quote:

Originally posted by Crom:
I though DEATH from rattlesnake bites was actually extremely rare.
?
Do we trust stories from dailymail.co.uk ?

Key word here Oklahoma. There are lots of places in Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona that are miles and miles away from anything like civilization. As said Timber Rattlers are vicious and not ashamed to use their venom. If you’re lucky enough to be near a medical center, you also have to hope they have the right anti-venom for the snake that got you. My son has been working the oil fields in West Texas. One place in particular is lousy with rattle snakes. One of his less bright workmates was playing with a baby rattler and got bit. They had to drive him 10 miles to meet a care flight to get him to a medical center. The whole 10 miles someone was figuring out what medical center to take him to based on the type of snake that bit him. At that, the last I heard, the guy lost a finger and was in the hospital for a week. If he’d been by himself with no medical help, well it would have been difffernt.

As someone who has kids and dogs, when I see a rattler I kill it. Gopher snakes get different treatment - if I have gloves and a bucket they get transported up to the orchard otherwise they just get moved off the road. All other snakes get moved off the road.

All the rattlesnakes that I've seen were capable of crawling across a road all my themselves. They didn't need any help.

quote:

Originally posted by KDR:
while driving last Sunday, I saw a copperhead enjoying the warmth of the blacktop on my street. I adjusted course and ran him over, then backed up and did it again. It was nice to see that a feathered friend was enjoying a nice grilled snake lunch when I returned home.

I like snakes, but poisonous ones will be exterminated with prejudice. A baby copperhead bit my dog last year and my wife almost stepped on one right by our back door.

By your logic, I should run over dogs. A dog attacked my wife's dog a few years ago and damn near killed it. And my neighbor's dog is often running around our neighborhood. Dogs are a hell of a lot more likely to bite than snakes.

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:
I though DEATH from rattlesnake bites was actually extremely rare.
?
Do we trust stories from dailymail.co.uk ?

There are many interesting articles in the DailyMail, but many bogus or wrong-headed ones too. You need to have your crap filter turned on.

When the three Americans took down the terrorist on the French train, the DailyMail had, by far, the best coverage. Accurate and timely.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
That's probably me some day. I can't stand by and see some animal in distress. Fortunately, I run into no rattlesnakes.

I'm thinking you'd probably find a SAFE way to move the critter boss. You are a Rocket Surgeon after all!

Sorry for him.

That reminds me of that song about something like that back in the early 60s.

I ran over a nest of bunnies in my front yard the other day with my mower...did not see them.

It only killed one, but the wife killed another the next day when she did not see one trim mowing. They were so cute, but 5 or 6 left.

quote:

Originally posted by Crom:
I though DEATH from rattlesnake bites was actually extremely rare.
?
Do we trust stories from dailymail.co.uk ?

Article said he had a heart condition, which contributed to his death.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
That's probably me some day. I can't stand by and see some animal in distress. Fortunately, I run into no rattlesnakes.

Fortunately, my thing is earthworms.

Well the next time I accidentally step on a dog and it bites me I will run it over with my car. Are you really a lawyer with logic like that? Fucks sake.

Venomous snakes that populate the neighborhood filled with kids, dogs, and me need to be relocated or killed. This is a tale of attempted relocation or something that went horribly wrong.

Out in the woods I would leave well enough alone, close to the house a venomous snake is getting killed.

"Lester pulled over, approached the venomous reptile and grabbed it behind its head, as he had done many times before over the years"

There's a lesson for ya: You'd think over the years, you and this snake had gotten to be good friends and then one day ... Wham!

Don't make THAT mistake again.

A snake is always a snake they show no gratitude. Donald Trump and Johnny Rivers both know this.

Johnny Rivers



Donald Trump

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Well the next time I accidentally step on a dog and it bites me I will run it over with my car. Are you really a lawyer with logic like that? Fucks sake.

Venomous snakes that populate the neighborhood filled with kids, dogs, and me need to be relocated or killed. This is a tale of attempted relocation or something that went horribly wrong.

Out in the woods I would leave well enough alone, close to the house a venomous snake is getting killed.

No, you are just indulging your fear of snakes. Dogs bite far more people than snakes, and do much more damage. By any measure, dogs are far more dangerous than snakes, but people have an unreasoning fear of snakes.

I have never personally known anyone bitten by a venomous snake. I have always lived where snakes are present, so it isn't like I live in Manhattan. I have known dozens of people bitten by dogs.

And, of course, I don't intend for anyone to run over dogs, however more dangerous than snakes they may be. I was exaggerating to make a point. The point being that snakes need not be killed. At most, relocate them. But the reality is that if you let them go on their way, you more than likely will never see them again.

