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From: Bigfive (Original Message) Sent: 4/4/2002 3:51 PM

How bad is snakes in your hunting grounds and do you take precautions for it??

Message 2 of 13 in Discussion

From: Bigfive Sent: 4/5/2002 3:30 PM

What, no snakes in your hunting valleys?????

Message 3 of 13 in Discussion

From: Nitro Sent: 4/5/2002 3:34 PM

B5

Just giving you people that live in tame snake country a chance to discuss mambas, rattlesnakes and other pets before discussing the Big Five of Wrold Snakes.

Nitro

Message 4 of 13 in Discussion

From: redbeard Sent: 4/6/2002 1:06 AM

I have no fear of snakes we have rattle snakes were i hunt and cooper heads,both can kill ya aand make you real sick.The plus side is they are good to eat and make good hat bands.The non poison kind I leave a lone they eat mice and such

Message 5 of 13 in Discussion

From: moss Sent: 4/6/2002 11:11 AM

No harmful snakes in New York!

Unless of coarse your talking about Lawyers??

lol
moss

Message 6 of 13 in Discussion

From: redbeard Sent: 4/7/2002 12:25 AM

You forgot H. Clinton,is no bad of a snake has her

Message 7 of 13 in Discussion

From: Tiger Sent: 4/8/2002 2:02 AM

Just trying how to get a msg. onboard. well in India u do get some nasty cobras while on foot. but they are generally harmless. unless u get a nasty king cobra, & that's trouble. they can zip like anything & move for miles. i hv shot a few on such occasions

Message 8 of 13 in Discussion

From: redbeard Sent: 4/8/2002 6:15 AM

Yes saw some thing on it ......you have those spitting ones there too?

Message 9 of 13 in Discussion

From: Bigfive Sent: 4/8/2002 4:30 PM

Here in South-Africa we have a lot of (Nitro--potential)dangerous snakes.Here is 2-3 cobra species, alot of adder species, and then you get your mambas.
Mosambique Spitting Cobra,Cape yellow Cobra,Rinkhals(also spitting cobra),Puffadder,Gaboenadder,Nightadder,Hornadder,Black Mamba,Green Mamba,Treesnake,Vine(Twig)snake,African Rock Python.All of them can kill you but it is very unlikely to get bitten by one-just don't play with them.
Most people in Africa that die of snake bites,die of Puff Adder bites.Only reason is because a puff adder doesnt move away when you come to close.

Message 10 of 13 in Discussion

From: redbeard Sent: 4/9/2002 7:28 AM

Saw that on croc hunter yesterday,seem the puff adder has the second largest fangs next to the babboon viper (spelling ?)

Message 11 of 13 in Discussion

From: Bigfive Sent: 4/9/2002 4:19 PM

I'm not sure about that but I know that their(puff adder)fangs is very large.They also say that a puffadder bite is one of the most painfull were as a mamba bite is not so sore.This is due to the size difference in their fangs and the different toxin that these two snakes have.

Message 12 of 13 in Discussion

From: redbeard Sent: 4/10/2002 3:11 PM

they said 2 inches

Message 13 of 13 in Discussion

From: Nitro Sent: 4/10/2002 3:45 PM

Snakes are a real problem where I hunt, with the main species of snake in the area being the "Common Brown" snake of Australia.

The common brown snake is one of the 6 most poisonous snakes in the world and can be aggressive during mating season.

Other times of the year they will move away from you, hide, avoid you etc if they are aware of you before you approach. The problem with hunting is you try to move very silently and slowly, the opposite to what you should be walking like in high grass in snake country ie lots of noise, stamping feet etc. At home I used to often hunt barefoot or just with sandals in summer. Much quieter but NOT good for snakes.

There is a paddock where I hunt which is rife with rabbits and high grass. It also used to be an old vineyard and still has a lot of old wires in the grass. This is an interesting place to hunt in summer and exciting when you kick the wire and it slithers in the grass.

We loose farm cats at home every year to brown snakes which live in the sheds to catch mice.
No mice = bad ie you have snakes. Snake proofing your dog is also essential. My dog Siegfried is very lucky to be alive having been struck in the shoulder when 8 months old. But by a miracle the snakes did not put its fangs in. Now he jumps a considerable distance if he thinks he sees or smells a snake. But unfortunately he also still investigates. So everytime I kill one (only once or twice a year) I "plant it" somewhere and use an electric collar to condition him not to investigate as soon as he smells one.

The closest I have been to a brown snake was under my back when I fell over sliding down a river bank and landed on a snake with my hand also on its back. I jumped a considerable distance and the snake went the opposite way. It also sure gives you a fright when you look down and a snake is only inches from your ankles. Many people are not aware of how far a snake can strike when trying to kill one with a stick. Most snakes can strike to a distance two-thirds of their body length away, so a 6 foot snake has a strike distance of 4 feet.

When hunting near home I don't really take any precautions except nowadays I try to carry a mobile phone. When hunting away from home I have a first aid kit in the vehicle and a small first aid kit in the day pack with several large bandages for binding the wound/immobilising it.

Once when I was working in my vineyard. And surprised a snake. It slithered up the vine trunk into the vine and disappeared. Guess where I was supposed to be putting my head to work that afternoon.
Kneeling down and sticking my head into the vines. Imagine seeing a snake 2 cms away from your face! (I was installing irrigation hoses). I did NOT work in that part of the vineyard that afternoon.

Nitro

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