Turkey hunting forum for turkey hunting tips

Just a reminder that the snakes are crawling. A buddy was heading to a bird this morning and dang near stepped on a coiled up rattler. He said inches from him. Snake never rattled once nor did he get aggressive. Buddy was lucky. Put on them snake boots. I have been bitten by a water moccasin and will be the first to tell you that it sucked badly. Good luck guys.

Thanks for sharing , wear your boots for sure ..

Quote from: Spitten and drummen on March 27, 2020, 07:01:38 PM
I have been bitten by a water moccasin and will be the first to tell you that it sucked badly.

Good advice.  It would be interesting to hear your tale of how that happened and exactly what the complications were afterwards....

I am extremely surprised I have not seen a single snake this spring with as much time as I spend in the woods other than a coiled up racer that was in a 3 foot pine sapling

Thanks for heads up and have seen a few dozen this spring, all non-venomous but still makes you take a second look!

Quote from: GobbleNut on March 27, 2020, 07:51:25 PM

Quote from: Spitten and drummen on March 27, 2020, 07:01:38 PM
I have been bitten by a water moccasin and will be the first to tell you that it sucked badly.

Good advice.  It would be interesting to hear your tale of how that happened and exactly what the complications were afterwards....

When I was 17 I was going to a bird that was gobbling on the limb. It was still kind of dark but I will not use a flashlight turkey hunting. The bird was across a slew that had about knee high water and about 50 yards wide. It holds backwater through much of the year. I felt like I needed to get on the same side as him so I waded across slowly. I was over half way across when I felt like I was stung by a hornet. It really burned. There was debris all through the area .I jumped back out of reflex after being hit. It was light enough now to see the culprit. It was a stump tail moccasin on a log curled up and mouth opened to strike again. I actually shot the snake and took it with me. The pain was steadily intensifying as time went on. I had a roughly 100 yard walk to the old logging road and once there another roughly mile to my truck. I tried to stay calm but I was scared to death. Once at my truck , I made the 45 minute ride in about 30. You should have seen the nurses scatter when I walked in the ER with that snake. I ended up getting 4 viles of antivenom and spent a week in the hospital. The main concern was not the venom but the bacteria in the bite. I was pumped with several IV's of antibiotics during my stay. Snake boots would not have helped me because the bite was above my right knee on the side of my lower thigh. I still do not carry a flashlight but I wont wade no water unless I can see. I wear snakeboots when it warms up and inspect where I am going to sit very well before plopping down. I also am always on the look out for no shoulders even when its 20 degrees. I never want to experience that again and when I hear of close encounters and actual bites , it sends a chill down my back. Please be observant.

I ran across a copperhead while hunting today and he's no longer with us. Then, as I was leaving the lease gate it looked like a big rattler had been ran over on the highway. With the warm temps the past few weeks, it's no wonder they're out and about. 

A couple years ago I got done hunting when this sucker slithered from underneath my truck behind my back tire (I was putting my gun in my passenger side door). I quickly jumped in my truck and backed over it. Nasty buggers.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200328/9a3704b5067ca7b41a7d0a1b191cca4d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200328/44f586aca9c1957b54e11b5baa6a8b93.jpg)

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Why did I have to read this??  I won't sleep at all tonight and probably won't leave the truck until good daylight in the morning!  Thanks a lot Jody!!

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I hate snakes.  Had close calls with 3 different species of poisonous snakes in my day. Very lucky. My Grandpa was actually bitten in the hand (the fleshy part between the thumb and forefinger) while ginseng digging. That hand/arm turned bluish black and swelled so big looked like it would bust open. That was after the ER visit and hospital stay. Watch out guys.

Being an ER nurse by trade, I have pretty strong opinions on this subject. I may offend some but so be it. If you're not wearing snake boots, gaiters, chaps, or some type of snakebite protection while in the woods, you're being an absolute idiot. That may sound harsh to you, but if you had seen a rattlesnake bite on the hand cause a guy to get intubated, sedated, and put on a ventilator in the ICU, you would have a strong opinion too. It's not worth it guys. Your families need you to come back home, and you don't want the hospital bills associated with a bite. Anti-venom is roughly 15 thousand per vial, maybe a little more, and you could possible require up to 20 vials over your course of treatment. Plus the ER bill, the several days of ICU treatment, supplies used during your care, daily lab tests, IV antibiotics, etc. You get the idea. You'll never pay off that debt in your lifetime. Assuming you survive. Also, keep in mind turkey hunters most often get bit on the arms or hands due to not looking carefully before sitting down. Snake boots don't help if you have a seat next to a rattler that didn't invite you to sit with him. I had a good friend who very nearly sat on top of a coiled up rattlesnake while hunting. Be vigilant about watching where you step and especially carefully looking over where you plan to sit. And as Jody said, don't cross any water over a few inches deep, especially in low light.


