Was servicing a HVAC unit out in the country, about 60 miles east of Memphis. Friend of mine’s place.

It was dusk and we were getting ready to leave, I told my boss I’d drive. I walked around the front of the truck, looked down in time to see a 2’ copperhead strike at my feet. I was out of his range. There were 5 adults and 5 dogs there, so I dispatched the snake. I love snakes and if I could have, I’d have captured this one and transported him to a more isolated place, but it was getting dark and I had no container to hold him in. Broke my heart to dispatch him, but that’s the way it turned out


If my boss Had come around to drive, I doubt he would have seen the snake, and probably would have gotten bit. He is one of those who have an absolute fear of snakes. He would have died of a heart attack long before the venom had any effect on him. And that is the truth.

anyway, I’m glad I did not get bit.

It happens that one has to die every now and again. Have had to kill more than one venomous one around places of work and homes.

Glad you're all safe.

I sure don't feel bad about killing copperheads if they are in or near the yard.

Bandit got bitten about 3 1/2 years ago when he was too young to snake train. Both dogs are snake trained now. They tell me when a snake is near.

Poisonous snakes are something I've never had to deal with. They're around, especially copperheads, although I've never seen one here on my farm. I have hunted all my life and have yet to see a poisonous snake alive out in the wild. I have ran over a copperhead or two, but that's been it as far as killing one.

Story here...........when I was a rural mail carrier, there was an old house place that was a good place to stop where I could take a leak without being seen. It was all grown up and weedy, and one day as I was stopping to pee, there was a huge copperhead there in the road that had been run over. The thought occurred to me that I might have pizzed on that snake at some point in the past.

Would the snake feel regret if it had bit you?

We have a lot of them in the immediate area here.

Not sure how many I've killed around the headquarters here. 30-40... maybe more.

Neighbor about 1/2 mile from me started killing them in his yard one day, and killed 9 adult copperheads in one day, right around his house.

Spooked the hell out of his not so country gal wife..


On the upside, the whole area for several miles here has no rattlers. You have to go 25 miles or more to get into rattlers.

Not sure which is worse. I think rattlers are.

A few years ago, about this time of year, my wife was giving me a hair cut in the back yard. It was hot so all I was wearing was shorts. Our two young grand kids had played all morning bare footed in the yard. After she finished, I was folding the chair I had been sitting in and noticed a copperhead coiled about 7’ from us. He was only about 14 inches long but would have still caused a lot of discomfort if one of us had stepped on it. After a brief encounter with a garden hoe, it stepped off into eternity.

https://www.land.com/lifestyle/most-venomous-snakes-in-north-america/

My grand dad used to go under the house a couple of times a year with a single shot .410 to clear the rattlers out.

My personal rule with venomous snakes is that if they are in an area with a good likelyhood of coming into contact with people or pets, they die without a second’s hesitation. Out in the wild, live and let live...

The problem with copperheads is that they can be aggressive- - - - -delivering multiple bites on occasion. I load my .45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk with "rat shot on steroids"- - - - -Put a pretty good charge of Bullseye or LilGun in the bottom of the case, seal it off with a thick card wad, fill the case to the top with #9 or smaller shot, and seat a .45 gas check upside down on top of the shot charge. A moderate roll crimp on the case mouth keeps everything in place in the cylinders not in line with the barrel during recoil.

I grew up in western Ks. Our rule of thumb was, if you see a rattle snake, kill it. Don’t know a person there that had a different philosophy. In the 20 years I lived there I probably killed a dozen.
Knew two people that were bit by them. Both survived but one guy nearly lost an arm.

I know a lot of people with that same philosophy and I totally get it. I just figure they were put here for a purpose just like any other critter - except for tarantulas. I hate the fuggers. Instant death sentence no matter where they are!

I send them to heaven.......

I’m not going to let them see the day they nail a dog or person......

Fudge them fang worms.....

My wife was bit by a Copperhead last 4th of July Holiday weekend when we were visiting family at their vacation house at Bull Shoals lake in Arkansas.

We were a good ways from a hospital and it was not a fun experience. Ended up being a pretty nasty, painful situation and she was off work for a good while.

The only good Copperhead is a dead one.

I didn't know that had happened. Sorry she had to go through that.

I'm with you on the copperheads.

