dirtlooter
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 5, 2014
- Messages
- 8,889
- Reaction score
- 13,499
- Golden Thread
- 0
- Location
- mid western ARK
- 🏆 Honorable Mentions:
- 3
- Detector(s) used
- XP Deus with 9"LF and 9" HF Coils and 600 Equinox with stock and 6" coils
- Primary Interest:
- Relic Hunting
- #1
Thread Owner
I was in the woods this morning, not the smartest thing for someone crippled like me and blind in one eye. It was a rather chilly morning and I am super thankful for that. I had my walking stick and all of my stuff and was fighting the briars, vines, sticks and everything else that could grab or trip me. I managed to trip and fall chest first onto a very large fire ant hill. I could not get off of it for nothing for a full minute or so and finally rolled off. I had managed to get my walking stick and everything else tangled in my arms etc. Anyways, not one ant had come out to my surprise, guess they were cold.
Then about 30 yards up higher on the ridge I was climbing, I got into a pile of rotted wood that I was sinking in with every step. Yep, stupid right foot hung on something and down hard I went again. My chest was down on a pile of crap but my face was in a clump of 8 hickory trees about 12 ft tall. I was angry at falling and falling hard three times, I had a bloody face and arms and had hit a rock hard with my right forearm and it was killing me. I was struggling very hard trying to get back up but the rotting wood made it even harder. I was trying very hard to get my feet back under me but getting nowhere when I noticed the huge head and front portion of a very large rattler.
There is something very humbling in recognizing that a poisonous snake much less one this big is under your chest and trying to get out from under you. I both froze and raised up as much as I dared to allow the snake to get free of me. It was moving very sluggishly as it eased forward to get away. It never made any form of trying to bite me, it just wanted away from what ever was on top of it. Finally I could see the dark bluish black tail clearing me as well as the numerous rattles. It kept the buttons or rattles held higher as it moved to about 10 or 12 feet from me and just stopped, partially in the sun.
After it stopped, I went back to my struggling to get up (but not until a quick look to make sure that there wasn't another one.) I had by now texted my wife to come help me because I was really hurting now. So I waited for her to get there and to show her the snake. When we left 45 minutes later, it was still there, sunning. She had asked me immediately as to if I had killed it. I told her nope, it hadn't tried to bite me at all and so I let it go. Yeah, my angel was working overtime for me today! Me, I am hurting all over but no bites of any sort pain wise. Still an extremely blessed man. My wife had seen some large rattlers before but not this big. That big head demands respect and it will get your full attention instantly, at least it did me. Be safe out there folks!
If you enlarge the photos, you can see it better, the head is hidden to the left. The wife wouldn't get any closer for a pic so I had to hobble a little closer for them, still conscious of falling again.
Then about 30 yards up higher on the ridge I was climbing, I got into a pile of rotted wood that I was sinking in with every step. Yep, stupid right foot hung on something and down hard I went again. My chest was down on a pile of crap but my face was in a clump of 8 hickory trees about 12 ft tall. I was angry at falling and falling hard three times, I had a bloody face and arms and had hit a rock hard with my right forearm and it was killing me. I was struggling very hard trying to get back up but the rotting wood made it even harder. I was trying very hard to get my feet back under me but getting nowhere when I noticed the huge head and front portion of a very large rattler.
There is something very humbling in recognizing that a poisonous snake much less one this big is under your chest and trying to get out from under you. I both froze and raised up as much as I dared to allow the snake to get free of me. It was moving very sluggishly as it eased forward to get away. It never made any form of trying to bite me, it just wanted away from what ever was on top of it. Finally I could see the dark bluish black tail clearing me as well as the numerous rattles. It kept the buttons or rattles held higher as it moved to about 10 or 12 feet from me and just stopped, partially in the sun.
After it stopped, I went back to my struggling to get up (but not until a quick look to make sure that there wasn't another one.) I had by now texted my wife to come help me because I was really hurting now. So I waited for her to get there and to show her the snake. When we left 45 minutes later, it was still there, sunning. She had asked me immediately as to if I had killed it. I told her nope, it hadn't tried to bite me at all and so I let it go. Yeah, my angel was working overtime for me today! Me, I am hurting all over but no bites of any sort pain wise. Still an extremely blessed man. My wife had seen some large rattlers before but not this big. That big head demands respect and it will get your full attention instantly, at least it did me. Be safe out there folks!
If you enlarge the photos, you can see it better, the head is hidden to the left. The wife wouldn't get any closer for a pic so I had to hobble a little closer for them, still conscious of falling again.
Be careful..choose your adventures with some thought and don't stop making stories! 