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My hunting buddy ran up on this one where we turkey hunt. It was during the summer last year. I can't seem to get the sound to work.

https://i.imgur.com/t5pWK5c.mp4

Well, I was going to go hunt public land on Saturday...

Quote from: grayfox on March 29, 2020, 10:41:54 PM
My hunting buddy ran up on this one where we turkey hunt. It was during the summer last year. I can't seem to get the sound to work.

https://i.imgur.com/t5pWK5c.mp4

Dang. That is a big one. Look at that rattle. Glad he didn't step on that

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I've seen one out scouting for the youth hunting season for my daughter here in Kentucky yesterday. This warm weather defentily has them out everyone be careful and where some snake boots

Quote from: Gobbler2577 on March 29, 2020, 08:41:50 PM
Why did I have to read this??  I won't sleep at all tonight and probably won't leave the truck until good daylight in the morning!  Thanks a lot Jody!!

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Lol Im sorry buddy. Maybe it will deter all those quarantined people at home that are bored and thinking of taking up turkey hunting.

I have been around a bunch of large timber rattlers and most times they are not very agressive. I have had two strike at me and neither one rattled prior so that is an old tale. One of them was in my basement and I stepped on him when I went in to get my push mower. I had a pair of regular Muck boots on and he got me right on top of the hard shoe part right at the ankle. Sounded like I had been hit with a broom stick. He did not penetrate. Usually I go in there in shorts and tennis shoes. The Good Lord was watching over me that day.

I almost stepped right beside a Timber Rattler last year after turkey season. It was a cool morning thankfully and he must have been to cold to do anything.  I wear turtle skin gaiters but man that would be an unpleasant spike in my heart rate to get hit by one of those things. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200401/3e2d9806badff619fdd290a1a8c48932.jpg)
Here's another one I ran across. Thankfully this one was out in the open and he was letting me know he was there. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200401/65e7070a98575e0d29890322e5d50da3.jpg)


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I got hit on the leg by copperhead Sunday morning ,luckily I had my chaps on.

Well snakes are bad enough but I thought this thread was going to be about something else with the Toilet Paper shortage right now.

a couple years ago a friend told me about a thing going on at one of his hard hunted public land spots. Some hunters were doing there "business" up against some of the best trees he used to set up against to hunt from, and left no toilet paper in sight.

since then I've taken extra precautions in looking where I step and set up at.

Im from the Northeast and hunt MA & NY, I walk quite a bit in the MA woods scouting deer but it is usually winter, early spring. I dont spend alot of time in the woods in the late spring summer when I think they may be most active in these parts but am back in the woods by September scouting again. I have never seen a Rattlesnake even though they say we have a population. That is some scary stuff for you guys down south. Im curious if any other Northeast hunters in NY or the New England area have come across rattlesnakes ?

I live in Md and have seen Rattlesnakes in MD, WV, PA and NY. Have seen copperheads in WV and MD. It's not everyone year I run into one but I always try and pay attention where I step in the woods.

I don't know anything about these, but Scentblocker has their snake chaps & gaiters on sale right now.

https://www.blockeroutdoors.com/snake-protection-for-hunters

Quote from: crow on April 04, 2020, 11:53:26 AM
Well snakes are bad enough but I thought this thread was going to be about something else with the Toilet Paper shortage right now.

a couple years ago a friend told me about a thing going on at one of his hard hunted public land spots. Some hunters were doing there "business" up against some of the best trees he used to set up against to hunt from, and left no toilet paper in sight.

since then I've taken extra precautions in looking where I step and set up at.

The "doing their business" comment made me think of this incident I had just last spring.  I had that sudden urge while driving around looking for birds one morning.  Stopped, grabbed the TP, and headed to the nearest suitable cover, which happened to be a juniper tree, which I cozied into just in case someone came along on the road. (sometimes these matters are urgent enough that getting deep into the woods is entirely out of the question)   

Got on the backside of the tree as fast as I could, dropped my pants, and let 'er rip (so to speak).  Finished my "business" and turned to cover up the "evidence" by scraping loose dirt over it.  In the process I happened to glance at the lower branches of the tree.  There, laying on a limb that was less than two feet away from my "valuables", was a two-foot-long prairie rattler.

