

The final straw came when one of the probable cottonmouths cruised up right under my feet and came ashore, disappearing into a cleft in the rock within spitting distance......time to go home.

hillbilly

 

[kudu]

Glad we don't have them kind of snakes in my neck of the woods. There is the rare sighting of a copperhead every few years, and maybe a rare massaugua rattlesnake (a big one is probably no more than 14"-16")

 

[Smoke]

A couple of years ago my brother, my nephew and myself put a canoe in on Meridian Creek about 3 miles up from where it flowed into the Bosque River.

We hit some shallow places at one point and had to drag the canoe. WE saw not less than 20 snakes hauling butt from our splashing within 50 yrds.

Probably saw 150 to 200 snakes in that little stretch of creek. Most were harmless water snakes but I really didn't want to do any wading anyway.

Smoke - doesn't really like snakes.

 

[sm]

Yep, bunch of snakes indeed.

The other day I had to call the po-po about some stuff going on next door. We met at Wendy's to discuss the matter. Stiuation handled very nicely and prompt.

Next day clearing some stuff I kept running into garden snakes, somehow they jumped the fence next door. Next morning when the neighborly meeting at the house next door started up, shrieks and shrills and the party was over right quick.

Get the hoe, get the hoe, not you woman, "that" hoe. Gonna pop a nine if one comes my way...

Grinning, sitting on that sack of seed I was.

 

[hillbilly]

Copperheads....

In Arkansas, it sometimes rains copperheads.

A couple of years back, I killed four copperheads within feet of the back porch in just six nights.

I haven't killed one this year, yet. But it won't be officially summer until I whack a copperhead somewhere in the yard.

hillbilly

 

[mete]

In NY state all snakes are protected.But as usual the experts often don't know what they are talking about .Some years back there was an article in our magazine The NY state Conservationist by on eof those experts. He said if copperheads exist at all in NY they are extremely rare. The magazine was immediately inundated with letters mostly from here in the Catskill Mtns telling the expert to come to there homes there are lots of copperheads !!

 

[Ezekiel]

snakes...

My industrious little beagel (Dante) has been bitten by a copperhead in two consecutive years. Each time -- one occurring two weeks ago -- he swells up and I take him to the emergency vet to the tune of $250.

Apparently, some dogs learn never to mess with snakes once bitten and others are determined to KILL every one they locate. I'm pretty certain which way Dante went.

Beagles are quite impressive little fearless dogs...

 

[hillbilly]

$250?

Yeeowie!

Some of our dogs have been bitten multiple times. The vets around here just tell us to give the dog in question about half a benadryl for the swelling, and to watch the bite area for infection.

They always tell us to bring the dog in only if it was bitten by a big rattlesnake.

Our Aussie shepherd mix, Digger, hates snakes and actively hunts them. If I'm not there to shoot the snakes, he tries to break their backs with vicious snaps and head shakes. Digger's been bitten at least three times by copperheads.

In fact, he's got a set of moves we call "The snake dance" wherein he sniffs, jerks back quickly and growls, over and over and over.

That means SNAKE!!!!!!!!

hillbilly

 

[Smokey Joe]

Don't understand...

...the hatred for legless reptiles that some folks seem to have. North American snakes generally are rats' and mices' worst nightmares.

It can't be that the snake-haters like having rats and mice around, can it??

I can understand not wanting poisonous varieties in numbers right at your back door, but aside from that, snakes don't want or like you, either, and if you just give 'em room, they'll happily leave when you come.

It couldn't possibly be a Freudian thing, could it?? Snakes generally being a whole lot bigger than your you-know-what?

 

[Vern Humphrey]

As you probably already know, snakes are protected in Arkansas, too. I live about five miles from where the Fish and Game commission released rattlesnakes -- traded them for turkeys with Texas.

I've seen a lot of snakes this spring in Stone County -- was out riding and my horse almost stepped on a cotton mouth down by the creek.

We have a blacksnake living in the stonework under our porch. My wife found his shed skin in the flower bed, and he was out on the steps the other day.

 

[hps1]

I live about five miles from where the Fish and Game commission released rattlesnakes -- traded them for turkeys with Texas.

I think we got the best end of that trade, Vern. Got lotsa big rattlers where I hunt and just a few turkeys.

Regards,
hps

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I think we got the best end of that trade, Vern. Got lotsa big rattlers where I hunt and just a few turkeys.