I figure any job delegated to venomous snakes can be done just as well by bullsnakes, garter snakes, etc.
We just have rattlers in our country (as far as venomous) - they will die, if I have my way.
Bull snakes give me a "start" - but will survive.

Glad things worked out and the SOB didn't connect.

Snake Lives Matter!

Don't Tread on Me!

“She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage.”…”but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal:—Conscious of this, she never wounds til she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of stepping on her.—Was I wrong, Sir, in thinking this a strong picture of the temper and conduct of America?”
The Rattlesnake is found in no other quarter of the world besides America
The rattlesnake also has sharp eyes, and “may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance.
She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage
The rattle = the number of the Colonies united in America

Benjamin Franklin to his friend Christopher Gadsden

It was a pro revolution symbol of honorable self defense against the British tyranny.
They became the emblem of freedom in several parts of colonial America. Some wanted them to be the Mascot.

I respect Rattlers. 9 out of 10 Bites are from someone trying to kill them (occasionally catch). I've found a way to keep them away from your property without going through the risk of killing them.

Ive not seen a venomous snake in the wild.
Turkey hunt where copperhead, rattler and cottonmouths are.

Buddy had a copperhead pop out when we went turkey hunting.

Fencepost lizards were cool

Keith,

So as not to misunderstand, I brought up the Gadsden/Culpeper slogan because someone mentioned rattlers. I can't blame you for removing the copperhead from your living area.

That said, she was a bute. Most copperheads aren't so colorful and distinctive. One of the best looking North American snakes. Shame its not going to be tanned for a special holster or hat band.

Tarantulas??? Come on.
What state are you in?

See a couple of copperheads or more every year here on this place.

Used to catch one in a minnow trap almost every time I threw one in the branch. Copperhead, not a banded water snake.

We have a couple a 5 ft king snakes that I see laying on our creosote bridge decking, from time to time, especially in the fall. I have no idea how long they live but they have been around about 4 yrs, they hunt copperheads so the family here knows not to run them over

Oh, I see now that the CH pic was Rockinbar's

I hate the fuggers with a passion. I’m a northerner since transplanted to NM. Never had to deal with any till I moved down here a couple years ago. Snakes don’t bother me in the least BTW. Even the venomous ones.

Hey, we hear on tha Far r mo better then nakes.

Being from Texas, and an outdoorsman, and dog man, I've dealt with a few snake bit dogs and have had some scarey close calls.

Just last night for some reason I remembered one. First time too, I thanked HIM for letting me make it home 2 miles away all those 48 years ago.

The ones a mile from a road or 30 miles from town are a lot more dangerous than ones around town, actually.

I do my best to keep people from having bad days.

Worst news than can befall a preteen girls’ slumber party.


Little brother.....”I have an announcement to make, my pet tarantula is missing....”

Lol...

What color are they?

Up in WV we even have a tarantula. Its a rare trap door variety that can tolerate our climate. Never saw one.
Have handled some Mexican ones.
They are scary for the size, but the venom is not likely very dangerous.
Black widows like there if I'm not mistaken. We have a bunch in our area. I've walked through their webs and nearly put my hand on them a few times. Door knobs, basketball...

I’ve told this story before. Back in the 80’s I was stationed at Ft. Hunter Liggett, in southern Monterey County. About 25 miles from King City, CA. I was doing a stint as the battalion commander’s driver. He didn’t get out of the office too often so most of the time I hung around with the Command Sergeant Major’s driver and would shoot the Schit with them in his office.

The CSM had a husky named Dusty that was sort of the battalion’s unofficial mascot. I had a lot of down time and to kill the boredom, I used to like to take him out for walks around the battalion HQ’s area. We were literally out in the middle of nowhere out there. A lot of wildlife, including rattlers. This one particular day, I was holding on to his leash as he was going about his business near some bushes. I heard a buzzing sound and as it caught our attention, he dove head first into the brush before I could pull him back.

I heard him yelp loudly, as he jumped back and began rubbing his face into the dirt. I got a hold of him and his face started to swell like a balloon. I looked toward the bush and heard and saw a small Pissed off rattler all coiled up and ready to strike again right where Dusty had stuck his head.

