If it was me & a 12 foot snake, I would've come back with a stun gun too, only my stun gun would've been a 12 gauge stun gun, loaded with about an oz of # 4 stun pellets, capable of 1,200 fps travel.
Ever been bit by a Copperhead?.........
- Thread starter moralem
- Start date
Patrolling with my corporal in the car one day, we were ambling down a back country road when we saw a big snake sunning itself. He wanted me to just run over, but I don't do that--can't see killing a snake just because it's a snake. From inside the car it looked like a rattler. I stopped and got out, hoping to collect a skin, some meat, and a rattle; it turned out to be a big bull snake, maybe 4-5' long. I got the camera to get some pictures (this back in the day when we had Polaroids to photo traffic accidents), and proceeded to waste some of the county's film. The Corp finally got out of the car, then had a hissy fit when I started agitating the snake to get it to strike at my boot--for photographic effect, of course. Finally the snake got tired of it and wandered off.
Back at the station, the Corporal had all kinds of stories to tell about how brave (read 'stupid') I was, to be messing with a rattlesnake like that, and gave me an unofficial lateral promotion to Reptile Control Officer for the squad.
Oh, I don't think I ever told him it wasn't really a rattler..... Acebow
Back at the station, the Corporal had all kinds of stories to tell about how brave (read 'stupid') I was, to be messing with a rattlesnake like that, and gave me an unofficial lateral promotion to Reptile Control Officer for the squad.
Oh, I don't think I ever told him it wasn't really a rattler..... Acebow
I am in Central Kentucky. Please post the link here so others can see it as well. I'd certainly take a close look at it and see if I can learn the difference. I admit that I kill them all out of fear and lack of knowledge.
As a funny story relating to snakes: I pulled in my driveway after work one day to see my wife mowing the grass on the rider with both of her feet "up on the hood of the mower"! I was so curious that I drove across the yard to her and said "What in the world are you driving like that for?" She said, " I hit a big fat snake with the mower a while a go and I'm afraid to put my feet down". Now I couldn't help it, but I busted out laughing, it looked so funny. Until she next said, "Go over there by the cemetery (where we bury the deceased pets) and look for the snake I hit, it was a big one and want to know it's not still crawling around."
Well, as I said, they give my "the willies" too, so I grabbed the .38 out of the glovebox and went looking. I saw parts scattered about, the biggest about an inch long, but it was wider than it was long. Probably a great big fat King snake.
I may eventually learn the difference with your help "kosmic", but trust me, my wife is a lost cause. Please post the link here, I'm sure there are other Ky boys like me that really never took time to figure out the difference between a good one and a bad one. I promise to print it out and see if I can learn from it.
Thanks.
carpriver
US Veteran
Why all these snake stories. I am not a fan of the snake, I don't hate them, I just prefer that they and I not occupy the same space at the same time. I don't care if the snakes has diamonds, is made of copper, wears a hoody. If we are in said place at the same time I will scream like a little girl and do a little dance to give the snake his space.
kozmic
Member
Kraynky...A quick google search of "Snakes of Central Kentucky" provided quite a few very informative sites. Among the best were one from UK Ag Dept. and another from Kentucky Fish and Wildlife. I've spent the past hour+ looking at them. Kentucky has some amazingly cool snakes! I learned quite a bit. Links attached.
Kentucky Snake Identification Site
http://www.google.com/url?q=http://...kQFjAH&usg=AFQjCNFL7czB46nw5V1dsNcrhB5HrWueTw
I've preached a "live and let live" lifestyle to my kids since they were very young. I've taken my boys on many "hunts" for snakes and other reptiles to observe them in their natural surroundings and then leave them. I'm just above the northern range of 2 NY rattlers so I don't necessarily have to worry about them in my yard, but with a little travel south we've seen many in the wild.
My son and I have bred and raised snakes (kings, corns, rats and ball pythons currently) and various reptiles for the past 14 years. I never really know how many snakes are in my house, but usually 20 or so adult breeders and from a few to a few dozen babies depending on the time of year.
If we had a poisonous snake in our yard threatening my family or pets I would do everything in my power to relocate them. As long as I could do it safely. If not, I would be forced to dispatch them. I'll never criticize anyone for that. I do find snakes to be beautiful and quite beneficial and killing them just because strikes a nerve with me.
Hopefully you'll become knowledgeable enough to identify and appreciate your local snakes. They're pretty cool
Thanks!
Koz
I do appreciate the information, and I will take some time to look through it. Hopefully some of the information will stick. However, I will never knowingly have a snake inside of my house. Period! I guess somebody has to love them, huh? Glad you're in NY KOZ.
MK
Member
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- Dec 23, 2007
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Every time I read through one of these snake threads it further
compels me to wear the plastic snake leggings I almost always
wear when I'm tromping around my dirt patch up in OK. Actually,
I've been lucky so far and haven't run across a nasty snake up
there so far. I was expecting to see loads of them when I bought
the place. I've seen loads of "good" snakes and don't bother them.
