What was your close call with........................ Snakes..

[jbow]

Two scariest things with me weren't while detecting but when I was a kid we took camping trips all over the west. Once we were at a campground in the Black Hills Nat park or monument or Nat whatever... our campsite backed up to a small mountail or hill. The slope went up at a decent grade but wasn't too high for a 14 yr old so up I went. The top was flat, just up the flat without underbrush, just trees. I had been warned about bison. I walked maybe 50 yards out onto the top of the hill, looked to the right, and there was a bison bull about the size of a small elephant standing there looking at me... hair on neck UP! I just ran for the edge and went back down. I don't know what he did...

The other was on the same trip. We were at Gros Ventres campground at Grand Teton Nat Park. There was a fenced pasture or field across the road from the campground and of course I climbed the fence and was walking around, found some nice antelope antlers, still have them... but... I was way out in the middle of the field when something long and low came up out of a hole and began to run at me. It was either a large badger or a wolverine... I didn't take time to study it I just ran as fast as I could and luckily was young and light enough to get quickly over the fence... I think that thing, whatever it was would have been all over me if I hadn't gotten the he77 out of Dodge. I guess it was about a foot high, foot wide, and about 3 foot long, IIRC, it was a long time ago.

Worst snake I ever get startled by was a water moccasin that was much too close to me when I was fishing along a small river in SW GA... don't know if you're ever seen a big moccasin close up but they are an ugly snake. They can get as big around as your leg and only be three ft or so long... they don't taper down like a regular snake, they are fat all the way down until just a few unches from the tip of the tail then they dramatically taper off to a short thin tali... really ugly and they are aggressive, they won't get out of your way and they won't warn you, they are known to actually get in your way... I don't like them and that one scared me.

Once was walking home and got backed up against a wall by two dobermans. Was minding my own business and they just ran up growling and didn't stop, they just slowed to a walk. They were about 10' away when some woman across the street came out and called them off... that happened so fast I didn't really have time to get scared until later

Been bit by a couple of dogs. One while the lady was holding her by a leash and telling me that, "she just needs to get to know you". When she got close enough she lunged and pulled the lady and she just got a piece of the underside of my forearm, still have a scar from that, they finally had to put her down because she was so aggressive. I was once servicing the perimeter of their home when they were at work and she actually broke a window trying to get to me... I got to my truck fast. She was a collie. The other dog bite was my fault, a Labrador who was fenced in a back yard, I stuck my hand down there because she was usually friendly but they had gotten a Jack Russell and I think he had her worked up, I barely got my hand up when she jumped and got the top of my middle finger with her front teeth... close call, live and learn I guess.

The only animal who has scared me when detecting was a human... walked up on a hobo camp in the woods. No one there that I could see but I was glad I had my .40 cal on my hip. Came up on a sacrificed goat in the woods once... that didn't set too well.

Don't like to be startled by anything...

J

 

[jbow]

Black snakes will bite you if you pick them up but they don't hurt much, might make you hurt yourself though...

I've walked up on open wells before. I think you need to be careful what you put over them, you may be setting a trap. Last one I found was flush with the ground and deep. Luckily there was a newer wooden pallett laying near, this was not out in the woods but on a fairly busy vacant corner lot where an old house had been torn down. I put the pallett over it.

J

 

[norman maassey]

I had a Pit bull / Char-Pia mix that we my shadow. This dog just barely put up with my wife. It take my wife about two months to find the right candy (pillow mints) then she made new life long friend and I all most lost a shadow. Bo my dog now goes ape for a candy corns. She smell one it 50 feet and her face & personality changes, You would have to her around candy corns to believe it.

 

[Elton]

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[Elton]

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[Ron from Michigan]

About 15 years ago on a trail at Independence Oaks Park in Clarkston Michigan I got too close to a rattler and hear that unmistakable hiss rattle.I talked to one of the nature center people and their comment yes we have rattlers and poisonous water snakes.Rangers advice stay away from them they are more scared of you than you are of them.Meaningless advice because most people are not looking for rattle snakes including myself.

