SSSSSnakes !!!!

[Magicman]

Yesterday during our annual July 4th trail ride and scavenger hunt a Grandson spotted this Timber Rattler. Someone generally sees one every year and the standing instructions is to take pictures but do not get off of your ride and do not mess with it.
Video:

 

[Fordtech86]

Yesterday during our annual July 4th trail ride and scavenger hunt a Grandson spotted this Timber Rattler. Someone generally sees one every year and the standing instructions is to take pictures but do not get off of your ride and do not mess with it. View attachment 45516
Video:

Ive seen more damn snakes this year then I ever have out here. Had to get one the other day that I walked past then my wife came out and freaked out, was right out the patio door

 

[jajiu]

Plenty of Poison Ivy around the snakes territory too. Another good reason to keep away from the snake.

 

[lugbolt]

had a little one come IN THE DOOR the other day. The cat spotted it and killed it right at the door. He don't miss much.

Most of what I see around here is harmless, lots of rat snakes and king snakes. Neighbor has a pond and said he spotted a cottonmouth, but a lot folks say that and the "cottonmouth" turns out to be a water snake. They are similar to the untrained "eye". That's how I know the difference. Vertical pupil? Keep your distance. Round pupil? Leave it alone but it's not going to kill you. Round eye and it comes in the house? Oscar'll get it.

The vet and I had a discussion a while back about why cats like string. He went on to say that cats and snakes are natural and instinctive enemies in that they both compete for the same foods (small rodents, insects, etc) and that string/rope is a natural "toy" to cats. Interesting. I've never heard it put that way. Maybe that's one reason there ain't many snakes around here, the neighbor's little gray cat kills them all. She's a real small, maybe a runt, cat, but man she is one GOOD killer.

 

[NHSleddog]

...Maybe that's one reason there ain't many snakes around here, the neighbor's little gray cat kills them all. She's a real small, maybe a runt, cat, but man she is one GOOD killer.

Our cat has been on the ASPCA's 10 most wanted poster for years now. As a hunter myself, I am constantly in awe at what she kills. Birds, squirrels, snakes, chipmunks etc. She is a machine, out from dusk till dawn every day.

 

[WFM]

Thats one big snake in that video. I'd be shooting from the seat.
I see on Northwoods Law the game warden show New Hampshire has one spot that has timber rattlers. Near Sunepee I think. They have a micro chip in a few and track them by radio.
I hate snakes. On the Kubota I use a .410 x #4 shot and the paraha bar, chop chop when I'm bush hogging. I think the rattlers are protected here and none seen since the 30's. But if any show up, shoot shovel and shut up.

 

[Magicman]

Professional Foresters regularly encounter Rattlers and their general opinion is to live and let live. I understand their thinking but it's difficult for me to not take action. I dislike Rattlers but I hate Cottonmouths.

I do have strict rules with the Grandkids during our trail rides. Take pictures but do not get off of your ride.

 

[Creature Meadow]

Found this under back of barn when I was crawling under there to store my new taters. he/she has been around for years never seen it though but I find his/her shed about every year.

Once found shed inside my work shop on top shelf about 8 feet up. Climbed up ladder to get down plastic bin and it fell on my ladder, bout had to change my shorts.

It was nearly 81 inches long, big ole black snake.

 

[Magicman]

Larger snakes are generally females.

If the scales from the anus to the tail tip are divided/criscross diagonal the snake is/was non-poisonous. Undivided horizontal scales denotes a poisonous snake, think rattles on a Rattler.

LINK

 

[johnjk]

Just more reasons to move to Alaska

 

[CaveCreekRay]

Loads of snake tracks on the driveway this year. Lot's of traffic in and out of a wash that starts near our barn. I use the rake contraption on my Ranger to fine rake the driveway and the snake traffic across the drive stands out easily as an S-pattern

So far no rattlers. Those become training aids for the dogs and their shock collars if they show any interest. That is the biggest problem out here this time of year. My two-year old Reservation Rescue dog is a wild dog at heart and loves chasing rabbits which she catches and kills. We have to keep an eye on her to keep her out of the brambles because that is where the snakes like to hide.

This was a Bull or a Hognose. I can never tell them apart. Non poisonous. This one is about five feet long. I am constantly shooing them off the streets in the early fall as the street stays warm and they go to sleep where they risk getting run over. In cold weather, snakes become very lethargic and you have to wake them up with a stick to get them to get out of harms way. I was trimming under the edge of a Rosemary bush one year and a baby rattler was under there asleep. It was about 50F and he was totally unaware I had just bumped him with my glove. That took a few weeks off my life.

Non poisonous snakes are your friend out here because they are territorial and run off or kill Rattlers. Funny, these will coil up and they make a "rattle" sound with their mouths. Very convincing, they are.



This is your best friend in AZ. A King Snake. Non poisonous, very easy to spot, and a Rattler's worst enemy (hence the name "King"). This was shot a couple weeks back right outside my barn. I had a baby one of these, maybe a foot long, in my house garage years ago and I was afraid I'd injure him or drive over him. I musta dragged him out of the garage four or five times. Finally, he went away. Snake grabbers are very handy out here...

 

[motionclone]

Just more reasons to move to Alaska

No poisonous snakes in Maine thank god

 

[johnjk]

poisonous or not, I don't like them. We have an agreement. They don't come in my house or climb on my tractor and I won't blow their heads off with my shotgun. Working well so far

 

[NHSleddog]

Everytime my wife says, "lets move somewhere warm..." I always remind her of the snakes and poisonous critters ... and she goes back to warming by the fire.

 

[hope to float]

There are no snakes here thank God (or St. Patrick )

 

[PHPaul]

No poisonous snakes in Maine thank god

Exactly. While in the Navy, I lived on the edge of Francis Marion National Forest (Swamp) in SC. The house we rented was on what was known locally as Rattlesnake Hill (no, I did not know that when we rented the place).

Rattlers and Cottonmouths were sighted almost daily. Darn near lost a dog to one or the other, but he recovered against the odds.

While on the topic, I found this on the 'net:

My daughter is a darn good artist. I'm gathering up tires as we speak. Folks like to help themselves to my driveway to gain access to the stream that is my back property line so they can go kayaking. I'm thinking the above critter strategically placed in the weeds next to the stream might provide some amusement...

 

[Magicman]

My Grandson, Luke and I have been sawmilling a job this week and this afternoon we got down to the last 3 Pine logs in the pile. This is what was under them....

Yup, a Timber Rattler. It went it's way and we got the logs and went our way.

 

[bird dogger]

My daughter is a darn good artist. I'm gathering up tires as we speak. Folks like to help themselves to my driveway to gain access to the stream that is my back property line so they can go kayaking. I'm thinking the above critter strategically placed in the weeds next to the stream might provide some amusement...

A hidden game camera would be a must do for that situation!

 

[Stmar]

It has been dry here this year and I have only seen one small garter snake and a large bull snake. The bull snakes are usually around in warm weather but this year only the one. Only 3 rattlers in 20 years, in our other place we would see 10 a year since we lived by a prairie dog town.