But if I see a "bad" snake, he's toast if he's anywhere near where I
camp. Like one said, I don't want to run across them a second time,
and give them another chance to tag me. I always wear my plastic
leggings when I'm mowing, or tromping through the grassy areas.
Cheap insurance.. They are so light, they really don't bother me much
to wear them.
I probably hate water moccasins the most, and they are the ones
I've dealt with the most. We had one crawl up into our boat one night
many years ago on Lake Pomona in KS.. We were fishing for crappie,
and had lanterns hanging off the sides of the boat. He crawled right up
the rear motor transom plate, and was in the boat. My dad saw him and
jumped about three feet in the boat, which scared the @#$% out of me
and my brother, then he scooped him up with a paddle and flung him
back out.
And I had one go after a fish I had in a steel basket at a sand pit south
of Houston one evening.
He was hanging on the basket when I pulled it up out of the water to
deposit another fish. Talk about dropping a fish basket quick..
Once he runnoft, I pulled the basket back up, and he had bit a catfish
I had in the basket many times.. And it almost chewed a hole on the
steel net fish basket itself trying to get to that fish. I threw the fish
away.. Had about 30 puncture holes in it.. No way I was going to eat
it after that.
Also several years ago a guy ran into a nest of them while he and a
bunch of people were swimming in a different sand pit also near
Houston. From what I hear, it was kind of like that snake scene in
"Lonesome Dove".. As I remember, he didn't survive the attack.
At my OK place I could see a rattler, a copperhead, or even a water
moccasin, being I'm not far from the lake, and have creeks both east
and west of me that lead to the lake. But like I say, I've been lucky
so far and haven't had to deal with one. Maybe it's cuz I'm not there
too often.. I'm sure some gotta be lurking around there somewhere.
A Copperhead would probably be the most likely to see I suppose,
being it's mostly wooded, with grassy areas where I've got mostly
cleared land. I always carry a lead spitting device, so it would be in
their best interests to stay away from me unless they want to develop
spontaneous leaks. :+
compels me to wear the plastic snake leggings I almost always
wear when I'm tromping around my dirt patch up in OK. Actually,
I've been lucky so far and haven't run across a nasty snake up
there so far. I was expecting to see loads of them when I bought
the place. I've seen loads of "good" snakes and don't bother them.
But if I see a "bad" snake, he's toast if he's anywhere near where I
camp. Like one said, I don't want to run across them a second time,
and give them another chance to tag me. I always wear my plastic
leggings when I'm mowing, or tromping through the grassy areas.
Cheap insurance.. They are so light, they really don't bother me much
to wear them.
I probably hate water moccasins the most, and they are the ones
I've dealt with the most. We had one crawl up into our boat one night
many years ago on Lake Pomona in KS.. We were fishing for crappie,
and had lanterns hanging off the sides of the boat. He crawled right up
the rear motor transom plate, and was in the boat. My dad saw him and
jumped about three feet in the boat, which scared the @#$% out of me
and my brother, then he scooped him up with a paddle and flung him
back out.
And I had one go after a fish I had in a steel basket at a sand pit south
of Houston one evening.
He was hanging on the basket when I pulled it up out of the water to
deposit another fish. Talk about dropping a fish basket quick..
Once he runnoft, I pulled the basket back up, and he had bit a catfish
I had in the basket many times.. And it almost chewed a hole on the
steel net fish basket itself trying to get to that fish. I threw the fish
away.. Had about 30 puncture holes in it.. No way I was going to eat
it after that.
Also several years ago a guy ran into a nest of them while he and a
bunch of people were swimming in a different sand pit also near
Houston. From what I hear, it was kind of like that snake scene in
"Lonesome Dove".. As I remember, he didn't survive the attack.
At my OK place I could see a rattler, a copperhead, or even a water
moccasin, being I'm not far from the lake, and have creeks both east
and west of me that lead to the lake. But like I say, I've been lucky
so far and haven't had to deal with one. Maybe it's cuz I'm not there
too often.. I'm sure some gotta be lurking around there somewhere.
A Copperhead would probably be the most likely to see I suppose,
being it's mostly wooded, with grassy areas where I've got mostly
cleared land. I always carry a lead spitting device, so it would be in
their best interests to stay away from me unless they want to develop
spontaneous leaks. :+
ChuckS1
US Veteran
I shouldn't read these threads. Killed a little copperhead on the walkway between the house and garage last evening. Hate those things.
Inkedpreacher
Member
I love snakes. I have them tattooed all over my arms. I'm the guy that stops traffic on highways and picks up snakes to take them to the other side so no one runs over them. In Iowa, we have three types of rattlers, but they are VERY rarely ever seen. No other venomous snakes. I spent a couple years living in southern Louisiana, that was heaven for me. I caught every type of venomous snake that lives there, using only my hands. Never got bit. Closest I came was by a Pygmy rattler. He tagged my thumb 3 times, but his mouth wasn't big enough to get around it.
