2023 snake PSA

[PressuredFishing]

Went fishing yesterday at my favorite resavoir, was fishing the bank, and following a very common hiking trail roughly 3 feet across around the lake. As I was walking I heard the loudest rattling noise ever coming no more than a foot  away from my legs, I immediately ran, partially because I was spooked and didn't know that rattlesnakes don't sound like the movies and are much much louder. I look back and am honestly shocked and thankful I didn't get bit, the thing was slithering back deeper into  the undercut sagebrush bush it was under. It was only 55 degrees and pre frontal also, been very cold so I was surprised he was out. Once the snake had completley left my friend about 20 feet behind crossed the trail. 

 

Hopefully this is a PSA to all anglers in the southwest, be careful because they are clearly out this time of year I guess, expecially in the LA  and SD area... and thank God he put rattles on those d**n things.

[TnRiver46]

They aren’t just in the southwest either! 

[Fishin Dad]

Oh man, you are making me thankful for this snow again!!  That puckered my backside.  

[MN Fisher]

8 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

They aren’t just in the southwest either! 

Ya - they're still hibernating here, but SE MN has Timber Rattlers.

[Fishin Dad]

20 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Ya - they're still hibernating here, but SE MN has Timber Rattlers.

Yep, same pucker factor while trout fishing there.  The population is not very dense at least.  

[thediscochef]

I've already had a few close encounters this year with some slithering venomous guys. They were in my spot on the rocks. We seem to coexist just fine, they know I'm not interested in them and as long as I keep my distance by 5-10 feet they don't really pay me any attention

It's boots-only season though 

[PressuredFishing]

44 minutes ago, thediscochef said:

We seem to coexist just fine, they know I'm not interested in them and as long as I keep my distance by 5-10 feet they don't really pay me any attention

Yeah I see, me and him coexisted also after the incident... coexisted across the lake from each other ?   ? 

[BrianMDTX]

The copperheads and coral snakes have been active awhile down here in SE Texas. 

[Fishin Dad]

Darn it you guys, you are ruining my retirement dreams in a warm climate!!?

[MN Fisher]

2 hours ago, BrianMDTX said:

The copperheads and coral snakes have been active awhile down here in SE Texas. 

I remember coming across a copperhead laying across the path sunning itself when bank fishing in Nebraska - since I'd handled snakes before, I was able to grab it and toss it off the path. My fishing partner wouldn't come within 10' until I did that.

 

Worst part about copperheads - they're silent...no 'warning system'.

[TnRiver46]

The smoky mountains are lousy with copperheads and I’ve seen some fairly big rattlers too. People get bit every year but usually are ok. Lots of dogs get it right in the face and balloon up huge. Bluuuuhhhh. I use the 30 foot rule but my wife likes to shove a camera into their personal space haha. 

 

[Jar11591]

Was fishing on a rocky bank as a kid with my father. He was about 8-10 yards down the bank when he tells me to “come here”, for no apparent reason. He would often prank me (throw a bug at me or dead fish or something), so I thought he was gonna do something like that. I smiled and asked him why, and then he got serious and told me to just listen. So I walked over to him, and then he turned me around and told me to look right where I had been standing. There was a timber rattler sitting on a rock a few feet behind me coiled up. He didn’t tell me why at first because he didn’t want me to turn around and startle it. Good on ya pops! 
 

So yeah, watch for snakes! Even my fellow northerners, timber ratters are out there and they are venomous. 

[Bankc]

It's the cottonmouths that get thick around lakes down here.  I've seen probably 100 in a mating ball before.  Most of the other venomous snakes around here are more likely to be found in the prairies than the woods.  

 

Every year I run into lots of snakes.  Just watch where you step, especially near thick grass.  If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone.  We're predators, not prey to them.  

 

There's a common water snake that lives near a spot along the bank of a lake I frequent.  We're good friends.  He doesn't seem to mind me and I don't mind him.  Two years ago, he caught a fish that was bigger than he is and dragged it halfway across the lake just so he could eat it next to my feet.  He just wanted to rub it in, like old friends do when they snag a PB.  I've got video of the whole thing too.  

[TnRiver46]

18 minutes ago, Bankc said:

It's the cottonmouths that get thick around lakes down here.  I've seen probably 100 in a mating ball before.  Most of the other venomous snakes around here are more likely to be found in the prairies than the woods.  

 

Every year I run into lots of snakes.  Just watch where you step, especially near thick grass.  If you leave them alone, they'll leave you alone.  We're predators, not prey to them.  