You want turkeys? We'll GIVE you turkeys! Keep your $%&@#ing rattlesnakes!

 

[MassHunter2190]

After seeing a water moccasin by my pond that my dogs swim in regularly, I loaded up my Ruger MkII with some .22 rat shot and went down there. After almost stepping on it, I shot it once in the the middle of its back, grabbed its tail to prevent it from from getting away, dragged it back up away from the pond and shot it two more times in the head.

But they don't live around here, so it must've been a dream.

 

[hillbilly]

Smokey Joe, I'd pay $20 to watch you get all close and cuddly with a specimen of Agkistridon piscivorus, aka "Cottonmouth" or "water moccasin."

Them critters have downright pissy attitudes, and venom to go along.

And there is nothing, and I do mean nothing, like watching a pair of them swim big lazy "S" patterns through a creek that you know you will have to wade back across in a little while.

Due to many negative personal experiences here in Arkansas, cottonmouths have well-deserved cold rocky, stony place in my heart.

hillbilly

 

[Smokey Joe]

Agkistrodon piscivorous

Hilbilly--I've heard that abt. the beloved cottonmouth. I'd charge a good deal more than a single Andy Jackson to get cuddly w/one.

And those particular snakes aren't any threat particularly to the vermin--Their specific name means "fish-eating."

 

[El Tejon]

If those snakes will eat rabbits, I'll take 'em. This morning at 5:30 am there was some sort of rabbit seminar or conference in my backyard, counted 11 and may have been some under the Norwegian spruces on the hill.

 

[MassHunter2190]

Their specific name means "fish-eating."

Hence the reason it's no longer living in my pond.

 

[JB in SC]

Other than a few Rat Snakes around the house, I usually see only an occasional Copperhead and plenty of Nothern Watersnakes when I'm trout fishing. Still, when wading in shorts, a snake swimming by or laid on a rock at your feet can be disconcerting.

I've seen my share of Water Moccasins when drifting down a blackwater stream in the canoe. Even had one follow (to my feet) a Jitterbug (topwater lure) while bass fishing at night. I don't pretend to like them, or any other pit viper.

I have, at a more southern location, killed a couple of Coral snakes in our garden. But that was more than thirty years ago.

 

[Selfdfenz]

"It couldn't possibly be a Freudian thing, could it?? Snakes generally being a whole lot bigger than your you-know-what?"

No, I don't think it's that.

I think it's more like some of us would not allow a pack of crack dealers armed with 9mm to live out in our out-buildings because we have small kids and crack deals are unpredictable and sometimes do things that have negative outcomes. Not being judgmental, just assessing the facts.
For me it's that whole deal that having my 6 or 8 year old hit in the calf by a CH is just not acceptable parenting if I can prevent it.

I like my ankles. I look after those of my kiddos.
Your milage apparently varies.

S-

 

[BeLikeTrey]

Hillbilly is right

Moccassins (cotton mouth) seem to be quite aggressive. I have had a couple of times they just "stroll" right up like you owe them money. I am an avid camper and hunter. I leave rattlers etc alone unless in domestic areas. Cotton mouths have a special place in my heart and in my sights
hey, last one I blasted was rather large on my last camping trip... Do they taste good? Any cooking methods here? or did I just hijack this thread

 

[W Turner]

I know rattlers are edible and since water mocs are of the same heavy-bodied build, they should be edible as well. Just skin'em, gut'em, slice'm into 1" thick slices, bread the slices and either pan or deep-fry them. Just watch for bones, their vertebrae and ribs are similar to fish bones.


W

 

[Vern Humphrey]

I know rattlers are edible and since water mocs are of the same heavy-bodied build, they should be edible as well. Just skin'em, gut'em, slice'm into 1" thick slices, bread the slices and either pan or deep-fry them. Just watch for bones, their vertebrae and ribs are similar to fish bones.

Ever eaten a fish-eating duck? Just the odor of a moccasin puts me off.

 

[auschip]

Lots of things are edible, that doesn't mean I would want to eat them. Then again, I had an old man tell me "If you're hungry enough you'll eat owl sh..umm pellets."

Then again, rattlesnake cakes aren't horrible.

 

[BeLikeTrey]

Thanks Turner

I will try it. I'm thinking a little beer should help it cook better too

 

[Art Eatman]

I had fried rattlesnake at a wild-game dinner. Tasted good. Not particularly exciting, but it was definitely edible.

Art