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Old 03-16-2020, 06:40 PM   #41
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In the John Wayne movies, they just pull out their six shooter and shoot them.

On a bit more serious note, would arming yourself be on option? I'm thinking a pistol with snake shot in it. Not sure how effective but I think I'd like something in case things go bad.
Realistically, if you can see a rattle snake well enough to shoot it, you are in a position to just avoid it. It is not going to attack you.
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Old 03-16-2020, 07:02 PM   #42
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A few years back I was bow hunting and back in about 3 miles. It was starting to warm up so I decided to stop and take a rest. When you stop and rest in rattle snake country you stop in an open bare ground area so you can see dirt from a long ways around you. LOl
I laid my bow and small day pack about 12 feet from where I sat and rested. About 30 minutes later I decided it was time to get going. I stood up and I heard rattling!! I never moved but my head was on a swivel trying to see the rattler. Now, remember I was on bare ground could see all around me in 30 plus feet all bare ground and couldn't see that snake. I would move it would rattle. LOL Make a long story short the rattler crawled right under my day pack and bow to get some shade. I had no long stick etc.. I couldn't find anything close so I started to walk and finally found an old wood fence post. I wondered a good hour looking for a stick long enough to use. I headed back there and got the snake and went on my way. LOl
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Old 03-16-2020, 08:27 PM   #43
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Originally Posted by Jerry1 View Post
In the John Wayne movies, they just pull out their six shooter and shoot them.

On a bit more serious note, would arming yourself be on option? I'm thinking a pistol with snake shot in it. Not sure how effective but I think I'd like something in case things go bad.
I went to college with a guy whose next door neighbor had been a Secret Service agent. He told us once that when he was on the protection detail for Lyndon Johnson (after his term) they got out of the car in TX and there was a rattler nearby. One of the agents shot at it 3 or 4 times and missed each time. LBJ just laughed, picked up a stick, and pushed the snake aside and went on his way. Pretty funny.
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Old 03-16-2020, 08:35 PM   #44
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I came across this last summer. There's a small stream near our house, and if you look closely, in some underwater vines, this feller was lurking. Probably waiting for an animal to come take a drink. Pretty sure it was a cottonmouth. He swam toward me with his mouth open raised in the air, so I high-tailed it out of there, except with my tail between my legs.
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Old 03-16-2020, 08:54 PM   #45
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I can't be positive from the 2nd picture, but if that's it's head I'm pretty sure it's just a water snake. The moccasin has a really thick body and a head that is significantly wider than it's neck. I've seen moccasins, and that doesn't look like one to me. But I could be wrong. Ask DW.

Looking at it more, I'm pretty sure I'm right. I think that's a northern water snake. But many water snakes are fairly aggressive, and beating feet probably wasn't a bad idea. I've been bitten by non venomous snakes a few times, and it sucks! It's easy to get a nasty infection if you don't clean it out pretty quickly and well.

Out of curiosity, where were you located? If it wasn't in the south and east of the Mississippi (or part of Texas) it pretty sure wasn't a mocassin.
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Old 03-16-2020, 09:19 PM   #46
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I can't be positive from the 2nd picture, but if that's it's head I'm pretty sure it's just a water snake.

Out of curiosity, where were you located? If it wasn't in the south and east of the Mississippi (or part of Texas) it pretty sure wasn't a mocassin.
This is in central Texas. I'm not familiar with the water snakes around here- wish I could have taken a picture of his head. The numerous coral snakes are spooky enough, especially the one that I found hiding under my daughter's bed. Nothing like worrying about stepping on something squishy at night with bare feet. Yikes.
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Old 03-17-2020, 05:03 AM   #47
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I came across this last summer. There's a small stream near our house, and if you look closely, in some underwater vines, this feller was lurking. Probably waiting for an animal to come take a drink. Pretty sure it was a cottonmouth. He swam toward me with his mouth open raised in the air, so I high-tailed it out of there, except with my tail between my legs.
That looks like a cottonmouth and the action you describe definitely fits their behavior pattern - aggressive. I've had numerous encounters with both rattlesnakes and water moccasins over the years and consider the rattlers the lesser of the two evils. They usually provide a warning and don't chase after you when you run!
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Old 03-17-2020, 05:13 AM   #48
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I went to college with a guy whose next door neighbor had been a Secret Service agent. He told us once that when he was on the protection detail for Lyndon Johnson (after his term) they got out of the car in TX and there was a rattler nearby. One of the agents shot at it 3 or 4 times and missed each time. LBJ just laughed, picked up a stick, and pushed the snake aside and went on his way. Pretty funny.
Classic!

I never did figure out how someone thought they could shoot a snake and not miss most of the time.
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Old 03-17-2020, 05:16 AM   #49
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This is in central Texas. I'm not familiar with the water snakes around here- wish I could have taken a picture of his head. The numerous coral snakes are spooky enough, especially the one that I found hiding under my daughter's bed. Nothing like worrying about stepping on something squishy at night with bare feet. Yikes.
Lots of water snakes in TX, at least a couple of species.

I never saw a water moccasin in central Texas although that is in their range. I saw tons of water snakes.

Saw plenty of water moccasins in East Texas.
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Old 03-17-2020, 05:25 AM   #50
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I never saw a water moccasin in central Texas.
I used to encounter them frequently when fishing at the in-laws house in Menard County. Their range extends to west central TX, covering much of the state.
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Old 03-17-2020, 06:08 AM   #51
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I used to encounter them frequently when fishing at the in-laws house in Menard County. Their range extends to west central TX, covering much of the state.
Right, I already knew from the range map that they were there, just never saw one.

We have the Snakes of Texas guidebook. That’s an excellent resource. TX has a huge number of species of snakes, and most are limited to part of the state.

Note how Tex-Mex border area has no water moccasins. Neither do we have copperheads. We have plenty of rattlers though and poisonous cane toads.
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Old 03-17-2020, 08:36 AM   #52
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Note how Tex-Mex border area has no water moccasins. Neither do we have copperheads.
Maybe the Border Patrol folks are better shots than the Secret Service.
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Old 03-17-2020, 01:16 PM   #53
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Maybe the Border Patrol folks are better shots than the Secret Service.
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Old 03-18-2020, 05:47 AM   #54
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Did a 10-mile hike yesterday in the nearby National Forest. Reading this thread made many of the sticks along the path look like a snake. I must've seen about 500 snakes, uh, sticks that looked just like snakes.

In the end, the actual snake count was one (1): An excellent specimen of a ribbon snake probably within a few hours of molting since it was so brilliantly green-lined.

Quote:
He swam toward me with his mouth open raised in the air, ...
You would've noticed the totally brilliant white mouth of a cottonmouth (see my photo posted upthread) and told us about that if it had been a cottonmouth. The pattern shown in your photo is classic water snake and so is the behavior.
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Old 03-18-2020, 05:55 AM   #55
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You would've noticed the totally brilliant white mouth of a cottonmouth (see my photo posted upthread) and told us about that if it had been a cottonmouth. The pattern shown in your photo is classic water snake and so is the behavior.
I missed your pictures earlier because I wasn't logged on or something.

Wow! LOL! Those are some pretty good specimen pictures you took. Holy cow.
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