snakes

[wirelessworldinc]

Are the snakes hibernating in Southern Indiana yet? I hate snakes. I can't go out into the woods til they are gone.

 

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[digdug_rita]

Oh my gosh, that is funny.....I am in Texas so cannot help with the snake forecast, but most of the time they will run the other way. Ran across a copperhead last weekend, but he was more interested in the little frog he was trying to catch that he paid no attention to me. But I understand the feeling...hate those slithering varmits.

 

[Spitfire Reddie]

Just walk hard (Kind of stomp) when you go through woods they will be gone before you get there.

 

[Monty]

Don't know about your area but it has to stay in the 40s consistently before they den up around here. Even then on warm sunny days they will come out and sun on a flat rock sometimes. Monty

 

[lumbercamp]

I don't know if you have rattlesnakes in Indiana, but in the fall they will be around their denning area, sunning themselves during the day. Non poisonous will be out and about during cool fall weather, but won't hurt you. Imagine how huge you are to a little snake. They will do their best to avoid you. I've even had rattlesnakes crawl away when I got near them. Occasionally a non poisonous snake might strike at you if you get to close, but it's only warning you to keep away. I have been bit by non poisonous snakes, only because I like to pick them up.

 

[shootist]

They are still out and about but if the weather we are having keeps up for any length of time I think they will head for the den. If you are really put off by snakes get yourself a pair of tall cowboy boots,most poisonous snakes up here are found on the ground and arent very likely to strike you any higher than below the knee.

 

[Postalrevnant]

Seen well over 50 copperheads and over 100 total snakes in mountains here this year. Weaker winters letting them and the bugs pile up.

Rev

 

[Night Stalker]

most snakes will disappear long before you get to them. some of the more aggressive ones (rattle/copper) don't like to move much. They will stick around and see what's coming and if they feel threatened, they'll strike out! I hate snakes also, here in KY, I believe they have all went underground for the winter....i hope. eekkkk

 

[damz68]

Are the snakes hibernating in Southern Indiana yet? I hate snakes. I can't go out into the woods til they are gone.

Your chance of seeing a snake out when highs are in the low 60's is very rare. This time of year they are at there dening grounds and will come out to sun but will quickly retreat when you are near. It is kinda silly to work a hobby around when snakes are inactive. What you should be worried about is people. Your chance of being mugged or even murdered is much, much more greater than a bite from a snake, venomous or non-venomous. Your chance of winning the powerball is greater than being bitten.

What you should do is buy a copy of Audabons field guide to reptiles and amphibians and find what is in your area. Do some reading, learn about them and you will soon find out that what people taught you about them is 99% lies. As long as you take advise from others who are scared you will just recieve more lies. If you continue to fear them than you will miss out on things that you should be doing to enjoy life. Not to mention any snake that makes the mistake of being in the wrong place at the wright time will probally die. It is bad for everything.

 

[christophernixon]

I hunt in NW GA and it is very common to see snakes when out detecting. I leave them alone - since I am in their home I feel that it is common courtesy. My only fear is the meth dealers/users in this area. Meth has become a very lucritive business for a lot of low life people however law enforcement has become hot on the trail of most of the dealers in the area. They have compensated by moving their "labs" into the back of their pickup or just out in the middle of woods somewhere.

I began carrying a firearm due to this.

 

[damz68]

Don't know about Indiana, but here in Southeast Arizona (in the hills, 4300'-4500' elevation) they are still moving to the denning caves, though we are seeing alot less of them since the colder nights hit a couple days ago. They are still around for the heat of the days yet, though.

I would not trade our rattlers for a copperhead for any money. When we lived in Pa, we had both, but the copperheads are, to me, much more dangerous. They are nasty little creatures that do NOT run away (like the Oklahoma cottonmouths, who chase you and your shadow), and you don't hear them when they are mad. Plus, copperheads hardly ever give a dry bite. With rattlesnakes, the older the snake, the more likely the first bite will be dry. I don't miss those copperheads.

Big Rattlesnakes are much more dangerous than copperheads. A copperheads venom is very weak and in my state there has only been one recorded death since records have been kept. The only rattlesnake that is less dangerous than a copperhead would be the pygmy rattlesnake, however its venom is still more potant than the copperheads it just can not inject as much. I have never seen a cottonmouth put up a chase, they just sit there, open there mouths and prey that you will leave them alone. I think there are only two species that will chase an adult for a short period, the black mamba and king cobra. You really have to make them mad to do so.

Really, I know you are just having fun, it is a fun topic.

 

[damz68]

I hunt in NW GA and it is very common to see snakes when out detecting. I leave them alone - since I am in their home I feel that it is common courtesy. My only fear is the meth dealers/users in this area. Meth has become a very lucritive business for a lot of low life people however law enforcement has become hot on the trail of most of the dealers in the area. They have compensated by moving their "labs" into the back of their pickup or just out in the middle of woods somewhere.

I began carrying a firearm due to this.

Yeah, I have smelt them before in the woods. It is an unmistakable smell that will make your eyes water like nitro methane at an NHRA event. A quick 180 back the way you came and a phone call to the authorities.

What part of NW georgia are you in? I am in Gville SC.

 

[djui5]

The meth labs are a huge problem here in AZ too. We have lots of old mine holes/etc they set up shop in. Crazy bastards.

