Weekly snake thread

The last one being on the top step right outside the door has me on a bit of an adrenaline rush still.
I've been using the 32 shotshells but made up a new batch using #9 shot in 38spl.

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Ooh, ooh- FINALLY a good snake!

Fount this little booger early this afternoon.
Looks like a baby king? He seemed to be trying to get on my back porch, so I coerced him otherwise by using some tongs to fling him in the other direction.


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And not 20 minutes after posting the good one, another damn copper. Between me and the chicken coop. And I hurried to cut some grass this afternoon because when it's high, I see more near the house.


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And not 20 minutes after posting the good one, another damn copper. Between me and the chicken coop. And I hurried to cut some grass this afternoon because when it's high, I see more near the house.


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Biggun
 
That one is smaller than the last 2. Might be making a dent in their population, lol!

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Why ya'll messing up all those hat bands?

@DrScaryGuy there are plenty of Eastern Diamondbacks, Timbers and Pygmys in our area... Hell, I know of a Pygmy Rattler that was found near the Fay Airport.
 
Why ya'll messing up all those hat bands?

@DrScaryGuy there are plenty of Eastern Diamondbacks, Timbers and Pygmys in our area... Hell, I know of a Pygmy Rattler that was found near the Fay Airport.
Well, I'll be honest- I tried whopping it and chose my device poorly.
It turned around and said to me, "WTF dude?"

I threw part of the broken broom handle at it and went to gun, like I was in the NFAC.

I've been thinking about a different whopping device and may try that next. Cut the head off and call you?

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What are you going to do with him? Was that in Todd in Ashe Co.? I'm wondering if there are any over in Laurel Springs.

It's hard to tell in the bin, how long is it?
 
Not Ashe but close by, couldn't really leave it on a trail with kids and pets. was relocated somewhere more remote, too small to bother eating about 30"

I've seen plenty of copperheads in Laurel Springs area but no rattlers. I've never seen one in Ashe but there are some 3400' around rocky outcroppings, at least I've been told. You could get your fill of them close by at Stone Mtn though.
 
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My property is just inside the western Allegheny Co. line and goes up to 3100'. I was just curious if there were any where I'm at. Wondering if there are bear also.
 
looking for these last Saturday
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found mr no shoulders here
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be careful out there, a buddy walked right beside him and I wasn't too far behind and tapped the brakes pretty darn quick

Its a good thing he was in that plastic tote or your buddy could have been bitten!!:D
 
On the record, the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake is protected in North Carolina. I think the others are as well.

Off the record, if I have one on my property, or one threatens me, I will dispatch it to the fullest extent of my tools and knowledge.

The biggest ones I know of have been on the coast, they grow huge.
 
My property is just inside the western Allegheny Co. line and goes up to 3100'. I was just curious if there were any where I'm at. Wondering if there are bear also.
I've seen bear on cams in Piney Creek which would be north of you. Most likely you have some, seems they are making their way to the central part of the state from the coast and mtns.
 
I was generalizing, not speaking about the one in the box. 2 years ago, just a few days before went to Oak Island on vacation, someone caught one down there that was 7 ft long.

There's one about that size or maybe a little longer that lives in a low spot (an acre or so) just down from my place in GA. I've seen him 3 times and he's pretty chill unless you stop and get out of the truck then he bunches up and starts rattling but the minute you get back in the truck he gets quiet. Not really bothering anyone and generally stays in that area so not a threat as I see it. And after all, it's his home and I'm the intruder.......
 
There's one about that size or maybe a little longer that lives in a low spot (an acre or so) just down from my place in GA. I've seen him 3 times and he's pretty chill unless you stop and get out of the truck then he bunches up and starts rattling but the minute you get back in the truck he gets quiet. Not really bothering anyone and generally stays in that area so not a threat as I see it. And after all, it's his home and I'm the intruder.......

I've heard rattlesnakes in the brush and the mountains of Georgia and North Carolina. I saw them out west on the military reservations and bases when I was in the service, they told us you could kill your buddy with premeditated murder and get away with it before you could get away with killing a protected animal on government property, so we're always told to steer clear of them.

Funny story, we were on the Mesa's in southern California near the Chocolate Mountains doing land nav in pairs, and my buddy and I set (at the time) the third fastest record for the course, we just shot azimuths and basically ran the entire way, all we could hear was buzzing in the underbrush and around the rocks from rattles. It turned out that all the other teams, when they would encounter a rattlesnake or the buzzing, would box it out and give it wide berth which always added time to their course.

