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Started by HognitiveDissonance, July 20, 2011, 09:57:47 am

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HognitiveDissonance

Quote from: Albert Einswine on August 03, 2011, 08:42:01 am
Can't tell how many cottonmouths I've had to drop in the boat in the St. Francis River bar pits and oxbows.  They love to ambush from overhangs. 

Got bit swimming at a boat launch in Norfork when I was 14.  I was swimming close to some willows and felt the snake writhing around my right leg and then it drilled me on the side of the calf.  I hauled butt out of there and had blood runnin' out 2 fang holes. 

I sat down and calmed myself waiting for the tissue damage to commence.  It never did.  I'm either immune to cottonmouth venom or the snake didn't let any loose??

They don't always release their venom, so they say. So you were one of the snakebite victims to receive a bite but not a 'bite-to-kill-prey' bite.

HognitiveDissonance

I have to admit copperheads don't do much for me. They're very docile creatures. Cottonmouths, however, give me the willies. It's because they can be so territorial and agressive sometimes. They're also more venomous, I hear.

Here's another story.

I went jogging down the street and instantly see a copperhead lying in the street. I stop and stare at it for a while(coppheads don't scare me any). Got pretty close to it. It never moved a muscle. I start debating in my head if I should kill it. I eventually decide, yes, there are lots of small kids around here and a copperhead bite won't kill an adult, but it might a child. So I run back to my garage to grab an old golf club. I run back to the spot and the snake still hasn't moved. Now I begin debating if it's even alive. Eventually, I take a backswing and deliver a mighty blow towards its head. Missed. (I can't hit a 3-iron). The blow crushes the pavement an inch from its head. It never moves. Now I'm thinking it's dead. But I'm going to whack it anyway, so I deliver another mighty strike. This one connects. Now the snake decides it wants to wake up! It starts writhing around but one more blow or too and I've pulverized it.

This incident reinforced to me how non-aggressive copperheads are, and why I'm not scared of them. You really have to be stepping on them, or handling them, to get bit.

 

Hawgon

Most people who get bit by copperheads get bit when they step on one that has frozen and is doing the hiding in plain sight routine.

IronHog

Quote from: HognitiveDissonance on August 04, 2011, 01:01:20 pm
I have to admit copperheads don't do much for me. They're very docile creatures.


Mostly.

The rare big one can be rather aggressive though............
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

Verge

Quote from: LR-HOG on August 04, 2011, 12:33:52 pm
No, I don't really remember how we got out. 

Walked i would imagine.


From a snakes perspective, why on earth would it bother messing with a giant human being? They swallow food hole, so you definitely aren't food, and you are definitely big enough to smash or eat them. I would have calmly walked out without thinking much of it, the snakes will get away from you, it's in their evolution to stay away from people.

HognitiveDissonance

Quote from: Verge on August 04, 2011, 02:47:46 pm
Walked i would imagine.


From a snakes perspective, why on earth would it bother messing with a giant human being? They swallow food hole, so you definitely aren't food, and you are definitely big enough to smash or eat them. I would have calmly walked out without thinking much of it, the snakes will get away from you, it's in their evolution to stay away from people.

True, except for some cottonmouths. You can come up on a cottonmouth lying on a bank and chances are good it will try to slither away into the water. Non-threatening.
But, then you have the moccasin who has staked a territory, in whatever way or reason a moccasin will decide to do that.

When I was about 10 or so, my sister lived near Pine Bluff on the river. They had a houseboat and a bass boat docked on a canal on the river. I recall seeing an occasional snake across the way swimming along, no big deal. I was in the bass boat playing one afternoon.
Suddenly, out of the blue, a water moccasin came straight out of the water, reared its head, opened its pearly white mouth, and stares me down. I say stare, within a millisecond I was out of the boat, back on land, probably peeing my little pants and sprinting back up the hill to their house which was about 50 yards away, never looking back. I never set foot in that boat again. The moccasin had swam under the water until five feet from the boat. I don't doubt it probably would have tried to get in had I remained, I've heard many people say they'll be out fishing and a moccasin will try to climb into their boat.

SultanofSwine

I have had a cottonmouth come in the boat more than one. It was not a good choice for them or my boat paddles.

Verge

Quote from: HognitiveDissonance on August 04, 2011, 03:53:15 pm
I've heard many people say they'll be out fishing and a moccasin will try to climb into their boat.


