A great article on the snakes this week.
Well written and rather tactfully so as well.G I can not take scientific exception with anything you have said. Over
the course of the last 50 years of fishing
in the southeast, I have repeatedly come in
contact with many watersnakes including the
cottonmouth. It has been my experience that
they will most often leave an area and avoid
you like the plague. There have been a few
exceptions but with modest persuasion, (non-
harmful to the snakes), they often reconsider and depart the area anyway. In
all of this time, there have been three of
the moccasins that seemed bound and determined to share my fishing craft with
me. In each case, I took my paddle and
pushed them away from the boat. For
whatever reason, they quickly returned and
seemed hell bent to enter same. In each
case, I dispatched said snake with malace.
Perhaps an easily explained misunderstanding between the two of us, but
never the less, the best course of action in my adreneline charged mind was to do away with the perceived threat. On three
other occasions in my lifetime, people I
was with were actually bitten by the snakes. On two occasions it was cotton
mouths and on the third it was a copperhead. The most recent just a few
years ago, a cottonmouth struck my godson
as his mother and I were walking with him
here on our property. He was a toddler.
He had on long britches and the snake
struck him on the seam and his fangs stuck
in the material. I had to pull him off of
my godsons pants and I caused said snake
grevious bodily harm. Adreneline again.G
As it turned out, the snakes fangs had not
broken the skin, apparantly due to having
struck the thicker area of seam. In all
liklihood I have contributed to the
missunderstood moccasins reputation since
these experiences. I do however maintain
a certain amount of respect for these
creatures and if at all possible will leave
them completely alone. It is quite obvious
that more than 99.9 percent of the time that they will return the favor. It’s that
odd fraction of a percent that gets us in
trouble. Great article. Warm regards, Jim
I also appreciated the article greatly, and agree with 99% of it. Just want to kindly and respectfully remind, in my own column the only time I related aggressive behavior from the cottonmouth snake was when I had fish in the boat they wanted and refused to be dissuaded, and when I bumped a nest of them on the bank with my boat. Hundreds of others have passed me by or been passed by without a second thought on either of our parts.
So I agree with the article almost entirely…I just do maintain there are exceptions, mine exactly like Jim’s.
It’s not always easy for calmer heads to prevail, but they should. Good article.
Back in the old days, when my passions ran to more exciting stuff than raising sheep, I was a zookeeper and worked with reptiles. I attended a lecture regarding medical treatment for poisonous snake bites, and the doctors involved had some interesting insights. For instance, alcohol was involved in many human/snake encounters. The snakes weren’t the ones drinking, either, and most of the bites they treated were on hands, meaning that someone was being stupid.
My rule for dealing with poisonous snakes is the same as the one for dealing with drunk guys: walk away.
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
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.
You have very eloquently stated my personal feelings about the whole “snake” article hubbub. Thanks very much, your article is much appreciated.
I would like to apologize for all offended by my views in the previous post, especially to RStouff. I was trying to get across the same words as Everette but obviously failed to some degree in my effort. I guess the only silver lining is that if we all agreed all the time, there wouldn’t be a reason for a board like this.
Have a great day everyone,
-John
[This message has been edited by ktokj (edited 07 February 2005).]
Last fall I got came across a water mocossain that was between me and the water. I didn’t see it 'til I got about two feet away and it started coming after me. Don’t tell me they’re not fast, I just happened to be a little faster! lol
Don’t know why he came after me instead of heading for the water, but that was the only incident like that I’ve ever had, and I’ve lived in some very snakey places. Those cute, scaley little boogers aren’t usually a problem. They don’t mind me and I don’t mind them.