He never made a peep and looked like he didn't give a "poot" about the fact that I had almost dumped a load on his punkin' head. ...We left each other none the worse for wear on either side.  :)

Amen, be safe..

Where I was going to set up one morning in Alabama.(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200405/157dee38a58620754af665f33c1a328a.jpg)

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Holy moly, might as well go ahead and shoot yourself if you take a hit from a rattler to the family jewels.


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Thanks for the reminder. I crossed paths with 2 rattlers last season here in Ga.

Don't see all the fear and hysteria. I have been around snakes all my life. Snakes can be deadly but if you're vigilant and watch where you step, sit or place your hands there should not be any issues. I normally encounter several rattlers a year cutting wood or hunting. I study the ground before picking anything up. Anything that looks like a stick gets a second look. I never kill a snake and even think it is illegal to kill rattlers in Virginia.

Just for general info: I have seen about 20 rattle snake bites and five copperheas bites. In each situation the individuals were not paying attention and several were running barefoot. A couple thought it would be fun to catch them. Someone else described the treatment for snake bite in this post. Believe him: especally about a rattle snake bite as it can be very painfull and ugly or even deadly. Enjoy your hunt but use common sense.

Quote from: mtns2hunt on April 05, 2020, 06:32:36 PM
Don't see all the fear and hysteria. I have been around snakes all my life. Snakes can be deadly but if you're vigilant and watch where you step, sit or place your hands there should not be any issues. I normally encounter several rattlers a year cutting wood or hunting. I study the ground before picking anything up. Anything that looks like a stick gets a second look. I never kill a snake and even think it is illegal to kill rattlers in Virginia.

Just for general info: I have seen about 20 rattle snake bites and five copperheas bites. In each situation the individuals were not paying attention and several were running barefoot. A couple thought it would be fun to catch them. Someone else described the treatment for snake bite in this post. Believe him: especally about a rattle snake bite as it can be very painfull and ugly or even deadly. Enjoy your hunt but use common sense.

Fear and hysteria is not for the ones you see. Its the ones you dont see that you have to worry about. You ever get bit , it tends to make you a little more cautious the rest of your life.When I went through Ranger school , when I hit the swamp phase , my nerves were really on edge. Spent alot of time doing just what I did when I had got bitten. I pushed on through. This topic is just a friendly reminder and may prevent someone from suffering a very painful experience. Rattle snakes are bad but water moccasins are second to none as far as aggressiveness.

Quote from: Spitten and drummen on April 05, 2020, 06:46:50 PM

Quote from: mtns2hunt on April 05, 2020, 06:32:36 PM
Don't see all the fear and hysteria. I have been around snakes all my life. Snakes can be deadly but if you're vigilant and watch where you step, sit or place your hands there should not be any issues. I normally encounter several rattlers a year cutting wood or hunting. I study the ground before picking anything up. Anything that looks like a stick gets a second look. I never kill a snake and even think it is illegal to kill rattlers in Virginia.

Just for general info: I have seen about 20 rattle snake bites and five copperheas bites. In each situation the individuals were not paying attention and several were running barefoot. A couple thought it would be fun to catch them. Someone else described the treatment for snake bite in this post. Believe him: especally about a rattle snake bite as it can be very painfull and ugly or even deadly. Enjoy your hunt but use common sense.

Fear and hysteria is not for the ones you see. Its the ones you dont see that you have to worry about. You ever get bit , it tends to make you a little more cautious the rest of your life.When I went through Ranger school , when I hit the swamp phase , my nerves were really on edge. Spent alot of time doing just what I did when I had got bitten. I pushed on through. This topic is just a friendly reminder and may prevent someone from suffering a very painful experience. Rattle snakes are bad but water moccasins are second to none as far as aggressiveness.

" Cautious" is the word you are right. So many people are not but in the whole range of things there are a lot more ways to die then by snake bite. Having worked on a Trama team for 6 years I've seen a bunch. But it is good to raise awareness. 

Problem is walking in before daylight,you step on one you are going to get hit I found that out the other morning  thank god I had my chaps on.