Yup. But you have to think about it more.


Cottonmouth's brain: "Damn i'm tired of swimming around in this cold-a** water, hey, that's a shiny tree, I bet I can swim up in there and take a nap"

Fisherman's brain: "Look at that darned cottonmouth charge right at us, he was trying to get in my boat, look at how aggressive he is"

See the difference, fear of snakes leads to lots of misunderstandings. Not that i can blame people, i am terrified of spiders, they are kill on sight for me.

Albert Einswine

Quote from: HuntinHog on August 04, 2011, 09:48:03 am
No no no, my big stick comment was in reference to why the baddest snakes tend to strike the least, not how many swings it's going to take you to dispatch it.

I see, there's been so much snake killin' goin' on in this thread I saw what you wrote and just flat out misinterpreted.
"Funny thing, I become a hell of a good fisherman when the trout decide to commit suicide." ~ John D. Voelker

HuntinHog

August 04, 2011, 04:42:37 pm #59 Last Edit: August 04, 2011, 04:46:22 pm by HuntinHog
Quote from: Albert Einswine on August 04, 2011, 04:35:05 pm
I see, there's been so much snake killin' goin' on in this thread I saw what you wrote and just flat out misinterpreted.

Don't get me wrong, by all means kill them.  It's not like we're going to take it too far and get ahead of the evil things.

Albert Einswine

Quote from: HuntinHog on August 04, 2011, 04:42:37 pm
Don't get me wrong, by all means kill them.  It's not like we're going to take it too far and get ahead of the evil things.


They're not evil, they're the coolest thing in the woods, brotha!
"Funny thing, I become a hell of a good fisherman when the trout decide to commit suicide." ~ John D. Voelker

dagnamit

Quote from: Verge on August 04, 2011, 02:47:46 pm
Walked i would imagine.


From a snakes perspective, why on earth would it bother messing with a giant human being? They swallow food hole, so you definitely aren't food, and you are definitely big enough to smash or eat them. I would have calmly walked out without thinking much of it, the snakes will get away from you, it's in their evolution to stay away from people.
tell that to the cotton mouthed devil that came at me one day while I was fishing on the bank and as I got away from him went after my laughing buddy that was 15 yards down the bank from me....He quit laughing btw

SultanofSwine

Quote from: devilpimpdaddy on August 04, 2011, 10:55:27 pm
tell that to the cotton mouthed devil that came at me one day while I was fishing on the bank and as I got away from him went after my laughing buddy that was 15 yards down the bank from me....He quit laughing btw

I agree, anyone that thinks a cottonmouth will not bow up and come after you, just hasnt been around a lot of them, esp in the spring.

 

deltacornbread

Nearly got bit by timber rattler couple of weeks ago. Cousin and I were salvaging what we could from our camp that did not survive the spring flood. We had just removed our old bar and was carrying it outside. Cuz hollers "Look out"! I had stepped right next to coiled up rattler. Dunno why I did not get bitten.
Grew up in Desha County(still here) and riding around and shooting snakes on Saturdays and Sunday afternoons was a regular thing. Banfield's, Black Pond and Bellaire were our favorite places. No shortage of snakes to shoot. We raised/worked in rice fields, so every snake killed was one we did not have to deal with when we were working.

Verge

Quote from: SultanofSwine on August 05, 2011, 08:29:06 am
I agree, anyone that thinks a cottonmouth will not bow up and come after you, just hasnt been around a lot of them, esp in the spring.

Put on some chainmail sometime and let a cottonmouth "charge" at you. I'll bet the price of a hospital bill it slithers right between your legs and keeps on trucking. Although I particularly wouldn't feel super comfortable with one slithering around between my legs.

I've walked up on water moccasins before that were outright pissed off, and they definitely took off in our general direction. I really think it was a matter of them choosing land over water to flee, and I just happened to be in their direction. If they were so prone to actively, attacking humans, there would be thousands of bites every single year, as they could lay in some tall grass and wait, and attack a human without ever being seen. Yet this doesn't happen, because it really isn't in their best interest. 85% of poisonous snake bites in the south are copperheads, probably from getting stepped on. If you have a snake that is actively chasing humans to bite them, this number would be completely different.

