WATCH YOUR STEP! Timber Rattler

[tamrock]

Thanks for links and stories, Tamrock. Here in SC I have encountered a lot of copperheads, and would call them docile. Unbelievably, I have removed 5 copperheads from my back yard this year. Scoop them up with small rake, put them in a trash can, and take them for a ride to a new home far away. My wife took a pic with her phone of the last one. I think her hands were shaking a bit. She is terrified of snakes.

This is the only kind of snake I'll put a lens close up to. They strike, but that's about it. It's funny to watch one of my dogs try to work what to do with these Bull Snakes, they wanna get it, but how when no matter what position you go at it, it fights back . I'll see a Hawk sometimes fly by with one of these dangling within it's talons.

 

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[Kray Gelder]

What ever baby bird I spied out.

Ah, Geez. Cold.

 

[worldtalker]

Ah, Geez. Cold.

Hey..he had to eat too!

 

[Kray Gelder]

Yeeeeikes!

Why the regret? A snake that aggressive could go after someone's child later on.

Being a human, I find myself siding with my own species. To do otherwise invites hypocracy and anarchy.

Good story. I do NOT want to top that one.

I don't really know why the regret. I was certainly justified, and it happened so quick. What I didn't mention, and what made the snake's behavior so bizarre, was it was a good twenty feet away when it started the charge. And a rattle snake can really scoot! I do eat meat, have no problem with hunting, all that. But ANY unnecessary kill is unjustified. Did what I did. And also, maybe 'cause I'm over the hump now, sometimes I think back at the deer and elk and rabbits, and game birds, and black bear, that I snuffed out. I DID enjoy eating them, never wasted game, took care with my shot and didn't take it unless I knew it would be dead from that one shot. Ducks, grouse, pheasant, chucker, quail, dove, are an exception to that. Throw that lead! Ah well, fun from my past.

 

[worldtalker]

I don't really know why the regret. I was certainly justified, and it happened so quick. What I didn't mention, and what made the snake's behavior so bizarre, was it was a good twenty feet away when it started the charge. And a rattle snake can really scoot! I do eat meat, have no problem with hunting, all that. But ANY unnecessary kill is unjustified. Did what I did. And also, maybe 'cause I'm over the hump now, sometimes I think back at the deer and elk and rabbits, and game birds, and black bear, that I snuffed out. I DID enjoy eating them, never wasted game, took care with my shot and didn't take it unless I knew it would be dead from that one shot. Ducks, grouse, pheasant, chucker, quail, dove, are an exception to that. Throw that lead! Ah well, fun from my past.

The only thing I shoot nature with now is a camera.

 

[Kray Gelder]

This is the only kind of snake I'll put a lens close up to. They strike, but that's about it. It's funny to watch one of my dogs try to work what to do with these Bull Snakes, they wanna get it, but how when no matter what position you go at it, it fights back . I'll see a Hawk sometimes fly by with one of these dangling within it's talons.

That is a nice crisp closeup!
Here in SC, I once watched a huge black snake climb strait up the side of a big oak. No branches on the trunk, and it was almost stretched strait out as it was going up. I looked impossible, but it was doing it!

 

[G.A.P.metal]

When i was a kid 4yrs. old at the farm in Liberty Pa. my younger brother Carl 3years old tried to pet one the barn bridge we were all kinda close together.
He was heading for it with in 3 ft. i heard a rattle every thing slowed down ...i saw for the First Time Terror in my Mothers eyes/ face as my father is pulling a hand gun and starting shooting toward my little brother as my older brother 11 yr.old pulls Carl back.
Man i love guns till this day and Carl still loves snakes.

 

[PullTabSlayer]

I don't mind snakes at all but I have a Zero tolerance for venomous snakes near the home front. If I am in the wilderness I will let them be. I suspect your aggressive snake encounter was due to skin shedding.
Once it starts shedding skin it obstructs their vision, it knew you were there but couldn't really see you. I have read this can cause aggression.
Males will be slightly different in color and can have almost black bands.
Only aggressive encounter I have ever had was with a moccasin while on a river floating in a inner tube, and he lost :-)

 

[Kray Gelder]

Hey..he had to eat too!

I said that as a light hearted jab. And I am sure he enjoyed the red meat and feathers!

 

[Kray Gelder]

The only thing I shoot nature with now is a camera.

Same here.

