My friend got bitten by a rattlesnake

smokeythecat · Jul 28, 2019

You even need a permit to breathe in Maryland! Does that include the road kill snakes? Actually, call the DNR and have THEM come relocate it. They'll like that. A lot. Not.

I have never seen any poisonous snake on my property, thankfully.

DeepseekerADS · Jul 28, 2019

Doug H said:
I was doing some research on snakes and found out that it is against the law to kill ANY snakes in the state of Virginia.

I didn't know that, thanks for the heads-up.

Megalodon · Jul 28, 2019

civilman1 said:
Great point Doug. In Maryland it's against the law to kill ANY snake. The timber rattler's are a protected specie's. Don't let the DNR get a hold of this,they do not play around when it comes to this. Just saying

This is correct. There have been some successful prosecutions - but in most of the cases I know, they have been secondary charges, with the primary being firing guns too close to homes, illegal possession of firearms by felons, etc. Its amazing how some idiots think they can go out into their tiny suburban yards and start blasting away with a high powered rifle because they saw a garter snake... There was a successful prosecution of some idiots hunting rattlesnakes in a state park in Garrett Co (maybe they thought it was a snake park?).

Megalodon · Jul 28, 2019

Doug H said:
I was doing some research on snakes and found out that it is against the law to kill ANY snakes in the state of Virginia. So make sure you check your local laws and if its against the law then catch those copperheads live and relocate them away from your property. Lol

Relocating the few that you see is unlikely to have any lasting effect. If they are on your property, it is because conditions are right for them. Better to eliminate man-made conditions that favor copperheads - like piles of surge rock for example, than to attempt to relocate them. The highest concentration of copperheads on my property happens to be in a pile of surge rock left by a previous owner who used them to slow stormwater.

Megalodon · Jul 28, 2019

smokeythecat said:
You even need a permit to breathe in Maryland! Does that include the road kill snakes? Actually, call the DNR and have THEM come relocate it. They'll like that. A lot. Not.

I have never seen any poisonous snake on my property, thankfully.

DNR does not relocate any animals. Even if they wanted to, there is nearly no staff anymore. I used to get several calls a day every May about snapping turtles and could I come out and remove them. One woman sent in a video of her 2 or so year old daughter poking a nesting snapper in the snout with a finger (I called her right away...). I had a well-practiced routine informing folks about the biology of snappers and how lucky they were to have a living dinosaur in their yard to observe. There is a link on the Wildlife page to the private wildlife control operators listed by county. They are limited in what they can do by practicality and almost always have to release a nuisance animal on some other part of the property - which does not work well; honest wildlife control operators will tell you that. Some specialize in snakes, others in bats, etc. I have chosen to live with wildlife and do not consider them to be a "nuisance". I choose to share my low-hanging pears with the deer, and I don't molest the many snakes. Even the new little groundhog who has moved in will be left alone. I call him Charles. Chuck just seems so familiar...

smokeythecat · Jul 28, 2019

Speaking of groundhogs...some years ago a groundhog which I believe I rescued as a baby decided to make its home right next to back door in the ground. Well...I didn't like that. I really like groundhogs and do not want to hurt them. I threw some used cat litter in its hole a couple times and it moved 20' to a bank. It's home is still there.

MetalArchSC · Jul 28, 2019

JOe L said:
Maybe I should tell the wife moving down to the Carolinas soon is not a good idea. Upstate NY, granted we have a small amount of what I believe are called timber rattlers in the south eastern Adirondack’s (someone correct me if I’m wrong) but other than that (ticks of course) you pretty much can walk anywhere.

Yep.. Can vouch for snakes here. I’ve to “exterminate” 3 big ones and two small ones so far since I’ve lived here. One spread out across my neighbors back step a couple years ago.

Where in Adirondacks are ya? I got friends inviting me up that way.

MetalArchSC · Jul 28, 2019

Disregard location question... Your in the vicinity.

I would rather deal with snakes than spiders or biting flying things.

As for as visiting the upstate, I’m nervous about the bears.

smokeythecat · Jul 28, 2019

We have bears here on occasion, the bird snatching bobcat, the mountain lion who zips by occasionally, coyotes half as big as horses, not too many bad snakes fortunately.

Megalodon · Jul 28, 2019

smokeythecat said:
Speaking of groundhogs...some years ago a groundhog which I believe I rescued as a baby decided to make its home right next to back door in the ground. Well...I didn't like that. I really like groundhogs and do not want to hurt them. I threw some used cat litter in its hole a couple times and it moved 20' to a bank. It's home is still there.

Typically, this is the time of year (actually the last month) when young male groundhogs are kicked out of their burrows and have to find homes of their own.

