Just FYI, snakes can be venomous, but none are poisonous. Poison is something that kills you when you swallow it, breathe it, or absorb it through the skin. Venom kills you when injected into your bloodstream.
Anyone step on a rattler?
- Thread starter mousegunner
- Start date
Just FYI, snakes can be venomous, but none are poisonous. Poison is something that kills you when you swallow it, breathe it, or absorb it through the skin. Venom kills you when injected into your bloodstream.
CaptainMal
Silver $$ Contributor
Literally wear snake boots all the time when in the Florida, Georgia and Pa. woods when it's warm. Have spotted and near walked on many rattlesnakes. Have also killed near every one I encountered. Most always carry a North American Arms 22 magnum with snake shot or my old S&W 22lr Kit Gun with snake shot. That stuff works. When I am not in the woods I just swap the snake shot for Hornady Critical Defense ammo or the like.
Here's a "good" Georgia Rattlesnake. See the old S&W 22lr. Kit Gun?
fullsizeoutput_ec1 by Larry Malinoski, on Flickr
Here's a "good" Georgia Rattlesnake. See the old S&W 22lr. Kit Gun?
fullsizeoutput_ec1 by Larry Malinoski, on FlickrD-4297
Gold $$ Contributor
One thing I've never understood in my seventy years of life on this planet :
People who keep asking why anyone would jump out of a perfectly good airplane .
First of all ; There are no perfectly good airplanes . They all have defects , and I say this as a former pilot , and someone who worked in the industry for a few years . Secondly ; I am a former Vietnam Veteran Paratrooper with a H.A.L.O rating , A Master Skydiver ( U.S.P.A. # D-4297 ) with a Instructors Rating , and , SCR & SCS , NSCR & NSCS , with over 1,500 jumps and competed at two National Championships and seven World Record jumps . . . I've never been injured jumping , and the main reason people jump out of airplanes is because it is one Hellouva lot of fun . You've never been kissed , till you've been kissed by a smokin hot Babe in free-fall . It will actually curl your toes , inside your Jump boots . "Blue Skies".....
People who keep asking why anyone would jump out of a perfectly good airplane .
First of all ; There are no perfectly good airplanes . They all have defects , and I say this as a former pilot , and someone who worked in the industry for a few years . Secondly ; I am a former Vietnam Veteran Paratrooper with a H.A.L.O rating , A Master Skydiver ( U.S.P.A. # D-4297 ) with a Instructors Rating , and , SCR & SCS , NSCR & NSCS , with over 1,500 jumps and competed at two National Championships and seven World Record jumps . . . I've never been injured jumping , and the main reason people jump out of airplanes is because it is one Hellouva lot of fun . You've never been kissed , till you've been kissed by a smokin hot Babe in free-fall . It will actually curl your toes , inside your Jump boots . "Blue Skies".....
But in those 1500+ jumps did you land on or near a rattler?One thing I've never understood in my seventy years of life on this planet :
People who keep asking why anyone would jump out of a perfectly good airplane .
First of all ; There are no perfectly good airplanes . They all have defects , and I say this as a former pilot , and someone who worked in the industry for a few years . Secondly ; I am a former Vietnam Veteran Paratrooper with a H.A.L.O rating , A Master Skydiver ( U.S.P.A. # D-4297 ) with a Instructors Rating , and , SCR & SCS , NSCR & NSCS , with over 1,500 jumps and competed at two National Championships and seven World Record jumps . . . I've never been injured jumping , and the main reason people jump out of airplanes is because it is one Hellouva lot of fun . You've never been kissed , till you've been kissed by a smokin hot Babe in free-fall . It will actually curl your toes , inside your Jump boots . "Blue Skies".....
Couple years ago on Fort Hood, TX one of the deer hunting guides got struck several times. After the morning hunt he walked back to his truck to go pick up his hunters. Turns out a rattler thought his nice warm engine block was a good place to warm up. The snake struck him in the leg as he was getting back into his truck.
