Snakes

[baconore]

This year has been strange. I have had more contact with snakes this year while fishing then any year before. I heard that cottonmouths and water snakes swim in different paterns. Is there any truth to this?

[jason]

The swimming patterns are different. Cottonmouths appear almost overly buoyant while swimming, with their heads elevated or on the surface. Water snakes tend to swim bellow the surface. Water snakes spend their time on branches and flee from disturbances. Cottonmouths will be on land or logs near the water surface and will defend their territory.

[Thumper]

Yeah, we were fishing one day about dusk and all of the sudden we noticed something swimming toward us. It was a cottonmouth with his head above the water. My wife screamed and beat the thing with her fishing rod. I don't know if she killed it but if she didn't she gave it an awfully good try. I told her forget about fishing, they had all gone to the other side of the lake.

[Joe S.]

I fished in Tennesee in the Memphis area for a few years. There were places I wouldn't fish because of the snakes. I love to take my dog, but I had to leave him home a lot because of them.

[dinosaur]

We don't have any cottonmouths around here, just copperheads and rattlers. The last copperhead I ran into was delicious and his skin is now my little brother's hat band.

[sticks]

The local parks cut in a new trail that is apparently going through copperhead habitat . There is a section that you have to watch out for them because they are aggressive, coming out of the woods in attack mode. Normally I don't use my sticks on local trails but I do on this one to fend off these guys.

I am curious how long it is going to take for someone to get bit.

[rockin]

Seriously dino - you eat snake? It's something I would not eat. I'm not a fan of snakes - to be honest I would have been whacking that snake with my fishing rod too - heck with the fish just get the snake away from me.

[dinosaur]

Originally Posted by rockin

Seriously dino - you eat snake? It's something I would not eat.

Snake is delectable. It tastes a lot like lobster when barbequed and dipped in drawn butter. It has never ceased to be a source of wonder for me that people will eat lobster, the garbage scow of the water consuming rotting flesh like a vulture, and yet eschew snake, an animal that eats fresh food.

No offense intended, but I think you need to get over the stigma attached to the Garden of Eden.

[rockin]

I'm not a Lobster fan either. I just don't like the thought of snake, probably because they really freak me out. When I'm done killing them - either with a shovel or running over it with the 4-wheeler or lawnmower, there is not much left to eat.

[sticks]

Unless it is the only option I stopped killing snakes decades ago. They are the natural control for many varmints such as rats and mice I prefer not to have.

Got slugs on your hostas?...That garter snake you just whacked is a natural control.

Sure I get the willys when I first see one but that soon goes away.