Quote from: turkeykiller41 on April 06, 2020, 01:32:22 AM
Problem is walking in before daylight,you step on one you are going to get hit I found that out the other morning  thank god I had my chaps on.

Well, maybe all the hysteria will keep more individuals out of the woods. I suspect more die of gunshots then snakes: better leave your guns at home lol.

As one who has been around rattlesnakes all my life, I too have little fear of them,...but I see both sides of this issue.  There are places I am sure wearing snake protection is probably a wise decision.  I never have, but if I hunted somewhere that the poisonous ones were both inconspicuous and did not let you know they were around, I would probably reconsider my choice not to wear something to prevent being bitten.

I have always hunted where it would be rare to get bit. Missouri and some in Kansas. Have run into a few though and after being on a trail on a rocky bluff in Kansas and hearing the rattles all around me , sound bouncing of the large rocks. That shook me. Since then I bought and continue to buy snake boots.
Why the heck not? Gonna buy boots anyway.

I had a rattler shot 3 feet from me back in high school. Ran into some copperheads stacking wood. Didn't really bother me then. Fishing in Virginia and North Carolina rivers with moccasins and them little rattlers everywhere. Didn't seem to bother those down there at all.  Fished with a southern Louisiana shipmate then and he did not get to exited about them, just smacked them a paddle. He did say if they drop in the boat though it could get fun.  The other guy with us was from upstate N.Y. he stood up every time that paddle smacked the water or when one swam by.

I live and hunt in Iowa and have never seen a poisonous snake. Has anyone from Iowa ever seen any. I know we have some but I have never seen any. Some of those snakes pictured sure are pretty but I don't want to run into any of them.

Nope!!(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/3d7d8fbc1211e48ec61c276087d7f04e.jpg)

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I'm always careful and always wear snake boots. I almost stepped on a pygmy rattler, which prompted me to buy my first pair of snake boots. While wearing those boots, I was walking out of the woods through a swamp, and a BIG cottonmouth drilled me right in the calf!!! Thank God I was wearing snake boots. I walked (ran) on water all the way across that swamp!!

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Even though it was a yellow rat snake, still made me stop in my tracks!

I got hit by a copperhead years ago while working as a surveyor. Bit through a pair of mud boots.  By the time I walked the mile back to the truck then drove the 25 minutes to the ED, they had to cut the boots off with trauma shears. Thank God it was a "dry" bite, no anti venom needed. The leg still turned black and blue and swelled up like a watermelon. I now keep two pairs of snake boots around and keep a pair of knee high gaiters behind the seat of my truck. Cheap insurance for sure.

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My only close encounters has been with rattlesnakes. A few years ago it was late in the season so it was very warm and I knew the snakes would be out of hibernation. I was hunting an area that was very good snake habitat, a lot of rock outcroppings. I was vigilant all day watching every where I sat and stepped. I was walking out on a two track and was only about a 100 yards from my truck, it was hot and I was thirsty so my guard was down and I was hurrying. After a step I heard him rattle and I looked and I had stepped across a large rattle snake. He did not strike so I guess I was lucky.

Big Moccasin laying in the trail I walked down in the dark.
Coral snake eating another smaller snake when I walked up. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/7b4d8054114e7e1f2acd3c41a6c9b75d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/fe3bfdb665d1b1a8ed73b25a70b7c09e.jpg)


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Quote from: LaLongbeard on April 08, 2020, 05:01:41 PM
Big Moccasin laying in the trail I walked down in the dark.
Coral snake eating another smaller snake when I walked up. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/7b4d8054114e7e1f2acd3c41a6c9b75d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/fe3bfdb665d1b1a8ed73b25a70b7c09e.jpg)


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Where the hell did you find a coral snake? I kept having to look and make sure it wasn't a Scarlet king

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Was climbing up the steps of a millennium tripod stand in the dark during bow season. As I near the top I see this big rope hanging down the center of the legs from the bottom of seat.

Thinking in my head who the hell been hunting my stand???

It's no farther than 12" from my face but it's dark and I have my light off. Right about that time I realize it ain't a big rope, it's a big snake with a rat in its mouth and then it drops to the ground right at that time.

I climb down to the ground to see what kind it was and it's a big rattler!!!

I snapped a pic, climber up and watched him swallow that giant rat in less than a minute then slowly slither away.

Pics of it with the rat and with the rat in its throat.


