"snake stories" and (do you drive around, or over)

[chestnut ridge]

I usually drive around. Unless the snake has a big pit viper head; I then
mash him.
My snake story- I was out behind the house last August; in shorts and
barefoot. I leaned over a old water trough when a large snake shot up
and bit me on the inside of my knee. I knocked it off and set possibly
a new olympic record for the flat foot backwards leap. I had a S&W 60
in my hip pocket; and managed to hit 3 of 4 with the hydra-shock ammo.
It was a big rat snake. I don't kill these; as they are good to keep the
rats in check. However I made an exception in this case. It made blood
run down my leg; and left a imprint of the small teeth, Healed ok.
Someone at the feed store said "snakes strike blind in dog days" I thought
it could see plenty well.

 

[iluvG.R.I.T.S]

You need to get some speed up to run over mine.



Heres my story: I used to take her out and let her crawl in the grass in my front yard.A lady was walking to the store with her kids one day and when she passed through my yard she saw the snake in the grass and took off without her kids.She didnt stop to turn around for a whole block.

 

[TriggerMan]

I've never killed a snake, they do too much good controlling vermin, when I come across a poisonous one I just turn and go around, they are usually more scared of you and just want to get away. Nothin erks me more than someone killing something just because "they" don't like it, of course there are exceptions like rats and mice that can overrun the place because people have killed all the snakes that should be doing the job.

 

[Bullet Bob]

I leave 'em alone.

I was sitting in the emergency room of an Air Force base hospital in SC in the early 70's when two guys walked in with this story: They purposely ran over a pygmy rattler (if I recall correctly) with the front wheels of their car, and then stopped the car so one of the geniuses could open his door and pick up the snake, which of course promptly bit him on the hand.

So they came in to the ER, and ashen-faced one said "we brought the snake in for ID", and threw it out on the desk from a paper bag he was holding. He had the room to himself a millisecond later.

Fortunately by now the reptile was well and truly deceased. The bitee was okay after a few hours of antivenom, albeit not feeling too sporty. But, I believe his snake handling days were well and truly over.

 

[AFhack]

I generally try to leave them alone...


Sometimes I can't. I was riding my bicycle out on a country road about fifteen miles from home three years ago. It was very early morning, right around first light 'cause I wanted to get in before the desert summer heat caught up with me. I was riding very near the side of the road and I just barely caught a glimpse of a rattler right next to the roadbed. He took a strike at me - I think he might've been aiming for my leg, maybe he was confused by the bike and actually tried for a part of the frame, hard to say. In any case, I sped up a little and he apparently misjudged. He managed to get his head thru the spokes of my rear wheel, which promptly caught him up and sliced him against the rear of my frame.

I ended up with one broken spoke and four bent ones, a rear wheel that was barely rideable back to the house. There was snake blood all over the back of my bike (and the backside of me), and I had three peices of snake. I cut off his rattles before I started home. I still have them, they're hanging off the handlebars of my new bike - kind of a good luck charm

 

[hso]

Snakes are too beneficial for anyone but the ignorant or moronic to run over intentionally. Pit vipers help control vermen just like the other snakes do.

 

[f4t9r]

do not like them and stay away from them.

 

[real_name]

I too have been bitten by a venomous snake, I was very lucky that it only connected with my glove and not my skin. The Israeli farmer I was working for at the time (picking fruit on a Moshav in the Negev desert) told me that this particular snake's venom allows you 15 minutes to live, and that he didn't have the antidote, and that the nearest hospital was easily 90 minutes away.

I don't swerve to avoid any animal for fear that I will hit something else more important (eg people), as much as I love dogs I have killed one that ran out under my truck, I was actually pleased that I didn't swerve as I wasn't sure I could actually do it when it mattered.

 

[Smokey Joe]

Snakes

I too believe in "live & let live" with snakes--most of the ones I've seen in the wild were going away from me at what for them was flank speed. This includes pit vipers.