 

[Elton]

Wonder if the "CLIMATE CHANGE" has any effect on that..I know our winters ( Though you don't notice it) much are overall warmer. Maybe it's enough the cold isn't killing off the snakes like it used to do.. I seriously have never ever worried about getting snake bit while detecting .There just doesn't seem to be any in my area.......but I also may be missing them because I didn't feel the need to look for them at all.........whats that old saying "Ignorance is bliss"

hmmmmmmmmmm maybe I better do a little research and see what we do, or do not have around here..

 

[moondog2000]

I live in the San Gorgonio pass in Beaumont near Palm Springs, well the rattlesnakes are so thick in the desert that back in the 70's UCLA medical college put a snake research sub station at what they call whitewater to catch and milk them. well about 1973 my future wife and I are sitting in lawn chairs with our feet in the water. well I had drank so much beer that I was blotto. Well I happened to see some movement out of the corner of my eye and when I looked down about 10 inches from my leg a red rock rattler had pulled up to the waters edge,before I could do anything it entered the water swam across and entered some ivy and disappeared. we still go to whitewater but I don't get wasted ,I'm always looking around and I always get up and walk around & check things out.One other memorable time was in the spring rabbit hunting.I was on a dead end trail on a 20ft cliff and walked right in on a western diamondback. When it rattled I looked down and it struck,well I jumped and dodged it. in the time it took me to lower my sawed off double it struck 2 more times and I dodged it 2 more times , then blew its head and rattles off with both barrels . we figure the reason I was able to dodge it as it might be fresh out from hibernation and was blind. well having spent about 42 yrs in the outdoors here I have a bag of rattles and a whole lot more stories but I'll tell ya you southern boys scare the crap out of me with water moccasins, copperheads, and cottonmouths, its bad enough to have to watch for them on land, but water too. what do you do if your treading water and you see one coming towards you! that's the stuff scary movies are made of.

 

[jim tn]

I've been told that snakes can't strike while in the water. Don't know that to be fact, but, yea, I keep an eye out for them, anyway. HH jim tn

 

[Elton]

-- moved topic --

 

[Elton]

n/t

 

[Elton]

Well now that most of the West, Michigan, All the South and maybe a good portion of PA is out for me detecting it.. I think I need a new Hobby.. LOL hahahahaha........... Ignorance was bliss Now I will always be looking Hahahahahahhaa


EASTERN MASSASAUGA

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Scientific name: Sistrurus catenatus catenatus

Size
The average size of a mature Eastern Massasauga is 1.5 - 2.5 feet in length. The largest one ever recorded is 39.5 inches.

Description
The Eastern Massasauga is a heavy-bodied snake. The body of the snake is brown or grey. The snake is marked by dark brown or black blotches along its spine, and two or three rows of dark brown or black blotches on its sides. The blotches are sometimes outlined in white and often form into crossbands near the tail. The belly of the Eastern Massasauga is mostly black with scattered white or yellow markings. The end of the tail has a rattle on it.

There is a cheek-stripe on both sides of the head that starts at the eye and runs diagonally down and backwards to the jaw. The top of the head is marked by two stripes that continue on to the neck.

The Eastern Massasauga is categorized as one of several primitive rattlesnakes in the genus Sistrurus. Unlike other rattlesnakes, these rattlesnakes have 9 enlarged scales on the top of their head.

The Eastern Massasauga has elliptical pupils that look like cat's eyes and like all pit vipers, has a heat-sensing pit between the nostril and eye on each side of its head. The Eastern Massasauga has a large, triangular head that is wider than the neck when viewed from above.

Distribution
In the United States, the Eastern Massasauga is found in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Map does not show area of true distribution, only the states in which there is a population.
Actual distribution in any highlighted state may be limited.

 

[Uncle Willy]

And what if it had been a child?

Bill