D-League

[Sawnee Cat]

My Dad owned property on Lake Cumberland. One time in my college days me and a buddy went down for a weekend and went out on the boat. A couple of coves we went into the water was covered with water moccasins (I believe). Must have been mating season or something.

Back in the mid 70's four of us were fishing on the Withlacoochee River which is a wild river that runs into the Gulf of Mexico. We were at least 20 miles from the nearest medical facility.

We were pulling the boat to shore to stretch our legs and my buddy asked me to take a long pole and check how deep it was. I thought it would be 2 or 3 feet deep but I hit a gator hole and my momentum threw me out of the boat when I put the pole in the water.

I did not notice what was hanging from oak trees limbs along the river bank but it was a half of dozen cotton mouths. When I hit the water they dropped into the river and headed in my direction. As I came up the three in the boat hollered "COTTON MOUTHS !!!!" I immediately came out, walking on water like Peter of Old and went straight into the boat with a little help from my friends. I was shook up beyond being shook up. If one of the things had got a hold of me I was a dead man. There is no way they could have got medical attention for me. If only one got to me I may have had a chance but not a half dozen.

The area looked a lot like this. The snakes were hanging on limbs over the river.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

I have a 6 foot rat snake that I try and educate my neighbors not to hurt. The rat snake keeps all the field mice out of the house. They are harmless and when I see them I pet them and direct them away from where I am mowing.

However, cotton mouths are nasty snakes. They will actually follow you to continue the fight.

My cousin yesterday shot this copper head in his yard (snake shot explains the skinned portion):

The snakes that get through our pool cage are rat snakes. Harmless and as you said, keep the area free of pests. I usually pick them up and throw them away from the house but my wife is scared to death of any snake. You would think a Kentucky girl would know better

 

[UK82]

Heaven has gained another wildcat fan this morning. My grandmother of 90 years of age passed away and now is with the Lord. I encourage everyone to never miss the chance to hug your family.

So sorry for your loss. There's nothing more special than a grandmother's love.

 

[Bkocats]

I avoid the political board
I’m conservative myself...and I’m not sure if i could play nice

 

[warrior-cat]

Back in the mid 70's four of us were fishing on the Withlacoochee River which is a wild river that runs into the Gulf of Mexico. We were at least 20 miles from the nearest medical facility.

We were pulling the boat to shore to stretch our legs and my buddy asked me to take a long pole and check how deep it was. I thought it would be 2 or 3 feet deep but I hit a gator hole and my momentum threw me out of the boat when I put the pole in the water.

I did not notice what was hanging from oak trees limbs along the river bank but it was a half of dozen cotton mouths. When I hit the water they dropped into the river and headed in my direction. As I came up the three in the boat hollered "COTTON MOUTHS !!!!" I immediately came out, walking on water like Peter of Old and went straight into the boat with a little help from my friends. I was shook up beyond being shook up. If one of the things had got a hold of me I was a dead man. There is no way they could have got medical attention for me. If only one got to me I may have had a chance but not a half dozen.

The area looked a lot like this. The snakes were hanging on limbs over the river.

Looks like a primo fishing area.

 

[UK82]

Had one of these pop its head up out of the sand next to me twice while I was in Saudi Arabia. Killed it the second time. Saudi Sand Viper.

That looks like something out of a science fiction movie.

 

[Ed323232]

I avoid the political board
I’m conservative myself...and I’m not sure if i could play nice

You would fit right in

 

[starchief5]

Knock his ass off the bow.

Black (Snake) Lives Matter!

 

[starchief5]

Back in the mid 70's four of us were fishing on the Withlacoochee River which is a wild river that runs into the Gulf of Mexico. We were at least 20 miles from the nearest medical facility.

We were pulling the boat to shore to stretch our legs and my buddy asked me to take a long pole and check how deep it was. I thought it would be 2 or 3 feet deep but I hit a gator hole and my momentum threw me out of the boat when I put the pole in the water.

I did not notice what was hanging from oak trees limbs along the river bank but it was a half of dozen cotton mouths. When I hit the water they dropped into the river and headed in my direction. As I came up the three in the boat hollered "COTTON MOUTHS !!!!" I immediately came out, walking on water like Peter of Old and went straight into the boat with a little help from my friends. I was shook up beyond being shook up. If one of the things had got a hold of me I was a dead man. There is no way they could have got medical attention for me. If only one got to me I may have had a chance but not a half dozen.

The area looked a lot like this. The snakes were hanging on limbs over the river.

This could have been you.

 

[Sawnee Cat]

This could have been you.

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Lord have mercy yes, it could have been. I still shudder over that and it has been over 40 years.

 

[*CatinIL*]

CatinIL's snake Philosophy...Diamond shaped head...KILL IT...if not...let it go.

