Do you fear snakes!

[Preacher]

Another Wyman photo.

Spring has arrived with the leafing of bull mesquites, a telling sign that winter is indeed gone, and rattlers emerging from their winters respite.
This big fellow, pushing 5 feet in length, was out patrolling for a rat when discovered by my brother. Rick called and informed me he had a big one if I wanted photos, and of course I did.
The husky fellow didn’t like Sylinda and my presence but had no choice but to allow me the honor to document such a fine specimen.
Unlike many, I don’t have a problem with snakes, regardless of the species. From early childhood and being raised in “snake” country, Rick and I were always warned to “watch for snakes,” when we went outdoors, which was all the time, and we rarely ever saw one. I do believe we walked right by many lying hidden in the grass and weeds but they allowed us to pass on by. Thus, in a show of gratitude, I allow them to “pass on by.”
This fellow never tried to strike as I lay at ground level, only rattling enough to let me know I was nearing its comfort zone.
After the photo session we walked away, leaving the serpent to fulfill its duty of consuming rats and mice, two creatures I sure don’t have much use for! LOL!!!
Wishing all a productive week!!
Photo created with a Canon 5D SR and Canon 70-200mm f2.8L at ISO 200 and hand held. And get a load of this. The image file was a huge 307mb when processed as a tif!!!
That is the file size when scanning a 2 1/4 x 2 1/4 chrome from my Hasselblad! Totally amazing!!
View attachment 1652714

Sure is a specular photo, like em or not...

 

[DLT]

As long as I see them first I’m not scared of em

 

[SD guy]

Suppose I do fear them a little. Or at least I am not a fan of owning a snake as a pet. My dad defiantly had no time for snakes. Perhaps one of his worst phobias.

As a kid I had gathered up a half a 5 gallon pail of gardner snakes from our neighborhood. Let's just say when I showed off my catch to dad, he was not at all happy to see what I had in the pail.

 

[ogre1911]

We have lots of western diamondbacks, sidewinders and Mojave’s here so when these guys show up we’re happy. This guy cruised my back porch this weekend

 

[servant403]

Spent my early hunting years late 60s and early 70s chasing ducks in the fresh water small lakes next to the Kennedy Space center in Florida. We actually stood in the shallow water up against the mangroves with a decoy spread out in front of us. So to say we saw and dispatched quite a few while duck hunting would be a understatement. Cottonmouths and Eastern Diamondbacks were everywhere in Central Fla. Our housing development was bordered by woods and it was common for homeowners to kill rattlers with their lawnmowers. I was wary back then but I am actually more afraid now . And I dont live in that state anymore. But I doubt I would run through the swamps and brush like I did as a teen. I look back to how fearless we were as teens. And to think "WHAT WERE WE THINKING?"

 

[6.5 forever]

The closest I have been is when my horse stepped over one in the trail. I did not like the experience!!!

 

[NorCalMikie]

Yes, especially those ones that rattle!

It's the ones that DON'T Rattle that we need to be concerned about.
I think we have a Snake Charmer working on them now?

 

[Jr solocam]

Fine line between fear and respect. I think it is prudent to have a little bit of fear of any animal that can and does kill people....YMMV.

 

[js2013]

Fishing northern WI from pier, water snake (not poisonous but very aggressive with a very painful bite) would curl up on the minnow bucket. Chased it away, 5 minutes later it was back, chased it away again, came back again. So much so for playing nice. Dad took a razor arrow and put it through its body. That snake attacked that arrow with a vengeance I’ve never seen. Watched it for awhile then shot its head off. Threw it up on shore to see if anything would eat it but nothing ever did.

 

[ELR LVR]

Not in the least
Had several Pet Rattlers from time to time as well.
My dad didn't like the idea of me having rattlesnakes ever since hand catching my first one in college.
He just didn't understand
I actually brought that one into Lab class when I caught it by the American river.
I had it in a big water bottle as I didnt want it to cook in the car.
My professor said "No drinks in Lab"
I said "Oh dont worry theres no liquid in there"
He came over and looked at the bottle and said
"Then what's in there"
without saying anything I just opened the top and let him peek inside
"His eyes got big but he was cool and said
"After class, you get that thing out here"
----me "Sure no problem"
So one time 10 years later we're coming back from shooting
And I see a rattler crossing the road
I Quickly pull over and yell back at him to his vehicle "GRAB YOUR CAMERA!!!"
He tought I had pulled over to take a leak, and I'm asking for him to get the camera ....WTF?
Then he sees me heading over to the rattler
and I hear him say "Ohhhhhhh shit" but said nothing further knowing he could not disuade me from what I was about to do, he knows me well.
I wanted him to understand.... I'm like the Steve Irwin of snakes
I face off with it, wait for it to coil, then slap it on the top of the head grabbing it behind the neck and pick it up
Holding it all stretched out.
He got several pictures of that if I can find them.
My idea is this.....if you can be faster than a rattlesnake, you'll do pretty good going against any human
(Bob Munden is my inspiration there)
Secondly, if all you do is hold the snake and be nice to it, somewhat taming it
It will remember the interaction and hopefully not be aggressive toward the next human it encounters
Just my way of giving back to the world.
Some folks say I'm crazy
Tell ya what I think, "it's the right thing to do"
I've never been bit by any of my pet rattlers
They get used to the program. They tame in about 2 weeks to where you can handle them without gloves
They have no need to bite a human since they wont eat you, so will warn you first.
They will not bite without rattling first,
If they make no sound, good to go, if they rattle even a little, just leave them be.

I admit I am a little too old now to be playing with rattlers though being past 50
So with age does come wisdom.

Right now have a 4 foot long Gopher Snake

 

[True Grit]

Don't care for damn things and kill every one I see. I'm sure there's 10 - 15 rattlesnakes in the freezer just waiting to get dropped off at Harden's taxidermy.

 

[D Coots]

I chop off the head and bury it when I kill one.
A lot of folks have been bit by "dead" snakes. I have seen too many snakes with reflexes hours after they were "killed".
And yes I am scared of them. I am like the old guy that I knew who always said - "there's only four kinds of snakes I'm scared of - big ones, little ones, live ones, and dead ones".

drover

Right....but most likely this Redneck ain't gonna stick my finger in his mouth to check his reflexes....

If they're capable of killing me...they're going first.

 

[RED DIRT]

I don’t like snakes. A few years ago I walked barefoot on to my patio after dark. I stepped on a garden hose. I still have a stutter.

 

[D Coots]

We have lots of western diamondbacks, sidewinders and Mojave’s here so when these guys show up we’re happy. This guy cruised my back porch this weekend

Black snake?

 

[nettle]

I don't fear them because I was raised in an area that had no poisonous snakes. Both my wife's father and my wife were raised in areas that had poisonous snakes are were/are scared to death of them.

 

[ogre1911]

Black snake?

California King. They eat rattlesnakes

 

[D Coots]

Didn't look like a black, but wasn't sure. Thanks

 

[Jayplace]

Suppose I do fear them a little. Or at least I am not a fan of owning a snake as a pet. My dad defiantly had no time for snakes. Perhaps one of his worst phobias.

As a kid I had gathered up a half a 5 gallon pail of gardner snakes from our neighborhood. Let's just say when I showed off my catch to dad, he was not at all happy to see what I had in the pail.

Kids say and do the damndest things.

 

[dhagerty40]

snakes do not bug me a bit. had a gopher snake crawl between my legs when sitting in a chair once. Scared the crap out of everybody else, but I just let him go on his way..

 

[nettle]

Anything crawling between my legs is going to get flung across the room at supersonic speed.