Jim,

Your godson's experience with a cottonmouth certainly was a close call. Thank goodness for very thick pants seams.

We don't have cottonmouths north of the fall-line in SC so my experience is much more limitted than yours with poison water snakes. My experience in low SC, GA, and Fl pretty much mirrors yours, leave them alone and they will go their own way.

I watched a show of TV several years ago that confirms pretty much what you are saying. Some scientists from the University of GA or FL were trying to make cottonmouths bite. Most of the snakes had to be stepped on repeated before they would strike. Some even refused to bite after being stepped on four or five time (with snake-proof boots). 8T


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You had better learn to be a happy camper. You only get one try at this campground and it's a real short camping season.