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Snake Stories

Glenn MacGrady

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Have you encountered snakes?

I have a few times, but nothing bad happened (to me).

The first time was when canoe camping on the Eel River in northern California. A large rattlesnake slithered out of the rocks and right by our tents. I had left my tent door . . . open! The snake we saw soon disappeared into the landscape, but I was afeared all night that some rattler had gotten into my Eureka and was just hiding in wait to get me in my sleep.

The second time I saw some young cottonmouths (water moccasins) at a launch spot on the Silver River in Florida, which were swimming around my canoe as I floated near shore. I'm not really competent to identify snakes. But a woman in a black bikini warned me not to step into the water because she was confident about her pits. Cottonmouths get their name from the white mouths they display when threatened.


The third time I encountered a snake was in a campground on the Suwanee River in Florida. It was scaring some Yankee children and their parents. An old guy went to his trailer, came out with a machete, and lopped off the head of that snake in one stroke of his terrible swift sword.

Did you know: "Though all snakes swim on top of the water, poisonous water snakes can float when they stop. On the contrary, non-venomous snakes sink below the surface when stationary. Their head is the only part of their body that can be seen above the water."
 
I've had the same encounter several times. I imagine this experience is common in the southeast.

Normally the inexperienced friend/family/kid sees a northern watersnake ( or less frequently brown watersnake) and freaks out thinking it's a water moccasin. Often the watersnake doesn't retreat which causes further panic and rocking of the canoe.

Worst time was with a friend's coworkers. They were going to lead us down a swampy section of the Lumber River. The idiots fired about 6 shots at the "cottonmouths" before we took the lead to shoo the snakes off. We saw a few northerns and probably a brown water snake, but nothing that was clearly a cottonmouth, and certainly nothing that was aggressive enough to scare us.
 
I have no use for snakes, having lived in Florida, Texas, Colorado, Iowa and Indiana; all of which have they’re share, i don’t miss them. We moved up here in 1993 and it’s hard to describe the “peaceful easy feeling” of knowing the only thing i need to be Leary of in the woods are the Bears and they don’t frighten me!
I’m especially fond of snake stories that include phrases like machete, 12ga, shovel or pitchfork.

In the video, That Moccasin that was swimming toward the boat with his mouth open was whispering “shoot me here”.
 
I've never seen any venomous snakes in the wild.

I've seen plenty of northern water snakes in and around the rivers in the mid-Atlantic, and once when on Big Island in the middle of Lobster Lake, we happened upon a bunch of just-hatched garter snakes or ribbon snakes. And then there was this fellow in Sorrel Ridge campsite on the Potomac in Western Maryland climbing straight up a tree (and over one of the lines securing our tarp. Black rat snakes are equally at home up a tree as on the ground. This one, probably about 3.5-4 feet when stretched out, is a medium sized one. Five and six footers are pretty common.
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As a young boy at day camp in Indiana ( one of my favorite memories ), we experienced what Hoosiers refer to as the triple H’s - humid, hot and humid. We were on hike through the thick timber and being the youngest, I was struggling. About an hour in we happened upon a deep clear creek. Outside of my usual character, I proclaimed I was going swimming …much to the dismay of our group leader, so I stripped down to my under britches and jumped in.

As I swam in the 5 foot deep or so water, I played with a garter snake that was swimming along with me, pulling its tail as it tried to get away from me, then it turned swimming right at me … it’s white mouth wide open, then turning away at the last minute. I could hear the group urgently yelling for me to get my a&& out of the water! After a few minutes of playing with my new friend, I climber up the bank, refreshed from the cool water and started getting dressed.

That was when I learned what a water moccasin is and how lucky I was. Since then, I have never swam with snakes again. Better to be lucky than smart I guess.

Bob.
 
Lots of them. I had an outdoor career and worked in every western state. I liked carrying a shovel or a soil auger in dry country to fend them off. Stepping near one or stepping over one happened every once in a while with rattlesnakes. I was usually focused on plants. On cold mornings they would be in the sun coiled up and not active. In hot weather they would be in the shade and under rock ledges. It is early and late when the temps are around 70-85 degrees that they can be everywhere.

I was working Utah in the heat, and done for the day sitting on a pile of rocks reviewing our day's work. A green pygmy rattler crawled right under me. I could not get out of the way and just remained still. He left.

Awhile ago, I had my 60th birthday party out in the mountains behind my house. My friend showed up with a fresh killed rattlesnake that he dispatched that morning, that was on his work bench. We fried it in olive oil and served it with hot sauce.
 
If you are paddling in the Southeast I recommend NCPARCS site, it is user friendly and a great way to identify the crawly things around the rivers.

The frog calls are cool too.

