Rattlers awakened EARLY!!

[Hoser John]

Amazing fat smelly ol'boy was suning himself when dispatched yesterday afternoon. Absolutely amazing as over 60+ years in the boonies and NEVER seen before april fools day wow. Poison oak awake too with lizards hungry and scurrying around also. 75 here in Shasta county yesterday and even warmer today. Err on the side a caution detecting as was NOT being very cautious as in winter mode of alls well--well now I'll put on the open headphones to hear them buzztails---John

 

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[spillercanyon]

Can rattle snakes swim, no doubt. Swimming in a creek outside Fresno, I pulled myself up on a rock while swimming in the middle of the creek, sat down and right next to me was a rattle snake. It took off and swam across the creek like no body's business, to the bank and took off. As far as a rattler jumping, never heard of it but if Kuger says it's true, got to believe it. I would love to see it, don't want anyone hurt but I love to see what tricks Mother Nature has up Her sleeve, She's always got a new one. Fears are often irrational and I have one that makes rattlers acceptable to me. I have a thing about rodents, may have to do with my spelunking and mine exploring (**** Disclaimer, non-active mines are dangerous and should not be entered ****), especially rats, they send me over the edge. A rattle snake not only scares me less, they kill one of my biggest fears. Rational? No. Gets me through? Yes. As far as killing snakes, if I feel threatened, I'll kill it in a second (snakes of type!). If I'm working an area I will be coming back to, I will either move it or more likely, kill it, no problem. If say spelunking or hiking, where I won't be there for a very long time, if ever, I'll just let it be.

 

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[kuger]

I hope to never have another do that Spiller.....what happened I beleive is it struck so hard that it levitated....as did I!My Dad was off to my side,and was actually telling me to leave it alone....always listen to Dad!I ruined a perfectly good pair of britches that day.......The other odd thing about that snake is that unlike an ocassional beheaded snake that will strike about,and may even strike itself a time or two....this snake struck rampantly,and must of struck itself at least a half dozen times....with no head,very agressive snake

 

[spillercanyon]

Good Times! Good Times! Funny how the craziest stories become golden memorys for a lifetime.

 

[Hoser John]

IN 88 pIZZA MAN WAS SWIMMING THE DREDGE ACROSS A HUGE POND TO START THE DAY,A RATTLER SHOT FROM THE BANK AND INSTANTLY HITCHED A RIDE AND HID INSIDE THE HADERBOX. mE N' cRAZY mIKE WAS A JUMPN' UP AND DOWN HOOTN' AND A HOLLERN' BUT pMAN AS USUAL THOUGHT NUTTN' OF IT.... TILL HE OPENED THE HEADER FLAP ON THAT TRIPPLE AND IT STRUCK AT HIM. hE WAS THE WORLDS WORST SWIMMER BUT HE CROSSED THAT 100 YARDS IN VERY SHORT ORDER AND DIDN'T COME BACK FOR ALMOST A MONTH. sAME YEAR WE WAS HIKING UP PAST THIS KID COLLECTING WORMS TO GO FISHN' WITH,AS WE HUSTLED PAST HE MUMBLED SOMETHIN' ABOUT BITING WORMS MAKE GOOD BAIT. dIDN'T THIK NUTTN' OF IT TILL THE CHOPPER SHOWED UP A COUPLE HOURS LATER AND HE WAS DEADER THAN A DOORNAIL. sAME PLACE EATN' LUNCH,pbj SITTING ON A LARGE FLAT ROCK oops sorry and felt a tick tick on the back a my boots--nasty baby rattlers hittn' the boot as I was swingn' my legs wwhilst I ate trying to get blood flowing as cold cold cold. Or Bagby when Rich Kadolph had a HUGE rattler slip on down a 8 slab of almost vertical serpentine right into his lap---never to return ever again. Got 100s a encounters,never bit as I do kill'm all-John

 

[bedrock bubba]

Hoser, is that the same pizza man and crazy Mike that dredged the Bear River in '88 and 89 just below old Bill Sohriakoffs property? I knew them! Bill called him pizza face, because he had pock marks on his face.

If its the same guys, they were a couple of rough characters, who met a bad end!

 

[kuger]

Hoser,is that bitin worm story you know for absolute fact? dont know how many times and ways I have heard that story through the years.I had wrote it off as urban legend

 

[63bkpkr]

I've been backpacking the American River canyons since 1964, in the early years it was all sleeping out in the open with no tent. Only problem I've ever had was a beetle "stink bug" bit me and it was an ugly looking reaction to the bite. Early one morning I was getting dressed by flashlight and found the light had drawn a scorpion right to me. Another time in the same area I was moving rocks and came across more scorpions, that was Green Valley both times.

I've seen the black water snakes up in bushes and it was quite a startling realization that the dog gone critters would go up into the tall heavy brush and were at eye level. There are lots of 'critters' out where we go play that we need to be careful about and I carry a snake bite kit even though I've never needed one in all these years of stomping around in "all sorts of places". I've seen quite a few rattlers along the streams and rivers of the American and its tributaries including young babies and some darn big 'oldies' outside a den. The den and area really smelled like reptiles so I pay attention to what my nose is telling me...............63bkpkr

 

[Hoser John]

1988/89 NF American River Rucky Chucky Rapids,Drivers Flats camp Pizza man ran pizza huts all over and Mike well he was just plain crazy as as all holy LL....2 fellas died up by Iowa hill ,below the bridge,that year too from undermining boulders-1 underwater and 1 out. Ignorance kills on the NF american and peer pressure kills on the sf american also -John

 

[Oakview2]

Fishing from some flat granite bedrock into a pool below. About 4 inches of water, Mr. No shoulders swam right between my legs. Could have set the record for high jump that day

 

[kuger]

Hoser,is that bitin worm story you know for absolute fact? dont know how many times and ways I have heard that story through the years.I had wrote it off as urban legend

......so I will chalk this one up as the same...................

