PDA

View Full Version : Rattlesnake?



BubbaGump
03-23-2016, 21:16
In early spring, I'm usually scared to see a bear in Georgia. My bear paranoia is gone, but in with the new. I read an article where a guy came across an eastern diamond back rattle snake at tesnatee gap, real close to hog pen. Then I started googling rattlesnake on the AT in ga. Anyhow the guy seen it on August 8th, I was there August 12th. I've decided not to wear underwear under my shorts, just incase I see a rattlesnake, the terd will just hit the ground, lol jk...has anyone know of any other instances of rattlesnake on the AT in GA? When I look back, in August on the AT , vegetation on the trail is thick. What do y'all think? YouTube rattlesnake on the AT and you'll see what I'm talking about. Legends are made from people who wrestle rattlesnake on the AT

Emerson Bigills
03-23-2016, 21:21
I didn't see the article, but I have always been under the impression that Copperheads and Timber Rattlers were the only venomous snakes one would see on the AT. I would have expected the large and dangerous Eastern Diamondback to be further East toward the coast or further down south. I never would have expected one to be in the AT mountains.

juniorace
03-23-2016, 21:25
I saw a rattler (in the trail under a large rock shelf) a couple miles north of Neel Gap last May. He never bothered us and we never bothered him. Also at another spot, can't remember where, when a guy came up behind us and asked if we had seen the rattler along the trail a few hundred yards back. I never saw it. I am more worried about ticks (lyme disease, etc.) and mice (hantavirus) than rattlers. Gotta be careful for copperheads though too. I've never seen one, but always be careful where you sit down.

juniorace
03-23-2016, 21:27
The one I saw was a timber rattler.

Slo-go'en
03-23-2016, 21:29
Rattle snakes are your friend. They eat mice. If you see one stretched out on the trail, just step over it, favoring the tail side. Don't poke it or otherwise annoy it and you'll be fine. Usually they have already moved out of the way when they feel you coming, but early in the morning when they are warming up on a sunny rock in the trail, they are still pretty sluggish.

lonehiker
03-23-2016, 21:32
A copperhead fell out of the rafters at a shelter in VA.

juniorace
03-23-2016, 21:42
A copperhead fell out of the rafters at a shelter in VA.oof! I have never seen a snake at a shelter, kinda weird since they are full of mice.

Malto
03-23-2016, 21:43
Rattlesnakes are the least of your worries. They are not looking for a fight with you and are nice enough to warn you if you come close. Yes, it will cause you to soil your shorts but dangerous it is not. Unless you are stupid enough to try a close up selfie. I have run into many rattlesnakes on the AT and PCT. I did some air running with one. Last one I saw was in PA. He was a beauty.
34276

saltysack
03-23-2016, 21:56
After many miles on the southern AT I saw my first one last summer outside hot springs...cool animals who deserve out respect and protection.....DO NOT KILL THEM!!! http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160324/60bafddefd79e84769ace29d97f674b5.jpghttps://vimeo.com/160183579


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

saltysack
03-23-2016, 21:57
Timber rattler...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MuddyWaters
03-23-2016, 22:03
In early spring, I'm usually scared to see a bear in Georgia. My bear paranoia is gone, but in with the new. I read an article where a guy came across an eastern diamond back rattle snake at tesnatee gap, real close to hog pen. Then I started googling rattlesnake on the AT in ga. Anyhow the guy seen it on August 8th, I was there August 12th. I've decided not to wear underwear under my shorts, just incase I see a rattlesnake, the terd will just hit the ground, lol jk...has anyone know of any other instances of rattlesnake on the AT in GA? When I look back, in August on the AT , vegetation on the trail is thick. What do y'all think? YouTube rattlesnake on the AT and you'll see what I'm talking about. Legends are made from people who wrestle rattlesnake on the AT

Your in their home.
If your not OK with it......stay away
None of these things are anything to worry about.
Be appreciative if you get a glimpse of wildlife.