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(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/330ed8e7bad308042a37e5322e22e93e.jpg)
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/4887a3386625e14ee365c6e7f9077681.jpg)


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Quote from: sasquatch1 on April 08, 2020, 05:20:13 PM

Quote from: LaLongbeard on April 08, 2020, 05:01:41 PM
Big Moccasin laying in the trail I walked down in the dark.
Coral snake eating another smaller snake when I walked up. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/7b4d8054114e7e1f2acd3c41a6c9b75d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/fe3bfdb665d1b1a8ed73b25a70b7c09e.jpg)


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Where the hell did you find a coral snake? I kept having to look and make sure it wasn't a California king


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Mississippi. It's been probably 20 years since I've seen one in La.

Hell I've never seen one.


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https://youtu.be/UjPjNtlQ-io

Here in Minnesota im not gonna complain anymore about dealing with occasional snow in the mourning

Quote from: LaLongbeard on April 08, 2020, 05:01:41 PM
Big Moccasin laying in the trail I walked down in the dark.
Coral snake eating another smaller snake when I walked up. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/7b4d8054114e7e1f2acd3c41a6c9b75d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/fe3bfdb665d1b1a8ed73b25a70b7c09e.jpg)


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I believe that's just a common Watersnake, not a moccasin.


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Yep...good catch. Most people can't tell the difference and the poor water snake takes a beating for looking like the moccasin. I was wondering how many southern boys could tell them apart. My brother and myself always laughed at our old man every snake he saw was a "cotton mouth" lol

Quote from: LaLongbeard on April 08, 2020, 05:01:41 PM
Big Moccasin laying in the trail I walked down in the dark.
Coral snake eating another smaller snake when I walked up. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/7b4d8054114e7e1f2acd3c41a6c9b75d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/fe3bfdb665d1b1a8ed73b25a70b7c09e.jpg)


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I have always thought Coral Snakes were very very pretty. Look a lot like the Milk Snakes we have here in NY I know there is some saying or rhyme to tell them apart, something to do with the rings I think but I do not recall it.

Yeah, if my dad sees a snake around water, it's a moccasin. Here's a nice one from bow season a few years ago.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/75fba4ad94258067cb7ec07a3de34e93.jpg)


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A baby cottonmouth. Looks similar to a copperhead.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/46f909685ddbc5c0b2ad3cbf4725741f.jpg)


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A copperhead that almost made it into my turkey vest.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/18bd7635f154d0235c2ecfced38d48ea.jpg)


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If any of you guys happen to tan them after you kill them I am trying to finds some to put on an old Ben Pearson Cougar I have. Contact me if you have anything please.

Quote from: Sir-diealot on April 08, 2020, 07:29:38 PM

Quote from: LaLongbeard on April 08, 2020, 05:01:41 PM
Big Moccasin laying in the trail I walked down in the dark.
Coral snake eating another smaller snake when I walked up. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/7b4d8054114e7e1f2acd3c41a6c9b75d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/fe3bfdb665d1b1a8ed73b25a70b7c09e.jpg)


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I have always thought Coral Snakes were very very pretty. Look a lot like the Milk Snakes we have here in NY I know there is some saying or rhyme to tell them apart, something to do with the rings I think but I do not recall it.

Red on yellow will kill a fellow, is the one I've heard. Very rare and mostly stay under leaves or logs so you don't see them much. I've only seen a few in my lifetime. Best to leave them be I've heard the US no longer makes the anti-venom for coral snakes

Quote from: LaLongbeard on April 08, 2020, 07:35:09 PM

Quote from: Sir-diealot on April 08, 2020, 07:29:38 PM

Quote from: LaLongbeard on April 08, 2020, 05:01:41 PM
Big Moccasin laying in the trail I walked down in the dark.
Coral snake eating another smaller snake when I walked up. (https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/7b4d8054114e7e1f2acd3c41a6c9b75d.jpg)(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200408/fe3bfdb665d1b1a8ed73b25a70b7c09e.jpg)


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I have always thought Coral Snakes were very very pretty. Look a lot like the Milk Snakes we have here in NY I know there is some saying or rhyme to tell them apart, something to do with the rings I think but I do not recall it.

