Snake!!!

[tomdinwv]

We went camping Monday thru Thursday at our favorite COE CG here in WV. (East Fork CG at East Lynn Lake) Quite an adventure. Tuesday evening, the wife got a couple of pieces of wood and threw on the fire. She was going back to get more and let out a yell. "Tom, there's a snake in the wood pile!!!". I grabbed my shovel, and went to investigate. I found a not to happy copperhead, coiled up and displeased with my presence. Did I mention he (or she) was NOT HAPPY. I disposed of the snake. In the next 36 hours we were there, we saw several more copperheads and a bunch of snakes in the water swimming that we didn't feel the need to find out what type they were. So just a reminder, in your travels this spring/summer, be careful and watch where you step. In approx 25 or 30 trips to this same CG over the last 5 years, these were the first snake we encountered there. Remember, we are encroaching into their territory when we venture into some of these nicely wooded CGs.

[down_home]

Several years ago I was trout fishing. Across the creek I heard a lot of commotion. A very large snake fell through the tree and bushes and plopped very loudly on the rock. The snake was extremely large. I have no idea what it was but that it was dark colored like a Rat Snake but way too large. larger around than my upper arm and possibly my leg. It lay apparently stunned for a bit then slowly slithered in between the layers or shelves of rock. Today with all the things being loosed in Florida we may be really surprised when they migrate north.

[derouen6]

I've got lots and lots of snake stories. We live in a big old house on a big old place in south Louisiana. Best story: DH and I are sitting on the back porch late one summer afternoon enjoying a cold one. Hear a crashing noise from near the top of a 70ft oak tree in front of us. Thought It was a tree limb falling to the ground. It was a very, very large snake( could not identify it) with a full grown squirrel in its mouth. When they hit the groundcover beneath the tree I ran with shovel in hand to try to save the squirrel. I took a couple of swings but the snake got away. I did not find the squirrel( must admit, I was not too keen on digging in 2ft deep jasmine).
Every time I walk under that tree(3 or 4 times a day) I think what if I had been strolling by when they came tumbling down.

Sherry

[Cyborgie]

When we first moved into our "very" old house with a limestone foundation I couldn't figure why there were always pieces of limestone laying on top of the water heater. It doesn't take much to knock if off anyway but one day, for some reason, I was folding clothes on the washer. Mind you this room is basically a cave as there are no windows. Rocks started to fall on the water heater from where the furnaces was vented out. I thought I bet that's a mouse so I crawled up on the washer and came face to face with two garder snakes. Exit room! My husband told me would should let them live they will eat the bugs. Not in my house. So after he evacuated them he took a flash light and looked into where they were and told me by the amount of snakes skins it looked like they had been in there awhile. The foundation got fixed soon after. Our 3 hens are hard on the baby snakes and baby mice and they have 12 more baby chicks to help them.

[shenandoahvalle]

When I was in the Army they told us there were something like 28 variety of snakes in Southeast Asia and 26 of them were poisonous...so I have never taken a chance and I hate snakes. On the 1st of May I had just set up camp in Westmoreland State Park in eastern VA and was sitting under the awning enjoying a cold beverage and a cigar. Had my feet propped up on another lawn chair and I sensed motion where my feet would have been. It was a black snake headed across my rug right under my chair. I have to admit I screamed like a girl and nearly wet myself. Of course he must have been at LEAST 20 feet long and big enough to swallow me whole. Scared the heck out of me.

[Jloucks]

phenrichs wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:
We were packing up before sunrise to leave the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I was wearing flip-flops and pouring water into the trailer water tank. I felt something on my bare feet, looked down and pointed my headlight in time to watch a copperhead slither across both feet. I didn't tell my wife until much later because I knew she would freak out, I was right.

I am generally not afraid of snakes but that would be enough to guarantee the snake was instantly covered in a warm yellow liquid.

Ewwwww lol

[phenrichs]

beemerphile1 wrote:
We were packing up before sunrise to leave the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I was wearing flip-flops and pouring water into the trailer water tank. I felt something on my bare feet, looked down and pointed my headlight in time to watch a copperhead slither across both feet. I didn't tell my wife until much later because I knew she would freak out, I was right.

I am generally not afraid of snakes but that would be enough to guarantee the snake was instantly covered in a warm yellow liquid.

