| . 1 . 2 . >> |
| Author |
Message |
deercula
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 12:58pm - Edited by: deercula
Reply
I confess, I grew up in the suburbs. We did have some undeveloped land around us. We built "forts", and smuggled our BB guns there. We "hunted" rabbits and other creatures that were there (most unsuccessfully). We did manage to kill a few birds, but remorse got the best of us after a few, and we soon grew out of this.
Fast forward about 40 years. I thought I was better than that dumb kid. I did kill spiders, flys, and a mouse or two in the house. I was lucky enough to have been taught to appreciate those things wild.
For some reason I never learned about snakes. Here in Western NY we only have Garter snakes
(so i thought). Harmless small, green, brown snakes seen around gardens and high grass. We just ignored them, left them alone.
While mowing some grass i saw this snake that i just knew HAD to be poisonous. It must have escaped from a snake keeper, been brought here as a pet, escaped from a zoo. I'd never seen anything like it, so it must be bad, right?
WRONG! I got a shovel and chopped it in half. What a DUMBASS! After identifiying it with online photos, that old feeling of remorse set in once again.
Eastern Milk Snake. Completely harmless. No know predators, except MAN!
It's been a few years since that ugly day. I've forgiven myself for my ignorance, but every time i see these photos in my files that feeling of remorse comes rushing back. Like a kick in the gut, or slap in the face. You IGNORANT IDIOT, don't forget or make this mistake again!
|
|
Absolutely
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 01:10pm - Edited by: Absolutely
Reply
Our island is in eastern Ontario and we get many snakes - including black rat snakes that look like water intake pipes. I have a complete "live and let live" philosophy at the cottage - I don't interfere with anything unless they start negatively affecting a structure. They're there 12 months a year so it belongs to them more than it does to me.
|
|
Eddy G
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 02:06pm
Reply
I hate snakes.....just plain creep me out.
We got them on the pond.
I believe they are king snakes, oily black and fairly large (to me anyway).
I've seen them swimming and in between rocks on the edge of the water...
|
|
RichInTheUSA
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 02:13pm - Edited by: RichInTheUSA
Reply
Thanks for posting this Deercula... I have to admit I've killed a snake or two when they get in the house, and have regretted it.
I see so many people post pictures of snakes and a good percentage of people say "It's a copperhead, kill it". So disheartening... 
One of the things I've done is joined a Snake Identification Forum, which has allowed me to learn to recognize snakes, and know which are venomous in my area. I've also figured out how to remove their food source from under my cabin, so they choose to live elsewhere.
Now, I generally just let snakes be... even the venomous ones.
|
|
hueyjazz
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 03:04pm
Reply
Well I grew up in western NY too and I’m still here. We do have some posinous snakes but you have to go into a deep swamp to find them like Bergen Swamp. My experience is if you leave them alone they leave you alone. Snakes are actually fairly beneficial as they eat other vermin.
I think the same fear surrounds bats. People freak out about them. It is very unlikely you would get rabies from a bat. It’s not like they hunt you down and bite you. Too many Dracula movies messed with people’s heads
I encourage bats on my property and build bat houses. If you have bats you don’t have a bug problem. They eat thousands of mosquitoes
|
|
paulz
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 05:32pm
Reply
When I see a snake I jump in my wife's lap. Total puss.
|
|
Whiskey Jack
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 05:47pm
Reply
We have tons of garter snakes up here. I've been bit many times while catching them as a kid. None of the snakes were ever harmed. My aunt used to have a pit on her property that was full of wood. If you stepped on any of the wood in the summer all you could hear was slithering as hundreds of snakes scattered for the holes.
|
|
DaveBell
Moderator
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 07:33pm
Reply
Just went out to the property yesterday to check my mouse traps. 13. I used the peanut butter glue traps for the first time in the RV. They are the size of those kids books we had as children.
I still con't figure out how they are getting in. I know they were coming in through the firewall. I built a wall between the front and the rear, right behind the driver seat and insulated it to improve the heating capability of my Dickinson Marine propane heater. There was only one mouse in the front trap. 12 mice in the rear traps.
Wife said, you might be attracting them to the inside with the peanut butter. Hmmm. So next trip up, I need to build a sturdy box under the RV to catch mice but keep the fox out.
I was hoping that between the snakes and the fox, they would keep the mouse population down.