BubbaGump
03-23-2016, 22:13
I'm sure avoiding a snake bite is quite simple unless you just wonder up on one or agitate one. I wouldn't want to see one at all. I believe seeing one would ruin it for me. I came across a huge cotton mouth 2 feet away and kept walking. Seeing a snake rattling at me would cause me to just freeze. I would literally stop drop and roll. Let me find a link to that story/article or whatever it is. It was a guy who left a comment , not an article my bad..here it is, scroll down to comments (http:// http://www.gafollowers.com/6-dangerous-snakes-georgia/)

saltysack
03-23-2016, 22:22
I'm sure avoiding a snake bite is quite simple unless you just wonder up on one or agitate one. I wouldn't want to see one at all. I believe seeing one would ruin it for me. I came across a huge cotton mouth 2 feet away and kept walking. Seeing a snake rattling at me would cause me to just freeze. I would literally stop drop and roll. Let me find a link to that story/article or whatever it is. It was a guy who left a comment , not an article my bad..here it is, scroll down to comments (http:// http://www.gafollowers.com/6-dangerous-snakes-georgia/)

The cotton mouth is a nasty sob. Rattlers don't want conflict where a moccasin will come after you. I've seen my fair share here in the swamps of Fl. I'd rather swim with a gator than a cotton mouth.....very unpredictable....nothing like a rattler. I mainly hike during the colder months therefor I rarely see any snakes....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MuddyWaters
03-24-2016, 00:32
I'm sure avoiding a snake bite is quite simple unless you just wonder up on one or agitate one. I wouldn't want to see one at all. I believe seeing one would ruin it for me. I came across a huge cotton mouth 2 feet away and kept walking. Seeing a snake rattling at me would cause me to just freeze. I would literally stop drop and roll. Let me find a link to that story/article or whatever it is. It was a guy who left a comment , not an article my bad..here it is, scroll down to comments

Timber rattlers are very, VERY, laid back. Unlike their tightly wound diamondback cousins.

Unless you step on a timber rattler, its probably not going to strike you. Most of the time it wont even rattle, just slink away. Or lay there watching you. People have picked them up without them rattling. No shortage of stories of snakes laying across trail and refusing to move.

A diamondback will generally let you know your too close beforehand. Bottom line is...you arent on the menu....they only act in self defense. Watch where you put hands,feet, and butt, and youll be fine.

Alleghanian Orogeny
03-24-2016, 05:42
Having stepped off of a low ledge on the slopes of McCartney Mountain, Montana, directly over a rattler, I can say their rattle warning is very well simulated by Hollywood. I was in mid-stride when it sounded off and I somehow rocketed 5 yards instead of 1 yard on that stride. It was loud and distinct. I did not determine the species.

AO

Miel
03-24-2016, 08:01
Rattlesnake Shake:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaTd_oItViI

OkeefenokeeJoe
03-24-2016, 08:41
If you see one stretched out on the trail, just step over it, favoring the tail side.

My friend .... I don't know how many rattlesnakes you have encountered up there in Randolph, NH, but having lived my entire life in the swamps of SE Georgia, I am quite familiar with eastern diamondbacks and I can assure you that "stepping over" a rattlesnake will get you bit in short order. NEVER EVER "step over" a rattlesnake ... NEVER!!! The appropriate action is to give the viper PLENTY of distance and walk WAY THE HELL around.

This reminds me of the young yankee-feller that was passing through on his way to Florida about 5 years ago. He happened to see a big eastern db crossing the highway and stopped his car to show his friends how he could catch this big snake. Guess what? .... he barely made it to the Glynn County hospital in time and almost lost his arm from the resulting snake bite.

DON'T STEP OVER RATTLESNAKES!!!

OkeefenokeeJoe

saltysack
03-24-2016, 09:15
My friend .... I don't know how many rattlesnakes you have encountered up there in Randolph, NH, but having lived my entire life in the swamps of SE Georgia, I am quite familiar with eastern diamondbacks and I can assure you that "stepping over" a rattlesnake will get you bit in short order. NEVER EVER "step over" a rattlesnake ... NEVER!!! The appropriate action is to give the viper PLENTY of distance and walk WAY THE HELL around.