Pretty sure they are thick as thieves in the delta, so i doubt they will be endangered anytime soon by people killing them on sight.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0uyHgz6-NI Pretty much sums up my thoughts on the issue when the guy identifies it as a water moccasin.

oldman1015

Quote from: Rzbakfromwaybak on August 03, 2011, 10:24:30 pm
You could be right about closer to McGehee.  We were in my buddy's truck & he was driving,  we had my flatbottom boat & it was dark when we got there.  I do remember that. I thought it was a minnow farm between Lonoke & Stuttgart, but its been too many years. I know that we never went back to that place again. I didn't really want to remember how to get back there.  I have seen plenty of snakes, but nothing like that night.
i wasn't trying to convince you that you were near mcgehee only that it reminded me of places near mcgehee.
Arkansas, the left lane state.

HogCard

I have an old story regarding my Dad. He used to float fish all the time in the Mulberry River.  You know, in one of those tubes with a saddle.  He used a fly rod to catch the big black perch and such.  Obviously this was before canoes took over this river.

One day he felt something around his leg dangling in the water from the tube.  He realized it was a snake and slowly stated to raise the stringer of fish hanging in the water.  the snake followed the fish.  As soon as he got to the surface and noticed my Dad, he left in a hurry. 

My Dad never told me if it was a common water snake or moccasin.  I would have peed either way!

SultanofSwine

Quote from: Verge on August 05, 2011, 09:07:24 am
Put on some chainmail sometime and let a cottonmouth "charge" at you. I'll bet the price of a hospital bill it slithers right between your legs and keeps on trucking. Although I particularly wouldn't feel super comfortable with one slithering around between my legs.

I've walked up on water moccasins before that were outright pissed off, and they definitely took off in our general direction. I really think it was a matter of them choosing land over water to flee, and I just happened to be in their direction. If they were so prone to actively, attacking humans, there would be thousands of bites every single year, as they could lay in some tall grass and wait, and attack a human without ever being seen. Yet this doesn't happen, because it really isn't in their best interest. 85% of poisonous snake bites in the south are copperheads, probably from getting stepped on. If you have a snake that is actively chasing humans to bite them, this number would be completely different.

Pretty sure they are thick as thieves in the delta, so i doubt they will be endangered anytime soon by people killing them on sight.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0uyHgz6-NI Pretty much sums up my thoughts on the issue when the guy identifies it as a water moccasin.

You can think whatever you want to think but I have never heard of a copperhead or a rattler for that matter charging a person. I have been charged more times than I can count by cottonmouths. Those were times when there were lots of directions the snake could go otherwise but everytime it was obvious when they saw me and unproked, just charged right at me. I have been struck at twice by the cottonmouths and was fortunate to not be hit either time. I have seen lots that werent aggressive too but it is in their nature, way more so than any other snake we have. For that reason, I kill everyone of them I have the opportunity too.

LR-HOG

Quote from: HogCard on August 05, 2011, 01:25:30 pm

My Dad never told me if it was a common water snake or moccasin.  I would have peed either way!

& sent it to meet it's maker!

dagnamit

I was fishing a 6" plastic worm at Maddox bay a few years  ago and got this tap - set the hook and knew I had something on it but it did not feel like a fish. I pulled it up to the boat and I had hooked a snake. I never even cared to know what kind of snake it was as I quickly cut my line and let him have the hook and plastic worm.

dagnamit

oh and yes it was a clean set in the snakes mouth.

Rzbakfromwaybak

Quote from: oldman1015 on August 05, 2011, 10:00:20 am
i wasn't trying to convince you that you were near mcgehee only that it reminded me of places near mcgehee.

Well, you could be right.  We shot a lot of snakes north & east of McGehee in the day time around those ditches & sloughs & around some of those fields in the summer.  That particular night it was my Buddy's pond that he found the year before.  He was driving & just seemed like it didn't take that long to get there (but it was many years ago) I was living in Southwest Little Rock then.  I will never forget seeing all those snakes.  We at first thought that what we might be seeing from a distance with the light, were frogs.....till we got close enough to see them swimming by the boat.  Never have seen anything like it again, nor care to.
Arkansas born, Arkansas bred, when I die I'll be a Razorback dead.

Rzbakfromwaybak

Quote from: SultanofSwine on August 05, 2011, 02:26:45 pm
You can think whatever you want to think but I have never heard of a copperhead or a rattler for that matter charging a person. I have been charged more times than I can count by cottonmouths. Those were times when there were lots of directions the snake could go otherwise but everytime it was obvious when they saw me and unproked, just charged right at me. I have been struck at twice by the cottonmouths and was fortunate to not be hit either time. I have seen lots that werent aggressive too but it is in their nature, way more so than any other snake we have. For that reason, I kill everyone of them I have the opportunity too.