 

There's a common water snake that lives near a spot along the bank of a lake I frequent.  We're good friends.  He doesn't seem to mind me and I don't mind him.  Two years ago, he caught a fish that was bigger than he is and dragged it halfway across the lake just so he could eat it next to my feet.  He just wanted to rub it in, like old friends do when they snag a PB.  I've got video of the whole thing too.  

Cottonmouth is the worst. Thank God they don’t live in my region 

[Darth-Baiter]

i'm good with snakes.  keep my eyes open and GTG.  fishing this one lake i hike into, i see lots of rattlesnakes. 

 

i actually called and checked to see if my insurance covered anti-venom.  hahha.  and my local hospital has it in stock.  PHEW.  

 

strangly enough, i run like a scared kid with Wasps and Hornets.  probably because those Mofo's fly!!

[BrianMDTX]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Cottonmouth is the worst. Thank God they don’t live in my region 

They look at you like you owe them money

[TnRiver46]

48 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

i'm good with snakes.  keep my eyes open and GTG.  fishing this one lake i hike into, i see lots of rattlesnakes. 

 

i actually called and checked to see if my insurance covered anti-venom.  hahha.  and my local hospital has it in stock.  PHEW.  

 

strangly enough, i run like a scared kid with Wasps and Hornets.  probably because those Mofo's fly!!

I’ve went into anaphylactic shock from hornets, fun times ! 

[Bird]

We have an abundance of rattlesnakes and copperheads.

Rattlesnakes just want to be left alone and are not aggressive.

Copperheads on the other hand welcome combat.

[Darth-Baiter]

20 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve went into anaphylactic shock from hornets, fun times ! 

that is just it:  in a nutshell, i have no idea if i would or not.  so i just run..and run indeed.  fast. 

[TnRiver46]

Just now, Darth-Baiter said:

that is just it:  in a nutshell, i have no idea if i would or not.  so i just run..and run indeed.  fast. 

From my experience, 4-5 bees you will be fine. 4-5 dozen start making your way toward a vehicle. I was way back in the wilderness and 8 years old, way before cell phones (wouldn’t have mattered they still don’t work there today)

 

my cousin saved me, carried me out of there 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

From my experience, 4-5 bees you will be fine. 4-5 dozen start making your way toward a vehicle. I was way back in the wilderness and 8 years old, way before cell phones (wouldn’t have mattered they still don’t work there today)

 

my cousin saved me, carried me out of there 

No need to be sad @Darth-Baiter, I lived! 
 

the real sad part is I’ve had to buy 30 years worth of epipen and never used one 

[Mobasser]

We have copperheads here in Missouri. Ive seen them for years. Thankfully we don't have water moccasins. Also have timber rattlesnakes,but they're very rare, and rarely seen.

[Darth-Baiter]

19 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

No need to be sad @Darth-Baiter, I lived! 
 

the real sad part is I’ve had to buy 30 years worth of epipen and never used one 

those Epipens expire?  

 

man..imagine if you took all that money and bought something useful, like SpinnerBaits?  

TRUE story.

 

 my wife and I were swimming in a lagoon in Malaysia.  we were staying at a host house.  super fun.  a big gray snake swam by us, we froze but it appeared just as surprised by my pasty white upper body.  he moved off.  we came back to the hut, and I just said.."we saw birds, some fish..oh and a big snake".  the home owner who used to be a big code writer in Silicon Valley, asked me about the snake.  long, gray..distinct scales, swam great.  he pulled out a reptile book and said, like this?  yup..

 

he barked out some orders in his lingo and all the grounds keepers ran off with hoes and machetes.  what the heck?  I went over to the book and looked.  it was a king Cobra.  !!!  my wife almost fainted.

 

they didnt find the snake.  we didnt swim any more despite the heat and humidity.  

 

I would have loved to have a fishing rod and a senko.  

[galyonj]

18 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

he barked out some orders in his lingo and all the grounds keepers ran off with hoes and machetes.  what the heck?  I went over to the book and looked.  it was a king Cobra.  !!!  my wife almost fainted.

 

If it makes your lady feel any better, you've pretty much got to beat a king over the head before it'll take a swipe at you.

[Darth-Baiter]

Just now, galyonj said:

 

If it makes your lady feel any better, you've pretty much got to beat a king over the head before it'll take a swipe at you.

I kinda felt that way.  that snake was not bothered by anything.   I can say I swam with a cobra.  it was maybe 8 feet away.  

 

snakes dont bug me.  I feel as long as I dont step on one or climb up a ridge and grab one reaching for a ledge.