Outdoorsman Thread

[cudgee]

Anyone else seeing a lot of snakes this year? My friend / neighbor has killed 4 copperheads this month. My dog was bitten by a copperhead Sunday night (he is fine now). I have been searching the backyard with a spotlight every evening since Sunday, and saw a 5 ft rattler last night (he got into the bushes before I could get him) and killed a copperhead last night and again tonight. Also had saw two rat snakes in the last week, but let them go.

Why do you think there is a lot of snakes around this year ???

[doglegg]

Yikes!!! Unk, Weatherford is proving to be the snake capital of Texas!!!

[Unk]

Anyone else seeing a lot of snakes this year? My friend / neighbor has killed 4 copperheads this month. My dog was bitten by a copperhead Sunday night (he is fine now). I have been searching the backyard with a spotlight every evening since Sunday, and saw a 5 ft rattler last night (he got into the bushes before I could get him) and killed a copperhead last night and again tonight. Also had saw two rat snakes in the last week, but let them go.

Why do you think there is a lot of snakes around this year ???

Hi Cudgee

I don't have any idea. It just seems they are worse some years than others. I had a friend down in Magnolia that was bitten on the foot by a copperhead last month. He spent the night in the hospital and sent him home in the morning. All they did was observe him.

The copperhead on the left in the pic bit my friend last night on the finger. His hand is all swollen up today to about his mid-fore arm. He didn't go to the doctor, but he did stay home from work today.

[cudgee]

Anyone else seeing a lot of snakes this year? My friend / neighbor has killed 4 copperheads this month. My dog was bitten by a copperhead Sunday night (he is fine now). I have been searching the backyard with a spotlight every evening since Sunday, and saw a 5 ft rattler last night (he got into the bushes before I could get him) and killed a copperhead last night and again tonight. Also had saw two rat snakes in the last week, but let them go.

Why do you think there is a lot of snakes around this year ???

Hi Cudgee

I don't have any idea. It just seems they are worse some years than others. I had a friend down in Magnolia that was bitten on the foot by a copperhead last month. He spent the night in the hospital and sent him home in the morning. All they did was observe him.

The copperhead on the left in the pic bit my friend last night on the finger. His hand is all swollen up today to about his mid-fore arm. He didn't go to the doctor, but he did stay home from work today.

Thanks mate, you watch where you step and stay safe, and keep an eye on the dogs. Don't want to be morbid, but over here the biggest cause of dog death is snake bite.

[Unk]

Lol, killed another one tonight - the one on the middle. That's 3 consecutive nights! We are really watching our step around here after dark. They seem to come out around 9:30 - 10 pm.

[Unk]

Well, we had a dry spell on Saturday and Sunday - didn't see any copperheads. I guess the snakes took the weekend off. But I was walking over to my truck this evening and found one coiled up under the carport right by my door. Then later we found a small one on the front porch of the shop. That's 5 copperheads in 6 nights.

I skinned the one by my truck. And I am finishing up another skin with some glycerin. I may attach the skins to some leather backing and make some handles for my walking sticks.

My buddy's hand is all healed up from the bite last Thursday - just a couple of blood blisters where the fangs got him. We shot 100 rounds of sporting clays yesterday, and his hand was fine. In fact, he beat me.

[1967redrider]

A girl at work got bit by a Copperhead in her driveway at night 2 years ago on the ankle, I think she stepped on it getting out of her car. She was fine after a trip to the hospital, but she says snakes still hang around in her area at night.

[jmh58]

Found this guy on the trail with us yesterday!!
John

[tongueriver]

I used to fool around with snakes when I was a kid but any more they give me the creeps. About 30 years ago our little family was unloading the car at a pleasant boondocks site along a river I know about (the Tongue River, oddly enough). The dog was eager to start messing around in the bushes, of course. The next thing I knew I was watching a big bull snake licking my dog's nose, and then, believe it or not the dog licked the snake's nose. They both thought that was good enough and went their separate ways. True story.

Meanwhile, the real reason I came here was to ask for recommendations to buy a ferro rod (I think they call them). I have never used one but would like to give it a try. Thanks!

