Flat Creek and Snakes

[Flysmallie]

Yep it was just a black snake. He got it down and sent it on its way. He has several living around his house and shop. 

[tjm]

1 hour ago, MrGiggles said:

I read somewhere that they are evolving to not rattle when threatened, since it gives away their location and they're usually killed. The silent ones get passed on and reproduce. Scary.

May be, but the velvet tails are ambush hunters, they just lay there waiting for prey to come within reach. Less energy used in hunting means they can go a long time between meals. I figure maybe when they have just eaten they get sluggish  like I do. Scary is when you are horse back in tall sage brush and see rattlers at almost eye level sunbathing. Contrary to movie myth horses ain't afraid of snakes and will walk you right under them.

[3DHUSKER]

Always finding black snakes eating copperheads around my house here in SWM.  

[tjm]

2 hours ago, 3DHUSKER said:

black snakes eating copperheads

I'd like to see that some time, I've read that they den up together in winter. I have seen black snakes eating eggs and a living rabbit. Saw a king snake eating other snakes a few times.

[dblades]

21 hours ago, MrGiggles said:

Almost surely a black rat snake. Common around here, I see more of those than anything else.

I read somewhere that they are evolving to not rattle when threatened, since it gives away their location and they're usually killed. The silent ones get passed on and reproduce. Scary.

I've never had a rattler actually rattle at me and I've had a LOT of encounters when I lived  and hunted in Arizona. Been face to face with a rattler while down on my hands and knees looking for dove and quail  I shoot in the under brush, came within 6 inches of stepping down on a coiled one, climbing cliffs and they are on the shelf etc.

I have heard a large Western diamondback rattler going off and they are amazingly loud.

[Quillback]

Had a buddies dog get hit by a rattler when we were chukar hunting in Washington.  My dog was right next to her when she got hit, but he didn't get bit.  We were three miles from the truck, so we had to walk back and so did the dogs.  By the time we got to the truck, the side of that dogs face was badly swollen.  Then we had a 45 minute drive to the vet, vet had some old anti-venom, injected her and she recovered well.  I remember the vet saying something like they had stopped producing anti-venom, but he still had some in stock.  I suppose if the dog survived that walk and the drive she probably would've made it anyway.

Only would see snakes out there the first couple of weeks of bird season, then it would get too cold for them after a couple of weeks.  Only saw a few, but it was always in the back of your mind that they were out there.  

[Macsimus]

One of the FEW benefits of living on the frozen tundra. 😉

[bobby b.]

23 hours ago, Quillback said:

Had a buddies dog get hit by a rattler when we were chukar hunting in Washington.  My dog was right next to her when she got hit, but he didn't get bit.  We were three miles from the truck, so we had to walk back and so did the dogs.  By the time we got to the truck, the side of that dogs face was badly swollen.  Then we had a 45 minute drive to the vet, vet had some old anti-venom, injected her and she recovered well.  I remember the vet saying something like they had stopped producing anti-venom, but he still had some in stock.  I suppose if the dog survived that walk and the drive she probably would've made it anyway.

Only would see snakes out there the first couple of weeks of bird season, then it would get too cold for them after a couple of weeks.  Only saw a few, but it was always in the back of your mind that they were out there.  

This is why I don't teal hunt at least with the dog anymore - by the time the big duck season starts in Missouri & SE Kansas, the snakes are usually asleep.  My Cheyenne Bottoms story above is an exception which is why I don't go there anymore.