Red on yellow will kill a fellow, is the one I've heard. Very rare and mostly stay under leaves or logs so you don't see them much. I've only seen a few in my lifetime. Best to leave them be I've heard the US no longer makes the anti-venom for coral snakes

That may well be it, thanks. I have not heard the saying since the 70's or 80's when I was young. Have only seen 2 of the milk snakes in my life that I recall. Edit: added a picture of a Milk Snake

I got bit by a copperhead in my garage.  It had rained for a few days and my garage was the closest dry "cave" to the creek behind the house.  It hit my rubber boot & went through, but the boot was away from my leg and my skin didn't get punctured.

I've run into quite a few copperheads turkey & deer hunting. During bow season I used to hang my lunch in a tree on the way in at a bluff overlooking Parker's Creek in the Big Woods, then sit at the base of a big oak atop the bluff to eat it on my way to my evening stand.  One day as I was getting ready to sit down between the roots, something made me look closer.  There was a coiled 30 inch copperhead right where I was about to sit.  I skewered him with an arrow and had my lunch on a big rock instead.

We don't have many rattlesnakes or moccasins in this part of the state, though I had run-ins with pygmy and timber rattlesnakes that sounded off, so I avoided them. I thought the pygmy was some kind of insect buzzing until I saw it.

Moccasins are the most aggressive snakes I've ever encountered in the U.S.. They know they're bad@SS and won't hesitate to come at you. I was going fishing with a couple other guys off Currituck Sound up by Knotts Island when we came across a VW bug stopped part way across into the other lane.  We got out to ask the woman driving if she'd had trouble.  It turned out there was a huge moccasin in the road (probably sunning) challenging the vehicle.  We grabbed boat oars, had her drive across the snake, then we wailed on the snake as it tried to escape.  It was 5'2" in length, had 2 inch fangs, and was as big around as a motorcycle tire.  Definitely the stuff nightmares are made of.  I couldn't imagine coming across that dude in the dark in the turkey woods...or any other time really.

Watch your step & be safe out there.

Jim

Quote from: Cut N Run on April 08, 2020, 07:37:54 PM
I got bit by a copperhead in my garage.  It had rained for a few days and my garage was the closest dry "cave" to the creek behind the house.  It hit my rubber boot & went through, but the boot was away from my leg and my skin didn't get punctured.

I've run into quite a few copperheads turkey & deer hunting. During bow season I used to hang my lunch in a tree on the way in at a bluff overlooking Parker's Creek in the Big Woods, then sit at the base of a big oak atop the bluff to eat it on my way to my evening stand.  One day as I was getting ready to sit down between the roots, something made me look closer.  There was a coiled 30 inch copperhead right where I was about to sit.  I skewered him with an arrow and had my lunch on a big rock instead.

We don't have many rattlesnakes or moccasins in this part of the state, though I had run-ins with pygmy and timber rattlesnakes that sounded off, so I avoided them. I thought the pygmy was some kind of insect buzzing until I saw it.

Moccasins are the most aggressive snakes I've ever encountered in the U.S.. They know they're bad@SS and won't hesitate to come at you. I was going fishing with a couple other guys off Currituck Sound up by Knotts Island when we came across a VW bug stopped part way across into the other lane.  We got out to ask the woman driving if she'd had trouble.  It turned out there was a huge moccasin in the road (probably sunning) challenging the vehicle.  We grabbed boat oars, had her drive across the snake, then we wailed on the snake as it tried to escape.  It was 5'2" in length, had 2 inch fangs, and was as big around as a motorcycle tire.  Definitely the stuff nightmares are made of.  I couldn't imagine coming across that dude in the dark in the turkey woods...or any other time really.

Watch your step & be safe out there.

Jim

2" fangs? U sure that wasn't Gaboon Viper here on vacation from Africa, lol

Looked it up, you were right about the rhyme, or close enough, it says it varies.
"The coral snake rhyme varies from person to person, but the general premise is the same: Red touch black, safe for Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. The coral snake will have bands of red touching smaller bands of yellow."

http://www.wildlife-removal.com/snakecolorrhyme.html

The bad thing about coral snakes are that they are the most venomous snakes in the States. Their venom affects the nervous system. The good thing is their mouthes do not hing like other snakes. They cannot open them wide enough to really get you unless on tips of fingers , toes or in between fingers and toes.

I watched a video of a cabelas snake boot seminar and the speakers said a snakebite medical treatment costs right around 75 grand,,,does that seem right??

Quote from: Happy hooker on April 08, 2020, 08:09:22 PM
I watched a video of a cabelas snake boot seminar and the speakers said a snakebite medical treatment costs right around 75 grand,,,does that seem right??

