One reason I like living in a cold country I hate snakes with a passion. Farthest north I have seen one is east of Calgary Alberta once about 40 years ago. In southren Alberta we used to bale small square bales and you had these snakes hanging out of the bales all the time. Not my cup of tea.
Rattlesnakes!
- Thread starter wankerjake
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I worked in Arizona around Bagdad and Prescott Valley, lots of miles walking through the Sonoran desert. We ran into rattlesnakes but they were never aggressive so we let them live.
In Panama and Colombia I am seeing lots of aggressive fer-de-lance. They don't seem to be much of a match against a long handled shovel.
In Panama and Colombia I am seeing lots of aggressive fer-de-lance. They don't seem to be much of a match against a long handled shovel.
MCgunner
Member
I've seen and avoided more'n one cottonmouth. We have plenty of 'em down here. 80 percent of what people call cottonmouths aren't cottonmouths anyway, but non-venomous water snakes. They're fun to shoot on the water, but shotguns are cheating.
They can really take a farm tank over if you let 'em. I've wasted a few afternoons on tanks with a good .22 having fun cleaning out the tank. Not to be done if houses are prevalent in the area, but great fun in remote tanks. .22s can ricochet off water at shallow angles.
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countertop
Member
wow. i always thought of fer de lances as big thick slow moving snakes, but that one is tiny.
jimmyraythomason
Member
Well, 100% of what I call Cottonmouths are Cottonmouths. I,too, have been able to avoid them well enough not to be bitten(yet)but it takes more than just side-stepping them. I've killed them with .22s,.357s,41mags and .45acp as well as 12ga. (I am also WELL aquainted with banded watersnakes and do not kill them.)
MCgunner
Member
Might consider wearing "South Texas Ropers" (snake boots) if you're real worried about getting bit. I don't leave home without 'em, myself, not if I'm going to be out and about in the grass and brush. Besides, they are so South Texas chic. Down here, they can double as formal wear.
soutex50
Member
MCgunner.."Down here, they can double as formal wear."
Amen!!!! Wearin' em right now!
Amen!!!! Wearin' em right now!
jimmyraythomason
Member
Ah yes, the timber rattler! Crotalus Horridus, AKA,Canebrake Rattler,Banded Rattler and Velvet Tail Rattler. We grows 'em big round these parts.
countertop
Member
thats one big snake!
Where in 'Bama. I've got a place not far from Mentone (on the Georgia side) and have never seen one up there. You got them there too?
Where in 'Bama. I've got a place not far from Mentone (on the Georgia side) and have never seen one up there. You got them there too?
351 WINCHESTER
Member
When I was a kid I killed a eastern that was over 7'. He had 12 rattlers and a button. He was the biggest one I ever saw. I've killed dozens in ne fl, but he was the biggest. I rarely see them anymore.
MCgunner
Member
Biggest I've killed (western diamond back) was 6 feet and had 9 rattles. He was delicious. I killed him in my back yard with a garden hoe.
Georgia Boy here says that there is only one good kind of snake... Yup, a DEAD snake...
I've seen some monster black snakes down south, but an 8+ foot rattle snake is a nightmare come to life.
I've read about the pythons in FLorida. They are to the point where they are challenging gators for territory, and winning. I've even seen pics of pythons that have eaten smaller gators.
I have an old H&R single shot 410 with 5 shells on a buttcuff. All it's ever been mine for is shooting snakes. It splatters them pretty good.
Did I fail to mention how much I dislike snakes?
I've seen some monster black snakes down south, but an 8+ foot rattle snake is a nightmare come to life.
I've read about the pythons in FLorida. They are to the point where they are challenging gators for territory, and winning. I've even seen pics of pythons that have eaten smaller gators.
I have an old H&R single shot 410 with 5 shells on a buttcuff. All it's ever been mine for is shooting snakes. It splatters them pretty good.
Did I fail to mention how much I dislike snakes?
longdayjake
Member
Oh they are all over in Southeast Idaho. My sister got bit by a baby one in the water at Ririe Resevoir. She thought it was just a water snake and tried to pick it up. Got her with one fang on the finger. Just so you know, sometimes with antivenom the cure is worse than the disease. It helped reduce the swelling, but she got hives over 90% of her body and she was in the hospital like 3 days longer because of it. Had they just given her something to reduce the swelling she would have been fine the next day.
Quoheleth
Member
[shudder...hand shaking a bit...hard to type]
Shoulda known not to read this thread. Hands are sweaty & fingers slipping on keys. Stomach is now queezy. Mouth is dry.
I can handle tornadoes, hurricanes, and my mother-in-law's cooking. I had too many close calls as a kid - no fang penetration into my skin - to not have the shakes seeing 'em.
For me, there are no good snakes. Even dead ones are bad.
Gonna have nightmares tonight. No joke...
