Speaking of snakes....

[Al Agnew]

Yeah, I've known several people (men) who have a true snake phobia--they simply go nuts if they see a snake, and even a picture of one sends them off the deep end.  I took a couple of them on float trips, and they absolutely couldn't enjoy the trip because they were so scared of snakes that they spent the entire time watching for them.  One guy, many years ago, broke one of those wooden cases that the glass bottles of soda used to come in over another guy's head when he threw a rubber snake at him.  Most people who are afraid of snakes aren't quite that bad, but they get cold chills and shakes when they see a snake too close.  Even though I have no fear whatsoever of them, when I encounter one close up by surprise I always flinch, jump, or my heart seems to go up into my throat in the instant before I can catch myself.  My wife is a LITTLE worse than I am about fearing them, but I've pretty much aclimated her to them by catching almost every one I find around the house and bringing it in to show her.  She no longer minds the northern watersnakes in the water garden in the front yard, the milk snakes and black rat snakes that somehow find their way into the basement garage, or the ringneck snakes that are hiding under some of the rocks in the flower gardens, and she loves the green grass snakes we find in the flowers occasionally.

[luckycraft]

12 minutes ago, Al Agnew said:

Yeah, I've known several people (men) who have a true snake phobia--they simply go nuts if they see a snake, and even a picture of one sends them off the deep end.  I took a couple of them on float trips, and they absolutely couldn't enjoy the trip because they were so scared of snakes that they spent the entire time watching for them.  One guy, many years ago, broke one of those wooden cases that the glass bottles of soda used to come in over another guy's head when he threw a rubber snake at him.  Most people who are afraid of snakes aren't quite that bad, but they get cold chills and shakes when they see a snake too close.  Even though I have no fear whatsoever of them, when I encounter one close up by surprise I always flinch, jump, or my heart seems to go up into my throat in the instant before I can catch myself.  My wife is a LITTLE worse than I am about fearing them, but I've pretty much aclimated her to them by catching almost every one I find around the house and bringing it in to show her.  She no longer minds the northern watersnakes in the water garden in the front yard, the milk snakes and black rat snakes that somehow find their way into the basement garage, or the ringneck snakes that are hiding under some of the rocks in the flower gardens, and she loves the green grass snakes we find in the flowers occasionally.

I am one of those men that have a snake phobia,  but do look at the eyes and only kill the copperheads.  I had a 4 foot black snake in my shed that got a heck of a ride over my fence last year and my blood pressure I'm sure was at sky rates.   ooof I hate snakes, but respect them for what they do. 

[Al Agnew]

If you can stand to get close enough and hold still long enough to see their eyes, you don't have a real snake phobia.  The guys I know that do have the phobia can't even look at a snake from a distance without doing something freaky.  One that I took on a float trip saw a whole bunch of snakes (probably because all he did was look for them).  If the snake was more than 50 feet away he would holler not to go in that direction.  One that surprised him from about ten feet away precipitated such frantic paddling away from it that water was splashing way past the snake.  Needless to say, I never took him again (and he never asked).

[lee G.]

I worked on a survey crew when I was just out of school, one of the guys on another crew once threw a machete at another guy that picked up a snake. He was that terrified of snakes! I havent a clue why he worked in the outdoors, always seemed strange. 

[Foghorn]

Caught a garter snake in the backyard to show the Mrs.She took it into the house to show the kids who were early teenagers at the time. I could hear them yelling for me as "Dad, Mom has a snake in the house." Years later a neighbor lady had left her back door open and a snake had got in her utility room. She called the house looking for me only I was on the train at work. Susie went over and caught the snake and was headed out of the house when the police and animal control officer showed up.

[BilletHead]

Snakes!

see lone survivor post on the morel and wild edible thread

BilletHead

[Deadstream]

We have a very realistic rubber snake that has been on every camping, fishing , hunting, bachelor party trip, colonoscopy exam etc. that my group of friends have had for more then 30 years. We all know it's going to show up sometime but it still scares the heck out of the victim. As we get older we have discussed the possibility of heart attacks.   

[jdmidwest]

Colonoscopy exam?

There must be a story.

[luckycraft]

On April 20, 2016 at 0:46 PM, Al Agnew said:

If you can stand to get close enough and hold still long enough to see their eyes, you don't have a real snake phobia.  The guys I know that do have the phobia can't even look at a snake from a distance without doing something freaky.  One that I took on a float trip saw a whole bunch of snakes (probably because all he did was look for them).  If the snake was more than 50 feet away he would holler not to go in that direction.  One that surprised him from about ten feet away precipitated such frantic paddling away from it that water was splashing way past the snake.  Needless to say, I never took him again (and he never asked).

great to know i don't have a phobia... but it took me an hour to go back in my shed to face the beast.  It would still be there if i didn't have kids...... and better a wife that told me I have to be a man!....  I'm no hero, but faced my fear for the safety of my kids

[dan hufferd]

On 4/19/2016 at 3:03 PM, Flysmallie said:

Some people just can't handle snakes. My wife is terrified of them. She don't even like to see a picture of them. (Kind of like you and monkeys)  If she ever sees even a garter snake in the yard we will have to burn the house to the ground and then move. It won't be pretty.

That is funny, monkeys?? no clowns they are scary!