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Yesterday while prospecting I took a break under a mesquite tree. Before I sat down I checked the area for snakes. I sat on a nice rock. I had my snake guards on. It had just rained so the temperature quickly dropped to the high 60's. I ate a granola bar and drank some water. As I got up I noticed a large fat rattle snake coiled up about a foot from me. I could've pet it I was so close. I guess he was there the whole time. Blended in perfectly. No rattling or anything. He had plenty of opportunities to strike my back. His head wasn't visible. He was bound nice and tight. I guess he was cold.

Anyway. Close call! Thank you colder weather! Snake guards wouldn't have protected my back. :)

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I guess there are nice snakes out there?
Whew!!
Tom H.

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well, I hope you were kind and returned the favor...he was just resting where people rest too...

folks with normal color vision will often not see a resting snake...one of the few advantages alternative-color-vision people have over the normal ones...

fred

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Yes I let him be. He didn't bother me so I wasn't about to bother him. :D

That's cool DN .... That's how I deal with them out in their territory too, but in my yard, boom shakalaka, snake be gone ... Good job! ... I'm sure a little JoeNoShoulders karma got built up for you on that one! ... Cheers, Unc

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DesertNuggets

First off Im going to say great that your wearing legins and you walked away without a scratch.
I got myself into a simular situation. I had been hunting all day not finding anyhing it was hot
so I decided to take a smoke break and rethink this patch.
so I walk around and lean against this big granite boulder to get out of the sun.
I reach down into my belt for my smokes and I see him.
right next to my right leg. I had no leggins on.
I'll never forget he's laying there all coiled up laying flat on the ground not rattling, nothin.
I remember thinkin I can jump away,
or maybe I should slowly back away,
or draw my 686 in my shoulder hoster with snake shot.
I chose #3
I slowly reached up drew my smith out and looking down the sights
upside down cocked it and blam, blew its head clean off.
To this day I wonder did I make the right choice?
Take care out there, AzNuggetBob

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I know I defend snakes on these forums but I do have innocent blood on my hands. When I was much younger I hunted deer in San Diego County. The hills all around El Capitan MT had/have loads of snakes of all types. A herpitologist's dream. Anyway, I was hunting down a stairstep rocky area and stopped to look about. As I started to take my next step down I realized and seen a very large red-rattler was under my footfall. I jumped back, sadly, in revenge for scaring the daylights out of me, I shot him...there was no reason to...kill.

Now I try to live and let live.

fred

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I agree ... live and let live in there territory ... I do agree with Unc Ron about the yard though. If they won't leave the 1 acre dog pen for the remaining 9 acres of my land then they will get a one way ticket to another world. My Lab ... Max ... got hit this spring by a western diamond back down in the Cleator area ... he survived the ordeal with little or no side effects other than a couple days of severe facial swelling and a closed eye ... all recovered btw. The offending snake also lived to strike another day ... even though I could have dispatched him it was not his fault ... Max didn't know enough to keep his nose out of there. Now with snake training from Viper Voidance in New River AZ he knows better and will back away from rattlers.

Mike F

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Fortunate you had colder weather working in your favor. Those guys tend to move rather slowly when it is a little on the chilly side. I agree with your decision. Although I tell you I am not a fan of Mohave Green rattlers, everyone I have ever run into has has a really nasty disposition.

But I think this forum does give you an indication of the mild threat they pose. Taking some normal precautions the chances of being bit drop dramtically. Look how many snake encounters all of us have reported and yet bites are pretty rare.

I am amazed at how many of the stun guns I still sell. I post right on my website that there is no clinical evidence that these work on snake bites, but it doesn't seem to keep people from buying them. I had a guy order 12 from me last week, and he is a return customer.

Years ago I would have a guy that would call every year and order 24 of them. He was a photographer for National Geographic, and each year he would go to South America. He said having those things down there is like having gold. You can sell them or trade them for just about anything. The locals swear by them.

I do know from personal experience that they work great on bee stings. I got stung and gave myself a couple of zaps and the pain went away immediately. The next day I couldn't even tell where I had been stung. I have a veternarian that has bought several from me. He is severely allergic to bees to the point where he has to use a epi-pen. He said that in his outside kennel building he runs into a lot of bees. He said that he can use the Stun gun and it completely eliminates the need to use his epi-pen.

I sell them with a warning label that says I have no idea if they work or not, and to your at your own risk.