 
As a kid growing up in rural S.C., one of my brothers and I would take his beat up aluminum canoe and paddle a tree-infested creek with snake sticks and a pillowcase. We'd catch any snake seen (usually water snakes) and stuff them in the pillowcase. At the takeout, we'd dump the snakes out. Just a couple of country boys having fun (until we brought home a copperhead, which my mother drew the line on). And to think, I ended up as a wildlife biologist by profession.
Oh, and my barbecued rattlesnake (just happened to have one in the freezer) was a big hit during my high school's Frontier Days.
 
I'd run into poisonous snakes every so often when I lived in Virginia but none here in Michigan, though we do have Massassauga rattle snakes.
On a bicycle camping trip on Bois Blanc Island last summer I was hoping to see a " Michigan rattler" since there's supposed to be many, but no luck.
I got to the marina about an hour before the ferry arrived and figured it would be a good spot to dive in, I looked over on the rocks where I would get out and found it loaded with Northern Water snakes, all quite large.
They aren't poisonous but quite aggressive and I've read they have an anti-coagualant in their saliva causing profuse bleeding.
No, I did not dive in.0620211104.jpg0620211106.jpg
 
I grew up in Sacramento, California, and often went hiking, fishing and backpacking in the Coast Mountains. Saw one or more rattlesnakes pretty much every day. We always checked our sleeping bags before crawling in for the night, and our hiking boots before putting them on in the morning. The snakes were never aggressive. Even so, beginning when I was about 12, I used to kill them. Mostly because I could. By the time I was about 15 I stopped killing, and just admired as they slinked away. They only wanted to live by escaping my perceived threat. I have let all snakes escape ever since, including the multitude of garter snakes that roam our current property in the summer. I even protect them from our dog(s) who are not so accommodating.
 
One evening along the Bloodvein river I was setting up some rocks for a fire ring and when I picked a large rock there was as coil of about 8 garter snakes all snuggled up for the night. Snakes don't bother me but the unexpectedness of that coiled up mass of snakes sure made me jump.

I've also encountered them swimming across the river. I always watch close in hopes a pike will grab one but I've always been disappointed so far.

Alan
 
That’s the benefit of living in the northern, cold climates….less venomous creepy crawlers.

Saw a video on YouTube of a huge timber rattler from an area I frequently car camp with the family. I recognized the exact spot in the trail from the video. That made me a bit uncomfortable.
 
I've spent a lot of time tromping in the woods as part of an archaeological field crew, and have a bunch of snake sightings. My favorite is when we all dropped our screens and shovels and sat down on the ground to eat lunch. Half an hour later we realized one of our screens had pinned down a copperhead about 2 feet from where we were sitting. It was pissed, but there was nothing it could do about it fortunately. Have also had a crew of 10 or so people walk by a big canebrake rattler, (same as a timber rattler) with only the last person in line (me) seeing it. Fortunately, they're pretty docile and you pretty much have to step on them before they do anything.
 
We see snakes frequently, Eastern Garters and Butler's Garters, and usually warming themselves in the autumn sunshine. Garter snakes are common around here. I/we have encountered Northern Watersnakes on canoe trips, as they are idly swimming by our canoe or campsite minding their own business. Which is fine by me. Always amazed how easily they move through their watery environment.
 
My son and I a few years ago was out at Coppers Breaks State Park camping. We had been out ridding mountain bikes all evening and came in to eat supper. We sat down ate and was playing around and he was running around the teardrop and jumped inside. I followed and just as I reached to opened the door. Looked down and there was about a 2' rattle snake. The boy must have stepped right over the top of it and never touched it. The snake was still not coiled up so it must have been cool enough in the evening he wasn't moving fast enough. Close call.

We have copperheads all around the house. Probably get rid of 3-4 a year. Other nonvenomous snakes Rat, grass, garter, water, they all git to live around to take care of the rodents and other snakes.
 
Sure. Water snakes are numerous in our cold clear lake at home.

Massassauga rattlers in Canada are awesome .. You do have to watch where you step if you are camping in Georgian Bay.. They are timid , scared but don't like being stepped on.

I encountered a Burmese Python in the Everglades. No doubt I have been within sight of many a python but I only noticed the one in the Blue Porta Potty on Pavilion Key.. Luckily there was another blue potty next to that that was vacant.
 
When I first moved into this house in Nevada the previous owner was sloppy with his pet food in the garage. There were mice all over the place. As a consequence they attracted snakes. Mostly gopher snakes, but they can be large, over 4 feet and are very aggressive. They look a lot like rattlesnakes and even shake their tails to imitate one. I have had them fall off the roof onto the patio. They have been coiled up on on the newspaper when I opened the door. I have found them in the garage. I don't like them at all.

So I set trap lines to control the rodents. Then I can go for a whole summer without seeing one. Now I even use snake repellant in the shed and the wood pile.
 
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