I agree.  Have had multiple instances of aggressive cottonmouths that went out of their way to be aggressive.  Each time they were not provoked, except by my presence. Never had a rattler, or copperhead act anything like that.  The biggest percentage of them (cottonmouths) usually try to get away from you......but they all don't, some just have an "attitude"....so I don't discriminate.  I use my .357 to make an "attitude adjustment" on all the cottonmouths that I encounter, if possible.  Way I look at it, just because he is not aggressive today, doesn't mean he won't be tomorrow.  After my adjustment, he won't be.
Arkansas born, Arkansas bred, when I die I'll be a Razorback dead.

mellonhead

Growing up in south Ar. and fishing, hunting  and frog gigging in the Ouachita oxbows, iv'e had many encounters with moccasins. Never been hit but a lot of near misses. As my grandad use to say, "they are of the devil".

 


Rzbakfromwaybak

August 07, 2011, 12:44:19 am #75 Last Edit: August 07, 2011, 12:46:35 am by Rzbakfromwaybak
Quote from: Verge on August 06, 2011, 10:46:03 pm
http://davidasteen.blogspot.com/2011/04/cottonmouth-myths-iv-i-got-chased-by.html

Have to disagree with the author of this article.  Says he has not come across any species of snake that he considers aggressive.  He has evidently not had a lot of experience with Cottonmouths in the South/East Ark. river bottoms.  If he had been with me on numerous occasions, he would have seen definite aggression.  These were not snakes trying to "get out of my way", or "get away"......some were boldly coming right after me with their mouth open.  They didn't appear to be "looking for a mate"...they were looking for trouble.

Bet if he had accompanied me, or several others on this site on specific outings, this article he wrote, would be much different.  Like I mentioned in an earlier post.......all Cottonmouths are not aggressive, but if you are around many of them.......you will probably encounter some just like I mentioned.

This guy may know snakes, but he really doesn't know Cottonmouths as well as he thinks.

Also, this is a myth about snakes not attacking animals our size.  Cobra's have been known to attack large animals in Africa.  Saw a film a few years ago, where a Cobra attacked a adult female Lion & her cubs at their den.....evidently bit all of them.  Cobra killed the cubs, & almost killed her.  She was sick & weak for days.  I know a Cottonmouth is not a Cobra, but they are both snakes.
Arkansas born, Arkansas bred, when I die I'll be a Razorback dead.

IronHog

Quote from: Verge on August 06, 2011, 10:46:03 pm
http://davidasteen.blogspot.com/2011/04/cottonmouth-myths-iv-i-got-chased-by.html




Yea, that Huge Moccasin in Felsenthal that bowed up and tried to get in the boat with us was just trying to get to the other side.........even after we tried to move out of the way!

Satan Incarnate.
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

IronHog

Quote from: Rzbakfromwaybak on August 07, 2011, 12:44:19 am

This guy may know snakes, but he really doesn't know Cottonmouths as well as he thinks.




Ever walked up on a pond levee at night and had one do the go straight up in the air and fall back toward the water move?

They can get a good bit of their body off the ground!
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

IronHog

Quote from: Rzbakfromwaybak on August 07, 2011, 12:44:19 am

Also, this is a myth about snakes not attacking animals our size.  Cobra's have been known to attack large animals in Africa.  Saw a film a few years ago, where a Cobra attacked a adult female Lion & her cubs at their den.....evidently bit all of them.  Cobra killed the cubs, & almost killed her.  She was sick & weak for days.  I know a Cottonmouth is not a Cobra, but they are both snakes.


Sure it wasn't a black mamba?

Cobras are really slow.......I don't think one would be much of a threat to a grown lion.
Iron sharpens iron, So one man sharpens another.

Rzbakfromwaybak

August 08, 2011, 12:25:46 am #79 Last Edit: August 08, 2011, 12:57:41 am by Rzbakfromwaybak
Quote from: IronHog on August 07, 2011, 11:43:28 pm

Sure it wasn't a black mamba?

Cobras are really slow.......I don't think one would be much of a threat to a grown lion.