Oh another thing that they work for on me is tension and migraine headaches. My tension headaches seem to start in the back of my head right where the spine attaches to the head. The occipital nerve is right there. Well I can give myself a couple of zolts back there and it makes the tension headache just break up and go away. It stops muscle spasms really well. Of course I am probably killing lord knows how many brain cells. :)

Doc

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Wow Doc. I've never heard anything about using a stun gun for bites. (any kind). I assume you are referring to the self protection type. If so I'll keep mine handy.

Bill

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I guess it wouldn't hurt (except the electrical shock and the flailing around on the ground th.gifhappy0045%5B1%5D.gif ) to hit yourself with a stun gun if bitten by a poisonous snake or stung by bees if you're allergic, the possibility that it may have good affects while you're trying to get to a hospital for treatment would be worth it!!IMHO

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I don't know Gold Seeker. I have no first hand experience but do submit this account for your judgement.

The directions say that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant.

A two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a loss of bodily control.

A three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water.

All the while I'm looking at this little device (measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4" in circumference, pretty cute really, and loaded with two itsy, bitsy AAA batteries) thinking to my self, No friggin way!

What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best. I'm setting there alone, the dog looking on with his head cocked to one side as to say, don't do it, reasoning that a one-second burst from such a tiny lil' ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad so I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for the heck of it.

I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and

HOLY **************************! DAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuMN!!!

I'm pretty sure that Jessie Ventura ran in through the front door, picked me up out of that recliner, then body slammed me on the carpet over and over again. I vaguely recall waking on my side in the fetal position, nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, soaking wet with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position. The dog was standing over me making sounds I have never heard before and licking my face.

NOTE: If you ever feel compelled to mug yourself with a Taser, one note of caution, there is no such thing as a one-second burst when you zap yourself. You're not going let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor.

SON-OF-A-********* that HURT! A minute or so later I collected my wits, sat up and surveyed the landscape. My glasses were on the TV across the room. How did they get there? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. give or take an ounce or two and I have a standing reward for my testicles as they are still missing.

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I guess it wouldn't hurt (except the electrical shock and the flailing around on the ground th.gifhappy0045%5B1%5D.gif ) to hit yourself with a stun gun if bitten by a poisonous snake or stung by bees if you're allergic, the possibility that it may have good affects while you're trying to get to a hospital for treatment would be worth it!!IMHO

These are especially modified, they are only 25,000 volts. Not enough to knock you to the ground. Just gives you a real strong muscle contaction. In fact I would never suggest using them on someone for personal protection, you would just really piss them off.

Doc

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I don't know Gold Seeker. I have no first hand experience but do submit this account for your judgement.

The directions say that a one-second burst would shock and disorient your assailant.

A two-second burst was supposed to cause muscle spasms and a loss of bodily control.

A three-second burst would purportedly make your assailant flop on the ground like a fish out of water.

All the while I'm looking at this little device (measuring about 5" long, less than 3/4" in circumference, pretty cute really, and loaded with two itsy, bitsy AAA batteries) thinking to my self, No friggin way!

What happened next is almost beyond description, but I'll do my best. I'm setting there alone, the dog looking on with his head cocked to one side as to say, don't do it, reasoning that a one-second burst from such a tiny lil' ole thing couldn't hurt all that bad so I decided to give myself a one-second burst just for the heck of it.

I touched the prongs to my naked thigh, pushed the button, and

HOLY **************************! DAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuMN!!!

I'm pretty sure that Jessie Ventura ran in through the front door, picked me up out of that recliner, then body slammed me on the carpet over and over again. I vaguely recall waking on my side in the fetal position, nipples on fire, testicles nowhere to be found, soaking wet with my left arm tucked under my body in the oddest position. The dog was standing over me making sounds I have never heard before and licking my face.

NOTE: If you ever feel compelled to mug yourself with a Taser, one note of caution, there is no such thing as a one-second burst when you zap yourself. You're not going let go of that thing until it is dislodged from your hand by a violent thrashing about on the floor.

SON-OF-A-********* that HURT! A minute or so later I collected my wits, sat up and surveyed the landscape. My glasses were on the TV across the room. How did they get there? My triceps, right thigh and both nipples were still twitching. My face felt like it had been shot up with Novocain, and my bottom lip weighed 88 lbs. give or take an ounce or two and I have a standing reward for my testicles as they are still missing.

These are modified. Not that strong. Guess I should have mentioned that. LOL What Iron Mike said, that there was funny I don't care what ya' say.

Doc

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