 

[beerdoodle]

I work where many of the DEA guys and undercover agents hang out. Beleive me, they are frustrated. They bust em and there walking the next day. Many have stated they wish someone would impose martial law and they could shoot on sight drug dealers and manufacturers. They arrested one guy 3 times in five weeks. It,s a revolving door. I trust reptiles hundred fold more than I trust most people.

 

[damz68]

You are right Damz68, about the bites - the thing that I hate about copperheads is that I could never see or hear them - we had a little boy (about 8) die from a copperhead bite several years ago, but that is the only copperhead death that I personally have ever heard of.

Like I said, I get to hear the rattlers, most of the time, I never get to hear the copperheads.

B

Hey, I noticed on your profile that you are in Arizona. Copperheads are not found in Az. naturally. It is possible that someone has released a pet copperhead in your area but highly unlikely it would live long. Copperheads live in eastern US, though there is a subspecies that lives in West Texas called the Trans Pecos Copperhead. This Texas subspecies is very rare and restricted to the Big Bend to San Antonio area of Texas.

Here in SC there have been many rattlers I never heard and many copperheads that I have heard. When a copperhead first feels threatened it will vibrate its tail. When they vibrate there tail in dried leaves it sounds just like a rattler. Cottonmouths, racers, coachwhips, king snakes and others will also vibrate tails. Because the Copperhead is so abundant in urban and suburban areas it makes up about 85% of all venomous snake bite in SC.

Did you say your child died from a copperhead bite? That is awful, I am very sorry for your loss. Something must have gone awful wrong because people die very rarely from snakebite in the US. Many are bitten, usually on the feet, because they are wearing flip flops and step on one. Others get bit on the hands because they are messing with them. Regardless, antivenoms are very good these days and as long as they are given withen 24 hours of bite, chances are you will make it. The Mojove Rattler is the worst in the US and can kill you in like 6 hours if treatment is not given. However, people have died from bee stings withen an hour. Unlike bees no one is allergic to snake venoms, but people can be allergic to the antivenoms because the antibodies are taken from horse/goat.

Here is a copperhead I found in Aiken SC. this year.

 

[lumbercamp]

Nice copperhead. I live in copperhead country, but have only seen one. And it was behind a house in town. I have seen my share of rattlesnakes. I don't kill them. They are doing no harm miles out in the woods. Ya just gotta love snakes.

 

[hat_man]

I say this with tongue firmly planted in cheek, (Please don't take this seriously), but if some of these snakes were to make their way near or into the meth labs, maybe the problem would be taken care of naturally.

Meth is a dangerous drug, but what makes it even more dangerous is the way it is handled by our judicial system. The revolving door for drug manufacturers and dealers only feeds the monetary coffers of judicial and law enforcement systems that are desparately in need of money. The fines levied against dealers help pay for officers to arrest the same dealers again. Placing them in jail doesn't bring any revenue to house them.

I'm sorry if this offends anyone and I'll get down off the soap box now. If the moderators need to delete this feel free. Meth hits too close to home for me and I get a bit agitated when it's mentioned.

 

[hat_man]

I think I need to clarify. I meant the meth probelm being taken care of naturally. Not the snake problem. I don't have a probelm with snakes. I haven't seen many poisonous ones here in Illinois. I spend a lot of time out in the trees and along creeks and streams and what snakes I have seen seem to want to put as much distance as they can between us and them. It's the meth labs that are killing people and nature on a regular basis, not the snakes.
hat_man

 

[Monty]

My mother was bitten on the knee by a copper head when she was 13. She had a scar on her knee where they cut it to "suck out the poison". Now days they say don't try to cut the bite as it is more dangerous than the bite itself. They drove her about 20 miles over dirt roads in a Model T to get to a hospital where she got a shot of antivenom. She said her leg swole up twice its normal size in a matter of 30 minutes and she had a tremendous burning pain in the area of the bite and was feverish and vomiting by the time she got to the hospital. After she got the shot of antivenom she said it took about 9 hours for the swelling to go down and to get back from being nauseous. My best friend in 5th grade died from being bitten by a common house mouse. It got into the classroom and he picked it up and was bitten. No one thought much about it but about 3 weeks later he got sick and was diagnosed with rabis, and died within 3 days. The same family lost a 3 yr. old daughter to a reattlesnake bite about six years before this happened. She was on the ground playing and was bitten in the face by a 6' diamond back. Can you imagine the odds against something like that happening to one family? They never were the same after losing that son and they moved away and I never saw them again. Very sad thing in my memory. Monty

 

[damz68]

Mrs. oroblanco, sorry I misunderstood you, I am glad I did. Pennsylvania is full of copperheads and they still have a healthy population of Timber Rattlers too.

You and hat-man are right, they are way to leniant on meth dealers. I personally worked with a couple of them. I watched a co-worker go from 210 pds to 160 pds in just two months. This man made it in his attic, the money he was making was unreal. He even offered me a job, to buy the sinus pills. I could not do it. He was a real good guy before he started on that junk. He turned into a thief, stealing from the jobsite. He also turned paranoid, thinking his friends and co-workers were narcs. Get this, he sold the stuff to his sons wife. After a while of using together they ended up having sex. He ended up losing everything and the law caught up with him. He did not spend one second in jail, all he had to do was rat out another producer.

The whole system is screwed up. We need to completely overhaul our government from the president all the way down to the police. I also think we need more than two choices for president and it should be a rule that an oil man not run our country. I dont mean to get further off topic, it just seems everything is out of whack, not just lienency on meth dealers.