The local social media postings where I live (central NC) always have postings of copperhead sightings in residential neighborhoods, and they always start a war on the thread about having venomous snakes around children, etc. The herpaphiles always make the "rarely lethal" argument, but to me if you are the lucky one... Besides, as you point out, there is a lot of pain and suffering on the continuum between "no harm, no foul" and "goodnight Irene."
Strange news about a snake bite.
- Thread starter rwsmith
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I was taught the snakebite kit drill as a Boy Scout in the '60s, but the science now says no (real science, not the self-serving stuff we've been fed of late). So the tidy little kit has come out of my first aid kit, and I never put any body part anywhere I haven't looked first.
My stick makes a loud noise!
Phish
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jakeintexas
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It does.
Then again I don’t many people who’ve actually paid those outrageous medical bills either.
I killed several rattlers in CA. We lived about 35 miles east of LA. Two at neighbors places and one at my garage door. First snake we had in TX was this little bugger in the feed room. We built a new barn with real tight tac and feed rooms but if there are mice there are snakes. Usually rat snakes but we are good for 2-3 copperheads a year. I made long gigs, one for the barn and one for the porch. Could use shot shells but they get in some tight spots to dig out.
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John in WYO
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Was he too low in his numbers for one or both sexes estimate?
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I’m certain this has NO medical value, but I recall giving a Right-of-Way crew a boat ride across a lake so they could access an electrical power line for clearing/upkeep. I was a young teen, 60+ now. Every member carried a bottle of turpentine. For snake bite. The story was to upend the bottle over the bite and “seal it.” (Don’t pour it on it.). The venom would be sucked into the bottle. (Per this crew.). I’ve always remembered that. I still have an old school snake bite kit, but don’t intend to ever use it. Interesting for nostalgic reasons.
I remember as a Boy Scout in '50s Florida, it was recommended to have one if the Snake Bite Kits with us. IT had a blade of some sort, and rubber cups that were supposed to suck the venom out. Probably fortunate we never had to use it.
We have a Botanical Garden locally, and they used to have Summer Concerts there. A woman was attending, and tried to pick up a rattlesnake. Naturally, it bit her. She later sued the Garden's owner for damages, and the owner's insurance carrier, (one of the most cowardly businesses in the world) paid.
You can't fix stupid, but you can pay it to go away!
Something that tightens my jaw is the Young Heroes on YouTube that grab venomous snakes bare handed. Somebody will or probably has tried it, grabbed it too far back, and the critter has just turned its head and bitten him/her. Too many people have or will have seen a video, and thought "That's easy...If he can do it, I can!" With a bad result. Unfortunately, some people need to be shown.
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I'll leave this here.
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Just saw this yesterday morning. As always from Foxworthy, good stuff.
Summer is rattlesnake season where I live. And it requires a bit of self discipline to survive it. That means:
- don't wander around outside after dark without a flashlight
- don't wear flip flops, etc when outside not even for a minute or two. I have some rubber irrigating boots that I hope are sufficient protection. It's just a PITA to be putting them on and taking them off all the time. When out working or hiking I wear some all leather Carhartt work boots. I always carry a yucca hiking stick when I'm hiking. I poke around the rocks and brush ahead of myself with it. That has kept me from stepping on or near snakes a number of times.
- don't just stumble around doing your thing without paying attention to where you are stepping or putting your hands.
- don't get bit
It's going to take an hour and a half, once you get in your car, to get to the hospital. Getting to your car is going to require walking, which you're not supposed to do. Calling 911 will result in an ambulance showing up eventually, but they don't have anti venom so all they can do is drive you to the hospital (an hour and a half away), or call for a helicopter, which will take about the same time.
Here's one I shot the other night. It was on the car port by my wife's car. That's the 5th one I've killed near my house over the 18 years I've lived here. I use a long barreled Remington single shot .22 rifle loaded with a CCI snake shot round. Hold the rifle like a pistol, reach way down and put the muzzle right in his face, and pop, dead snake. I only kill them if they are near my house. Out in the boondocks I leave them alone. Maybe if I don't kill them today I won't get bit tomorrow. Hoping for some good karma.
- don't wander around outside after dark without a flashlight
- don't wear flip flops, etc when outside not even for a minute or two. I have some rubber irrigating boots that I hope are sufficient protection. It's just a PITA to be putting them on and taking them off all the time. When out working or hiking I wear some all leather Carhartt work boots. I always carry a yucca hiking stick when I'm hiking. I poke around the rocks and brush ahead of myself with it. That has kept me from stepping on or near snakes a number of times.