Now, the last time I posted an opinion like this I was jumped on all over by those who've had bad experiences with cottonmouths aka water moccassins. (They climb into the boat to get you, etc.)

No experience with these ones, and if 1/2 the stories are true I'd just as soon keep it that way.

But the presence of predators implies the presence of prey, and most N Am snakes, including most pit vipers, prey mostly on rodents that we humans would rather not see around.

My father-in-law, in his dairy farming days, held that killing a big snake was like setting fire to a forty-dollar bill, in terms of loss of stored grain & feed to rodents. Well, make that four tens.

 

[Standing Wolf]

Snake skin boots, yes. Snakes in snake skin, no, thanks.

 

[James T Thomas]

ooh, snake, snake

South Vietnam, 1968, near "Quan Loi." Our battallion had set up a perimeter, like circle the wagons in the jungle. A small dozer was flown in to remove brush for fields of fire. There was much commotion, and everyone began to move towards the dozer, trying to see some sight. Reared up as high as it's body could balance was a King Cobra. The dozer had excavated it's nest, and steel machine or not, the cobra understood that a human operator was at the controls. That thing came right at him! Of course he raised the blade and killed it. However, I would not want to be on the ground facing such a snake.

Later that year, I was on patrol when some of the Vietnamese came running and jumping away from a deep grassy area, perhaps 5 meters away from where I was. South Vietnamese; our allies. "Con Rang" they exclaimed; large snake. Now these men were armed, as I was. I never forgot seeing the King Cobra, and decided not to have a look for Mr. Con Rang, but rather let whatever he was alone.

 

[gunsmith]

I try not to run them over

I stop to try and catch them if they're not poisonous.

I think part of the reason for the hanta virus outbreak of a few years ago was that snakes are killed and vermin like rats and mice get to spread disease as a result.

rat and mice droppings make me very ill, I start coughing up blood.
I'll take snakes any day.

is this gun related because it seems like most here don't shoot them?

I don't hunt, hardly ever eat meat, and just can't seem to get that interested in killing animals.

The only creature that has ever maliciously attacked me is a human

 

[Fred Fuller]

A friend used to be the safety officer for... a certain military organization. He was always good for entertaining stories about interesting things the troops were doing.

Seems a couple of Ranger buddies were out for a drive on a sandy firebreak on a certain military post in one of the old M151 jeeps, and found Mr. Rattlesnake crawling across their path minding his own business. Now unlike the Humvee, the M151 was pretty lightweight, and the sand was soft, and Mr. Rattlesnake only got teed off when Ranger Buddy #1 ran over him with the jeep.

Mr. Rattlesnake didn't die.

Ranger Buddy #1 thought he SHOULD have died, dropped the jeep into neutral and bailed out to set things to rights. Ranger Buddy #1 went hand-to-scales with Mr. Rattlesnake. Ranger Buddy #1 promptly got bitten on the hand, screamed, and dropped Mr. Rattlesnake, who resumed his defensive coil and continued rattling.

Rattlesnake 1, Rangers 0.

Well, Ranger Buddy #2 was not gonna stand for any leg rattlesnake biting HIS buddy and getting away with it, nosiree. So Ranger Buddy #2 bails out of the jeep too, and dashes back to the scene of the crime. He too snatched up Mr. Rattlesnake barehanded, but proved himself much quicker than his buddy, and more decisive too. Ranger Buddy #2 had decided to take advantage of all his natural weapons, and in a flash Ranger Buddy #2 commenced to bite the head off Mr. Rattlesnake.

Well, that was a definite plan all right, and speedily executed certainly, but unfortunately for Ranger Buddy #2 Mr. Rattlesnake was a confirmed guerrilla practitioner and, finding himself within range of a vulnerable target, Mr. Rattlesnake promptly bit Ranger Buddy #2 on the tongue. Ranger Buddy #2 also screamed, dropped Mr. Rattlesnake and beat a hasty retreat to the post hospital, along with his stricken amigo.