I killed the snake and brought Dusty back inside. By that time his head had swollen up like a cantaloupe. I was Schitting bricks when I told the Sergeant Major what had happened, but he barely even looked up from his paperwork and said “Don’t worry ‘bout it. He’ll be fine. It’s happened before.” I couldn’t believe it. I was freakin out but he barely seemed concerned at all. He assured me he’d be fine. Told the dog to lay down in his bed in a corner of the office and that was that. I thought for sure Dusty was a goner, but sure enough, in a couple days he was good as new and you couldn’t even tell he’d been bit.

I think that’s when I really lost a lot of my fear of being snake bit. I honestly was never really too concerned about it to begin with, but I think that experience really cemented the fact in my head that it’s not an automatic death sentence like a lot of people seem to think. Don’t get me wrong, I know they’re dangerous, and they’ll most likely make you sick as hell but it’s pretty rare to die from a snakebite. At least in North America.

Around here they’re brown to black. Have lots of widows and brown recluse as well. They are the real nasty fuggers. Know a lady that got bit by a recluse and she’s still having issues years later.

Funny story. True story.

I caught a harmless black snake one day. Threw together a terrarium for it until I could get something proper.

The next day, I got a knock on the door.
It was a couple of morman ladies.
That's the first time they came over to visit.

I went to get them something to drink and came back into the living room.

Guess who wanted to visit the nice morman ladies??

At their feet looking up at them was my new friend who somehow escaped from three rooms over and made his way to them while I was gone less.than 5 minutes.
Almost on their feet!
😂

I don't know why they never came back to visit?

Sorry to hear about that.

Ive been around two copperhead bites...both proved extremely painful to the victim. One was only a one fang in a finger, the other was a great deal more serious, but both victims lived with very little damage.


Ive hunted venemous snakes for 35+ years and a copperhead was the only one that got me, and he didn't get through the boot. He got me because I stepped on him BTW...

Where you at? What subspecies of copperhead is that? Almost looks Trans Pecos...

Pretty good chance of dying from an untreated rattler bite. Dogs seem to handle them better than humans. Horses and cows also.

Snake bites have caused a lot of permanent disability and I have seen some pretty big divots out of old ranchers which were deemed successful treatments.

I expect the husky had recieved and survived a previous bite it may have luckily survived which resulted in an immune response that helped it survive subsequent ones. Many men who work with snakes are also pretty resistant to severe reactions after having sustained a few bites.

A bite near the eye can easily result in loss of the eye and many bird dogs, significantly smaller than a huskie, have died from face bites or suffocation subsequent to swelling closing airways.

Leg bites from copperheads are much less serious.

Believe it or not, I've handled the orange variety.
They're one of the most common in the pet stores.

If you come across a blonde one, I'll take it off your hands.

Here's an article on the one that you described. Sounds like you're not the only one who thinks that they are creepy.

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.o...-tarantula-looks-big-hairy-and-scary7297



I got to get up early. I better hit the hay.
All this talk of spiders should make for some interesting dreams. LOL!

A lot of folks died on the Oregon trail from snake bites.

https://sites.google.com/site/oregontrailfirstaid/injury/snake-bites

He had been bit a couple times before. CSM said he was a hard headed sum bitch because despite that fact, he wouldn’t learn and kept screwing with them.

Snake bites are treated as emergencies for good reason. 30 min after a bite the woman had no recordable B/P and brain bleeds.

https://emcrit.org/toxhound/ff-rapid-collapse-rattlesnake/

This dog had a bad day.

https://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0104-79302001000200011

Scroll down to the dog leg with a copperhead bite.

https://tongs.com/resources/snakebite-photo-gallery/

Jag, I just told you how I’m not afraid of snakes. C’mon man, I want to keep it that way. . .

Hahaha. Sorry, but you may want to reconsider the seriousness more than by just looking at the death stats. Look for $100,000 to $300,000 in medical expenses depending on many different factors.

Stay safe, DF.

Lol, I will. You do the same... 😁👍🏻

South Texas. Coastal Plains.

We have those orangeish colored ones like that one, and others can be brownish/tan.

OK...that makes sense then...thanks!

I’ve killed 2 this year. I stepped on one in 68, sophomore in high school. I recommend it for everyone.



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Put's things in a new perspective....older mountain folk here call 'em highland moccasins. I haven't seen one in a couple of years, bunch of possums in the area, they love to eat 'em.

Yup. Things happened fast, do I didn’t think about skinning it😟

You get bit, you are going to have more than one bad day, probably 6 or 7.