 

[starchief5]

Got bitten by a snake in high weeds when a kid. Never saw the snake. Hospital.

Stepped directly over a rattlesnake in Oregon. Don't know why it didn't strike.

I've had a moccasin headed for my boat but drove it off with an oar before it reached the boat.

 

[*CatinIL*]

I have been in this situation with a cotton mouth. One of the scariest days of my life.

I would be calling the Mother Ship to BEAM ME UP PRONTO!!!!!👽

Get my ass out of this boat NOW!!!

 

[wildcatdonf]

 

[warrior-cat]

Ran into a den of rattlers while out in the field in the west range of FT. Sill. Was using the bathroom (field expedient method) when I heard several rattles. Fastest dump I ever took. Had to mark off the area using NBC marking tape to let other people know not to go in the same area.

 

[starchief5]

I would be calling the Mother Ship to BEAM ME UP PRONTO!!!!!👽

Get my ass out of this boat NOW!!!

But what if they couldn't tell the difference between you and the snake and just yanked both of you at the same time? That beaming up can get tricky.

 

[_Rooster]

Loved the Snake chatter. Entertaining. Now the truth. The North American Pit Vipers; Copperheads, Moccasins, and Rattlers do not deserve such prejudice & disdain based on false information. Yes they will defend themselves with a poisonous bite. They easily see your too big to eat so you ain't on the menu, they are and don't need to pick a fight with a bear. The facial IR sensory organs can see body heat. Ones fear causes skin temperature fluctuations and may induce a flight or flight response. That behavior gives them the bad reputation. Poison also has a high nutrient production cost and not to be wasted so stay calm and when they do not sense danger they'll simply crawl away. It's not the one's I see that concern me, I respect the serpents they are. It's the one's I don't that worry me. They don't like being stepped on.

 

[wildcatdonf]

Heaven has gained another wildcat fan this morning. My grandmother of 90 years of age passed away and now is with the Lord. I encourage everyone to never miss the chance to hug your family.

Condolences. I feel the same way as you do about that.

 

[wildcatdonf]

I have been in this situation with a cotton mouth. One of the scariest days of my life.

Just off the top of my head: LEVITATE.

 

[wildcatdonf]

Knock his ass off the bow.

Ditto.

 

[Ben101er]

Thanks !
renting just off of Tate’s creek in Lexington and working just east of town -

still trying to find the sweet spot for a “real home “

Try Malone's on Tates Creek. Really good steaks.

 

[Ben101er]

Get something between you and the assumed strike area no matter what it is FIRST. Then make commotion (Not waving). Used to crawl under houses for a living and some serious stories I could tell. Bernheim Forest was a serious snake encounter.

So, going over the side and making like Michael Phelps is not the correct answer?

 

[Ben101er]

Loved the Snake chatter. Entertaining. Now the truth. The North American Pit Vipers; Copperheads, Moccasins, and Rattlers do not deserve such prejudice & disdain based on false information. Yes they will defend themselves with a poisonous bite. They easily see your too big to eat so you ain't on the menu, they are and don't need to pick a fight with a bear. The facial IR sensory organs can see body heat. Ones fear causes skin temperature fluctuations and may induce a flight or flight response. That behavior gives them the bad reputation. Poison also has a high nutrient production cost and not to be wasted so stay calm and when they do not sense danger they'll simply crawl away. It's not the one's I see that concern me, I respect the serpents they are. It's the one's I don't that worry me. They don't like being stepped on.

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Rooster, this may be true, especially with most vipers, but I have seen cottonmouths come after people, especially in boats.

 

[OHIO COLONEL]

It's really hard to 'like' some of these posts....when you hate snakes.

 

[BBUK]

Knock his ass off the bow.

That too.

 

[*CatinIL*]

But what if they couldn't tell the difference between you and the snake and just yanked both of you at the same time? That beaming up can get tricky.

👽You make a good point!

 

[UK82]

But what if they couldn't tell the difference between you and the snake and just yanked both of you at the same time? That beaming up can get tricky.

No per the technology, cold-blooded creatures can't be beamed up.

 

[_Rooster]

 

[_Rooster]

Rooster, this may be true, especially with most vipers, but I have seen cottonmouths come after people, especially in boats.

Cottonmouth are head strong and grouchy. Still, they are vulnerable to predation, that's why they drop from trees. They're also vulnerable to aquatic predators, fish, turtles, otters, etc. Wants the boat and doesn't respect property rights because it's a flipping snake. Not pleasant neighbors. For security, I remove peacefully or violently. I don't decide God does. I've had to kill very few.

 

[BBUK]

Rooster, this may be true, especially with most vipers, but I have seen cottonmouths come after people, especially in boats.

They are all Cobra's to me. I am not prejudiced.

