Rattlsnakes

[jimsong]

In the mid seventies, I was sort of leading a small group( a friend, his two sons, and my oldest son) on a fairly strenuous day hike through the Wichita Mountains, in SW Oklahoma.
Late in the morning, we had crossed over a saddle, and there was a small park between the saddle, two small mountains, and a very steep decent down to a creek.
As we were crossing the park, I ran across a four foot rattle snake. Now, I am not the least bit afraid of snakes, ( in the US of A, anyway. There are some Australian,Asian. and African snakes that give me the willies just reading about them!) So I called the party to come look at the snake.
This snake had apparently been watching WWL on TV in his lair, because he/she ( I do try to be accurate in my tales, call it a failing ,if you wish but I ain't groping a pissed off rattle snake!)
I called the party together to observe the snake, warning them to to stay 1 1/2 times the snakes length away drom him/her.
The snake was so aggresive, I thought it might be shedding,But it's eyes were perfectly clear as it rattled and glared at each of us.
It suddenly struck at me. Having plenty of room, I just took a half step back, more out of reflecive action more than anything.
I looked up. and I was alone. There were dust plumes on the sides of the mountains.
The snake and I bid good day, and parted company.
Eventually, I got everybody back on the floor of the park, and all of them were all a-twitter about that snake attacking each of them.
They were a ciy folks, including my son, and it has always tickled me . According to them,That grumpy snake, had almost kiled all of them.

 

[bearridge]

One of the cowboy jobs (in our pasture anyway) wuz ta burn off sticks 'n limbs back in the woods where the cows liked ta hide out frum the summer sun. Me'n my Dad went ta burn some of it off when I wuz bout 4. He went ta throw some sticks on the first pile 'n run upon a cotton mouth....a slow, lazy, fearless snake with a mouthful of poison. I had never seen my Dad scairt.....til then.

We didnt run off, but we did jump back 'n looked fer anuther spot that had some limbs 'n sticks that needed burnin'. Then I seen my first blue racer. We wuz already spooked. My Dad took off. I had my short legs churnin' hard az a little pardner kin. If ya'll dont know, a blue racer will chase ya. It took out after us....kept raizin' its head.

We come ta a barbed wire fence. He went over. I wuz too short, so I hit the ground 'n rolled under the bottom strand. That blue racer chased us fer miles 'n miles.....least that iz the way it comes back in my dreams. We got away. After that I jest walked round in the green cowshit, throwin' bales 'n wishin' the cowboy life wuz like Johnny Mack Brown, Lash Larue 'er any non-singin' cowboy without a wife.

Mebbe if I had one of them cowboy shirts like the rodeo boys wore, it mite have been different? I dont think so. I reckon they step in it too.

 

[seedtick]

reminds me of one time i took my son crawfishing

he was about 6 at the time, i told my wife we wouldn't go far (into the swamp), wouldn't be long (just catch a half a sack), and would be careful.

we had just stepped into the water when i heard him say "dad, dad" very calmly

i turned around and he was standing in about ankle deep water with a mocassin wrapped up his leg. he had apparently stepped on the snake's head and the snake wrapped the rest of his body up his leg

i told him to be very still and lift his foot just a little. i was about to croak but he was very calm and the snake - probably as scared as me - slithered off.

i was ready to end the trip but he convinced me to go on. it was a while before i told my wife the story............

 

[gbinga]

When we find a snake around the house, my farm girl wife usually grabs the nearest garden implement, shoves me out of the way, and beats the snake to death while I am still scratching my head and debating which firearm to fetch and load.

Sherry has no patience with snakes, or with anyone who would step aside for one.

She did let me shoot one down at her mom's farm in Tifton. It was a five foot long cottonmouth as big around as my wrist, and there was not a hoe or a shovel anywhere handy. I made such a mess of shooting it that she still gives me @#$% about it to this day. A snake's head ain't that easy to hit with a revolver - contrary to what you see in westerns.

George

Bear - do you recognize the literary quote in there?

 

[bearridge]

Bear - do you recognize the literary quote in there?

Nope, but I didnt sleep in a Holiday Inn last nite. :wink:

Last December I seen a fine lookin' gal with a gymnastic sticker on her SUV jest outside Tifton. Never did pull up ta a stoplite side by side, so I never found out if she had done any nursin'. Followed her near bout ta Waycross.

regards
bearridge

If any state in the Union will declare that it prefers separation . . . to a continuance in union . . . I have no hesitation in saying, let us separate. Thomas Jefferson

 

[rhutchinson]

Seedtick....I'm surprised you both didn't have to go back to the house and 'clean up'!! I'm not all that snake shy, but I'm pretty sure I would have had to :lol: He must have been a pretty good trooper to forget to mention that to mom as soon as he walked in the house.