Q
Shoulda known not to read this thread. Hands are sweaty & fingers slipping on keys. Stomach is now queezy. Mouth is dry.
I can handle tornadoes, hurricanes, and my mother-in-law's cooking. I had too many close calls as a kid - no fang penetration into my skin - to not have the shakes seeing 'em.
For me, there are no good snakes. Even dead ones are bad.
Gonna have nightmares tonight. No joke...
Q
MCgunner
Member
And you HUNT in TEXAS?
ColeK
Member
Guys, Eastern Rattle Snakes are not very aggressive unless you get too close or step on them. In 60 years I've seen a couple of hundred of them. I've only killed five. One was injured. One had his fangs hung in my boot. The other three were about to strike.
Water moc's on the other hand are very aggressive. They can and will get in the boat with you and then things will get very interesting. I once was bullfrog hunting and had one roll off a limb into the boat and the guy with the rifle shot 20 .22 cal shorts into the bottom of the boat. I've had a water moc swim over 100 yards and try to get into my boat. I will kill any water mos within the range of the gun I'm carrying I see. Oh and by the way I do know the diff between a water moc and a water snake.
Water moc's on the other hand are very aggressive. They can and will get in the boat with you and then things will get very interesting. I once was bullfrog hunting and had one roll off a limb into the boat and the guy with the rifle shot 20 .22 cal shorts into the bottom of the boat. I've had a water moc swim over 100 yards and try to get into my boat. I will kill any water mos within the range of the gun I'm carrying I see. Oh and by the way I do know the diff between a water moc and a water snake.
Quoheleth
Member
Never said I hunt (present tense). Haven't hunted since the fall of '99, and that was a long-weekend of dove hunting in central Texas while home for fall break. Before that it was 1995. Got a fellow at church who wants me to go hog hunting with him this year. I'm trying to find a small armored personnel carrier for the trail into & out of the woods. Failing that, a Ma Deuce, Abrams or John Deere 4880 will serve nicely.
Seriously, I am truly afraid of snakes. Watching snake shows on PBS or Discovery leaves me exactly as I described previously: upset stomach, clammy skin, sweating, etc. Just can't get past it.
Hello. My name is Q. I am a coward.
Q
Rattlesnake is good, havent eaten it in several years now. I used to catch them, cut the heads off (in the south) skin them, and cook them (or have someone else do it).
They are easy to catch if you know what your doing, easy to carry alive in a bag, and easy to prepare.
The last few I had were up north here. They were huge (4-5ft and one much bigger), there is a photo floating around the state of Ohio with me holding a 6ft plus rattler by its tail over my head, and its head is resting on the ground (taken in the mountains of PA).
Im a reptile collector and used to get rattlesnake permits every year but lost interest. In PA they are a protected species.
I dont kill every rattlesnake I see (only a few selectively), they are an important part of the the ecosystem, in many places aside from a few bobcats left, and coyotes, they are the top predator left.
Most we caught had pictures taken then released right away. We had to turn in reports every year on the size, sex, weight, location, scale counts, etc on them (females are bigger, males tails are longer by scale count before the rattle).
A good friend and I taught a reptile education show for schools once, he had several venomous snakes, and hundreds of non venomous snakes.
They are easy to catch if you know what your doing, easy to carry alive in a bag, and easy to prepare.
The last few I had were up north here. They were huge (4-5ft and one much bigger), there is a photo floating around the state of Ohio with me holding a 6ft plus rattler by its tail over my head, and its head is resting on the ground (taken in the mountains of PA).
Im a reptile collector and used to get rattlesnake permits every year but lost interest. In PA they are a protected species.
I dont kill every rattlesnake I see (only a few selectively), they are an important part of the the ecosystem, in many places aside from a few bobcats left, and coyotes, they are the top predator left.
Most we caught had pictures taken then released right away. We had to turn in reports every year on the size, sex, weight, location, scale counts, etc on them (females are bigger, males tails are longer by scale count before the rattle).
A good friend and I taught a reptile education show for schools once, he had several venomous snakes, and hundreds of non venomous snakes.
1KPerDay
Member
those who cook and eat them... I assume you just sort of nibble the meat off the bones, like small fish?
WardenWolf
member
There was a juvenile rattlesnake in my courtyard last week, right on the sidewalk. It didn't even have its rattles yet, although the coloring and the way it struck at the hoe left little doubt at what it was. Nor did the amount of venom left on the sidewalk. I held it down with the hoe and used a mattock to cut its head off.
jaholder1971
Member
We're thick with Massassauguas around here, grow about 24" and are pretty aggressive for their size. The Copperheads we don't see much, they're usually timid enough to run before you get close, you get bit by one of those around and it's your fault. Eastern Diamondback are actually somewhat docile, it'll take some serious provocation to get one to rattle or strike at you.
I usually give them a pass wen hiking. They've got a much harder life than I do.
I usually give them a pass wen hiking. They've got a much harder life than I do.
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