It's Always Fun To Work Around These When Doing Brush Cleanup

[gsrsol84mm]

They are pretty thick in the back yard. I just leave them alone and let them go on their way.

 

[HD2010]

I don't know what kind of snake that is but I don't like snakes. I think I would have soiled myself if I had come across that one.

 

[gsrsol84mm]

It's a Copperhead and they do have a venomous bite. At least we don't have timber rattlers here. They have them about and hour from here in South Carolina. An adult timber rattler is a beast and it's no joke to tangle with one.

 

[mowindown]

I dislike snakes very much. If I see one its a dead one. The only good snake is a dead snake. Today I was cleaning up a fallen walnut tree that had fell on a rocky bank covered in some kind of ivy. Needless to say I was watching real close for snakes all I could think about was snakes...what kind of snake is that?

 

[jtracy1223]

Timber rattlers arnt to bad ether. They just want to get away from you. I lived in an area that was said to be one of the biggest rattle snake dens in iowa and I have only seen a few in almost 30 yrs of truckin all over the timber. And the ones I did see were almost never looking for a fight except one little one (less 2 ft long) that I came up on walking down a dirt road. He was sunning him self on a rock and I must have pisssed him off cuz he was coiled up and hot to trot. I ended up shooting that one because I had my dogs with me and they didn't understand that is snake was not to be messed with. Felt bad but was not going to deal with a snake bit dog.

 

[nmurph]

...I just leave them alone and let them go on their way.

Very good

I dislike snakes very much. If I see one its a dead one. The only good snake is a dead snake.

Please stop thinking this way.

Timber rattlers arnt to bad ether. They just want to get away from you...And the ones I did see were almost never looking for a fight...

Yep, timber rattlers are fairly docile, definitely easier going than a diamond back. They are also becoming scarce.

Last year I dropped a huge water oak right before we left the woods. The next morning I stepped into it to start limbing and see a 5 foot diamond back crawling away from me. I cut the big limbs off and we pulled them away with the tractor to saw them up. I never saw the snake again, but I also kept a close eye out for her (big ones are almost always the females). At lunch my son found a recent shed (probably) from her. It was the right size and just a few feet from where I saw her.

I have stepped directly over two diamond backs, one was a monster, in the last four years. Neither tried to strike. They just laid still, hoping I pass without noticing them. My brother walked over one last year while forester's were with him. He didn't see the snake he nearly stepped on until one of the forester's pointed it out. The bottom line is that snakes want to be left alone, even poisonous ones. We used to kill them too. Now I just give them wide berth and let them be.

 

[Matt_M]

..... I ended up shooting that one......

Made me LOL

Damn Australia and its gun laws!!

:msp_biggrin:

 

[Pa Pa Jack]

Three years ago I was clearing some brush in a small area right behind my home here in South Carolina. It was really hot and I was sweating like a banshee. The chiggers were pretty bad at that time and they ate me up. The next day I had chigger bites all over my ankles and lower legs. One, in particular was really bothering me. That bite got worse the next day. It was right behind my left knee. Every time I moved my leg it rubbed against my pant leg and hurt. I had the wife, who is a nurse, look at it and she thought it was infected. So, I called the DR. and he said to come on in and he'd look at it.

As soon as he saw it he called his partner in. His partner is a very well respected DR. He specializes in venomous bites. He had a fit. The entire back of my leg had turned beet red and was hard as stiff cardboard. They started me on very strong antibiotics and steroids. They took a tissue sample and found out I had been bitten by a copperhead. They measured the fang marks and think it was less than a foot long youngster. I understand I was lucky to not lose my leg. It had progressed to the point that I had about a 20% chance of keeping it.

Snakes don't bother me. I think they are cool actually. But I try to be a lot more observant than I used to be when in the woods. If you get any kind of bite that seems abnormal, SEE A DR.. It could save a limb or your life.

 

[MRCo.]

That's a good size copperhead! The 'good' news is that a copperhead bite generally gives intense swelling and pain, and is no joke, but isn't the death sentence a timber rattler bite generally is. We have both here. I tend to stay clear of brush and tree cutting til winter so I'm safer! Also, in summer the shop is too busy so I am there 12 hours a day. I hear felling trees at night is dangerous. :msp_wink:

 

[nmurph]

That's a good size copperhead! The 'good' news is that a copperhead bite generally gives intense swelling and pain, and is no joke, but isn't the death sentence a timber rattler bite generally is...

Please educate yourself bf you make such sweeping statements. The fact of the matter is that very few people die (~ 6/yr) from snake bites. Most of those did not receive medical attention in a reasonable amount of time after the bite. Of those, most people die from Eastern Diamondbacks. Because anti-venom is readily available, if you get to a hospital within a couple of hours, you are very likely to survive (though it's not going to be fun). In reality it is a 50/50 proposition of receiving envenomization if you are bitten. Venemous snakes prefer to conserve their venom for prey. They also prefer to remain concealed and motionless, and let the predator (you) pass if they can. They know they can't eat you, so the next best action is for them to let you pass so they can live another day.

 

[mikey517]

I don't know what kind of snake that is but I don't like snakes. I think I would have soiled myself if I had come across that one.

I just did by looking at the picture...:msp_sad:

 

[o8f150]

we live way out in the county and see a lot of snakes,, I leave all of them alone since they keep the rodent population down

 

[machinisttx]

I generally leave non venomous snakes alone. Copperheads are shoot on site though. My wife and 4 year old don't need to get bit.

 

[jeepchief]

I plan on displaying timber rattlesnakes at the Harford Fair in Susquehanna County if anybody is interested in seeing them in a safe environment on Thursday 8/22/13. I'll be at the Sportmans Federation booth. I be there answering questions about fish and boating but am always interesting in talking about chainsaws.

 

[HittinSteel]

Pictures like that make me glad I live in northern ohio.

Knock on wood, I have spent a very good portion of my 38 years in the woods and never seen a venemous snake. (I know there are massasauga rattlers here though).

 

[LegDeLimber]

I've posted before about this black rat snake on my wall.
since I've nothing that I wouldn't want them to eat, I'm Glad to have them around here
for vermin control.
But yeah, that startle factor never seems to completely fade and I figured it was time put my window screens back up for that summer.

 

[lone wolf]

Pictures like that make me glad I live in northern ohio.

Knock on wood, I have spent a very good portion of my 38 years in the woods and never seen a venemous snake. (I know there are massasauga rattlers here though).

Its the one you dont see that you have a problem with.:msp_unsure:

 

[CapitaineHaddoc]

You must use a saw with a 3-holes muffler, the noise will scare them!

 

[gsrsol84mm]

I've posted before about this black rat snake on my wall.
since I've nothing that I wouldn't want them to eat, I'm Glad to have them around here
for vermin control.
But yeah, that startle factor never seems to completely fade and I figured it was time put my window screens back up for that summer.

That is a great picture of a black snake. We have lots of them. Great snakes and it's a pity so many of them get run over every year

 

[Fifelaker]

I have a few "Pets" around the wood pile nothing venomous though. Snakes are a needed part of nature. Chipmunks are more destructive. I wish we had some snakes big enough to eat them little buggers. I was on my way home from cutting wood the other day and a big (4'-5') blue racer was sunning him self in the road. I wished I would have had a camera with me that was one of the deepest blues I have ever seen.