Mr. Rattlesnake meanwhile resumed his interrupted journey, minding his own business.

Rattlesnake 2, Rangers 0.

True story...

lpl/nc (Not a fairy tale 'cause it didn't start with "Once upon a time... ," not a war story 'cause it didn't start with "There I was... ," so you know it's gotta be a true story, right?)

 

[Tokugawa]

Lee, your story just goes to prove that strong and brave don't nessesarily equate to "smart" .

 

[Lupinus]

never really noticed one in the street infront of me but had snakes in my yard all the time in PA.

If it was non-venomus I let it be it kept the mice from the woods out back in check. But when I came across copperheads (usualy two or three times a year) they were dead cookies. Snakes are usful and all, but I don't like poisonus ones that close to my house.

 

[redranger1]

a few summers ago at our church camp we killed 18 copperheads on the campgound. im not big on snakes anyhow so i was a lil edgy by the time the weekend rolled around. that sat i was on the tractor pushin up some brush and a copperhead came out of the brush pile, came up the front end loader arms, across the hood of the tractor (by this point i didnt know if i should bail er ride it out), landed on the platform of the tractor and fell of fortunantly! i backed up dropped my bucket over him and ran to the truck and got my 92f. after a 3 of 4 shots in him he was done. after 15 years on this farm he was the only copperhead ever seen and he was 2.5 feet long!

 

[Strings]

I've been bitten twice: once was a baby King snake, when I was looking to buy a snake. Lil' guy was about as big around as my pinky (and I've got small paws), but he was bound and determined to swallow me, starting at the knuckle. I calmly turn to the store owner, and asked "do I get a discount for being dinner?". Owner freaked, thinking I was gonna sue: lil' guy had barely broken skin...

Next bite was last night: my boa decided I wasn't getting his mice ready fast enough, and struck...


Then there was the day in San Andreas, as a kid. A group of friends and I are behind one of the apartment buildings, and see a snake: black, red, and yellow. We immediately (being young boys) grab a forked stick, and pin the criter to the ground... and try to remember that rhyme. "Now, 'black on red, you're dead', right?". Took us about ten minutes, with the snake looking at us in disgust, his expression saying "just let me go, ya dorks!"...

Dad has had some fun in Thailand with the legless critters. Right after arriving, he decided to take mom's ashes out above the village he was living in, and find a nice spot for her. He found a perfect spot, in a clearing overlooking the village. As he straightened up from setting the urn down, he realized where he was: the middle of a nest of spitting cobras. Those that knew mom thought it was appropriate (I loved mom dearly, but she was NOT someone to mess with!).

Then there was the bike incident. Dad's cruising along one of the country roads (ie: dirt), comes around a corner at 45, and sees a 10 foot King Cobra laying across the road. He quickly evaluates his options:
1) hit snake, dumping bike in close proximity of now perturbed large poisonous reptile
2)dump bike early (and voluntarily), injuring self but avoiding irritation to large poisonous reptile (possibly providing entertainment?).
Dad chose #2. Not sure i would have heard the story had he chosen #1...

At one point, we were caretakers for a brain-damaged rosy Boa. I say brain damaged because feeding was entertaining: thaw pinky, set snake on table, gently beat snake with mouse until he strikes and realizes "hey... this tastes good!". The owner had dropped a live baby mouse in with him... he went "cool! roomie!". Finally fed the mouse (quite some time later) to her ball python...

 

[wolf_from_wv]

There I was, cutting grass one day on a small riding mower... Grass was high. I saw a narrow section of grass 2-3 feet long moving. So, I headed across the yard, and started cutting over there, while whatever was in the grass moved along... Last thing I want to do is clean snake bits out of the mower...

Before they built up a road beside the interstate here, it was a dirt road with potholes that looked like someone called in a mortar attack - very seldom used by anyone... I was going up through in the truck one day, when something caught my eye. Mr. Snake was lined up on a collision course. I think it passed between the wheels on the driver's side, and paused until the truck passed over it. I didn't feel any "thumps", but didn't go back to look. I do remember lifting my feet up when I passed over it, even though I was in an enclosed metal cab S10...