(I had a copperhead aggressively fight me one time (striking and advancing) at the bottom of a customer's steps.) He would not leave. He ended up dying.

Crawled under a house in Cox's Creek one time and had at least two copperhead's crawl across me but didn't bite me. I came out of the house and the lady actually stated to me she forgot to tell me about a nest of copperhead's that were under her home. I told that lady she could thank her Lord she wasn't a man. I ended up living.

Too many encounters..... Too many....

 

[BBUK]

Cottonmouth are head strong and grouchy. Still, they are vulnerable to predation, that's why they drop from trees. They're also vulnerable to aquatic predators, fish, turtles, otters, etc. Wants the boat and doesn't respect property rights because it's a flipping snake. Not pleasant neighbors. For security, I remove peacefully or violently. I don't decide God does. I've had to kill very few.

The Lord watched over me just concerning snakes more than a few times as I should have been bitten a half a dozen times or more.

I can't say I killed them all but I took out a few slew-foot's in my day. (The no-legged kind....)

 

[AustinTXCat]

Here's former Vice President Richard Nixon riding through Middlesboro in 1959. I believe we can see @starchief5 there in the crowd in one of these pics.

 

[CastleRubric]

Yes, that too. edit: creates neural pathways as a physiological component of your personal psychological matrix that begins in the womb.
Happened here in Az.
Understood and Thanks.

talked to one of my nephews tonight (Marshall Gras / getting first professional physical therapy assignment) and mentioned this -
...,

-...moment of disclosure:

I just spent approx 30 mins typing this broke ass post ...

i had 2-3 other paragraphs breaking down physiological elements of this phenomena,...lots of typos ...started cussing out loud from all the misspellings,,,,,,THEN re-read what I had and realized I’d already changed my mind on what I was going to say anyway ......

Time for a beer run - be good

 

[starchief5]

Here's former Vice President Richard Nixon riding through Middlesboro in 1959. I believe we can see @starchief5 there in the crowd in one of these pics.

That was me wrestling with the police in the middle of the roof on the building to the left in the top picture. They let me go after I explained I was up there shooting pigeons.

 

[AustinTXCat]

Good morning from ATX. Currently a lovely 59°F out and partly cloudy. Cold front has arrived! Winds out of the north. Chances for rain are still present. Expecting 72°F for today's high. Nice fall preview. Today should be our coolest since mid-April. Just gorgeous.

Wishing continued happiness and good health to all our fellow D-League members.

 

[*CatinIL*]

No per the technology, cold-blooded creatures can't be beamed up.

👍👽

 

[warrior-cat]

Morning Leaginaires.

Another chilly morning here at 53° with only a high of 63°. Back into the mid 80's for the foreseeable future. No fishing until the rain subsides so, house cleaning and movie watching until I can get out. With all of the snake talk going on I would just like to add if you spend a good amount of years in the military in a combat arms mos, you will definitely run into a few in the field. Ran into a few in the jungle of Panama back in the 81 during Jungle training. Snakes, monkeys, sand crabs, coatimundis, toucans, and a myriad of animals. Had a boa wrapped around me (on purpose) from the mini zoo they had there to educated us on types of animals to expect to run into in the jungle.

 

[BBUK]

Here's former Vice President Richard Nixon riding through Middlesboro in 1959. I believe we can see @starchief5 there in the crowd in one of these pics.

I will tell you who was in that crowd. My maternal grandfather. I remember him telling me about that several times. I do also believe my paternal grandparents were there too as they lived on the Y at the time. They died when I was very young. My maternal grandfather lived until I was home on leave visiting my Mom while I was in the Army (About 1983 or so.) He died while I was on leave. I was again thankful as my Mom would have been alone for a while until other family arrived had I not been there. My Mom and grandfather lived in LaFollette TN at the time. (I have a picture of my grandfather while in Middlesboro.) I will post it in the next few days. I have to find it.

 

[BBUK]

So far, what a safe-haven of a place.

Well, being as there is no other place around the place....





Thanks all...

Edit: Here is one of there best. (It got me started)

 

[Sawnee Cat]

Good morning from D

Enjoying another cup of coffee after a good breakfast of ham, eggs and grits.

Currently a pleasant 72° with 99% humidity. Our high will be 84° this afternoon and we can expect some rain. We had a heavy, heavy rain late yesterday afternoon and it last until about bed time. Lightning lit up the sky like the 4th of July fireworks..

My rehab is ahead of schedule. I do not need a back brace and can walk unassisted. Working out in the pool everyday has been a blessing and of course nothing beats walking. So I have a new spine and all of my plumbing works. I say I am blessed. Now for another cup of black magic. Take care all and if lightning comes your way be careful. I saw a man (coworker) killed by a lightning strike and it made me respect the power that can come from the sky without warning.