I had one curl up next to me one night while in the field at Ft Ord CA. I still have his rattler in a drawer somewhere
D-4297
Gold $$ Contributor
@ mousegunner .... Landed close to a couple while jumping at Coolidge back in the late eighties , but nothing to make anybody nervous . My initial post was kind of a "tongue-in-cheek" response to @Someoldguy posting that same old tired , "why do people jump from perfectly good airplanes", tripe . Gets just a little tired hearing it from some "Whuffo" for over fifty years . That's all . Wasn't intended to distract from the OP's subject .
I take much comfort from this.....
↑
Just FYI, snakes can be venomous, but none are poisonous. Poison is something that kills you when you swallow it, breathe it, or absorb it through the skin. Venom kills you when injected into your bloodstream.
I take much comfort from this.....
IS IT POISONOUS IF YOU EAT IT?...and swallow the venom sack?
kinda like a clip or a magazine
?
anywho...
keep the stories coming
Just FYI, snakes can be venomous, but none are poisonous. Poison is something that kills you when you swallow it, breathe it, or absorb it through the skin. Venom kills you when injected into your bloodstream.
I take much comfort from this.....
IS IT POISONOUS IF YOU EAT IT?...and swallow the venom sack?
kinda like a clip or a magazine
?anywho...
keep the stories coming
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I was just having fun, I almost jumped out of helicopter in the Marine Corps. A friend and I were going to take a class in the morning at a local sky diving club. They had an arrangement with the helicopter pilots at Cherry Point to take up skydivers. Classes in the morning jump in the afternoon, static line. I got stuck with duty that weekend, my freind jumped and they had to cut him down from the trees and he didn't want to go again. I couldn't talk anyone else into going with me.
When I worked at a military hospital I talked to a few old retired paratroopers whose knees and hips were shot after so many jumps, they were regulars at the Ortho clinic.
Stuff that has caused concern, upset or menaced Mrs. Fyrewall or me where we have fished or hunted:
Florida - snakes, sharks, alligators
Montana - snakes, bears, cougars, coyotes
Massachusetts - snakes, sharks, bees, coyotes
Washington - snakes, cougars, coyotes, owls
California - snakes, sharks
Oregon - snakes, badgers
Arizona - snakes, scorpions
Idaho - snakes, moose
Hawaii - sharks
Alaska - bears, killer whales, sea lions, moose
Maine - black flies
The snakes are the easy winners.
Edit: added scorpions to Arizona nasties, moose also were added after a scary encounter at a rifle range with a juvenile bull moose. Sea lions after another encounter while salmon fishing in a small boat.
Florida - snakes, sharks, alligators
Montana - snakes, bears, cougars, coyotes
Massachusetts - snakes, sharks, bees, coyotes
Washington - snakes, cougars, coyotes, owls
California - snakes, sharks
Oregon - snakes, badgers
Arizona - snakes, scorpions
Idaho - snakes, moose
Hawaii - sharks
Alaska - bears, killer whales, sea lions, moose
Maine - black flies
The snakes are the easy winners.
Edit: added scorpions to Arizona nasties, moose also were added after a scary encounter at a rifle range with a juvenile bull moose. Sea lions after another encounter while salmon fishing in a small boat.
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More important snake tales.
Once when drift fishing at a lake in eastern Washington on my boat, I looked back and down to see a 18 inch rattlesnake attempting to board (unauthorized) my vessel by climbing up the outboard motor. I shoved it off with my fishing pole and it swam away.
Another time, while fishing at another lake in eastern Washington, I was drift fishing past a rock wall (like 90 degrees) some 50 feet away and jigging for a bunch of fishes that were probably 30 feet below the boat. My jig stopped falling so I knew one of the fishes grabbed it and my attention was distracted. After dealing with the fish I had drifted to within 15 of the wall and when I looked up I saw a 2 foot rattle snake climbing up the rock wall at eye level. The creature was using every possible tiny projection to get a belly hold on the wall. It found a 2 inch or so wide crack and continued climbing.