- don't just stumble around doing your thing without paying attention to where you are stepping or putting your hands.
- don't get bit
It's going to take an hour and a half, once you get in your car, to get to the hospital. Getting to your car is going to require walking, which you're not supposed to do. Calling 911 will result in an ambulance showing up eventually, but they don't have anti venom so all they can do is drive you to the hospital (an hour and a half away), or call for a helicopter, which will take about the same time.
Here's one I shot the other night. It was on the car port by my wife's car. That's the 5th one I've killed near my house over the 18 years I've lived here. I use a long barreled Remington single shot .22 rifle loaded with a CCI snake shot round. Hold the rifle like a pistol, reach way down and put the muzzle right in his face, and pop, dead snake. I only kill them if they are near my house. Out in the boondocks I leave them alone. Maybe if I don't kill them today I won't get bit tomorrow. Hoping for some good karma.
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That is a grown rattler. When I first moved onto my wooded property, I had quite a few encounters with rattlers. I would kill them because they are territorial and if they are there today, they will be there tomorrow. If you accidently step on one, you will most certainly be bitten. Since I cleared up a couple of acres around my house, I no longer see them, but my eyes are always open.
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Good strategy.
Skyhunter
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gila_dog - - -
That looks like a Mojave Green rattlesnake.
When I was working in SE New Mexico, we'd occasionally "encounter" them on our locations. But we also found Western Diamondbacks as well. My night crew got to be VERY cautious during the warmer months! LOL!
Having spent the majority of my work and free time doing something outside - the ONLY Time I'm not looking for snakes is when I'm walking in at least 6" of snow!
WYT-P
Skyhunter
That looks like a Mojave Green rattlesnake.
When I was working in SE New Mexico, we'd occasionally "encounter" them on our locations. But we also found Western Diamondbacks as well. My night crew got to be VERY cautious during the warmer months! LOL!
Having spent the majority of my work and free time doing something outside - the ONLY Time I'm not looking for snakes is when I'm walking in at least 6" of snow!
WYT-P
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Our scout troop hunted diamondbacks and timber rattlers for dinner during backpacking trips. Just gotta be careful
simmomo
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According to an article in the NC Wildlife magazine many years ago, my home state had the distinction of being one of the few, if not only state that is home to all four North American venomous snakes: copperhead, cottonmouth, rattler and coral. The article went on to say that copperhead bites were the most common and the great majority accurred on the foot or ankle of folks wearing sandles or flipflops while walking in leaf covered areas where the snake is all but impossible to see. Even though we have lived in a rural golf community, surrounded by the NC gamelands, for over thirty years, we have been fortunate to have never seen a venomous snake on our property, but I also have never forgotten the article.
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Handling the snake is second!
I stepped right past this guy on a trail in Bandelier National Monument (NM) hiking with my two sons a couple weeks ago. I was wearing shorts and hiking boots. He rattled as my right leg swung past him probably a foot away. Luckily the two boys saw and detoured around the trail. An hour later on the way back up the canyon he was still there. We gave him a wide berth.
I got lucky. That could’ve put quite a damper on our vacation.
I got lucky. That could’ve put quite a damper on our vacation.
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No one has mentioned the " 2 step Charlies" in Vietnam.......
JWintergreen
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A good friend of mine was bitten on the ankle by a snake while gardening yesterday. He thought that would be the worst of it, but he was sadly mistaken.
After biting my friend, the snake informed him that he would immediately be contacting the homeowners association about his mailbox being the incorrect shade of blue and his car being parked in the wrong location. The snake then told him that he was running for city council and would work tirelessly to ban concealed carry in all public establishments. That’s how they do things in the snake den he recently left.
It was at that moment my friend realized he had been bitten by the worst invasive species of all - the dreaded Yankee Snake!!!
After biting my friend, the snake informed him that he would immediately be contacting the homeowners association about his mailbox being the incorrect shade of blue and his car being parked in the wrong location. The snake then told him that he was running for city council and would work tirelessly to ban concealed carry in all public establishments. That’s how they do things in the snake den he recently left.
It was at that moment my friend realized he had been bitten by the worst invasive species of all - the dreaded Yankee Snake!!!
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That sounds serious. I grew up in Kansas so I have been called a Yankee. Hopefully not a snake tho.
I have heard of the dreaded invasive Blue State snake that causes much harm when transplanted into non-native areas.
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Came across this one at work. About 20 miles north of Boston