Nope, it was a Cobra........& this one was aggressive......  It was a special on TV about Lions...... they filmed & followed a pride around for months (or longer) & gave most of the Lions names.  Showed them hunting, showed their cubs, habits, etc.

This part of the film is on youtube.  Just watched it.  Google or Yahoo... "Cobra kills lions" Killed all of the cubs, but I think the female survived....barely.
Arkansas born, Arkansas bred, when I die I'll be a Razorback dead.

Verge

Quote from: Rzbakfromwaybak on August 07, 2011, 12:44:19 am
Have to disagree with the author of this article.  Says he has not come across any species of snake that he considers aggressive.

Hrm?

  "My name is David Steen and I'm an Auburn University Ph.D. candidate working in the southeastern United States. I conduct research primarily pertaining to the ecology and conservation biology of reptiles.

I bet he's seen one or two. Maybe you should share your story here?

http://www.herpsofarkansas.com/forum/

Those guys haven't seen many cottonmouths though, i mean it's only their hobby to go looking for them every weekend.






QuoteSaw a film a few years ago, where a Cobra attacked a adult female Lion & her cubs at their den.....evidently bit all of them.  Cobra killed the cubs, & almost killed her.  She was sick & weak for days.  I know a Cottonmouth is not a Cobra, but they are both snakes.

Attacked isn't really the appropriate word there IMO.

Verge

Quote from: IronHog on August 07, 2011, 11:40:41 pm

Yea, that Huge Moccasin in Felsenthal that bowed up and tried to get in the boat with us was just trying to get to the other side.........even after we tried to move out of the way!

Satan Incarnate.

It bowed up in the water?


Do you think it really thought it was a boat, and 2 humans were on it that would make a tasty meal. Their eyes are completely different from a humans, can it even focus 20 feet away.

HognitiveDissonance

Yes,read my story above.
That particular snake came straight out of the water and his head was at least a foot or so above the water line. White mouth wide open. I can still see it in my head, that was probably 1975 or so.

Verge

Everybody has an eyewitness account, but not a single shred of videotape?


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9TWUeh9CMY


I'm not saying some of these aren't pissed off, but i am trying to make the point that a vast majority of these stories you here are provoked.

HuntinHog

Quote from: Verge on August 08, 2011, 02:26:52 pm
Everybody has an eyewitness account, but not a single shred of videotape?


^^^^

Looks like we have something to add to the mountain lion/chupacabra type threads!









(http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/08/08/chupacabra-found-in-minnesota/)

Rzbakfromwaybak

Quote from: Verge on August 08, 2011, 10:45:49 am
Hrm?

  "My name is David Steen and I'm an Auburn University Ph.D. candidate working in the southeastern United States. I conduct research primarily pertaining to the ecology and conservation biology of reptiles.

I bet he's seen one or two. Maybe you should share your story here?

http://www.herpsofarkansas.com/forum/

Those guys haven't seen many cottonmouths though, i mean it's only their hobby to go looking for them every weekend.






Attacked isn't really the appropriate word there IMO.

The Cobra "attacked" the Lions.  That is the exact word to use.  Would you call it a friendly gesture to bite 4 Lions that were not provoking it??  The Cobra was certainly not trying to "get out of their way".

Don't care what kind of degree the author holds.  I know what I have seen & experienced, multiple times......as do quite a few others that I have hunted with.......& also several on this site. How many times do you see debates with 2 professors, holding the same or similar degree, or experts on a debated subject... that do not agree with each other on major opinions? It is certainly not uncommon to see this.

I don't videotape aggressive cottonmouths, I shoot them.
Arkansas born, Arkansas bred, when I die I'll be a Razorback dead.

Albert Einswine

Quote from: Rzbakfromwaybak on August 08, 2011, 03:20:54 pm
The Cobra "attacked" the Lions.  That is the exact word to use.  Would you call it a friendly gesture to bite 4 Lions that were not provoking it??  The Cobra was certainly not trying to "get out of their way".

Don't care what kind of degree the author holds.  I know what I have seen & experienced, multiple times......as do quite a few others that I have hunted with.......& also several on this site. How many times do you see debates with 2 professors, holding the same or similar degree, or experts on a debated subject... that do not agree with each other on major opinions? It is certainly not uncommon to see this.

I don't videotape aggressive cottonmouths, I shoot them.


