AN INCIDENT WITH A COPPERHEAD

[catdaddy]

A couple of weeks ago I was guiding a hunter from Arizona ("Robbie') on a 3 day turkey hunt in north Mississippi. The weather conditions were far from pristine but we managed to get on birds every day. On the third day of his hunt, I was able to position us in the bedroom of a gobbler. It was a beautiful sight to see the gobbler leave the roost and sail directly in front of us to land in a clean spot in the woods roughly 35 yards away. I had successfully guided Robbie on a hunt last year so I assumed he could "take care of business" by himself.  I intended to work the bird a touch closer, but Robbie shot (unexpectedly for me) and missed him clean.  Oh well, kaka happens as they say.

The reason he may have missed could possibly be attributed to the event that rattled him the previous day. We were set up against a huge cedar tree on the edge of a good looking green field. We had not heard a gobbler, but I had killed ("harvested" for you PC types) several birds in this field over the years and besides—it was in the middle of the day and the big cedar produced some mighty welcoming shade. I was doing a little calling, some looking and perhaps a quick cat nap worked in between the calling and the looking. During on of my "looking" spells, a movement caught my eye on the ground perhaps 10 feet to the left and in front of me. To my surprise, it was a huge copper-head moccasin slowly moving towards us---he was perfectly camouflaged in the leaves so it is a wonder I spotted him. My first thought and plan of action was to calmly tell Robbie "Hey man, if I were you I'd get up since a big copper-head is about to crawl in your lap". Before I could implement this plan, the snake inexplicably picked up his rate of speed so my plan on dealing with it in a calm orderly fashion turned into anything but that. The situation called for immediate action. I barked a loud order to Robbie with all the urgency I could muster in my voice "Move Robbie, Roll Over Now, Down the Hill, Now-Man-Now!!!!!" Well, I suppose when the stillness of the afternoon is suddenly broken by a guy screaming drill sergeant style orders, you don't think about it—you just do it. After Robbie's inertia subsided from his self-induced roll down the hill, he arose wide-eyed and with his Arizona accent excitedly asked me "Dude, what in the hell is going??!!?  I matter-of-factly responded "Come back up here and look what is now stretched where you were sitting. Robbie walked back up the incline he had just rolled down to look at what I was standing there calmly pointing at---when he saw it he let loose with stream of exclamations "Oh My Gawd!!  Holy Crap!!!!"  (note to readers—I have taken editorial liberties with his actual exclamations since I intend on letting my son read this later).  He took a couple of steps in reverse, raised his shotgun and told me "Step back-----I'm gonna shoot him!!"  I had to laugh a little bit at him. I said "Robbie, lower your weapon Dude---let me show you how do it. I searched the immediate area and found just what I was looking for—a dead limb about 3 feet long and approximately the diameter of my thumb. I calmly walked over the venomous serpent who was now eyeing me suspiciously, repeatedly testing the wind with that forked tongue of his. I am sure he could smell the "fear molecules" Robbie was profusely emitting. With on swift and well placed whack from my stick, it as was lights out for Mr. No Shoulders. When I reached down to pick him up, Robbie screamed like a little girl. I tried to reassure him "Don't worry, he is mostly dead, grab my camera phone and take a pic of the two of us."  Robbie took the pic but told me in no uncertain terms "Man , you are one crazy dude"  ( again, he didn't actually say dude, he used a two word descriptor—for those of you with any capacity for imagination, I bet you could easily guess what he called me.)  

Lessons learned here

•   It pays to stay alert
•   Try and remain calm in stressful or potentially dangerous situations
•   For most of us—there is somebody out there that thinks we are crazy    

                       

[870FaceLift]

You are crazy catdaddy!  I woulda filled that thing with number 5's in an instant.  Kudos for being calm.  Great story. WOW!!

[CASH]

   Tom, your stories kill me!!!  I've got to side with your buddy though.  I'd be running like a scalded dog and screaming like a little girl.  He'd still get shot after you whacked him!

[Beretta686]

From Alabama, Been there done that, got the strikes on the snake boots.

Y'all were lucky. A gentleman from my church was turkey hunting a couple of weeks ago. He had been set up for 30 minutes and when he put his had down to get up, a copper head struck his hand. He killed the snake and took it to the hospital with him.

[870supermagnum]

Great story.  I almost stepped on a Cotton Mouth last week while walking down a creek bank.  I'm not at all afraid of snakes, but have a healthy respect for them and the incident did make my heart race a bit.   

[LX_Trkyhntr]

I have been waiting to hear the story that went along with the pic that you texted me a few days ago!!  Great story!!  Nice job of editing also!

[REBELYELL]

Man, you and them dang snakes. Glad that turned out okay for you guys.

[stinkpickle]

LOL!  Ain't nuthin' safer than a "mostly dead" snake.   

[West Augusta]

Don't like snakes.

[struttin_1]

Always an entertaining read!! While I don't mind snakes at all I do tend to "whack" every one that I see.

[Hognutz]

Tom. If you ever tell me to roll, I'm gonna roll 'til you tell me to stop. Yikes!! With that being said, I would not have let that get in the way of me killin' a bird.. ..Love the story..Mike

[bowhunter84]

good story 

[turkey slayer]

  Great story, thats a big copperhead.

[mossy835]

I hate snakes you would have been looking at a headless wonder if it were me. Had similar experiences with rattle snakes in southern CA and all died from lead pills of one sort or another. Glad you two were not struck. Great story!!!! Hate snakes.

[4nwtf]

Kill em all