SNAKES

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

I know this isn't "Animal Planet Net" but I'm excited to share my first rattle snake experience! On Saturday my girlfriend and i decided to hit the Euchre Bar trail on the North Fork of the American River. Not sure on the milage of the trail but you go up and down over 1700' in mosquito infested forest...it was rough. But it was all worth it, right when we got back to the top of the trail i see a rattle snake sitting there sunbathing. I grabbed a stick (just in case) and got within 5 feet of the guy and managed to snap some photos before he was on his way. He paused for a moment and coiled as he left just to make sure that I wasn't up to any funny business and even rattled at me (which i caught on video!) On Sunday I headed to mineral bar and ran into a black water snake. He was lingering in an area that i was trying to prospect so i gently nudged him along and he turned away and started off, I guess i wasn't happy enough with his departing speed so i gave his tail end one more nudge which was a VERY BAD IDEA He turned around with the quickness and charged toward me stopping about a 3 feet from my legs and holding his ground. LOL i had to leave the area because of this snake. Guess it was my fault for provoking him so I bounced so nobody had to be bit or killed. I spent the rest of the day prospecting and looking over my shoulder for that angry serpent. Very exciting weekend.

 

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[bobw53]

Snakes freak me out...

Sitting at my desk at the shop 2 summers ago, 2 pups sleeping right next to me, I look over and see this little rattler 5 feet away...

Grab the pups by the scruffs of their necks, picked them up out of a nice sound sleep and literally threw them into a room with a door...

Snake didn't move...

Took a pic..

Grabbed a 70lb plate of steel, and planted it firmly right on him.... It was perfect, got all but the tip of the tail...

Now these guys I don't mind, this one crawled across my fingers while I was typing, and yes my desk is a mess.

 

[Bonaro]

Let all take a moment to be thankful for the fact that rattlesnakes and spiders cannot fly

 

[arizau]

Rattlers found in my yard, 3 so far, are dead! One of which was about 8 feet away from where I was processing black beach sands on my patio one afternoon. I noticed it when I came back out from a water break. Note to myself...check for snakes especially before walking barefoot at night on the patio which I often do.

I just kick rocks at them while on the trail and they usually move away. Black rattlers I have encountered are aggressive and will move towards you if they have rocks kicked at them. I call them attack snakes. A big rock dropped on their head will usually make them move out of the way. Most rattlers I have seen are in a National Park so they are protected. If one really scares me outside of a park area they are dead too.

Almost stepping on one will give you (me) super powers. I was stepping down to a ledge to then jump to the bottom of a deep arroyo once and with my foot almost down I noticed I was about to step on one. In an instant that foot came up and extended to the far bank with me following kind of Plastic Man style. I think I set a little fat guy record for a standing broad jump that day. I also expended a full magazine of 22 shorts from a Remington pump... before I killed it with a big rock or ten.

Gila monsters are neat to see and beautifully colored but I have only seen three of them on my hikes as they are not out as often as snakes. I've probably seen more than 50 rattlers which is way too many since they are usually right next to me by the time I see or hear them. My wife refuses to go hiking with me anymore since we saw two on our last hike years ago and they were way too close.

Be safe and be especially alert while metal detecting with headphones!

 

[GoldpannerDave]

Thankfully, for the most part, there are no snakes in the gold mining areas here in Colorado. However, I did see a snake at 10,000 ft near Breckenridge; fortunately, it was not poisonous. I also saw a huge rat snake on the Air Force Academy in the housing area; he was feeding very well. Then at higher altitude here on the Air Force Academy there was a small pygmy rattler at the Stanley Canyon Trail photographed a couple of years back. So they do exist. When I last was in California (long time ago), we were working in a area that had rattle snakes; they had been seen on the claim the previous year, but I did not see any.

Used to see water moccasins a lot in Florida and Louisiana. Don't like them very much. Any they do bite underwater. I really prefer mining where there are not snakes in the water and not any on the land either.

 

[hey_ad_man]

I'll be up at the Mineral Bar here soon.. hope he doesn't mistake me for you haha!

 

[kizzmo]

Snakes freak me out...

Sitting at my desk at the shop 2 summers ago, 2 pups sleeping right next to me, I look over and see this little rattler 5 feet away...

Grab the pups by the scruffs of their necks, picked them up out of a nice sound sleep and literally threw them into a room with a door...

Snake didn't move...

Took a pic..

Grabbed a 70lb plate of steel, and planted it firmly right on him.... It was perfect, got all but the tip of the tail...

Now these guys I don't mind, this one crawled across my fingers while I was typing, and yes my desk is a mess.

I'd quit my job if those beasts were roaming my area!!!

 

[AlaskaGold]

One good thing about long cold ars winters is no snakes or spiders that can walk off with your coffee cup! No thanks dislike them both. Seen enough tromping around in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming during college. I see either and it's them or me, so far it's always been me.