Here's a question for you, and bear in mind I feel cottonmouths exhibit more aggressive behavior than the copperheads and rattlers I've caught in my life.  The latter are quite docile in my experience.

For all the cottonmouths you've seen, don't you imagine there have been multiple more that you haven't seen, that you've walked right past, probably stepped over?  How many times have you been bitten?

How many people do you know that have been bitten and what were the circumstances?

I was bitten swimming and it was a dry bite.  The only other person I've known who was bitten was bitten while raising a rice spill and the snake was under the spill when he lifted it.
"Funny thing, I become a hell of a good fisherman when the trout decide to commit suicide." ~ John D. Voelker

Rzbakfromwaybak

Quote from: Albert Einswine on August 08, 2011, 03:27:17 pm

Here's a question for you, and bear in mind I feel cottonmouths exhibit more aggressive behavior than the copperheads and rattlers I've caught in my life.  The latter are quite docile in my experience.

For all the cottonmouths you've seen, don't you imagine there have been multiple more that you haven't seen, that you've walked right past, probably stepped over?  How many times have you been bitten?

How many people do you know that have been bitten and what were the circumstances?

I was bitten swimming and it was a dry bite.  The only other person I've known who was bitten was bitten while raising a rice spill and the snake was under the spill when he lifted it.

I agree with you Einswine.  As I have said in earlier posts.......the greatest percentage of Cottonmouths that I have come across, try to get out of the way & avoid contact.  I have come across many (Cottonmouths) over the years, have not been bitten....but  had some very close calls. Have no doubt I would have, had I not been lucky/paying attention.  They can be aggressive without being provoked, have seen it too many times to be a fluke.

Bears aren't always aggressive either.......but that doesn't mean that they won't be.

Arkansas born, Arkansas bred, when I die I'll be a Razorback dead.

Verge

Quote from: Albert Einswine on August 08, 2011, 03:27:17 pm

Here's a question for you, and bear in mind I feel cottonmouths exhibit more aggressive behavior than the copperheads and rattlers I've caught in my life.  The latter are quite docile in my experience.

For all the cottonmouths you've seen, don't you imagine there have been multiple more that you haven't seen, that you've walked right past, probably stepped over?  How many times have you been bitten?

How many people do you know that have been bitten and what were the circumstances?

I was bitten swimming and it was a dry bite.  The only other person I've known who was bitten was bitten while raising a rice spill and the snake was under the spill when he lifted it.

I agree, if .001% of the cottonmouths in arkansas were 1/2 as aggressive as the "fish stories" make them out to be, they couldn't manufacture antivenom fast enough. There would be bites daily. But there isn't, and when there are very rare venomous snake bites, they tend to come from copperheads... which are rather unaggressive.

SultanofSwine

Quote from: Verge on August 08, 2011, 08:31:31 pm
I agree, if .001% of the cottonmouths in arkansas were 1/2 as aggressive as the "fish stories" make them out to be, they couldn't manufacture antivenom fast enough. There would be bites daily. But there isn't, and when there are very rare venomous snake bites, they tend to come from copperheads... which are rather unaggressive.

There is a distinct difference in showing aggressive behaviour and biting everyone that gets close. People dont get bit as often by cottonmouths because they are aggressive in showing themselves and defending their space whereas a copperhead will just lay there until you step on it and then you get bit.

Albert Einswine

Quote from: SultanofSwine on August 09, 2011, 04:56:54 pm
There is a distinct difference in showing aggressive behaviour and biting everyone that gets close. People dont get bit as often by cottonmouths because they are aggressive in showing themselves and defending their space whereas a copperhead will just lay there until you step on it and then you get bit.


I've stepped on two copperheads and didn't even get bit, barefoot and shorts no less.

Several years ago I was clearing out an overgrown back corner of my property on the Ridge, down on hands and knees with a two bit axe hacking out scrub when I caught movement beside my left knee.  I had cut a copperhead in half at some point without even realizing it.
"Funny thing, I become a hell of a good fisherman when the trout decide to commit suicide." ~ John D. Voelker

Sammich



Found this little guy a few weeks ago at the ranch. 

I've heard that the juveniles are the really dangerous b/c they can't control their venom glands and therefore can't dry bite like an adult.  Anyone know if that's true or not?  Always been curious.

Albert Einswine

Quote from: Sammich on August 09, 2011, 11:49:23 pm


Found this little guy a few weeks ago at the ranch. 