I had an epic battle of wits with a groundhog years ago. My wife could not understand why I went to all the trouble to keep him out of the garden when I could have easily just shot him . That would have been too easy, and seemingly dishonorable to a worthy opponent. After several battles in which I conceded, I finally prevailed by digging a trench under my garden fencing and attaching fencing 3' deep and turning it at an angle outward, then filling the trench with broken concrete block. He surrendered and moved to a nice hillside at a neighbor's property and snacked at their garden.

Did you know they can climb trees? My son, returning from a night fossil hunt, startled one in a tree and it fell - and nearly landed on his head.

Megalodon · Jul 28, 2019

MetalArchSC said:
Disregard location question... Your in the vicinity.

I would rather deal with snakes than spiders or biting flying things.

As for as visiting the upstate, I’m nervous about the bears.

Biting flies are a real nuisance. I used to fish in Maine for salmon and the black flies would turn you into an unrecognizable bloody mess. Night hunting for fossils with a headlamp attracts a mess of bugs that get in your nose and eyes.

I think of black bears as overgrown raccoons. My only regret about retiring is the timing was not right to go out to the western part of the state and help weigh and tag some bear cubs. Assisting that project as a volunteer is a highlight and unforgettable experience.

MetalArchSC · Jul 28, 2019

smokeythecat said:
We have bears here on occasion, the bird snatching bobcat, the mountain lion who zips by occasionally, coyotes half as big as horses, not too many bad snakes fortunately.

We have all of the above and snakes. Not to mention, SC has bugs I didn’t know existed. A week ago I was out on my back porch and when I looked down, I thought I was going to have an accident on myself.

There was this huge beetle looking thing. It had pinchers almost as long as it’s body which was around 3 inches long. Add the head and pinchers, probably 5 inches. I screamed and my friend who was visiting pushed it off the porch with her foot.

I repeat what I’ve said before in another post... I’m a girl. I don’t do bugs of any kind. So I guarantee if you men were there you would have died laughing at me. You too Smokey... but I bet you would have backed up as fast as I did. Lol.

Later I googled it to find out what prehistoric bug breathed life again. Can’t remember the name. Under SC beetles. Anyway. Turns out it was a male that fights other males with those pinchers. Does hurt if the impale you with one of them apparently. And not only that, they fly.
I mean OMG. I have to get a mosquito net for my back porch.

People must think the terminix man and I are dating.

Honest Samuel · Jul 28, 2019

I had not heard of that it is a crime to kill snakes. Go kill snakes because they are good tasking and free food.

MetalArchSC · Jul 28, 2019

I know snakes. Which ones are “good ones” and which are poisonous. I don’t agree that any snake is a bad snake. But sorry folks... if a poisonous one wants to camp out where I can see it from my house... it’s dead snake. Water moccasins are the worst here... I’ve heard will chase your boat. Thankfully Im rarely in a boat and I don’t fish where there’s weeds.

I heard that rattle snake tastes pretty good. I would try it if someone else cooked it. As for the ones I shot, the hawks or buzzards I’m sure thought it was delicious, too.

Megalodon · Jul 28, 2019

Snakes are not poisonous. Some species are venomous. (In contrast, some wild mushrooms are poisonous; none are venomous) Venomous snakes inject venom to immobilize larger prey. When the prey animal slows down enough, the snake begins to ingest it by swallowing it whole. Occasionally people are bitten by venomous snakes - but usually the snakes in the wild are far more wary of such a large animal as a person and flee from something they could not possibly ingest. Most snake bites occur with improper handling, stepping on them, etc.

JOe L · Jul 28, 2019

Well. I think it’s time for the one ear headphones and my 45LC on my hip. I guess snakes don’t want any part of you but, I would have no problem dispatching one if threatened. And I don’t like to see any living thing killed.

Megalodon · Jul 28, 2019

Many common fears are irrational. People fear what they do not understand. The solution is to learn about the creatures with whom we share the planet for such a short time. The things most worthy of our fear are not even visible - they are the viruses and bacteria, amoebas and other microbes.

MetalArchSC · Jul 28, 2019

Thanks for the correction. Not all venom mouse / non venomous snakes here in SC will flee. The water moccasins are very confrontational. I have a couple friends that had them come at their boat/kayak. A cable man had one slither towards him at another friends house. Like I said... nasty creatures down here.

MetalArchSC · Jul 28, 2019

Megalodon said:
Many common fears are irrational. People fear what they do not understand. The solution is to learn about the creatures with whom we share the planet for such a short time. The things most worthy of our fear are not even visible - they are the viruses and bacteria, amoebas and other microbes.

I agree ...adding those to my list.