I like snakes. I had a pet Boa (charlie) when I was 12. Caught and ate two nice copper heads when I was 10. Ate rattlesnake out in Arizona.
Now I leave them all alone. Rather have snakes around than the damn mice.
|
|
|
Ontario lakeside
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 08:33pm - Edited by: Ontario lakeside
Reply
Snakes eat mice therefore snakes are good! we have a rare species at our place. eastern hog nose. It rears up like a cobra, freaked me out the first time I saw one.
|
|
silverwaterlady
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 08:39pm
Reply
I don't like them.
The first and last time I went barefoot I stepped on one.
It slithered away unharmed.
The snakes at camp are not poisonous. I just let them be since they eat mice.
|
|
silverwaterlady
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 08:48pm - Edited by: silverwaterlady
Reply
DaveBell, we had a big problem with mice getting into our rv.
We went around all the plumbing with spray foam. That helped with the mice getting in under the kitchen sink.
However it took a lot of looking around to find out the other entry point.
It was where the electrical cord went into the trailer. The spot for that was underneath the bathroom sink. We had to remove a panel to find it. It was shocking to see the large hole that lead from the cord to outside under the sink. There is a cut out in that area for the plumbing to the shower. We did spray foam around that plumbing.
Still trying to find a way to cover the cord area from outside when we plug into electric.
I'm thankful we were not parked in a location with poisonous insects, snakes, rats or roaches.
|
|
hattie
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 09:13pm
Reply
I know they have their place in the ecosystem, however, I have two words to say: Hate Them!
|
|
darz5150
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 10:06pm
Reply
Snakes gimme the heeby jeebys, period.
http://www.small-cabin.com/forum/4_6788_0.html
|
|
Just
Member
|
# Posted: 4 Jan 2019 10:20pm
Reply
A snake story
We had pulled into a camp ground 50 miles northeast of Ottawa Canada . As mum and l got the camper settled my kids ( 6&8) went out to explore . They soon made friends with two kids next door . We could hear them running around playing and laughing but their new friends were not speaking English .
Suddenly there were screams of tarror, I ran out to see what was up. The kids had found a garter snake ,my two had cornered it by a tree but the other two were keeping there distance . My two asked if I would pick it up and hold its head so they could pet it. (A trick they often did at home) . l reached down to get the snake and it bit the back of my hand drawing a stream of red down my fingers. I managed to get the little snake by the ears with my other hand and lick the wound off in one motion but it was to late. The neighbour kids ran back screaming to their to their parents in the camper. They came running speaking words I did not recognize very upset .
Turns out they had just arrived in Canada that day on hollidays from Holland . The wife could speak a bit of English . I was able to explane to her that I was ok and was not dying of rattlesnake bite.
They had never seen a snake as they do not exist in Holland , but they had read that poisoness snakes exist in Ontario . We all pet the snake and had good laugh .
Just
|
|
BadgersHollow
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 12:46am - Edited by: BadgersHollow
Reply
Fear and hate. I've looked grizzly and polar bears in the eye in the wild, no problem. Show me a snake and I'm outta here
|
|
Gary O
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 10:57am
Reply
Quoting: BadgersHollow Show me a snake and I'm outta here
Hate to tell ya, pard, but you moved outa snake free country into snake country
|
|
Gary O
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 11:00am - Edited by: Gary O
Reply
SNAKES!
My only nemesis in the creepy crawly world
The term ‘slither’ depicts something not lovable, not adorable…..very hate worthy
Friend of mine had a pet boa
I believe Helen was her name
‘Awe, she likes you, she wants you to hold her…here'
(!!!!!!!!)
I mustered the courage of a marvel comics superhero, and managed to let Helen slither up my arm and onto my shoulder, all without wetting myself to the point of filling my shoes
‘Here, Helen wants to be back with you….NOW!'
Spiders, I like
Had one greet me in my bed
There he was, at the top of the covers, eyes wide, front legs up
I moved a bit
His eyebrows shot up, and back in the covers he went
Sorta cute
But snakes?
Nada
When we were looking at this property, back in ’99, I was controllably petrified, but managed to walk the high grass of the meadow, wishing for tall boots, a bullwhip and shotgun, eyes fixated on my next step
The place looked very much like snake country
But
There’s none
We’re in our fourth year here, and nary a slither, not even a garter
Turns out, snakes hate pumice, of which is the major makeup of our 'soil'
I, for that reason, love pumice
I’m home
|
|
95XL883
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 11:08am - Edited by: 95XL883
Reply
Depends on the snake. Here we get some big, 5’ to 7’, long black rat/king snakes. Given the rat problem we have here, I really like them. They flee quickly from people and dogs. Got lots of garter snakes. They also get to go there own way. Get some really slender green snakes about 12†long in the wild raspberry bushes. They also get a pass.
