Beware Rattlers out on the NF American

[goldenmojo]

Ran into my first rattler of the season today. It was near the waterline in loose cobble. I will now be more careful working under suspended boulders...

 

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[texasred777]

A long time ago, 1960, a friend and I went swimming in a farm tank on the land where he and his parents lived. We were in the tank for probably an hour. There were a few snakes on the other side of the tank. Occasionally one would swim near us and we'd splash water toward it and it would leave. A few days later, I saw the friend again. He had told his dad about the snakes after he got back to the house that evening. They went to the tank the next day and kill 17 cottonmouths. This was in central Texas. The only other encounter with a poisonous snake was a small copperhead. As I went toward my truck to leave for work one morning, I saw the snake on the ground just in front of the truck. It was a cool morning and the snake wasn't moving. I took out my pocket knife and cut its head off. I don't think I've been near any other poisonous snakes, but have had encounters with a lot of non-poisonous ones. My mother-in-law came to our house one night about 10 p.m., badly frightened, in her night clothes. She said a snake was in her bedroom. She went to bed about 9 p.m.; but got up to get a drink in the kitchen. When she got about half way across the bedroom, she stepped on the snake. I went to her house, looked in the bedroom; but finally found the snake in the living-room. I got a cleaver from the kitchen cabinet. The snake was between a chair and wall. I got into the chair on my knees, bent over, and tried to chop the snake. I reached too far and bumped the wall with the cleaver. It bounced back from the wall and missed the snake. It 'reared up' like a cobra does and threatened to bite me! Just as it started to lay back down, I hit it just behind the head and pushed it the rest of the way to the floor with enough force to cut its head off. No, it wasn't poisonous.

 

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[squiggy]

Rattlesnakes are very timid, if you turn a hose on them, they will leave the area..

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[goldenIrishman]

I don't need to go out to the claim to encounter Mr. Buzztail. I had to kill one earlier this week that was just off our raised deck. One of our dogs kept barking and I went over to see what was up with her and almost stepped on a 4 ft banded tail. This guy was a fat one and really nice looking, Since we have the grand daughter here I had no choice but to kill it. I was considering skinning it but I didn't think Robi would like me doing taxidermy projects like that around the Munchkin.

 

[squiggy]

That sure sounds like a scary experience. .yikes!

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[Duckwalk]

saw this ******* last week catching some rays on the warm sun infront of my driveway. Just pinned him down, picked him up and released him back in the woods. i have kids but my daughter knows what to look for so shes is always aware of her surroundings.
Edit: for those who dont see these, thats a Copper Head.

EDIT:EDIT: (again...) If you are in muddy creeks also watch out for these bad boys. Down looking for rocks and you may just pull back a hand with only 4 fingers. this i found 2 days after that copper head. If youve never seen one, its a snapping turtle.

 

[goldenmojo]

Was up on the NF this morning making my way down a ledge at the waterline trying not to get my feet wet. As I sideled along a tall slab of bedrock I looked up just in time to see a 3 foot snake right in front of me at head height on a small shelf. I think I scared it worse than it scared me and it launched itself off the shelf into the water in seconds and swam away downstream. Don't know what it was but I had no need for a second cup of coffee.

 

[Duckwalk]

Just thought id share a bit of useless information.

The venom of the southern copperhead has been found to hold a protein called "contortrostatin" that halts the growth of cancer cells in mice and also stops the migration of the tumors to other sites.[13] However, this is an animal model, and further testing is required to verify safety and efficacy in humans.[14]

Now, im not saying if you have cancer to go pick up a copper head and torment it till it bites, but i am saying that it wont be long before we find a way to use it for human medication.

 

[aarthrj3811]

The books say they stay below 6000 feet....I guess the ones writing the books don’t get out in the woods to often...Art

 

[bedrock bubba]

I was eating at the cafe in Foresthill, CA one day, and a guy took us out to his truck and showed us a 7-8 foot timber rattler!

He caught it at almost 9000 ft. elevation.

I grew up in Phoenix, AZ as a kid, and NEVER even saw a rattler. And that's hiking all over the desert, turning over rocks, and looking for critters! Then seven years in Texas, never saw one! Water Mocs, yes, but no rattlers.

But here in the Cal Sierra foothills, there are TONS of rattlers! I have had too many close encounters with them here!

 

[squiggy]

I have lots as well, actually they are fearful of people, I've had no problems with them, they have in the past come up to the deck..

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[kazcoro]

I am working in Dallas TX right now, and went out to the lake last Sunday. The water mocassins finally scared me off. When the last 3'er went up on land 50' away, I left. I saw a bunch of them in just an hour or so.

 

[squiggy]

I'd leave as well..lol!

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[LM]

View attachment 1005260 I am working in Dallas TX right now, and went out to the lake last Sunday. The water mocassins finally scared me off. When the last 3'er went up on land 50' away, I left. I saw a bunch of them in just an hour or so.

I don't really like them.

The back of my property has some acreage that's marshland/standing water and they'll occasionally hang out in there.
I had to boundary mark the permimeter and wasn't looking forward go trudging into that part but did and sure enough, a fair sized one cut a path in front of me. I drove those boundary markers and got the hell back to higher, dryer ground.

 

[xrunndonex]

I don't really like them.

The back of my property has some acreage that's marshland/standing water and they'll occasionally hang out in there.
I had to boundary mark the permimeter and wasn't looking forward go trudging into that part but did and sure enough, a fair sized one cut a path in front of me. I drove those boundary markers and got the hell back to higher, dryer ground.

I hate them... to bad you can't train a king snake to guard you.

 

[KevinInColorado]

Just thought id share a bit of useless information. The venom of the southern copperhead has been found to hold a protein called "contortrostatin" that halts the growth of cancer cells in mice and also stops the migration of the tumors to other sites.[13] However, this is an animal model, and further testing is required to verify safety and efficacy in humans.[14] Now, im not saying if you have cancer to go pick up a copper head and torment it till it bites, but i am saying that it wont be long before we find a way to use it for human medication.

Cool!

 

[rodoconnor]

Ducky , that's not such useless info. I can't do anything with it but it's kinda interesting

 

[Golden Spike]

Don't put your hands into any holes you cannot see into.