Snakes

[mcb]

I've been reading through the threads and come across a few comments about snakes while detecting. My hubby also warns me. Anyway, I hate snakes! I've seen a few rattlers while hiking in a large park near us over the years. We were also climbing away from the trail and down near the creek, maybe that's why. Aside from reading about the snakes in our area and their habits id like any advice on how to avoid them. Also if I am to come in contact with one, what would you suggest? When I say come in contact I mean a situation where its right up on me.

I feel a little ridiculous with this post but I can't shake my fear.

 

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[pa plateau hiker]

Good grief, jeff of pa, I feel sorry for you. Only 6 snakes your entire life. You are missing out on a fascinating creature. Anytime I'm hiking in the woods in the summer, I will lift up rocks looking for snakes and will find dozens of different species. Tell ya what. I'm inviting you on a hike this summer and we will find snakes for you-non poisonous-to curb your dis-like of them.You will enjoy them. Uh, the garter snake your neighbor asked you to get rid of. I'm sure you gently picked it up and moved it safely to a new home.

 

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[WVPapaw]

I'm no fan of snakes either.

But they are like Indian Artifacts to me.
I can be standing next to one, & unless it moves and Gets my attention,
or somone points it out,
I don't notice them.

it's almost as rare that I even think to watch out for them.

in my entire life 58 years, I remember 6 snakes, 2 very small ring neck snakes
(I guess they are called)about the size of a large earth worm.

one larger Garden snake ? My neighbor asked me to get rid of,

an odd snake maybe 10" I pested with my Coil.

and 2 Black snakes, One I almost stepped on as he sunned himself beside my foot,
as I surveyed my surroundings for detecting spots, & 1 I almost ran over with a Bike on an abandoned rail road

Can not believe you haven't had any encounters with venomous snakes. I have had some with a couple water moccasins, 4 or 5 adult copperheads, a fresh hatch of hundreds of baby copperheads on a back road at night ( which I identified after stepping on some and having them roll under my feet in the dark) and 2 or 3 timber rattlers. Moccasins are the worse because they come after you. Have been told they will even try to get in your boat. I am deathly afraid of all of them too. If one bit me, I would probably die of a heart attack on the spot.

 

[Rawhide]

Yes Ohio has Timber Rattlers, and worse, copperheads. Copperheads you can smell before you see, they smell like cucumbers. Large snakes tend to be more aggressive, have been chased by a 6' Rattler. That is about as big as they get. No matter how noisy you are, you will still walk up on snakes. Stepping or sitting near a snake is what gets most folks bit. I had a rattler last year that was very close but I couldn't see it. Had one a foot from my face as I was digging gravel from under a large boulder. It moved and then rattled. Found out later it was Green Mojave. There really is no way to avoid them, just respect their space.

 

[AC1955]

Used to own a Ball Python named Merlin the Lizard Wizard (my son named him!). Grew to about 6 feet long and nice and fat. Very docile snake.

mcb: as others have stated here, just respect the snake and it's territory.

Anita

 

[WVPapaw]

Living Alongside Wildlife: About That Giant Dead Rattlesnake E-mail You Got... (Updated 3/7/13)

I wouldn't worry about that photo. I have been around many MANY snakes in the wild, most of them rattlers.

The above article does a good job explaining the photo.

WM

I can tell you that inside a bait shop in Tallassee, AL there is the biggest eastern diamondback rattler I ever saw in my life. This was 20 years ago when I saw it. it was mounted on a big log. its head was bigger than my hand. I couldn't say for sure how long it was, but as I recall it had to be at least 8 feet long. My son and I both had nightmares about that thing. We had heard that Yates and Thurlowe dams were stocked with musky, and being from the North, we wanted to fish for muskies after moving to the south. We went in the bait shop to find out if any muskies were being caught when we saw the rattler. When I asked the store owner where it was killed, he replied, just below the dam where you guys are going fishing. We almost didn't go, but when climbing over rocks and going thru vegetation, we would take one step and look carefully for a snake then take another step. We were plenty scared that a big rattler was going to get us. The muskies weren't hitting so we got out of there.

 

[Rawhide]

Here ya go, all you want to know about snakes lol.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=178512115639242&set=vb.128033397353781&type=2&theater

 

[Jimmi]

I'm huge into animals , all animals. I hated that snakes made me cringe some. No animal makes me cringe.. So it made me feel bad. Anyhow " Arthur", I named him that for some reason , was a 5-6 ft rat snake that moved into our wood pile last fall. I pestered this poor guy gawking at him , sitting near him, poking at him with my finger... Lol.. To get over my fear.
I was still creeped out , but you know what made me realize snakes arnt to be feared? This is gonna sound silly, but his face. I swear I saw expression on that snakey face . It seemed to say " uuhhggggg not you again, leave me alone creeper" . It was actually endearing . He really tolerated alot from me.. Never once made any aggressive moves. When he'd have enough of me , he'd go under the pile.
Sadly I found him injured, not far from the road , no outward signs , but I could tell he wasn't quite right , he couldn't hardly move im not sure what happened to him . But he was getting cold , I wrapped him up on a heating pad in a box , on tbe driveway , but he died
My advice.... Try to think of them as an animal , not a " snake". They can't help they creep us out. And they really want Nothing to do with us. We scare them as much as we fear them.
Here is my Arthur


Tell me that face don't say " Dear Lord, not you again!" Lol

 

[Rawhide]

That's cool Holly. If they have a triangle head, don't try to touch them, vipers aren't always as friendly.