This reminds me of the young yankee-feller that was passing through on his way to Florida about 5 years ago. He happened to see a big eastern db crossing the highway and stopped his car to show his friends how he could catch this big snake. Guess what? .... he barely made it to the Glynn County hospital in time and almost lost his arm from the resulting snake bite.

DON'T STEP OVER RATTLESNAKES!!!

OkeefenokeeJoe

Yep I agree in giving at least their body length plus alittle...timber rattlers are way less aggressive than EDB whe have in fl/ga


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Slo-go'en
03-24-2016, 12:11
My friend .... I don't know how many rattlesnakes you have encountered up there in Randolph, NH, but having lived my entire life in the swamps of SE Georgia, I am quite familiar with eastern diamondbacks and I can assure you that "stepping over" a rattlesnake will get you bit in short order. NEVER EVER "step over" a rattlesnake ... NEVER!!! The appropriate action is to give the viper PLENTY of distance and walk WAY THE HELL around.


DON'T STEP OVER RATTLESNAKES!!!

OkeefenokeeJoe

I've "stepped over" quite a few rattlesnakes in PA and other places along the AT. You often don't have any choice but to do so.

I don't plan on spending any time in the swamps of GA.

Rain Man
03-24-2016, 17:54
oof! I have never seen a snake at a shelter, kinda weird since they are full of mice.

My daughter has. Bake Oven Knob Shelter on the AT in PA ...

Rain Man
03-24-2016, 18:03
Snakes are our friends and evidence of a healthy eco-system. Timber rattlers in the east are generally docile creatures. Treat them with respect, even admiration. Don't poke, prod, or pick them up. Leave 'em where you find them, God's creatures in God's creation. Count yourself fortunate if you happen to see one on a hike.

Found this one sunning one April day on the Cumberland Trail not far from Chattanooga, TN.

Madpaddy
03-24-2016, 19:00
In early spring, I'm usually scared to see a bear in Georgia. My bear paranoia is gone, but in with the new. I read an article where a guy came across an eastern diamond back rattle snake at tesnatee gap, real close to hog pen. Then I started googling rattlesnake on the AT in ga. Anyhow the guy seen it on August 8th, I was there August 12th. I've decided not to wear underwear under my shorts, just incase I see a rattlesnake, the terd will just hit the ground, lol jk...has anyone know of any other instances of rattlesnake on the AT in GA? When I look back, in August on the AT , vegetation on the trail is thick. What do y'all think? YouTube rattlesnake on the AT and you'll see what I'm talking about. Legends are made from people who wrestle rattlesnake on the AT
You might not have to fret about them too much anymore anyways, because unfortunately(like lots of other wildlife) they are in decline! According to Vermont Fish and Game, state endangered populations of timber rattlers are dying off from what they are calling "snake fungal disease". It has also spread to populations of rattlers in neighboring Mass... and NH too. This disease is also suspected to have infected Eastern rat snakes and common milksnakes too. Snakes feed on rodents, and of course white footed mice and big lyme disease hosts...mice are everywhere..in shelter too in abundance in some areas.

Wise Old Owl
03-24-2016, 20:02
My friend .... I don't know how many rattlesnakes you have encountered up there in Randolph, NH, but having lived my entire life in the swamps of SE Georgia, I am quite familiar with eastern diamondbacks and I can assure you that "stepping over" a rattlesnake will get you bit in short order. NEVER EVER "step over" a rattlesnake ... NEVER!!! The appropriate action is to give the viper PLENTY of distance and walk WAY THE HELL around.

This reminds me of the young yankee-feller that was passing through on his way to Florida about 5 years ago. He happened to see a big eastern db crossing the highway and stopped his car to show his friends how he could catch this big snake. Guess what? .... he barely made it to the Glynn County hospital in time and almost lost his arm from the resulting snake bite.

