Look what the high water has flushed out

[ThirtyAcres]

Why do you tolerate this? That snake is going to tag someone someday!

Like I said I only see him when I do not have a weapon. I should have said a proper weapon.

I have seen him three times. All three times I had my Smith 442, but I refuse to shoot across / into water because of neighbors just across the pasture. Richochet danger is just too high.

Someday, I will have a shotgun handy.

 

[Stainz]

Wow - you guys sure credit a simple-minded snake with a lot of reasoning power! They react to a heat source - that's all. They eat small mammals - nothing raccoon or dog sized, much less human sized. They must swallow their dinner whole. They go after dinner or predators - the latter may be even competitors with them for their proposed dinner. They don't reason - they react. You are a heat source - that's all.

Stainz

 

[410bore]

stainz,


i dont think anyone here disagrees that cottonmouths aren't interested EATING a human, but it sure seems like they wouldnt mind a TASTE when they beeline in your direction

 

[stiab]

Wow - you guys sure credit a simple-minded snake with a lot of reasoning power! They react to a heat source

Actually, I think folks are just discribing their actual experiences, some of which took place at estimated "20 yards" and "50 feet". That's pretty far off for a heat source. In my personal case, it had to be a visual attraction I believe.

 

[Texas Star]

Like I said I only see him when I do not have a weapon. I should have said a proper weapon.

I have seen him three times. All three times I had my Smith 442, but I refuse to shoot across / into water because of neighbors just across the pasture. Richochet danger is just too high.

Someday, I will have a shotgun handy.

I understand. I once had to pass on a shot at a moccasin because some kids showed up across a big pond. I had a M-64 loaded with Federal lead HP's.

The thing was after some fish that I had on a stringer.

T-Star

 

[Trooperdan]

I used to go fishing with my dad a lot when I was just a kid, up in north Georgia. We were fishing a small stream when i saw about half a snake showing out of the bushes on our side of the stream.

Dad had a semi-auto .22 but didn't have a shot at the head so he plunked one in the body. There were some other kids on the other side of the stream and the snake (later confirmed to be a true cottonmouth) instantly turned and headed for the people on the othe bank. Dad clipped his head off before he got six feet, it was just "bang-bang" and dad went back to fishing. As a kid I was mightly impressed with his fast and accurate shooting!

 

[Texas Star]

As for snake aggression, King cobras, black mambas, and bushmasters all have a reputation for attacking. And Bothrops atrox is a nasty tempered snake, often.

I saw a big Egyptian Cobra (Naje haje) come for the Crocodile Hunter when he was in Kenya. But he had been hassling it.

Most of you guys know who Jim Corbett was. The naturalist and hunter, not the boxer. He once provoked a charge by throwing a rock at a Hamadryd (King Cobra). He said that he always tried to kill a snake before hunting man-eaters. He thought it brought him luck.

Some snakes see quite well. A major US zoo used to have a Black and White Forest Cobra (Naja melanoleuca). It was aggressive and would feint to get a keeper to move the snake stick one way, then the snake attacked from another direction. The Curator at that time told me that it was probably just a matter of time until someone was bitten. I understand that the zoo disposed of that snake to another party who was advised of its nature. Always wondered how that worked out.

 

[John Eilertson]

I'd have found a way to bump that thing off, not anymore for the leather than the MEAT!

 

[oldman45]

Wow - you guys sure credit a simple-minded snake with a lot of reasoning power! They react to a heat source - that's all. You are a heat source - that's all.

Stainz

Good. Then the .45acp round I send their way can be a new heat source. Maybe they can absorb several of them and enjoy the warmth.

 

[Faulkner]

I'd have found a way to bump that thing off, not anymore for the leather than the MEAT!

It would have made a great looking belt or hat band.

 

[wbraswell]

Cottonmouths have a rank odor to them for sure. I can't descibe it, but I know it when I smell it. I usually smell one before I see it. We used to find them around our yard and garden, but there is no water source, except a couple of small ponds that are within a half mile. We would call them high land moccasins. Our cocker spaniel mix killed every one she found and never got bit. I agee with some that the snake in the OP doesn't look like a moccasin to me, and it's way too big. I get a kick out of messing with those who are absurdly scared of them, but not with a real snake. I know the dangerous ones and have no problem killing them, but I'll leave most others alone or pick them up and move them. I don't like any non-native species, plant or animal. You can have your boas and pythons, if it gets loose and I see it, it's history.

 

[ol' geeser]

When I was a kid, we'ed occasionally get one tied in a hay bale in the field....talk about stink...already mad at the baler and then us too....used to get a lot of king snakes or coachwhips that way too...Dad had a strict rule that we had to bust the bale and let the king snakes go free, he felt they where better vermin killers than cats

 

[Texas Star]

Keep in mind that handling reptiles is a fairly good way to catch salmonella.

 

[The Last Standing Knight]

Good. Then the .45acp round I send their way can be a new heat source. Maybe they can absorb several of them and enjoy the warmth.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

 

[buckeyeshooter1]

good thread! never seen a poisionous snake outside a zoo! lucky me!

 

[Faulkner]

good thread! never seen a poisionous snake outside a zoo! lucky me!

In reality, I find ticks and chiggers to be more of a nusance than snakes.

 

[welldoya]

Being a fisherman in Florida, I've dealt with my share of cottonmouths but some of you guys mention eating them and making belts out of them. I can honestly say that I've never heard of anybody doing either.
Can't say that I've ever actually been chased by one but I have had them try to get in the boat with me. I figured they just smelled the fish in the ice chest.

 

[Crabtree]

Ever see the show on History Channel called "Swamp People?" The guy who hunts snakes at night...Willy I think. It was on last night. He looks kinda like Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers. He regularly rolls up on submerged snakes and just grabs them. Says he can't always tell the water snakes from the cottonmouths until he catches them.

You tell me. Middle of the night and he's hot boxing a marlboro red...smoke burning his eyes...holding a snake that's furiously tagging his forearms while steadying the boat and narrating the action. That's pumpkin berries right there.

 

[Tunachaser]

they will come at ya, pretty much the same way a wasp will, a wasp isn't going to eat you either but he knows how to ruin your day. I did kill one one night at work and someone in the control room suggested fryin it up, so we did, just out of boredome I guess.

 

[Pointman]

I grew up in Oklahoma and spent alot of time wading lakes in the Spring bowfishing. Two things that I always feared were the moccasins and aligator gar (big ones!). I have had mocs chase me out of the water many times. I don't care what anyone says, when one of them mocs are coming at me, I'm leaving!