Snakes

[shrivl]

Being down here in the south, during turkey season and bow season (starts middle of September) you have to really watch were you step (Timber Rattlers, Water Mocs, Eastern Diamond Back Rattlers). The 20 years I spent roaming the hills of Southeastern Ohio I never saw a posionous snake. I was wondering how many of you have seen Timber rattlers or Copperheads in Ohio?

[vvarmitr]

They say that there are copperheads around here (Eastern Ohio), but I've yet to see my first one. Thats just another great reason to love Ohio & this area in particular. Not much to worry about when you're out. No lions, tigers, bears, or ohmys! :D

[Thunderflight]

There are copper heads in Ohio... At least there where 20 some years ago.

One time I was picking worms for fishing bait. I lifted up an old tractor tire and squated down to pick up all the worms that where underneath.

When I stood up there was a copperhead coiled up about two feet from where my butt was......

Man that would have hurt,,,,, getting bit in the arse by a copperhead....:(

We've got a butt load of venomous snakes down here in SC. When I was in Nevada my wife found a baby copperhead in our yard. It got away before my nieghbor could kill it. Last year my old neighbor (he was the base game warden) picked up a six foot timber rattler that was eating a squirrel in someones back yard in base house.... My friend almost got bit by a cotton mouth during our recent Spring hog hunt.

I NEVER enter the woods with out my snake boots!!!!!

TF

[DavidWS10]

There are also Eastern Diamond Back rattlers here in SW Ohio. One of my co-workers killed one in his backyard in Cleves, Ohio.

[MISFIT]

i've come across many copperheads in southern ohio.i think the other two poisonous snakes that are known to reside here,are the timber rattler and swamp rattler(massaugua)sp?.the state says no diamondbacks,but there could be some.they also say there are no big cats,but i saw one with my own eyes,along with several other people,years ago,in the hills of pike county.

[george tinkham]

there are a coup;e pit vipers in athens county...the timber rattler which is thick between chauncey an nelsonville near the bike path...its illegal to kill em...then there is the copperhead.they are everywhere,everywhere but i have no fear of the snake.i have pounded those woods since 1955 when i was 6yrs. old.seen lots of snakes,steped on bout a doz. at least.never bit,they run or play dead

[Thunderflight]

Copperhead are the least venomous snakes in North America. They are also the least aggressive too.

Rattlesnakes will generally let you know when you are in their space and most of the time they'll leave you alone if you leave them alone.

Cotton mouths............................. They are the satan of snakes. Sure they'll leave you alone,,,,,sometimes......

TF

[george tinkham]

yup i have delt with cottonmouths too...very agressive at times an will chase you in a boat,swimmin with their head held up 5-6" above the water.they will try to get in the boat

[Thunderflight]

I was at the Columbia, SC zoo last weekend and they had a couple cotton mouths on display. There was a sign that says cotton mouths wont attack or bite while they are swimming.....

Funny, I've heard otherwise....

TF

[vvarmitr]

George: maybe they're wanting a ride back to shore? :rolleyes: :D

Thunderflight: Ever try to bite something while holding your breath & swimming. DUH! :rolleyes: :D

[Thunderflight]

Coton Mouths can swim on top of the water too.....

TF

[george tinkham]

WELL I DON'T KNOW BOUT SWIMMIN COTTONMOUTHS BUT it was tryin to git in the boat...they can bite in a boat

[vvarmitr]

Well, if he bites me after I let him in the boat, I'm certainly not taking him to shore! :mad: :D

[shrivl]

The whole snake in the boat is why I am so reluctant to use my belly boat down here. There ain't no boat for a cotton mouth to get into when your using one of those. Just a pair of one man waders. If one crawled in there with me the only thing I could hope for is he'd die of stink!

[Thunderflight]

Here's what happened to the cotton mouth that tried to bite my friend and then turned on me....

TF

http://www.bowsite.com/_cache/624c079c3b26ce4043202337f232aa47.jpg

[shrivl]

That is my favorite kind of cotton mouth....a dead one!

[Neapolis]

Back when I was going through E & E training at Eglin AFB we caught a pretty good sized rattle snake, 3 - 4 feet, looked like about 10 foot at the time. Traded it to the instructors for a can of peaches. Tasted pretty good and easier to fix than that snake would have been.:cool:

[SenecaBow]

Seen one of these little guys at Killdeer Plains. He was on the edge of a road, soaking up the sun.

http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/1newsite/resources/reptiles/emas.htm

[shrivl]

I have never seen one of those. I should assume he is poisinous. They are pretty, on the computer screen that is.

[SenecaBow]

The little Massasauga can kill you but most often just makes a person very sick and if bit in the hand or finger, you my lose it. We don't worry about them, but we don't play with them.

The Massauga I seen was almost black in colour.

This is one that can kill, and do it very quickly.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/wildlife/1newsite/Resources/reptiles/timber.htm

[Thunderflight]

If you get bit multiple times by a timber rattler (aka: canebrake down here) then your in trouble.

If you only get bit once then most likely your going to just get real sick and have to have surgery on the body part that gets bit.

Most of the time if you leave the snake along then they'll leave you alone. Their venom is for hunting, not defense. The last thing they want it to loose any of their precious venom.

I went to a demonstration a few years back on poisonous snakes. It really took alot of provoking to get the copperheads and timber rattlers to bite. Once the did the timber rattler was pretty relentless. The demonstrator didn't bring out a cotton mouth though.... I wonder why...........................

TF

[george tinkham]

as long as the finger aint a shootin finger but it could improve my shootin an i could write a book insructin on a new method of shootin a bow.if a snake bites me ,its dead,i will bite it in half

[Thunderflight]

I hear rattlesnakes taste purty good.

First one I see is going down and I'm gonna fry it up.

TF

[Thunderflight]

Oh, and I might use the skin fur muh weird bow too....

TF