DON'T STEP OVER RATTLESNAKES!!!

OkeefenokeeJoe


Yea I agree - but watched 3 female hikers from Wilmington Trail Club, "just do it" thinking it was a dead branch... I did not know what to say and so - I said nothing and continued down the trail.

Miel
03-24-2016, 22:23
They are being re-introduced to an island in central Mass. Some controversy about this. Local folks think they will swim across the water and attack all the neighbors.

rocketsocks
03-24-2016, 23:09
Rattle snakes are your friend. They eat mice. If you see one stretched out on the trail, just step over it, favoring the tail side. Don't poke it or otherwise annoy it and you'll be fine. Usually they have already moved out of the way when they feel you coming, but early in the morning when they are warming up on a sunny rock in the trail, they are still pretty sluggish.correct me if I'm wrong but I think what yur saying is if they're stretched out they aren't in the best posture to strike.

rocketsocks
03-24-2016, 23:11
But not fer nothin' but I'm a chicken (or prudent, however ya wanna look at it, sooo) I'm givin' em a wide berth.

saltysack
03-24-2016, 23:47
They are being re-introduced to an island in central Mass. Some controversy about this. Local folks think they will swim across the water and attack all the neighbors.

They are great swimmers...EDB that is....seen them miles away from land...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MuddyWaters
03-25-2016, 00:05
correct me if I'm wrong but I think what yur saying is if they're stretched out they aren't in the best posture to strike.

Friend of mine was building his house and walking thru the framing one afternoon with his wife and one of her friends. A snake was stretched out on the slab. It was a nonpoisionous brand. Having seen his share of "the crocodile hunter" he was going to impress the ladies by casually picking the snake up like Irwin always did, by the tail.

He said the moment he touched the snakes tail it bit him

lonehiker
03-25-2016, 00:06
correct me if I'm wrong but I think what yur saying is if they're stretched out they aren't in the best posture to strike.

They can't strike while stretched out. But, it may not take them long to coil and strike depending upon the temperature. The correct advice is to go around them.

rocketsocks
03-25-2016, 00:43
Friend of mine was building his house and walking thru the framing one afternoon with his wife and one of her friends. A snake was stretched out on the slab. It was a nonpoisionous brand. Having seen his share of "the crocodile hunter" he was going to impress the ladies by casually picking the snake up like Irwin always did, by the tail.

He said the moment he touched the snakes tail it bit himlol, isn't natures defenses funny. A birds tail feather can look like a eye signifying the head end, so many critters have this, bugs, birds, fish.

OkeefenokeeJoe
03-25-2016, 08:21
They are being re-introduced to an island in central Mass. Some controversy about this. Local folks think they will swim across the water and attack all the neighbors.

Yes, Eastern Diamondbacks, as well as Timber Rattlers, are quite good swimmers. I've seen countless rattlers swimming across the river in and around the swamps, river bottoms, and low lands of South Georgia; however, they don't go looking for people to attack. Nevertheless, rattlers will bite the piss out of anyone who gets too close and puts them in a defensive position.

rafe
03-25-2016, 08:25
You might not have to fret about them too much anymore anyways, because unfortunately(like lots of other wildlife) they are in decline! According to Vermont Fish and Game, state endangered populations of timber rattlers are dying off from what they are calling "snake fungal disease". It has also spread to populations of rattlers in neighboring Mass... and NH too. This disease is also suspected to have infected Eastern rat snakes and common milksnakes too. Snakes feed on rodents, and of course white footed mice and big lyme disease hosts...mice are everywhere..in shelter too in abundance in some areas.

I heard this same story at a social event recently from a guy who breeds and sells pythons for a living. http://www.newenglandreptileshop.com/

OkeefenokeeJoe
03-25-2016, 08:28
I don't plan on spending any time in the swamps of GA.