That estimate is low. Real low. The most common pit viper antivenom used for the common venomous snakes is the states is called Crofab. In most hospitals they will charge you roughly 15 thousand per vial, give or take a couple grand. On average you'll get 4-6 vials for a bite. Bad cases can take up to 20 vials. Then you add up the other costs like ER visit, days spent in the hospital (possibly ICU, even more expensive), all the supplies used for your care, IV antibiotics and other medications to control your symptoms, daily lab testing, etc. you get the idea. That snakebite will most likely cost you anywhere from 200-500 thousand by the time it's said and done.


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One encounter I had with a rather large Copperhead was in South East Ohio. Almost stepped on it while walking the two track down to my tree stand early one September morning.
Its hard to find locals that have even seen one-- other encounters in several timber rattlesnakes in Pa while fly fishing .

Stepped on a Bull Snake Sunday.  My daughter was behind me and yelled SNAKE!  He was more scared of us as he darted for a hollow stump.   :TooFunny:

It's clear that everyone has a great respect for snakes. I have encountered many different speices and just take them as they are. I always watch where I place my hands and feet as well as where I sit. In my area there are a lot of rattlesnakes and copper heads. In fact had one (copperhead) at my back door by the woodbox. Played with it awhile and then let it loose a bit farther out from the house.

Like all animals I do treat them with respect but not fear and I never kill a snake as I feel they are benificial to the enviroment and 90% of the time we are invading their turff.

I am very much aware of copperhead and rattlesnake bites. Have seen many water mocs but never seen a bite. In my experience a rattlesnake bite is much worse then a copper head. I worked in an ER for several years so seen alot. My suggestion in regard to snale bite is read up on emergency treatment and have the phone number of an area hospital avalible. Good insurance is also a plus. Don" rely on a go-fund-me account. LOL

Quote from: Sir-diealot on April 08, 2020, 07:43:48 PM
Looked it up, you were right about the rhyme, or close enough, it says it varies.
"The coral snake rhyme varies from person to person, but the general premise is the same: Red touch black, safe for Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. The coral snake will have bands of red touching smaller bands of yellow."

http://www.wildlife-removal.com/snakecolorrhyme.html

isn't life incredible?!?

2 different species that evolved so similarly in some ways and so different in others

Quote from: bigriverbum on March 24, 2021, 10:08:17 PM

Quote from: Sir-diealot on April 08, 2020, 07:43:48 PM
Looked it up, you were right about the rhyme, or close enough, it says it varies.
"The coral snake rhyme varies from person to person, but the general premise is the same: Red touch black, safe for Jack. Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. The coral snake will have bands of red touching smaller bands of yellow."

http://www.wildlife-removal.com/snakecolorrhyme.html

isn't life incredible?!?

2 different species that evolved so similarly in some ways and so different in others

God had quite the imagination and way of  teaching us to pay attention.

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When in doubt, skin him out!(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210325/4a9b3358627e152204096c3dfe729303.jpg)


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We just got back from Northeast Alabama. Went down there camping with the family and got a 3 day hunting license. I was hunting a WMA and didn't hear a single gobble which was tough but I had just crossed a creek and hopped up on a log and right before I jumped down a copperhead was laying right there and tried to move away and when I didn't move fast enough he struck at me. He was still 18" away but it was enough for me to get out of there. Pressure didn't seem to bad but it was some serious tough hunting!

200k hospital bill, I need to buy some venomous snakes and milk em!

I am always cautious when in the woods, and always wear snake boots except when it's very cold. I've killed about a dozen rattlers, half a dozen cottonmouths, 4 or 5 copperheads and a couple of coral snakes while hunting. Despite that caution, I've still been struck twice. Fortunately I was wearing snake boots at the time.

Sent from deep in the woods where the critters roam.

I've never seen a Coral snake. I don't think I could kill one since they seem so rare and don't really seem to pose much of a bite threat. I've sent a few rattlesnakes to the after life though.


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Watched a show a few years back about snake hunters who caught and milked the venom for antivenom serum. The one snake they could not find was a Coral snake and they said it was rare and reclusive. Never had any idea there were so many sub species of rattle snakes.

This guy was in the middle of road in a wma in South  Florida

Quote from: joeturkey on March 26, 2021, 12:11:46 PM
This guy was in the middle of road in a wma in South  Florida

That's the real deal there.