 

[DizzyDigger]

One good thing about long cold ars winters is no snakes or spiders that can walk off with your coffee cup! No thanks dislike them both. Seen enough tromping around in Idaho, Utah and Wyoming during college. I see either and it's them or me, so far it's always been me.

Snakes can be avoided, but the blackflies and skeeters
in Alaska can drive a man to insanity, plus they'll carry
you off if ya give 'em half a chance.

I'll take watching for snakes and spiders any day..

 

[gold hound]

The only tolerable snake is a king snake! They eat other snakes

 

[kayakpat]

I got 2 almost 6ft long black snake living in my apple tree, I see them every year they keep the rats, mice, chipmonks out of my barn. I am lucky the copperheads and water mocacinns are in the valleys and creekbeds and the rattlers are up the mountain

 

[63bkpkr]

SOHR,
So you'd gone down the Euchre Bar trail out of Alta and had come back up when you saw the rattler, is that correct. Well, since you got to playing on Euchre bar I thought I'd mention that standing on the bridge looking up the North Fork you will notice a side canyon on the left ~ couple hundred yards up river from the bridge, that is the North Fork of the North of the American River. I went up it once and would caution you about two items: back in the 70's the place was infested with suction dredges & claims and there were plenty of rattlesnakes in there. Fun hike though...........................63bkpkr

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

SOHR,
So you'd gone down the Euchre Bar trail out of Alta and had come back up when you saw the rattler, is that correct. Well, since you got to playing on Euchre bar I thought I'd mention that standing on the bridge looking up the North Fork you will notice a side canyon on the left ~ couple hundred yards up river from the bridge, that is the North Fork of the North of the American River. I went up it once and would caution you about two items: back in the 70's the place was infested with suction dredges & claims and there were plenty of rattlesnakes in there. Fun hike though...........................63bkpkr

I didn't notice the canyon, I stopped at the bridge and snooped around a little.. didn't do any digging because I'm not sure of claims in the area. Are there any unclaimed areas around there? Doesn't look like it's been hit very hard there. And yes, saw the snake right as I reached the "Euchre Bar Trail" sign with a gazillion bullet holes in it lol.

 

[Mad Machinist]

Caught one of these little guys in my yard a few days ago.

Arizona coral snake. Venom is similar to a cobra. Even here they are rare and I wasn't about to kill it needlessly. It was relocated to a more suitable area where it can stay out of trouble.

 

[Vagadero]

I don't get it. Why do you take pictures when you are in danger? I met with a bear just a few days ago, but I didn't willing to record my own death.
Well, it wasn't that dangerous situiation in this time.
There are vipers in my area. They are peaceful guys except if you step on them.

 

[johnedoe]

Only good snake is a DEAD snake.............

 

[SchoolOfHardRocks]

I would never kill a snake unless I HAD to. Regardless of how creepy crawly they are, as long as they give me respect I'll give it back. From my experiences most of them are scared to death of us and want no part in a confrontation with a human. The only time they get frisky is when I have pushed them a little too far.

 

[Jimmydolittle]

You sir don't know what you are saying. Our Eco-system would be all screwed up without them.

Only good snake is a DEAD snake.............

 

[63bkpkr]

SOHR,
If you cross the river on the bridge and follow the trail to the left you will come across the Dorer (sp?) Ranch property, it is actually a Patented Mining Claim. Big Tunnels that go a long way into the mountains on both sides of the river. This same property can be approached from the Foresthill side, just when you get to the bottom of the trail you will be on private property so stay on the trail till you get to the river trail.

As you go up river on the trail you will come across the deepest of the two mines, do not know the name of it. Further up river the trail ends (or it used to end) and does not connect with the Italian Bar Trail and the IBT does not connect to the Mumford Bar Trail, nice walk in the river though.

There has been extensive prospecting/mining done from Euchre Bar and up river all the way. Signs of it still exist, one just needs to go out exploring and you will come across them. Ten Stamp mill's still exists in several locations, ~ 1/2 way down Sailor Flat trail is the Trinidad mine and its 10 stamp mill. As soon as you go up river from Euchre Bar Trail all the trails become steeper and harder so be in good physical condition or you will regret going in on them! Be sure you have plenty of water with you and a filter or treatment system to pull the water from the river or any creeks that might be flowing!!.....................63bkpkr

 

[arizau]

I would never kill a snake unless I HAD to. Regardless of how creepy crawly they are, as long as they give me respect I'll give it back. From my experiences most of them are scared to death of us and want no part in a confrontation with a human. The only time they get frisky is when I have pushed them a little too far.

Unfortunately and usually, "pushing them a little too far" is simply not seeing or hearing one (they don't always rattle) while walking or working (gardening bites are common and happened to a clerk who worked for me) in areas where they are! They will definitely strike when provoked but they may also strike when people are not aware of their close presence and that is what most often occurs. I think the number of rattler bites so far this year here in AZ is over 35 and the most recent, that was in the news, was a young teen girl who was walking down a path here in Tucson.