You are missing the treat of a lifetime, an experience that will forevermore be tattooed in the frontal lobe of your brain!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LayHEk0rAd4

OkeefenokeeJoe

flatgrounder
03-25-2016, 08:43
A couple of years ago, while my house was being built, I caught an EDB in my garage. It was winter so he was VERY sluggish. I don't kill any snakes. Having two young daughters I took the snake 8 miles away from my house an let him go in the woods. A week later a friend stopped by and said he had something to show me. He had caught the same snake (same white scar on head and scar down back). So I got my daughters went down the road a mile and let the snake go again. I showed them how well the snake can blend into the grass and to be careful playing in the woods. Also don't ever pick up any snake.

WingedMonkey
03-25-2016, 09:21
For what it's worth no one has ever been bitten on the AT while hiking.

Folks have been bitten while either foolishly handling a snake or on rare occasional while gathering wood out of a pile, and one researcher in Mass while squatting over one.

If seeing a rattler gives you a heart attack, you will probably die of a heart attack on a thru-hike.

saltysack
03-25-2016, 09:32
For what it's worth no one has ever been bitten on the AT while hiking.

Folks have been bitten while either foolishly handling a snake or on rare occasional while gathering wood out of a pile, and one researcher in Mass while squatting over one.

If seeing a rattler gives you a heart attack, you will probably die of a heart attack on a thru-hike.

I hope that squatter was a female.....[emoji38]ouch!!!!

perdidochas
03-25-2016, 09:58
In early spring, I'm usually scared to see a bear in Georgia. My bear paranoia is gone, but in with the new. I read an article where a guy came across an eastern diamond back rattle snake at tesnatee gap, real close to hog pen. Then I started googling rattlesnake on the AT in ga. Anyhow the guy seen it on August 8th, I was there August 12th. I've decided not to wear underwear under my shorts, just incase I see a rattlesnake, the terd will just hit the ground, lol jk...has anyone know of any other instances of rattlesnake on the AT in GA? When I look back, in August on the AT , vegetation on the trail is thick. What do y'all think? YouTube rattlesnake on the AT and you'll see what I'm talking about. Legends are made from people who wrestle rattlesnake on the AT

Just chill. Rattlesnakes (and other venomous snakes) aren't out there trying to kill you. Just watch out and don't mess with them, and you'll be ok. Most venomous snakes bites in the U.S. are because people are messing with the snakes, not just leaving them alone.

perdidochas
03-25-2016, 10:01
I'm sure avoiding a snake bite is quite simple unless you just wonder up on one or agitate one. I wouldn't want to see one at all. I believe seeing one would ruin it for me. I came across a huge cotton mouth 2 feet away and kept walking. Seeing a snake rattling at me would cause me to just freeze. I would literally stop drop and roll. Let me find a link to that story/article or whatever it is. It was a guy who left a comment , not an article my bad..here it is, scroll down to comments

As others on this thread have said, the cotton mouth is probably much more dangerous (and irritable) than any rattlesnake. Best thing to do when you hear a rattlesnake rattle is to freeze. Then look around to find it, and slowly back away.

WingedMonkey
03-25-2016, 10:03
I hope that squatter was a female.....[emoji38]ouch!!!!


A group was researching timber rattlesnakes Saturday morning on the Race Brook Trail off South Undermountain Road in Sheffield, when the venomous snake bit one of them in his right calf, according to police logs.



Rattlesnakes typically only bite when provoked, said French. He said the researcher was photographing a snake they had been studying for some time, when another snake he was unaware of bit him.

http://www.berkshireeagle.com/ci_12790228

Rain Man
03-25-2016, 11:04
Most venomous snakes bites in the U.S. are because people are messing with the snakes, not just leaving them alone.

Not to mention, up to 80% of snake bites are "dry" with no venom injected. Venom is a precious resource and takes a large amount of other resources to manufacture. They do not tend to waste it on things they can not swallow.

Woodturner
03-25-2016, 11:42
As far as killing snakes goes.....
A lot of people -even some Conservation Officers - are unaware that these days most states afford snakes the same protection afforded other wildlife. I have heard of hikers killing various critters, groundhogs and Sage grouse for example, to supplement their diet. Doing so is just as illegal as poaching deer. It will get you in trouble if you get caught. What will REALLY get you in trouble though is to get caught killing a rattlesnake in a state were they are considered an endangered species. From what I have read here, that will include at least two states the AT passes through.

