Never going outside again!

Moved to south east US from pacific nw late last summer. Went out looking for good sites last weekend. My dog was rooting around while we hiked around. Later that night i noticed his eye brow was swollen and he was itching at it. Took him to vet on monday he said he had been bit by a cotton mouth snake probably young one and gave him a good dose of venom. I thought snakes were dormant in winter. anyway all you out there be safe and i will see you all at the bowling alley or pool hall cuz i aint going back in da woods.

same reason I quit scuba-diving, after moving from Illinois, to California ... (there's critters in the sea water, with big teeth) ... they'd just love to find this fat boy treading water :wtf:

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Went out looking for good sites last weekend.

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It was real warm, last weekend...wasn't it? They like to come out, and sun themselves.

(personally, I would vote for a copperhead) they can bite from day one. Beware.

This last summer ('08) I was down in Texas helping my grandfather with his ranch. Clearing fence lines, repairing, cutting tree limbs, cuting and bailing hay, rounding up cattle...

Well one day it was a little damp out, and we decided to burn one of the many brush piles that has been accumulating since we been working.

Well I go over to it (its about 20ftx20ftx6ft big) and throw about a liter of gas on it, and light it up.

The next thing I hear is hissing, loud fucking hissing. I look down, and 5+ snakes are just peacing out of this brush pile. (they had quite the nest going)

I don't fucking move, yell for my grandpa to get anything I can hit something with. He tosses me a T-Post for barbwire, and I go to town with this thing.

I end up killing one with a blow to the head. It was a male copperhead, about 3 ft long, and slender.

I wish I had my phone or camera with me so we could take a picture or take it in to get a belt or hat rim thing made from it. But just ended up playing a practical joke on my dad and then tossing it is in the fire later.

I was down there 5 months in every possible condition where a snake/spider would be...and only ran into them in that situation a week before I came back home.

Now I like the fact I can sit down, crawl, jump, climb, forage anywhere here in the pacific northwest without the fear of something biting me. We only have brown recluses and black widows and those are very very very rare in the valley(more in Eastern Oregon where the climate is totally different).

Sure wont miss fire ants or army ants either... couldn't believe how many times those fuckers got me. Oh and mosquitoes...

(We did run over a few snakes trying to suntan on the roads....)
(also didn't see any scorpions or ticks... I must be lucky)

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Originally Posted by axxxxe

Moved to south east US from pacific nw late last summer. Went out looking for good sites last weekend. My dog was rooting around while we hiked around. Later that night i noticed his eye brow was swollen and he was itching at it. Took him to vet on monday he said he had been bit by a cotton mouth snake probably young one and gave him a good dose of venom. I thought snakes were dormant in winter. anyway all you out there be safe and i will see you all at the bowling alley or pool hall cuz i aint going back in da woods.

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Wait till you run into one of the bull snakes! They're not venemous but they are HUGE and they'll bark at you like a dog.lol They'll scare the shit out of you the first time you see a big one. Of course you could come over here to the westside and play with the giant wolf eels.lol

Thank you all, guess what you ;can keep your great outdoors. I am even more determined to avoid snakes at all opportunity. Earl is getting better but damn that snake put a hurt on him. Had to get him layed so I felt better. Anyways best of luck to all you outdoor warriors I will be at the club.

I happen to live in the South Eastern USA in a very flat low wet area. One method I use to grow here is this: I dig a circular ditch around where I am going to place my plants. I use the dirt to build a mound in the center to elevate my plants. To keep them from flooding, before the rainy season, I dig a drainage ditch away from the site. The dirt I remove from the ditch I transport back to the grow mound via a wheelbarrow. After completion I camoflage the ditches with dead limbs leaves etc. I've never seen anybody out in my private swamp. The mosquitos and briars are a great deterent for humans. Snakes would also be a great protector but I think the alligators are eating up most of the snakes. A little extra effort goes a long way in acheiving satisfaction. My secret garden is thriving. I hope this helps somebody.