Author Topic: Copper headed water rattlers.  (Read 8073 times)

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Offline Glanceblamm

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #60 on: April 10, 2010, 04:03:31 PM »
I never had a fear of snakes because at a very young age, I would see Dad pickup the occasional black snake, racer, or garten by the tail and give it a couple whirls and pitch it out into the weeds if they got up by the house.

The large black snake was very benificial to have around for rodent control. We had a large one out by the gas pump & another in the barn which were to be left alone. We would not see them all the time or on an everyday basis but knew they were there, I think we even named them ;D

The Women (to include the Aunts) were quite different and would get out a hoe right now for even a small garter snake. Watched my Mom chop a garter into at least a dozen pieces once...I figured that it was dead when she was done ;D ;D

Please note that these are the non venomous or poisonous variety...we do have the so called Timber Rattlers around here but they are very spotty and I have only seen them but on a few occasions.

If we did have the venomous variety around I would either be dead by now or perhaps be The Snake Whisperer!

Offline Canuck Bob

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #61 on: April 13, 2010, 09:47:20 AM »
I knew -40 weather was good for something!  We got a few rattlers in the far south of Alberta but I'm sure there just Montana snakes with a bad sense of direction.  Of course our National Capitol, Ottawa, is over run with serpents.

Offline Dee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #62 on: April 13, 2010, 10:22:16 AM »
We have the same problem in the U.S. bob. D.C. is a viper den.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline Dixie Dude

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #63 on: April 13, 2010, 11:18:39 AM »
I know of 3 varieties of Rattlers in the Southeast.  Eastern Diamondback, Timber, and Pigmy.  Eastern and Timber are about the same size, Pigmy is a foot to 18" when adult.  We also have the Cottonmouth and the Copperhead.

Offline AtlLaw

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #64 on: April 13, 2010, 11:50:56 AM »
What about the Canebreak?   ???  And Coral snake?  Come to think on it, I've never seen a coral snake.   :-\ Even hunting in Florida.

But I only recognise one type of r'snake... DEAD!   ;D
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Offline Dixie Dude

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #65 on: April 13, 2010, 04:58:57 PM »
I've heard of Canebreak, but never seen one.  I didn't think the Coral snake was east of the Mississippi, and have never seen one except in zoos.

Offline FourBee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #66 on: April 13, 2010, 05:24:27 PM »
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I never had a fear of snakes


Well; I don't fear them, but like anything else that's dangerous, I respect them.   If you ever had a Blue Racer get after you, you just naturally run, and as fast as you can.   Them big ole black Rat Snakes can do a lot of damage to a roost full of chickens.   They can't swallow them, but they sure can squeeze 'em to death, and that makes a man mad enough to kill them critters.   A surprised meeting with a sneaky Copper Head will make sweat beads pop out on your forehead too.
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Offline Dee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #67 on: April 14, 2010, 02:51:32 AM »
I've seen one coral snake in my life in the wild. It was in my back yard, across the road from where I Live now, in about 1962. There is also a coral snake look alike, but I cant remember what it's name was. It was different in that it had black on yellow, rather than red on yellow. Red on yella, kill a fella. ;)
Corals have no fangs, but have to chew to inject their venom.
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Offline Glanceblamm

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #68 on: April 14, 2010, 03:27:50 AM »
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If you ever had a Blue Racer get after you, you just naturally run, and as fast as you can

Used to be a fun game. You run as said, but then stop and charge that Snake. The Snake will then retreat and then you can stop and it will get after you again. This process can be repeated over & over.
Bahh, it is just a racer. The Black Snakes do need some controlling and the chicken coop is the first place to start.

Offline FourBee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #69 on: April 14, 2010, 10:08:11 AM »
 
Quote
You run as said, but then stop and charge that Snake. The Snake will then retreat and then you can stop and it will get after you again. This process can be repeated over & over.
 That quote is exactly right, and may be fun for the young, but it ain't so funny fer an old fella.   I don't know how fast they are, but I saw two of them in tall, maybe 2' grasss,  standing on their tails well above the grass racing across the field.  Weirdest sight I ever did see.
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Offline AtlLaw

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #70 on: April 14, 2010, 10:52:21 AM »
Weirdest sight I ever did see.

Shoot!  That ain't nuthin!   ::)  You ever seen a "hoop" snake?  When they want to get someplace in a hurry they reach around and take their tail in their mouth to form a hoop and just roll away!   :o  And they always travel in pairs!  So if you look out across the pasture and see these two wheels rolling across the field they be hoop snakes!   8)  And and SOMETIMES another snake that's not so fast will stradle the two hoop snakes and hitch a ride acting like an axel!   :o  And and and I'll bet a racer could pull up in between the hoop snakes and rest the part that's stickin up over the grass on the axel snake and act like a steering lever since it's kinda hard for them hoop snakes to see where they going and the axel snake is spinning around a bunch!  Yep!  Matter of fact I seen that very thing!  Just last week it was... Stands to reason though, the weather turned real nice and the snakes wanted to go out for a Sunday drive I guess...  :-\

Which reminds me!  You ever hear of a "hitchhiker" snake?  ;D
Richard
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Offline Dee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #71 on: April 14, 2010, 10:58:52 AM »
Weirdest sight I ever did see.