[mfox20]

I knew there was a reason I liked camping at Nascar races where the golf carts , generators and music runs loud all night long. LOL

But on a more serious note. Had a buddy that got bit on the end of his finger a little over a week ago here in Fort Worth by a 9 inch rattlesnake. Only got him with one fang, but he spent 4 days in intensive care and may still loose the end of the finger. The small ones pack a concentrated punch.....Beware

I hate them.....if their crawling at my house they are dead.

[Artemus_Gordon]

empty_nest wrote:

Artemus Gordon wrote:
Watching rattlesnake republic three times does not make one an expert!

But, I stayed at a Holiday Express, last night.......:B:B

Ok there are exceptions!

[bigred1cav]

Tarheel 2 wrote:
This past winter in Florida on the golf course we play daily, I hit a ball into the rough. As I started into it to hit the ball, a long rat snake slithered away into the deeper grass just a couple feet away. I begged for a free drop, but since there was money on the line, I got no sympathy and had to play the ball where it lies. I took a longer club and rattled it in the taller grass to be sure the snake had moved away before I addressed the ball with the snake somewhere behind. My ball was sitting on some sticks, etc. and as I hit the shot, I disturbed a longer stick and a piece came up behind and hit the back of my leg. My next step was to the middle of the fairway! My playing partners are still laughing!

Was it greens and fairways the rest of the round? LOL :))))))

You put a visuals in my head worth having. One giant leap for mankind. Next stop, locker room for a quick cleaning and new ahemmm.

[Tarheel_2]

This past winter in Florida on the golf course we play daily, I hit a ball into the rough. As I started into it to hit the ball, a long rat snake slithered away into the deeper grass just a couple feet away. I begged for a free drop, but since there was money on the line, I got no sympathy and had to play the ball where it lies. I took a longer club and rattled it in the taller grass to be sure the snake had moved away before I addressed the ball with the snake somewhere behind. My ball was sitting on some sticks, etc. and as I hit the shot, I disturbed a longer stick and a piece came up behind and hit the back of my leg. My next step was to the middle of the fairway! My playing partners are still laughing!

[ddschuman]

Living in Texas, I have had many snake encounters in my life. We have water moccasins, rattle snakes, coral snakes, copperheads, bull snakes, grass snakes, etc. we live in the country and have to use extreme caution not only when moving things that have been in place for a while but really even in the open. We have killed a 5.5' rattle snake on my back porch before. My cat lost her leg to a rattlesnake also. I had a bull snake enter the home and was wrapped around a telephone on the wall. Unknowingly, I reached for whatever the grey thing was on top of the phone and he struck at me...ever see a woman take one leap onto a kitchen table? That was 23 years ago and I was 9 months pregnant. Needless to say, his life span was shortened that day even if he probably was the best mouser we had. I try to be as alert in campgrounds as I am at home. You just never know what you may come across.

[empty_nest]

Artemus Gordon wrote:
Watching rattlesnake republic three times does not make one an expert!

But, I stayed at a Holiday Express, last night.......:B:B

[empty_nest]

rockhillmanor wrote:
Wisconsin has harmless Green Garden snakes and you'd be lucky to see one 'maybe' in your lifetime. And Mosquitoes. That's it.

Same here in New York. Never saw a venemous snake in my life (in wild) until I spotted a Moccasin in Texas, last year. Not getting a warm and fuzzy feelin' here, heading south in 3 weeks for a 10-day camping trip.

[wny_pat1]

bigred1cav wrote:
Looks like dinner to any Army Ranger.

I worked with a very big 6'7" MP Master Sergeant who was from the Staunton VA area. He was a expert at throwing a hatchet at a target. When he was in basic training, they were clearing brush and one of the other trainees picked up a rattle snake and started at my friend. MY friend reared up that hatchet and was ready to throw it until the other guy turned away and threw that rattler the other direction. Jackie said he had every intention of throwing that hatchet at the guy with snake. And had he done it he would have surely killed the guy with the snake. That big old Virgina boy was deathly afraid of snakes. He ended up retiring from the army many years later. Jackie K. Lester, if you are out there anywhere, a big hi to ya!

[beemerphile1]

abc40kids wrote:
...Beemerphile, you've lost your mind! My family over any snake or dangerous animal any time! Watch out for those coyotes and bears in your yard, they won't hurt anyone.

However, irrational fear is just that - irrational.