[Dan In MI]

Meanwhile, the real reason I came here was to ask for recommendations to buy a ferro rod (I think they call them). I have never used one but would like to give it a try.

You reminded me that I need to test mine out. Mine is a little bitty thing from Wazoo Survival Gear:

https://wazoosurvivalgear.com/collectio ... -with-hole

Wazoo also offers them in a toggle configuration and with no holes at all. A ceramic scraper is available, too. They seem to have placed compact size and easy concealment very high on the priority list, so I'd suggest attaching a ring and/or lanyard to it if you go that route. Hopefully I'll be able to give feedback on its performance soon.

[tongueriver]

'Hopefully I'll be able to give feedback on its performance soon.'

Yes; please do! I am not a backpacker so I might want something burlier?

[Nev52]

On my game camera. Wild boar from game farm down the road got loose. It tore up my back woods. Neighbor's corn field is a mess. Wild hog my be on the menu.

[tongueriver]

I hope you get that bad boy the first time as they seldom let you score after that without extensive changes in plans. Too smart for OUR own good. And if he finds a girl friend you have BIG trouble. At that point consider legal action against the game farm. The feral pig problem is huge; I can't believe this game farm can legally even have pigs.

[TripleF]

My workout yesterday

[luckydog64]

Took a 4th of July ride with family and friends. Been trying to take a ride every week. The wife loves to go sight seeing. Halfway between Hazard and Harlan.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Yet another grey rat snake and definitely not the same one as last time.

This one, we think, was hanging at my across the street neighbor’s yesterday and spent ninety minutes trying to get into one their bluebird boxes. There are hatchings there.

Last night at 11:40, I took the dogs out for the last time and he was laying in the side yard, not far from where I videoed the one before.

Today, he is hanging out under my next door neighbor’s heat pump.

This snake is over seven feet in length. May approach eight.

Charlie

[doglegg]

View oh Mt Rainer from a ferry while crossing the sound.

[Colonel26]

Yet another grey rat snake and definitely not the same one as last time.

This one, we think, was hanging at my across the street neighbor’s yesterday and spent ninety minutes trying to get into one their bluebird boxes. There are hatchings there.

Last night at 11:40, I took the dogs out for the last time and he was laying in the side yard, not far from where I videoed the one before.

Today, he is hanging out under my next door neighbor’s heat pump.

This snake is over seven feet in length. May approach eight.

Charlie

That’s a big ol boy right there!

View oh Mt Rainer from a ferry while crossing the sound.

20210706_190714.jpg

Outstanding!

[Colonel26]

Precious and I went tiptoeing through the back field this evening. Here are some tasty treats that we spotted, and sampled.

This volunteer peach tree is growing in my fence row right behind the neighbor’s house. I figure somebody threw a peach seed across the fence years ago and voila! I’ve let it grow and this year there’s fruit on it.

While the back field is full of blackberries, I also have a patch of these up on the hill just now getting ripe. These wild raspberries are one of my favorites. We’re going to throw caution and diabetes to the wind and precious has promised me a raspberry cobbler. (Don’t tell the doctor).

My youngest boy’s little pup decided she liked pulling and eating the raspberries too! This is Meggy (1/2 Australian Shepherd, 1/4 Border Collie, 1/4 Blue Heeler, and heck on wheels!).

[doglegg]

Thanks Wade. Beautiful fruit andberries.
Charlie that is a long one.

[cudgee]

Yet another grey rat snake and definitely not the same one as last time.

This one, we think, was hanging at my across the street neighbor’s yesterday and spent ninety minutes trying to get into one their bluebird boxes. There are hatchings there.

Last night at 11:40, I took the dogs out for the last time and he was laying in the side yard, not far from where I videoed the one before.

Today, he is hanging out under my next door neighbor’s heat pump.

This snake is over seven feet in length. May approach eight.

Charlie

That looks like every bit if eight foot.

[TripleF]

This past week

[djknife13]

This past week

Wow Scott, that looks like fun.____Dave

[tongueriver]

The kids don't forget a great experience like that!

[treefarmer]

Scott, Y'all are making me hungry for some bass filets!
Not sure how my shoulder will react to a spinning rod just yet but you and the boys are giving me ideas!
Treefarmer