Shoot!  That ain't nuthin!   ::)  You ever seen a "hoop" snake?  When they want to get someplace in a hurry they reach around and take their tail in their mouth to form a hoop and just roll away!   :o  And they always travel in pairs!  So if you look out across the pasture and see these two wheels rolling across the field they be hoop snakes!   8)  And and SOMETIMES another snake that's not so fast will stradle the two hoop snakes and hitch a ride acting like an axel!   :o  And and and I'll bet a racer could pull up in between the hoop snakes and rest the part that's stickin up over the grass on the axel snake and act like a steering lever since it's kinda hard for them hoop snakes to see where they going and the axel snake is spinning around a bunch!  Yep!  Matter of fact I seen that very thing!  Just last week it was... Stands to reason though, the weather turned real nice and the snakes wanted to go out for a Sunday drive I guess...  :-\

Which reminds me!  You ever hear of a "hitchhiker" snake?  ;D

GOOOOOOOD GRIEF Richard! Are ya bored? ::) ;
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Offline AtlLaw

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #72 on: April 14, 2010, 11:04:18 AM »
 :D

Kinda.   :-\  I wanna go home and try shooting hot glue balls through my C&B revolvers in my basement!   :P
Richard
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Offline Dee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #73 on: April 14, 2010, 11:09:50 AM »
Shootin black powder in the basement. That oughta be interestin after about 6 rounds. Wear a mask, and hope the neighbors don't call the fire dept on the smoke. ;)
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline AtlLaw

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #74 on: April 14, 2010, 11:29:26 AM »
Yah, that FD thing is a concern...  :-\  But I'll just explain to them that I was trying to smoke out a nest of Jawja Basement Snakes!  They can't stand BP smoke.  Real small but horrid creatures they be!  Lurkin in the dark corners of a basement, laying in wait for prey... mostly bugs.  They got iti-biti fangs real close together.  Potent bug juice and won't do you no good ifn they grab aholt of ya.  I seen 'em slither up a 2x4 stud so's they could hang down from the ceiling joists and catch flys!  Kinda honey colored they is sweet smellin they is.  Quick as lightning to.  Gotta be to catch flys on the wing...  I saw one eat a bumble bee once.  That thing woulda laid up for days digestin that big meal if I hadn't a done him in with my C&B revolver!  And, after about six rounds the smoke was thick enough to drive the rest of them out!  I seen 'em!  Just a slitherin out the basement door!  Probably went to my neighbors basement...  :-\  They know that liberal ain't got no C&B revolvers...  ;D
Richard
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Offline Dee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #75 on: April 14, 2010, 12:35:36 PM »
 :o ???
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline AtlLaw

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #76 on: April 14, 2010, 04:27:37 PM »
Sorry Dan,  :-[  It's been a long week...
Richard
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Offline Dee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #77 on: April 14, 2010, 04:50:54 PM »
Well, at our age we gotta right to get a little wired up every now and then. We ain't always had a calm life. ;)
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline Ron 1

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #78 on: April 15, 2010, 04:06:08 AM »
 you all are a riot  this kinda stuff sure gets a day off to a good start thanks
                rw
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Offline Dixie Dude

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #79 on: April 15, 2010, 04:49:26 AM »
Well, my granddad told me about jointed snakes.  He said if you only cut them in half, the two halves will come back together or the front half will grow a new tail end.  He said you had to cut them to pieces and seperate the pieces so they wouldn't come back together, or bury the pieces seperate.  He also said if you kill a snake, they wouldn't stop wiggling until sundown.  He also used to put small lightbulbs in the hen nests.  If a chicken snake came and swallowed the eggs, they would swallow the light bulbs, crush them and rip their sides open.  Or he could hit them with a stick and the bulbs would break inside them.  He also used to shoot chicken hawks. 

Offline Dee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #80 on: April 15, 2010, 09:27:18 AM »
Dixie I heard a few of yours when I was a kid. Are we that superstitious today?
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline Dixie Dude

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #81 on: April 15, 2010, 09:31:20 AM »
Some lizards and possibly some snakes can loose part of their tails and grow them back.  That is probably where that comes from.  His lightbulb plan really worked though.  He used light bulbs about the size of an egg.  Placed them in the hen nests at night, removed the eggs, hen laid another egg beside the lightbulb so she got her scent on the bulb.  Any snake that came along swallowed the bulb.  Cured that snake of swallowing eggs. 

Offline Dee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #82 on: April 15, 2010, 12:27:08 PM »
When I was a kid I raised Bantams for a hobby and the eggs didn't make the family mad either. I put the old white porcelain door knobs in the nests to encourage them to lay there in the nests rather than hide them. They ran lose in the yard, and you had to watch'em or they would.
You may all go to hell, I will go to Texas. Davy Crockett

Offline FourBee

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #83 on: April 15, 2010, 04:47:32 PM »
Dee; I have Bantams.  They roost in the Hay Barn and run loose during the day.  I throw 'em a little corn , but they mostly fend for themselves.      I try to keep their nest boxes full of straw so they won't hide their egg.  Those little eggs are sure rich in flavor. ;)
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Offline mechanic

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #84 on: April 15, 2010, 04:49:06 PM »
I still have scars in my head from a little bantam rooster!  He was tough eatin' too......
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Offline Oldshooter

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #85 on: April 16, 2010, 02:16:36 AM »
Whoa! what happened to da snakes?   ???

We have bantams too, they have personality and attitude. Had an OEGB rooster and he thought he was ten ft tall and bullet proof. he would attack me and I would place kick him and next time he'd come back for more! They'll lay eggs most anywhere including the feeder! They make good one bite boiled snacks!
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Offline Glanceblamm

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Re: Copper headed water rattlers.
« Reply #86 on: April 16, 2010, 04:26:38 AM »
Quote
That quote is exactly right, and may be fun for the young, but it ain't so funny fer an old fella

I know what you are saying Fourbee ;D...Most of the snakes that I see now a day's are in the talons of the numerous Redtail Hawks.

Those Bantam Roosters also used to be a good source of entertainment for us easily entertained but quick kids.