copperheads

[OldSchool]

Glad to hear that you didn't get bit. You guys can keep those venomous buggers. We've got some timber rattlers in a few places here in NY, but most people go their entire lives without ever seeing one. Be careful.

Bob

[wvmntnhick]

The venomous snakes that I have encountered seem to have a very musky odor, almost like fox pee. It's an unmistakable smell after you have a couple close encounters and get a good whiff of one. From then on, you can just "smell" them

I've done my share of trapping and have been around my share of fox pee. Never smelled a snake that took on that odor. But then again, as mentioned before, my sniffer doesn't work the same as everyone else's. Kinda makes me wonder if we don't smell things differently but because everyone smells it different we get the same reaction. Strange, but a thought. Heck, a guy I used to work with would complain after a rain because he hated the smell of worms. 

[Happy]

A lot of snakes put off a musty odor when you agitate them. Have noticed most rattlesnakes will just retreat if given the chance. Copperhead on the other hand tend to be much more aggressive. I always wear snake boots while turkey hunting. Haven't had any close calls yet but you never know...

[Prohunter3509]

Ditto on snake boots
I been chain these birds since 83 and that's the
Closest I ever came to being bit.

[Happy]

Had a close call once while fishing but. he just rattled instead of striking. I was one step away from disaster. That was in August tho. It definitely gets the adrenaline flowing! Glad your ok.

[born2hunt]

We don't have copperheads here in central Fl but I am a magnet for cotton mouths and rattlers. I killed 5 this past deer season and all were right in my path or between my feet when I saw them. One of the cotton mouths flipped around and put me in retreat mode for about 15 feet before I cracked him with my shooting sticks. I mean he attacked like a raging bull and was striking every foot of the way. It took me a few to recover from that one !!!
I flat out don't enter the woods without my snake boots and even then my eyes are peeled.

[Happy]

I think you southern boys have more snakes than we do. I have spent over 25 years running around the woods and have only seen maybe 6 or 7 rattlesnakes and maybe 5 copperheads. I don't look for them and am sure I have passed by a few without realizing it but as long as they ain't messin with me I ain't gonna mess with them. Unless they are close to my house. Then it's on.

[owlhoot]

We don't have copperheads here in central Fl but I am a magnet for cotton mouths and rattlers. I killed 5 this past deer season and all were right in my path or between my feet when I saw them. One of the cotton mouths flipped around and put me in retreat mode for about 15 feet before I cracked him with my shooting sticks. I mean he attacked like a raging bull and was striking every foot of the way. It took me a few to recover from that one !!!
I flat out don't enter the woods without my snake boots and even then my eyes are peeled.

if i ever get to hunt there , i will have extra drawers in my turkey vest

[wvmntnhick]

Listening to all of this reminds me why I'll never move south. Y'all have too many venomous snakes but what scares me more than that are the danged spiders. Those are the real sneaky fellas. Either way, not heading south. I've seen large number of rattlers at times but that was also at a den site. Pretty cool to see 30+ while standing in one spot. Also makes you wonder how you've fished that spot for so many years before without seeing one. The den is quite literally right along the river. As for the comment above about copperheads being more aggressive, I'll second that. No rattlesnakes at my buddies camp but the kill several copperheads every year. The joke has always been that the rattlesnakes don't stand a chance there because the copperheads are so mean they just eat them before they get a chance to even rattle at you.

[tomstopper]

Listening to all of this reminds me why I'll never move south. Y'all have too many venomous snakes but what scares me more than that are the danged spiders. Those are the real sneaky fellas. Either way, not heading south. I've seen large number of rattlers at times but that was also at a den site. Pretty cool to see 30+ while standing in one spot. Also makes you wonder how you've fished that spot for so many years before without seeing one. The den is quite literally right along the river. As for the comment above about copperheads being more aggressive, I'll second that. No rattlesnakes at my buddies camp but the kill several copperheads every year. The joke has always been that the rattlesnakes don't stand a chance there because the copperheads are so mean they just eat them before they get a chance to even rattle at you.

I have never seen a den of snakes here in NY but have seen 3 rattle snakes before. If I ever see a den full of rattlers like the one below, I am just going to stay in my house.....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=-DaGsnFv_00

[surehuntsalot]

snakes are why I always carry a few low brass 7-1/2's with me

[strutnrut]

best type of copperhead. This one was huge.

[Eric Gregg]

I will make sure to have my snake boots on. Copperheads and Cotton Mouths are the ones that scare me the most. Copperheads are really hard to see in the leaves so I try to stick to open fields where I can watch my step better.

[turkey buster]

I HATE snakes!!! I'm the luckiest unlucky person. I've never been bit but every year I seem to have a close encounter. I had an incident with a rattlesnake on a deer hunt coiling up under my feet one time that caused me to buy snake boots! A 4 foot rattler at your feet rattling when you go to stand up will make a man squirm!!! I ended up throwing my hunting bag on top of him as he struck it right between my legs as I stood up.

[Haypatch]

Man I hate snakes! Luckily I haven't encountered any yet!