If we're both out in nature and I can avoid it, I will. We can coexist. But if it surprises me or if it's close to me or on my property, no bueno.
 
I have looked for rattlesnakes North Carolina, in the mountains, and down east. I've yet to actually find one, to my dismay.

Out west? Different story. I've been in areas of the Southwest where western diamondbacks we're all over the damn place.

Today in Mills River area of Pisgah Forest. Not a great pic (screen shot from crappy video), but it was damn near 4 ft, and has been eating good. Never did rattle surprisingly
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I have looked for rattlesnakes North Carolina, in the mountains, and down east. I've yet to actually find one, to my dismay.

Out west? Different story. I've been in areas of the Southwest where western diamondbacks we're all over the damn place.
Saw my one and only rattler on Hill Creek Road between 401 and 15-501, hadn't known they lived here. Got his pic for my FB page, he was really impressive. And let me get pretty close before he used the rattle.
 
They won't usually rattle unless they feel threatened by your presence or you have startled them. There are locals in GA that talk about the "one Old Man Schoen" killed way back when that was almost 10 feet but I've never seen the skin that he supposedly got when he killed it. I have seen a photo of him standing on the tailgate of a pick up holding it by the tail and it's head is touching the ground. I have no idea of how tall he was so scale is difficult to tell.

Unless I'm hunting I always make a fair amount of noise as I walk just to let them know I'm in the area......
 
Mtn biking this afternoon and went through this area 3 times...yet this little guy slithered out into the path to take a pair of 27.5s across the back. I turned around to watch him slither away.

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I have looked for rattlesnakes North Carolina, in the mountains, and down east. I've yet to actually find one, to my dismay.

Out west? Different story. I've been in areas of the Southwest where western diamondbacks we're all over the damn place.
Do not know if this is still the case. But in the 70's I worked at Eseeola Lodge in Linville NC. Every year a man would spend time at the lodge and would come to the guys working there and make a proposition. $50 for every live rattler we could bring him, unhurt and the bigger the better. He would give us a container and a snake stick to use. Never would say what his purpose was for them - but he was a strange guy. Year to year -some guys worked there every year, they knew where to go. After lunch service at the lodge, we would head up to the rock ledge at the top of Linville Gorge. In the heat of the afternoon -they would be basking in the sun. Carefully taking our pick we would take one and go back to collect our drinking money for the evening. Well one particular trip, someone did not close the latch on the container securely, and he got out on the way back. I have never gotten out of a VW Beetle so quickly. No one got bit, but that was the last time I went. Just friggin' NOT WORTH IT!
 
Good thing he didn't reach up and tag you for that.

I agree! He was in the middle of 2 hills that were in quick succession. I had a decent, but not fast pace taking the rollers and saw him at the last second after my route was committed... I was briefly in the danger zone, but it seemed like he wanted to boogie out of there more than he wanted to fight. I’m not sure my 2500+FPS .40 JHPs are the best ammo for 1” wide slithering targets, but I would’ve hit him with one at least! I’ve been considering a double action .22 revolver for these encounters.
 
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Had this fellow living in the bottom track of my garage door. I guess he just wanted out. Took him to the woods.View attachment 250529

The black and yellow rat snakes love that spot on the garage doors. Talk about some high steppin' when that sucker falls on you when you open it up and walk under as it is opening. Been there, screamed like a little B, and got the badge. All the while the others are doubled over pissin' themselves laughing at me.'

PS that snake is eating good. Might want to bring it back in. You may have a mouse problem.
 
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The black and yellow rat snakes love that spot on the garage doors. Talk about some high steppin' when that sucker falls on you when you open it up and walk under as it is opening. Been there, screamed like a little B, and got the badge. All the while the others are doubled over pissin' themselves laughing at me.'

PS that snake is eating good. Might want to bring it back in. You may have a mouse problem.

I think it is a skink problem, but we are about to have renovations and need to move all of our stuff into the garage.
 
Oh good, now I can tell my wife it isn't a copperhead! Think it will eat the voles/moles that are destroying my yard?
I would think so, I haven't dealt with voles/moles in decades.
Moles eat worms and grubs. You can usually get by he moles to move on if you drop the grub (Jap beetle) population. The grubs aggressively feed on your grass roots in the fall.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/what-is-milky-spore.htm

https://search.domyown.com/search?ts=m&w=Mole&isort=score&method=and
 
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Oh good, now I can tell my wife it isn't a copperhead! Think it will eat the voles/moles that are destroying my yard?
Baby black rat snake. And copperheads are brown, not gray. Tell her that.
 
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