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Old January 3, 2011, 08:40 PM   #1
bswiv
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Hunting partner is not too smart!!!!

Was out looking about the woods yeaterday and decided to cut a bit of wood on the edge of a chop. Lots of little oaks laying about so it was easy cutting......and no splitting later!

So while I'm using the saw Louann is wandering down the edge of the chop maybe a hundred yards away checking the edge of the woods for sign.

At one point I had put down the saw to gather up some of what was cut and carry it to the truck. As I'm doing this I hear her start yelling "snake!!" Well she's got snake boots on and always carrys a bad attitude so I'm not to worried. Still I yell back asking what kind?

She says she doesn't know but that it's real prety.

Now we've got a few snakes here in the house, have had for years. There are a couple of western hog nose, a emerald tree boa, a python of some sort ( a small species ), a king snake, a rat snake, a corn snake and a banded water snake. Over the years she's had at least a hundred come and go. The point being that I had good reason not to be worried as she's familiar with snakes.

Besides that she's been hunting with me for ever.

Anyway, I go back to cutting wood. A few minutes later I see her coming up the road holding the "prety" snake by the head.

The ensuing argument was classic. She said that it was safe and that she knew what she was doing. I took the oposit view in that there was no way in &^$$ that catching that thing, more or less carrying it by the head was was "safe".

I demamded she put it down. She said she was keeping it. I said she had to have a permit from the FWC to keep it. She said they would never know she had it. I said yes they would because if she did not put it down I would call them and tell them she had it.

Got a little ugly there for a minute.........

Snake was finally released.......and then picked up on a stick so I could take the picture she demanded to have taken......she wanted to catch it by hand again but I held her down till she agreed not to.

And tell me........isn't it usually the women who are stopping US from doing stupid things??


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Old January 3, 2011, 08:44 PM   #2
DiscoRacing
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Looks to me like it would have made material for a really purty handgun holster..... Least If I had the holster it would stay in the house... much unlike in its current state...


... We live in a Snake Free environment.
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Old January 3, 2011, 08:48 PM   #3
Alden
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I cant see the end of the tail but that looks like a pygmy rattlesnake to me. Very venomous. Are you in Florida by any chance?
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Old January 3, 2011, 08:52 PM   #4
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even if the camera angle enhanced the size, That is the LARGEST pygmy rattler I have seen by several fold!

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Old January 3, 2011, 10:09 PM   #5
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I was going to guess...

... that perhaps it was really cold, and the snake was really sluggish, but your hunting partner isn't dressed for cold.

I'm just surprised she was able to grab it without it putting up a bit of pointy resistance.
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Old January 3, 2011, 10:15 PM   #6
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Kill it. Kill it dead. Now.
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Old January 3, 2011, 10:26 PM   #7
TheGoldenState
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I have a ball python that ive had for going on 15 years (sheesh how long do they live)

As for your specimen, Ive got no idea (is it for sure a pgymy?). Very cool looking tho.

EDIT:

According to google (that as good as law right) it IS a Pygmy Rattle.

Here's a snippet on the toxicity.

Quote:
A pygmy rattlesnake venom although hemorrhagic (destroys red blood cells) and tissue toxic by nature, it not life threatening. However, a pygmy rattlesnake bite may cause extreme pain and may cause loss of a digit, if left untreated. The venom has enough strength to immobilize a small mammal within 35 - 40 seconds. Similar to the behaviors exhibited by other pit vipers, even this snake leaves its prey after having laid its fangs on it. Later, the snake tracks the scent of the injured prey and feeds on it after it dies. Learn more on types of snake venom and snake bites.

The reason why, this species fall under the classification of pit vipers, is the appearance of its facial pits. These pits are situated below and between the eye and nostrils on both sides of the head. These pits are an essential part of the pygmy rattlesnake survival as they serve as infrared sensors. This helps the snake to locate the track and direction of warm-blooded prey or even predators.
I say it every time, but BSWIV always has the best threads LOL
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Last edited by TheGoldenState; January 3, 2011 at 11:59 PM.
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Old January 3, 2011, 11:19 PM   #8
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Has pits in front of eyes. Should be decapitated, soonest.

Handling venomous snakes is ........ unwise.
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Old January 3, 2011, 11:26 PM   #9
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She said she was keeping it. I said she had to have a permit from the FWC to keep it. She said they would never know she had it.
When the paramedics haul her to the hospital, they'll want the dead snake..... so the Fish and Wildlife guys can tell them what kind it is...... Docs will need to know that to get the right anti-venom......