Richard

 

[jimsong]

Not long after Lil Darlin' and I married, I was working in one of my gardens, and Lil Darlin' came around the corner of the garage, and had the strangest look on her face. She looked like she was yelling, but I could barely hear her- "Jim, Jim, Jim, Jim". I knew something was wrong. I dropped my hoe, and hurried the 100 feet or so between us. Her eyes were as big as saucers, and she was having difficulty breathing. She just pointed at the back door of her car. Snake, snake. snake she whispered.
I eased the back door open, and there was about two feet of snake laying along the weather stripping, and continuing around the center post into the front door opening.
I didn't know what kind of snake it was, but I knew by it's tail, it wasn't poisonous, so I grabbed it by the tail, and opened the front door, and found another foot of snake.
I pulled it out, and released it in a pasture. I had not lived here very long, and didn't know that the snake is what is called a chicken snake, locally.
I have never found out what the snake's actual specie is named. I also didn't know that it is a very distructive snake, and is locally hated.
Since I kind of like snakes, and I realize most folks fear and hate snakes, and I was new to the area, I kind of ignored warnings, that I should kill every chicken snake on sight.
That was before I lost 13 baby ducks, chickens, geese, and guineas. That was before I found one full of eggs in my bird house, that was before I pulled one out of a pecan tree with a bluebird in it's mouth.
It makes me physically ill when I have to kill one, but kill them, I do.
My birds, both domestic and wild, are important to me. I wish they would restrict themselves to rats, mice, voles, and bugs, but they don't. So they have to go. And I just hate that.

 

[dangermouse01]

Jim, is this a chicken snake?

A google search says chicken snake = red rat snake
See one every once in a while around my house, cool to watch them climb up the outside walls.

DM

 

[jimsong]

Mouse, it very closely resembles the snake I am talking about, but the ones around here are mostly green. Climbing is something they do well. I think they can climb a blackboard! ( I have to rescue my neighbor periodically, because the snakes climb into the rafters of his barn. And he is terrified of snakes.)
The term" chicken snake" is ubiquitous, but the species often don't agree with one another. I am thinking they are all closely related, if not just varying by coloration.
Every "chicken snake" I have seen, either in the flesh or in photos, look an awful lot alike.

 

[gbinga]

Bear - do you recognize the literary quote in there?

Nope, but I didnt sleep in a Holiday Inn last nite. :wink:...
...regards
bearridge


Woodrow Call had no patience with snakes, or with anyone who would step aside for one.

Sherri don't tolerate rude behavior or surly bartenders, either.

 

[bearridge]

Friend George,

I been stumped on Lonesome Dove. I tip my e-stylish hat ta ya. I recall when Sean wuz bit by the moccasins. I recall when Jake shamed Gus fer talkin' ta hiz pigs, but I missed Woodrow on snakes (other than tellin' some of the boys to check down low 'n make sho Peach Eye didnt git bit pullin' Sean outta the river.) Time ta watch it agin. I will keep a sharp eye out fer that line.

regards
bearridge

Gus: Now the only healthy way to live, as I see it, is to learn to like all the little every day things.
Lori: Yeah. Like what?
Gus: Well like a good sip a whiskey every evening, or a soft bed to sleep in, or a warm glass of buttermilk, or...or like a feisty ole gentleman like myself.

 

[gbinga]

Friend George,

Time ta watch it agin. I will keep a sharp eye out fer that line.

Bear - I may have cheated a bit - I don't think that actually is in the movie, but it IS in the book, very near the beginning.

Love that movie, and the book, too.

George

 

[rpecot]

Several years ago, I took my daughter backpacking on the Black Creek Trail in Mississippi. She was about 10 or 11 I guess. Still too young not to think backpacking wasn't very "girlie" yet old enough to carry her own little pack with some gear. Anyway, we had walked in about 3 miles and camped alongside the river (a great paddling river, by the way). We had a nice evening and slept well. The next morning, it was still cool by the time we loaded up our packs and hit the trail back to the car. We weren't 20 feet from the campsite when she stepped square on top of a copperhead curled up in the middle of the trail. She froze and I pushed her forward past the snake. I guess the cool morning air is what kept the snake docile. I made a wide circle around it. I never quite got my heart out of my throat for the rest of the hike. I just kept envisioning having to carry her out the rest of the way. It was a very jittery hike out.

 

[bearridge]

Several years ago, I took my daughter backpacking on the Black Creek Trail in Mississippi. Anyway, we had walked in about 3 miles and camped alongside the river (a great paddling river, by the way).

See O Master of Flowbizness.....I tole ya. I hear that iz a fine hikin' trail too. I have paddled frum that bridge up above Brooklyn down ta Janis Landin'. I got a hankerin' ta do the whole stretch in the National Scenic Creek protection. It looks like the St. Mary would if the peach 'n sunshine states had took care of it.....kept folks from the banks, throwin' garbage in it 'n such.

thanks Russell
bearridge

I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.  James Madison

 

[Kayak Jack]

Had 5 kindsa snakes in Nanm, Four would kill ya, and the 5th one ate ya whole. Had a 9 1/2' python around me at the bar on Bien Hoa. Three guys got him off.

 

[Wannabe]

Jack,
Do you remember the name of the litle gal that had the snake? :lol:

 

[Kayak Jack]

Jack,
Do you remember the name of the little gal that had the snake? :lol:

53st Tactical Fighter Squadron, 3rd Tactical Fighter Wing, PACAF

We were the 416thTFS.