Over the last 10 years five of my six ranch dogs have been bitten by rattlers, with two bitten within a week’s time. And I know a couple of people who have been bitten by rattlers while working. I’ve had a couple of close calls myself, and have declared war on rattlesnakes.

I move turkles and nonpoisonous snakes off the highway when I can. Do not give a fuck about rattlesnakes. I killed several last summer within 200 yards of the cabin. Two in my barn and one under the front porch.

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
I have friends, long time childhood friends, who live for rattlesnake catching and the Rattle Snake Derbys. Yep, just Google Rattle Snake Derby. They catch hundreds and hundreds of pounds of rattlers this time of year.

Yes, they're nuts. They're the same guys who Noodle catfish. Nuts.

Me? I'm not, I don't catch snakes. I carry a 12 gauge. If they see a snake they don't want, then it's mine and Mr pump action Buckshots turn.

Those living in Northeast Pennsylvania can attend the annual Noxen, Pa Rattlesnake hunt...

linky: http://www.noxenpa.com/snakes.html

quote:

Originally posted by RichardC:

There's a lesson for ya: You'd think over the years, you and this snake had gotten to be good friends and then one day ... Wham!

.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:

Those living in Northeast Pennsylvania can attend the annual Noxen, Pa Rattlesnake hunt...

I love this. If you have any doubt about whether a snake is poisonous, just bend down and look him right in the eye.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by KDR:
while driving last Sunday, I saw a copperhead enjoying the warmth of the blacktop on my street. I adjusted course and ran him over, then backed up and did it again. It was nice to see that a feathered friend was enjoying a nice grilled snake lunch when I returned home.

I like snakes, but poisonous ones will be exterminated with prejudice. A baby copperhead bit my dog last year and my wife almost stepped on one right by our back door.

By your logic, I should run over dogs. A dog attacked my wife's dog a few years ago and damn near killed it. And my neighbor's dog is often running around our neighborhood. Dogs are a hell of a lot more likely to bite than snakes.

Depends on the kind of dog and if it'll dent my truck.

quote:

Originally posted by GWbiker:

quote:

Originally posted by OKCGene:
I have friends, long time childhood friends, who live for rattlesnake catching and the Rattle Snake Derbys. Yep, just Google Rattle Snake Derby. They catch hundreds and hundreds of pounds of rattlers this time of year.

Yes, they're nuts. They're the same guys who Noodle catfish. Nuts.

Me? I'm not, I don't catch snakes. I carry a 12 gauge. If they see a snake they don't want, then it's mine and Mr pump action Buckshots turn.

Those living in Northeast Pennsylvania can attend the annual Noxen, Pa Rattlesnake hunt...

linky: http://www.noxenpa.com/snakes.html

Oh we have plenty of those. Even crown a King and Queen.

quote:

Originally posted by jhe888:

quote:

Originally posted by pedropcola:
Well the next time I accidentally step on a dog and it bites me I will run it over with my car. Are you really a lawyer with logic like that? Fucks sake.

Venomous snakes that populate the neighborhood filled with kids, dogs, and me need to be relocated or killed. This is a tale of attempted relocation or something that went horribly wrong.

Out in the woods I would leave well enough alone, close to the house a venomous snake is getting killed.

No, you are just indulging your fear of snakes. Dogs bite far more people than snakes, and do much more damage. By any measure, dogs are far more dangerous than snakes, but people have an unreasoning fear of snakes.

I have never personally known anyone bitten by a venomous snake. I have always lived where snakes are present, so it isn't like I live in Manhattan. I have known dozens of people bitten by dogs.

And, of course, I don't intend for anyone to run over dogs, however more dangerous than snakes they may be. I was exaggerating to make a point. The point being that snakes need not be killed. At most, relocate them. But the reality is that if you let them go on their way, you more than likely will never see them again.

While I wouldn't automatically kill a poisonous snake not on my property, or on my property but far from my home or my normal paths of travel, I don't think it's unreasonable to fear them, and to exterminate them in some circumstances.

Also, you can't compare the number of severe or fatal dog bites to snake bites and simply conclude poisonous snakes are safer to be around than dogs. Millions of people live with millions of dogs in their homes, on their furniture, in their beds, etc. Put timber rattlers in the same scenarios we put our dogs in and check the numbers again.

Unlike dogs, there are no friendly timber rattlers. None. They can't be intimidated, or tempted to a preferred behavior with treats or sweettalk. And, unlike dogs, they're often difficult to see until you're right on them. Step on a dog and you might get a kiss. Step on a venomous snake and you'll likely need an ambulance, or maybe a hearst.

I'm not advocating the killing of all venomous snakes all the time, but the comparison to dogs doesn't hold water.