Dogwood
03-25-2016, 13:21
An abundance of rattlesnakes on the AT through most of PA in the higher ridge areas. Have seen quite a few in GA as well. Some in MD too. Copperheads frequent rock piles around AT lean to's and sometimes around banks of water. Have seen coral snakes twice in GA but not on the AT.


Don't freak out of fear and ignorance because you saw these lovely but misunderstood creatures. Consider yourself fortunate. They are an important component in a healthy ecosystem as Rain Man said. Give them a wide berth and walk around. I wouldn't walk directly over a rattlesnake or copperhead during warm weather when they are most active and when already alarmed coiled into a defensive posture.


DO NOT HANDLE or get TOO CLOSE(within striking distance).


Consider their behavior and needs and adjust YOUR HUMAN BEHAVIOR ACCORDINGLY THROUGH KNOWLEDGE rather than acting immediately out of human fear and human ignorance. Humans are after all in THEIR HOME!

OkeefenokeeJoe
03-25-2016, 15:19
Not to mention, up to 80% of snake bites are "dry" with no venom injected.

I have dealt with pit vipers and snake bite victims my entire life and I find that statement rather dubious. It sounds like information that comes from pasty-skinned college educated pin-heads wearing white laboratory coats. I have had direct (in the wild) contact with at least two dozen snake bite victims and 100% of them needed emergency medical treatment. Only one, a victim of a pygmy rattle snake bite, survived without formal medical attention; however, he survived because some old-time swamp homesteaders came to the rescue and wrapped the victim's leg in dried broad-leaf tobacco leaves that they had soaked in hot water. They stayed up all night wrapping and re-wrapping this man's leg. He was sick as hell, but survived the bite and kept his leg. Mind you, I'm not saying a "dry" bite has never occurred, but not in my experience, and not among any of the professional snake hunters with whom I associate.

OkeefenokeeJoe

rocketsocks
03-25-2016, 16:31
I have dealt with pit vipers and snake bite victims my entire life and I find that statement rather dubious. It sounds like information that comes from pasty-skinned college educated pin-heads wearing white laboratory coats.


perhaps no more than a back woods okie from muskogee tobacco farmin' side winder.:D

OkeefenokeeJoe
03-25-2016, 16:47
perhaps no more than a back woods okie from muskogee tobacco farmin' side winder.:D

HA! ... of course the Okie from Muskogee part is a little off.

Thank you for the laugh, my friend.

OkeefenokeeJoe

rocketsocks
03-25-2016, 16:56
HA! ... of course the Okie from Muskogee part is a little off.

Thank you for the laugh, my friend.

OkeefenokeeJoe
I was just recalling the song, it's the only one I know.

Woodturner
03-25-2016, 19:30
I have dealt with pit vipers and snake bite victims my entire life and I find that statement rather dubious. It sounds like information that comes from pasty-skinned college educated pin-heads wearing white laboratory coats. I have had direct (in the wild) contact with at least two dozen snake bite victims and 100% of them needed emergency medical treatment. Only one, a victim of a pygmy rattle snake bite, survived without formal medical attention; however, he survived because some old-time swamp homesteaders came to the rescue and wrapped the victim's leg in dried broad-leaf tobacco leaves that they had soaked in hot water. They stayed up all night wrapping and re-wrapping this man's leg. He was sick as hell, but survived the bite and kept his leg. Mind you, I'm not saying a "dry" bite has never occurred, but not in my experience, and not among any of the professional snake hunters with whom I associate.