Haven’t seen one yet but copernheads and water mocassins are in the area. Those I will put down. I’m not taking a chance of getting bit by either of those.
|
|
creeky
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 11:27am
Reply
Our snakes aren't poisonous so we don't worry too much.
My brother and I once found a whole bunch of garter snakes (Flower Pot island, Georgian Bay for those who know the area). So we began to collect them in our tent trying to outdo each other on who could find the biggest one.
Do you know the protective mechanism garter snakes use? Nope, not teeth. They exude a smelly fluid like skunks.
Oddly, our dad was not amused.
|
|
BadgersHollow
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 02:03pm
Reply
Quoting: Gary O Hate to tell ya, pard, but you moved outa snake free country into snake country
I've yet to see a snake on the west side of highway 97. I've heard that snakes hate pumice. And, I'm sitting on a mountain of pumice over here.
|
|
Gary O
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 05:25pm
Reply
Quoting: BadgersHollow I'm sitting on a mountain of pumice over here.
Good to know
|
|
beachman
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 05:59pm
Reply
Growing up, we had an old farm in Connecticut. The place had a small pond with lots of water snakes slithering around and crayfish. It used to get so hot in the summer that we didn't care and swam a bit. Wouldn't go near the place now. Lots of large black snakes. Creepy! Never killed any because I didn't want to get that close. Our dog, a black lab, loved to swim and get sticks. One time got a snake and tried to bring it to us. We all ran like crazy.
|
|
silverwaterlady
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 06:12pm
Reply
Here is another snake story.
My son had a young boa. It got out of its cage and was gone for six months.
We looked everywhere for that darn snake.
We lived in a old farmhouse at the time and had mice but didn't catch any the entire time the boa was "lost" so we knew it was somewhere in the house getting bigger.
One evening I went down to the basement to do some laundry. The only way to turn a light on down there was at a old fashioned hanging bulb.
Before I got to the light I heard a scraping sound on the floor. I didn't go any further and shone my flashlight to find the boa much bigger lying on a plastic hanger.
Of course I screamed so loud that my son heard me upstairs and knew I had found his snake.
|
|
rockies
Member
|
# Posted: 5 Jan 2019 06:17pm
Reply
Depends on the sauce 
http://rattlesnakerecipe.us/
|
|
deercula
Member
|
# Posted: 6 Jan 2019 07:48am
Reply
A friend of mine in Michigan claims to have been chased by a 5 foot long Blue Racer while he was bowhunting deer. Now he carries a pistol with snake loads along with his bow and arrows.
|
|
95XL883
Member
|
# Posted: 6 Jan 2019 08:35am
Reply
Interesting on the blue racer. The only two snakes I generally think of as aggressive are cotton mouths and African cobras. (As I have no intention of going to Africa, I don’t worry about those.).
My older brother took me fishing when I was little. There was a big cottonmouth on a tree in the water. It left the tree and swam towards our boat. It scared me enough that I’ve blotted out the memory of what my brother did. (He was an Eagle Scout and could have warned it off with a paddle as easily as killed it.).
I’ve been told copperheads will coil up and play dead. Apparently most of their bite victims happen when they try to pick a “dead†snake.
|
|
RichInTheUSA
Member
|
# Posted: 6 Jan 2019 08:43am
Reply
If you bite something and it makes you sick, it's poisonous
If something bites you and it makes you sick, it's venomous
Snakes are only poisonous if you bite them... don't do that.
|
|
creeky
Member
|
# Posted: 6 Jan 2019 12:31pm
Reply
Quoting: RichInTheUSA don't do that.
|
|
RichInTheUSA
Member
|
# Posted: 6 Jan 2019 01:07pm
Reply
Glad you liked that one Creeky.
|
|
deercula
Member
|
# Posted: 6 Jan 2019 09:45pm
Reply
Quoting: RichInTheUSA If you bite something and it makes you sick, it's poisonous If something bites you and it makes you sick, it's venomous
Thanks for confirming my original declaration of having NOT been taught about snakes!......😎
|
|
| . 1 . 2 . >> |