I've seen a couple BIG black snakes swimming across the lakes here...

 

[drinks]

I am 65,I have been running the bush since I was 6.
In all the years, I have been attacked by 3 snakes, 1 racer and 2 cottonmouths.
I have been all over Texas, north, south, east ,west and the in between , I have seen only 4 cottonmouths and 2 of those attacked me.
I have likely killed 2-300 copperheads, my squirrel dogs hated them and treed everyone they found.
I have seen several rattle snakes, maybe 50, none have tried to get me, I have killed about 5, those were in or near my yard and my wife is totally blind.
I could not leave them around.
Don

 

[Kim]

I kill all copperheads, cottonmouths and rattle snakes in my yard. I do not want to be bitten nor do I want my dog bitten. I have taken care of about 4 copperhead bites and they are painful for days to weeks. Easy to cause infection. Pain can last for many weeks. The cottonmouth is even worse. Could be deadly for a dog or child. I will not tolerate them in my yard at all. Those who have not be around cottonmouths do not understand. They are aggressive and stand their ground. Very nasty bites.

 

[Stand_Watie]

I drive around, because if it's as far away as the road it's no hazard to my family.

 

[Knob Creeker]

We have lots of various non-venomous snakes and tons of copperheads around here, but I have only seen a few rattlers and one or two cottonmouths. If I come across a decent sized rattler I will shoot it but only for the sake of dinner. Battered up and deep-fried, those guys are good eating! As for moccasins and copperheads, I would only kill them if I found them in an area where small children were around. I might poke them with a stick, take a picture or something, but I don’t really see them as a threat to adults or teenagers unless those folks go messing around with them (like poken’ them with a stick) and in that case a bite might teach an important lesson in respect.

Pics of me disrespecting a timber rattler on Appalachian Trail (NC-Cheoah Bald)

 

[PlayboyPenguin]

Cpperhead bitten in WV

I am not a person that dislikes snakes but I have learned to avoid them if possible. I know the old saying "red touches black, friend of jack..red touches yellow kill a fellow" but I prefer the old saying "see a snake, run like hell".

When I was a kid we were very poor and we would go blackberry picking alot. The bad thing was copperheads love to hide in berry bushes. From the age of 12-16 I was bitten three times by copperheads. Twice on the arm and once on my calf. The first time was very bad. Thought I was going to die (of course I was 12 and a little worked up). The second was like a bad bee sting with some nausea. The third was not to bad at all. He just got my wrist and I barely had any reaction at all. Still hurt like hell each time though.

 

[mrrick]

I lived in India for a number of years and had a cobra living in a hole under my house. He seemed to be pretty understanding that people didn't mean him any harm and was never a threat. Only saw him a few times coming and going.

In India, vast populations live in close proximity to varied wildlife and seem to get along pretty well. Even saw a tiger once in my area, that was a thrill. Only when their habitat is encroached on, do the dangerous game, tigers, rhinos, wild elephants start getting nasty.

 

[lawson]

i come across many rattlesnakes in my desert ramblings. i have killed many as a youth, and made many hatbands that i sold to western stores. i've also captured many for a local rattler exhibit. these days i don't kill them unless it's necessary. if there's a rattler in camp or near the house, i will remove it if possible (DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME). i've had years of experience handling snakes and other reptiles.

i can understand people feeling the need to kill a snake when it starts hanging out in the backyard and they have dogs and young children around. as many people can't get away with shooting in their backyard, one of the best tools for the job is a long handled garden shovel. this way you can behead a snake while staying 6 feet away.

at my cousin's farm in south carolina swamp country, there was a pond in which resided an 8 foot water moccasin (eastern cottonmouth). this was an abnormally large snake. after a few years there were children running around and the snake seemed to have no intentions of leaving, so he put up a fence around the pond and occasionally threw in a rabbit. they named it Herman.