OkeefenokeeJoe

I've always had a little trouble believing that over half of venomous snakebites are "dry" bites too. I'm not sure if I've ever heard 80% before.
In my neck of the woods copperheads are rare and rattlesnakes even rarer. However, I lived in northern Louisiana for three and a half years where it was easy to encounter cottonmouths, copperheads, coral snakes, and a couple different species of rattlesnake. I heard several stories of people and dogs being nailed, but never, not once, a story where it involved a dry bite. I'd kinda like to see a case by case study of all those dry bites. Do people report being bitten if there is no trip to the hospital ?
BTW, Bill Haast, who was bitten so many time that his blood could be used for anti-venom, was almost done in by the bite from a pygmy rattlesnake.

Pringles
03-25-2016, 21:41
Interesting video (s). Thank you for sharing.


You are missing the treat of a lifetime, an experience that will forevermore be tattooed in the frontal lobe of your brain!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LayHEk0rAd4

OkeefenokeeJoe

rocketsocks
03-26-2016, 01:02
Is hikin' in the swamp land really hikin'...or is it wading? :D

Traveler
03-26-2016, 04:52
Is hikin' in the swamp land really hikin'...or is it wading? :D

I've always considered it running, usually with dogs and a sheriff behind you.

rockyiss
03-27-2016, 00:44
Please do not step over a rattlesnake they can bite from any position even laying flat out. I had a german shepard get bit on the face and it was touch and go but he made it. My sister in laws dog got bit last year and it needed anti venom to make it. The best thing to do is give them space.

rocketsocks
03-27-2016, 05:30
I've always considered it running, usually with dogs and a sheriff behind you.hey I saw that movie! :D

Miel
03-27-2016, 07:55
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serpent_(symbolism)#Greek_mythology

Traveler
03-27-2016, 07:58
hey I saw that movie! :D

"Don't feed on me!"

saltysack
03-27-2016, 10:06
You are missing the treat of a lifetime, an experience that will forevermore be tattooed in the frontal lobe of your brain!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LayHEk0rAd4

OkeefenokeeJoe

Great video! Is that you? I'm planning on thru paddling the Suwannee River beginning at the headwaters in Okeefenokee hopefully next winter. I love the swamp..ill be in the glades in a few weeks...

double d
03-27-2016, 16:30
One thing to keep in mind about rattlers/db's/cottonmouths is our behavior at night as well as on the trail during the day. Ever take a late night bathroom break outside of your tent/shelter? Well, don't forget you're in snake country. I know, most snakes do not move much at night as during the day, but that is the thought that always stays with me-what to do at night time. I've heard numerous stories of PCT hikers wake up with rattlers near their warm tents at night. Common sense and knowledge of wildlife always win out. I've encountered snakes while out fishing, but not on any hiking trail.

Deer Hunter
03-27-2016, 19:59
I didn't see the article, but I have always been under the impression that Copperheads and Timber Rattlers were the only venomous snakes one would see on the AT. I would have expected the large and dangerous Eastern Diamondback to be further East toward the coast or further down south. I never would have expected one to be in the AT mountains.


I once saw an Eastern Diamondback, Timber and Canebrake rattlesnake on top of The Priest (Va.) in the same day. The big surprise to me was the Canebrake. They are supposed to be over in the flatlands nearer to the coast.

robertyopp
03-28-2016, 16:30
I live here in mountains of VA. Yes their are snakes, timbers and Copper heads. Simple watch where you step over logs and where you sit. Most will move away, just don't mess with them. Timber will sun. On the trail. DON'T STEP OVER THEM. Yes they maybe in shelter, they like mice. Just look . East of blueridge, Watermocksin, in the James River. Have seen over 100 float same place after flooding. Rattlers, called pigme, are small, like rocks, and some smaller gravel. Nothing to worry about, just use common sense and show respect. Do not pick large rocks or other object that have been inplace. Do a look around prior to entering a building located in the woods i.e shelter or barns that are not occupied. They really are your freind, give them respect space. Chance of getting a bite are small, It's usually are own fault if you get bitten. Last year not on the AT, I sat on a old wall in the mountains, a 32 button timber came out of the wall two feet from where I
eating, that was it's den, not my chair lol.


Sent from my SM-T530NU using Tapatalk