 

[bedrock bubba]

Not the two guys I knew!

Is that you in the pic?

"Shaky" Jim Kelley, up in Foresthill met his end when a drift mine caved in on him and partner. I used to hang out with Jim in '90 and we would hunt gold on occasion. Him and Judge Dieffendorfer owned drift mines around Foresthill and a placer claim below Purdon Crossing. Jim had gold fever so bad it affected him greatly in his judgement, used to have shaky hands from being a "recovering alcoholic. The man was quite paranoid. He lived in an old school bus behind the cafe in Foresthill. I was new to the area, lived in my Toyota, and he thought I was a secret agent for the enviro-nutz! haha

 

[bedrock bubba]

Old Russian Bill was a hard drinking vodka man. He had the bad habit of sleeping on the ground, and I had warned him about it.

One cold morning along the Bear River, just before sunrise, he felt a slithering inside his sleeping bag. Sure enough, it was a big old rattler trying to get warm!

All he could do was wait until the sun struck the bag, and he slowly opened up the zipper and the snake got out.Yikes!

Another time a tick bit him, and he got Lyme disease. Sleeping on the ground again. Fortunately, he beat the disease with a long series of antibiotics.

His RV had big black widow spiders hanging all over inside! He didn't care!

Those old Russians are tough!

 

[NorCalPilot]

Speaking of ticks, be on the lookout! The past two weekends, I've had a tick climbing on my pants when I got in the truck-- one from American River at Ponderosa and the other from the South Fork Yuba!

 

[NJnuggetpirate]

ticks over fleas anyday especially the sand fleas on the beach ahhhhhhhhhhhhh i wanted to stick my feet in boiling frying oil lol

 

[Hoser John]

Kuger no legend but a bloody stinkn' tradegy as us macho idjets used to race the mile or so everyday both ways to/fro from the dredges and ifn' we'd a taken just a few seconds to stop and ask a silly question that poor kid mighta lived and not DOA. First man in got to dredge last(cold am) and back to camp first choice on steaks and beers. I never heard thata one before so now maybe ya know where it really started. I don't have to BS as I've walked the walked and done the insane $hit and THAT is one I definately ain't proud of but nuttn' ya can do but not be so engrossed in my own silly $hit as to not listen more carefully as to whats going on around me. Just like my great friend Larry being conned and harrased to death,literally, by peer pressure to dredge a deathtrap on the SF american and dying on his first week of retirement and first day of dredging with his shiny new 6".........walkn'n' my shoes and seeing/livn' it all ain't ez but other folks actions........ KILL---John

 

[kuger]

Kuger no legend but a bloody stinkn' tradegy as us macho idjets used to race the mile or so everyday both ways to/fro from the dredges and ifn' we'd a taken just a few seconds to stop and ask a silly question that poor kid mighta lived and not DOA. First man in got to dredge last(cold am) and back to camp first choice on steaks and beers. I never heard thata one before so now maybe ya know where it really started. I don't have to BS as I've walked the walked and done the insane $hit and THAT is one I definately ain't proud of but nuttn' ya can do but not be so engrossed in my own silly $hit as to not listen more carefully as to whats going on around me. Just like my great friend Larry being conned and harrased to death,literally, by peer pressure to dredge a deathtrap on the SF american and dying on his first week of retirement and first day of dredging with his shiny new 6".........walkn'n' my shoes and seeing/livn' it all ain't ez but other folks actions........ KILL---John

Thanks John,was just asking,glad to hear your reply,yes tragic,we should all take the time to make sure our fellow man is OK while in the back country.I too have walked the walk and seen death,and stared it straight in the eye,we all have our demons and our triumphs its just how we deal with them.
Njnugget...since you were wondering about animals to be worried about.......fleas carry Bubonic Plague...kill you deader than dead,and Ticks carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever,and Lymes Disease(which I have)I will take a sand flea bite any day

 

[Fullpan]

Kuger - what do you do in the way of medication for the Lyme disease?

 

[kuger]

...I quit taking it bud.....Ive had it for six years and it was mis diagnosed for 5 of those.....nothin like being told your fine....and you know your not....over and over again.Basically its just loads of antibiotics,and if they would have caught it sooner,would have probably curtailed it....but I figure,I have dealt with the pain,and fatigue for all this time on nothing other than tough,might as well not kill my liver anymore than my days of drinkin did,and deal with it....so I do!!!Insurance wont pay for anything to do with it anyway,many Docs dont beleive in it...boy,would I like em to feel the pain I do,for a day

 

[smokeythecat]

In Maryland, I saw a red tailed hawk with a snake Sunday, the ground is still mostly frozen. I was amazed.

 

[Kingsnake]

63bkpkr . . .By taking out the rattler that DO provide a warning, you are simply speeding up the darwinian process of some increasing the percentage of rattlers that DO NOT provide warning. . . . .