And here I thought some of my patients were doing foolish things that earned them a spot on the cot.......
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Old January 4, 2011, 01:48 AM   #10
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Those Of The Kill It Ilk...

....Not every snake that's venomous has to die, it depends on where you live and if they are a threat. I've seen far more rattlesnales that lived than died. I will kill them or move them to a remote location in a residential neighborhood but the country ones can live.

That does look like a heck of a big Pygmy rattlesnake.
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Old January 4, 2011, 07:42 AM   #11
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Having spent a bit of time in venomous snake country, I have found that it is better to live by the saying that my uncle taught me. "There are only two kinds of snake, good ones, and live ones." I take no chances. If I can't readily determine that it's a Garter Snake, it's done. Been bit once, (long story about stupidity). It was my own fault, but it ain't never gonna happen again.
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Old January 4, 2011, 09:28 AM   #12
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I don't think I've ever seen such a large pygmy. I don't kill them either.
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Old January 4, 2011, 10:20 AM   #13
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As she demonstrated, the snake is not particularly aggressive, even when disturbed. Why kill such creatures that mind their own business?
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Old January 4, 2011, 10:35 AM   #14
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I kill vipers that are in my yard as I have several pet dogs that roam loose when outside as well as several huntin' dogs staked out...

I also kill vipers on properties where I hog hunt with the dogs and on dirt roads near these properties...

Brent
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Old January 4, 2011, 04:34 PM   #15
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kill it!!

I live in snake country (and also grew up in Oklahoma which has tons of snakes that like to bite) and this year has seemed particularly bad from run in's with snakes (especially some mojhaves and a few hybrid's and one ****** off 5.5 foot diamondback) and I picked up a taurus judge public defender as good snake medicine in case of the encounters with more aggressive or poisonous snakes (I let the bull snakes and other "good" snakes live)...

that little sucker would have been skinned and drying on a board if i would have been there.

your lady friend was lucky she was not bitten. now go order her a book on snakes of north america so she can learn how to identify the snakes you have crawling around your neck of the woods.... I bought one for my wife when we first moved to AZ and she couldn't believe how many different varieties of rattle snakes we had in AZ, much less the other poisonous ones.
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Old January 4, 2011, 04:35 PM   #16
markj
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Quote:
Handling venomous snakes is ........ unwise.
Jimbob, I have given snakes to UNO for their herpatology classes. yep there are poisonous snakes right close to ya but I wont tell.....where

I love snakes, catch em whenever I can. Used to have a collection of rattlers and some others, got married and them snakes had to go. So I go noodle for snapping turtles for my fun. In the summer.
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Old January 4, 2011, 04:52 PM   #17
Noonan
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Looks like a juvenile timber rattler

I would't touch it.
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Old January 4, 2011, 04:58 PM   #18
Alden
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All you PETA members who would save the poor little snakey crack me up.

You obviously have not seen what a bite from a venomous snake can do to a human being.
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Old January 4, 2011, 05:03 PM   #19
MLeake
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All you herpaphobes who don't realize vipers fill an ecological niche (such as rodent control) crack me up.

I have no desire to cuddle a rattler. I have encountered a few, and they were as happy to move away from me as I was to move away from them.

That said, I would kill any I found in our paddocks, stables, or dog enclosure. But a snake in the woods? No.
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Old January 4, 2011, 05:13 PM   #20
Alden
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Herpaphobe. That's me alright.
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Old January 4, 2011, 07:57 PM   #21
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Quote:
vipers fill an ecological niche (such as rodent control)
The same a Black Snakes, Coyotes, Buzzards,and a whole list of other wonderful creatures, who aren't trying to kill me!

PS. Rattlesnakes taste like chicken.
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Old January 4, 2011, 10:27 PM   #22
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The only snake I kill on sight is a Cottonmouth. They can be aggressive and don't do anything that benefits me like killing mice. I might feel different about the rattlers if I had dogs.
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Old January 5, 2011, 07:14 AM   #23
Alden
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My hunting buddy nearly lost his dog to a pygmy rattler bite. It bit him on the nose... off to the emergency room, 1,000 dollars later, the dog is ok.

Sorry, i don't like em and never will. Don't care what niche they fill.
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Old January 5, 2011, 08:29 AM   #24
twins
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I can see killing a rattler (or any poisonous animal) if it's on your property. But killing it just because it is harmful is just unethical. Stay indoors if you don't want to be bitten by any harmful animals.
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Old January 5, 2011, 08:47 AM   #25
Sarge
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twins
But killing it just because it is harmful is just unethical.
It won't be biting anybody now and I like those 'ethics' just fine.
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