 

[Jimmi]

What exactly is a bear bell? I have a small Cow bell that I used to attach to a bird Dog's collar. Would that work?

More Cowbell!!

 

[Jimmi]

That's cool Holly. If they have a triangle head, don't try to touch them, vipers aren't always as friendly.

Lol. Don't worry , I knew I was dealing with just a rat snake . I wouldn't go poking a copperhead ..:0

 

[Silver Simon]

View attachment 793384

More Cowbell!!

Classic! Makes me smile how gross Will looked in that skit.

 

[a4wdguy]

What exactly is a bear bell? I have a small Cow bell that I used to attach to a bird Dog's collar. Would that work?

A bear bell is any small bell, usually attached to a hiking staff that makes noise as you walk. The idea is to avoid suddenly coming up on a bear and surprising it.
A small cowbell would work just fine.

 

[pa plateau hiker]

Good grief, jeff of pa, I feel sorry for you. Only 6 snakes your entire life. You are missing out on a fascinating creature. Anytime I'm hiking in the woods in the summer, I will lift up rocks looking for snakes and will find dozens of different species. Tell ya what. I'm inviting you on a hike this summer and we will find snakes for you-non poisonous-to curb your dis-like of them.You will enjoy them. Uh, the garter snake your neighbor asked you to get rid of. I'm sure you gently picked it up and moved it safely to a new home.

Jeff must be sleeping.

 

[mcb]

Check out "grab u one outfitters" on Facebook. They go to yearly snake catching competitions which are similar to the video of the woman catching all those snakes.

 

[MinnesotaStateUniversity]

Thank you all for your input! Here's a pic that's going around fb that scares the hell out of me! This is a rattler found in Texas. I'm in Ohio thank goodness!

View attachment 765652

?

We have rattlers in Minnesota

Most of the locals think we only have garters. I've came across a few redbelly, milk, blue racer, & one bull snake! We own a few acres, but the habitat is pretty diverse. Abandoned gravel pit + swamp + wooded + prairie

 

[WVPapaw]

A bear bell is any small bell, usually attached to a hiking staff that makes noise as you walk. The idea is to avoid suddenly coming up on a bear and surprising it.
A small cowbell would work just fine.

Thanks...I figured it was something like that but wasn't sure.

 

[GeekNJ]

Snake vs Snake

I didn't come across this while metal detecting, but I was hiking a couple of years ago in NY and across the trail was a black snake but it wasn't moving away as I approached. As I got closer I saw the reason it was staying there as it was in the process of devouring another snake. I watched it for 5 mins or so before stepping over it and continuing. I wonder if the snake being eaten let go of the branch it was wrapped around.

I run across copperhead & rattlers frequently while hiking in NJ and NY so they are out there in the woods though I haven't ever come across one in a local park.


When I came upon the pair


Continuing the feast


Last shot I took before stepping over them and heading on my hike. I wonder how it ended up? Did the snake being eating let go of the branch?

 

[WVPapaw]

I didn't come across this while metal detecting, but I was hiking a couple of years ago in NY and across the trail was a black snake but it wasn't moving away as I approached. As I got closer I saw the reason it was staying there as it was in the process of devouring another snake. I watched it for 5 mins or so before stepping over it and continuing. I wonder if the snake being eaten let go of the branch it was wrapped around.

I run across copperhead & rattlers frequently while hiking in NJ and NY so they are out there in the woods though I haven't ever come across one in a local park.

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=794470"/>
When I came upon the pair

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=794471"/>
Continuing the feast

<img src="http://www.treasurenet.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=794472"/>
Last shot I took before stepping over them and heading on my hike. I wonder how it ended up? Did the snake being eating let go of the branch?

Good picks. Was that a copperhead? I have heard that black snakes will eat them.

 

[GeekNJ]

Good picks. Was that a copperhead? I have heard that black snakes will eat them.

The process was underway when I got there so I didn't see the head. I can't tell from the underbelly in the pics. Maybe someone that is snake savvy might be able to determine the type of snake being eaten.

 

[wainzoid]

I would guess that to be a garter snake or a milk snake, because of it long slender tail. A copper head would have more of a shorter, stubbier tail. Rattlers also have a shorter stubbier tail and of course rattles. Although I have seen them w/o rattles