I've heard that the juveniles are the really dangerous b/c they can't control their venom glands and therefore can't dry bite like an adult.  Anyone know if that's true or not?  Always been curious.

Nice timber rattler.  No idea about the venom control, but I imagine juveniles don't pack near the same punch, control or not.
"Funny thing, I become a hell of a good fisherman when the trout decide to commit suicide." ~ John D. Voelker

Rzbakfromwaybak

Quote from: Albert Einswine on August 09, 2011, 05:12:37 pm

I've stepped on two copperheads and didn't even get bit, barefoot and shorts no less.

Several years ago I was clearing out an overgrown back corner of my property on the Ridge, down on hands and knees with a two bit axe hacking out scrub when I caught movement beside my left knee.  I had cut a copperhead in half at some point without even realizing it.

Einswine......I am shocked??  I thought you didn't kill snakes??  Guess you know that its against the law to kill a poisonous snake.......harmless little copperhead....Yeah, it was an accident.....that's what I always say too...

Well, if you are gonna start ruthlessly killing them.....I suggest you use a gun.  Axe on hands & knees sounds a little risky....
Arkansas born, Arkansas bred, when I die I'll be a Razorback dead.

Albert Einswine

Quote from: Rzbakfromwaybak on August 10, 2011, 02:06:02 am
Einswine......I am shocked??  I thought you didn't kill snakes??  Guess you know that its against the law to kill a poisonous snake.......harmless little copperhead....Yeah, it was an accident.....that's what I always say too...

Well, if you are gonna start ruthlessly killing them.....I suggest you use a gun.  Axe on hands & knees sounds a little risky....


Man, I felt terrible about it.  If I had seen it while I was crawling around in there I'd have taken it and tossed it into the honeysuckle in the ravine across the road.  That's what I always did when I caught 'em in the yard.
"Funny thing, I become a hell of a good fisherman when the trout decide to commit suicide." ~ John D. Voelker

David†

Quote from: Albert Einswine on August 09, 2011, 11:57:47 pm
Nice timber rattler.  No idea about the venom control, but I imagine juveniles don't pack near the same punch, control or not.

Are you sure? It doesnt look like a timber to me. I thought that the timbers had a black tail or "black velvet tail". I could be wrong, I dont consider myself a snake expert.


Sammich

Quote from: purplehog44 on August 10, 2011, 08:32:43 am
Are you sure? It doesnt look like a timber to me. I thought that the timbers had a black tail or "black velvet tail". I could be wrong, I dont consider myself a snake expert.



He's a western diamondback rattler.  We have tons of them out there.  Anytime someone needs beer money they're welcome to go round them up with a pare burner and burlap sacks and sell them to the local rattlesnake farm.

Albert Einswine

August 10, 2011, 10:46:06 am #97 Last Edit: August 10, 2011, 10:48:31 am by Albert Einswine
Quote from: purplehog44 on August 10, 2011, 08:32:43 am
Are you sure? It doesnt look like a timber to me. I thought that the timbers had a black tail or "black velvet tail". I could be wrong, I dont consider myself a snake expert.

Quote from: Sammich on August 10, 2011, 09:56:36 am
He's a western diamondback rattler.  We have tons of them out there.  Anytime someone needs beer money they're welcome to go round them up with a pare burner and burlap sacks and sell them to the local rattlesnake farm.


Your picture doesn't capture the best detail, Sammich, but I thought it looked more like a timber than a diamondback.

But it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.  :D
"Funny thing, I become a hell of a good fisherman when the trout decide to commit suicide." ~ John D. Voelker

Sammich

Quote from: Albert Einswine on August 10, 2011, 10:46:06 am

Your picture doesn't capture the best detail, Sammich, but I thought it looked more like a timber than a diamondback.

But it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong.  :D

Yeah, good point.  But then again, can't blame a guy for standing more than just a few feet back from a venomous snake no matter what size he is!   ;D

HognitiveDissonance

Quote from: Sammich on August 10, 2011, 11:54:02 am
Yeah, good point.  But then again, can't blame a guy for standing more than just a few feet back from a venomous snake no matter what size he is!   ;D

There shouldn't be any Western Diamondbacks in Arkansas. But this possibly could fall into the old argument 'there are no mountain lions in Arkansas'.

When you say The Ranch, are you talking about the Ranch in West LR on Hwy 10?