Then, finally for today - it was late September and I had picked up a load of 4 inch X 8-10 ft. pvc pipe for some project earlier in the week. I had probably 6 pieces of pipe that needed to be moved into the basement after being outside for 3 days. I picked up 2 pieces per trip. Upon returning with the 2nd load I noticed a small snake slithering out from a pipe end. My favorite cat was present and immediately pounced on the snake just like some wild jungle cat would. Just a blur of brown fur, claws, and fangs - real good for a city cat fed from mostly table scraps & cat crunchies. The snake turned out to be of a harmless variety (non-venomous) but my cat did not know that.
I have more snake stories from the Naval Magazine (mostly bombs) at Cubi Point, RP.
Once when drift fishing at a lake in eastern Washington on my boat, I looked back and down to see a 18 inch rattlesnake attempting to board (unauthorized) my vessel by climbing up the outboard motor. I shoved it off with my fishing pole and it swam away.
Another time, while fishing at another lake in eastern Washington, I was drift fishing past a rock wall (like 90 degrees) some 50 feet away and jigging for a bunch of fishes that were probably 30 feet below the boat. My jig stopped falling so I knew one of the fishes grabbed it and my attention was distracted. After dealing with the fish I had drifted to within 15 of the wall and when I looked up I saw a 2 foot rattle snake climbing up the rock wall at eye level. The creature was using every possible tiny projection to get a belly hold on the wall. It found a 2 inch or so wide crack and continued climbing.
Then, finally for today - it was late September and I had picked up a load of 4 inch X 8-10 ft. pvc pipe for some project earlier in the week. I had probably 6 pieces of pipe that needed to be moved into the basement after being outside for 3 days. I picked up 2 pieces per trip. Upon returning with the 2nd load I noticed a small snake slithering out from a pipe end. My favorite cat was present and immediately pounced on the snake just like some wild jungle cat would. Just a blur of brown fur, claws, and fangs - real good for a city cat fed from mostly table scraps & cat crunchies. The snake turned out to be of a harmless variety (non-venomous) but my cat did not know that.
I have more snake stories from the Naval Magazine (mostly bombs) at Cubi Point, RP.
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Not a rattler but, stepped on a 7’ black racer yesterday walking in my yard barefoot. You would have thought it was a land mine by watching my high stepping contorted jump and primal scream. Threw out my back (4 surgeries and hardware) and did get a bite on the back of my calve. I’m not much scared of snakes but it was completely out of the blue and way different being barefoot. Normally a black racer won’t let you anywhere near them.
D-4297
Gold $$ Contributor
While shooting April rockchucks in eastern Washington, I once flipped over a flat rock and discovered a bunch of tiny, about 1 inch long scorpions. I don't know if these were babies or some dwarf specie. My list has been edited to include scorpions - how could I not include them after being warned to shake out clothing before dressing in AM?
mmcu
Gold $$ Contributor
Never stepped on a rattler, but several years back I pulled my truck over on the side of a muddy two-track on our ranch a couple of hours before sunrise; hopped out and pulled my bow, pack, etc. out of the back seat of the truck and placed it on the bed cover.
In the process of getting my gear together for the morning hunt, I noticed a distinct and repeating "tap-tap-tap" on the side of my right boot. I dug my headlamp out of my pack and shined it towards my boot. Sure as shit, I was standing squarely on one very distressed Copperhead. He was doing everything that he could to get my oversized keester off of him.
I got off of him, kicked him into the brush and we went our separate ways.
The moral of the story is that snake boots work.
In the process of getting my gear together for the morning hunt, I noticed a distinct and repeating "tap-tap-tap" on the side of my right boot. I dug my headlamp out of my pack and shined it towards my boot. Sure as shit, I was standing squarely on one very distressed Copperhead. He was doing everything that he could to get my oversized keester off of him.
I got off of him, kicked him into the brush and we went our separate ways.
The moral of the story is that snake boots work.
I grew up in SE New Mexico and west Texas. Virtually every kind of crawling venomous thing in the world can be found out there. Every year, Sweetwater Texas has a rattlesnake roundup, and the catch is sometimes measured in the thousands. I do not suffer snakes to survive on my turf (defined as anywhere I am standing at the time) and will kill any snake I see. That also goes for scorpions, black & brown widows, and tarantulas. Yes, I know that a tarantula bite won’t kill, but I have NO intention of proving it the hard way.
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