 

[uglymailman]

I went to a rattle snake roundup in Brownwood,TX. They teach you quite a bit about snakes. While working in Tx. I came across my first rattle snake. 4' long, 12 rattles. In the movies the rattle always sounds real loud. On a day with a little wind you couldn't hear it at 6'. We have aggressive copperheads here in MO.. They will go after you
One morning my outfit's 2 survey crews met for coffee. One guy was talking about "Blue racers". A blue colored snake here. He said they sometimes went up your pants legs. 2 hr.'s later, my crew was in the timber. We had to clear a line between 2 survey points. I fired up the chainsaw and was clearing the brush/trees between them and the other crew member was 200 yards away flagging the line to be cleared. I felt something go up my pants leg. It was cold and when it hit the bare skin above the boot tops I threw the still running chain saw and started screaming like a little girl. Other crew member came running as hard as he could, just knowing I'd cut my leg off with the chain saw. When he got to me, he saw me bouncing up and down one one leg, kicking out with the other leg, trying to unbuckle my pants with leather gloves on and still screaming. By this time it had gotten to the back of my knee and still climbing. Finally got my pants down and it was a toad. Took 10 min.'s for my crew mate to get back off the ground from laughing so hard.

 

[Kray Gelder]

When i was a kid 4yrs. old at the farm in Liberty Pa. my younger brother Carl 3years old tried to pet one the barn bridge we were all kinda close together.
He was heading for it with in 3 ft. i heard a rattle every thing slowed down ...i saw for the First Time Terror in my Mothers eyes/ face as my father is pulling a hand gun and starting shooting toward my little brother as my older brother 11 yr.old pulls Carl back.
Man i love guns till this day and Carl still loves snakes.

THAT is a frightening recollection!

 

[Kray Gelder]

I don't mind snakes at all but I have a Zero tolerance for venomous snakes near the home front. If I am in the wilderness I will let them be. I suspect your aggressive snake encounter was due to skin shedding.
Once it starts shedding skin it obstructs their vision, it knew you were there but couldn't really see you. I have read this can cause aggression.
Males will be slightly different in color and can have almost black bands.
Only aggressive encounter I have ever had was with a moccasin while on a river floating in a inner tube, and he lost :-)

I didn't know that about them when they're shedding. Probably explains it.
My stringer of red breast started jerking around on the Santee River one time, and when I lifted it, there was a large moccasin trying to eat one. My wife like to freaked out. In fact, the scream she let out scared me more than the snake. Ha.

 

[Kray Gelder]

I went to a rattle snake roundup in Brownwood,TX. They teach you quite a bit about snakes. While working in Tx. I came across my first rattle snake. 4' long, 12 rattles. In the movies the rattle always sounds real loud. On a day with a little wind you couldn't hear it at 6'. We have aggressive copperheads here in MO.. They will go after you
One morning my outfit's 2 survey crews met for coffee. One guy was talking about "Blue racers". A blue colored snake here. He said they sometimes went up your pants legs. 2 hr.'s later, my crew was in the timber. We had to clear a line between 2 survey points. I fired up the chainsaw and was clearing the brush/trees between them and the other crew member was 200 yards away flagging the line to be cleared. I felt something go up my pants leg. It was cold and when it hit the bare skin above the boot tops I threw the still running chain saw and started screaming like a little girl. Other crew member came running as hard as he could, just knowing I'd cut my leg off with the chain saw. When he got to me, he saw me bouncing up and down one one leg, kicking out with the other leg, trying to unbuckle my pants with leather gloves on and still screaming. By this time it had gotten to the back of my knee and still climbing. Finally got my pants down and it was a toad. Took 10 min.'s for my crew mate to get back off the ground from laughing so hard.

I'm laughing right now!.

 

[G.A.P.metal]

Ya Kray
Thinking about it still brings me a chill !

 

[scruggs]

Respect them and give them plenty of space!

 

[WannaDig3687]

I don't like snakes. But the thread has been entertaining!

 

[RGINN]

My son, who studies snakes, had a female timber rattler for a while and she had a litter, or passel, or whatever you call a bunch of baby snakes and here's a couple pics of those. He released them all back in to the wild after his studies, too. Good pic, Kray Gelder, I'm gonna copy it and send it to my son.

 

[Kray Gelder]

View attachment 1524776 View attachment 1524777 My son, who studies snakes, had a female timber rattler for a while and she had a litter, or passel, or whatever you call a bunch of baby snakes and here's a couple pics of those. He released them all back in to the wild after his studies, too. Good pic, Kray Gelder, I'm gonna copy it and send it to my son.

RGINN, Great photos, and really beautiful snakes! Never, ever seen one that color. Thanks for posting that!

 

[RGINN]

My son liked your pic, thanks very much. He wouldn't hazard a guess on the sex though as in the pic the snake was flattened out and puffed up. He thought it might be male. Coloration didn't come up. You can tell by the slight difference in tail length and the end all be all method is 'probing'. And I have helped him put a venomous snake in a PVC pipe, held the head while he stuck a probe where the sun don't shine in a snake to determine the sex. In light of that, I would pretty much be with worldtalker, yeah that's a female, she's pretty.