a snake in the boat!!!!
I know we've all heard about the guy who shot holes in his boat because a
watersnake climbed in ... I thought this would be a great article to pass along... This article may be redistributed in digital or printed format, as long as all citations, links, and attributions (including this notice) remain intact. There's a snake in the boat!!! What to do (and not do) when you see a snake by Chad Minter First, don't kill nonvenomous snakes. Any given area can only support a fixed number of snakes. If you kill the nonvenomous snakes that leaves a food supply that could support a population of venomous snakes. Remember to stay a safe distance from the snake. Snakes usually strike about 1/2 their body length, but they can strike farther. You also don't want to trip and fall on the snake. Learn what snakes are venomous near you. If you are in the southeast, take the venomous snake ID tests at http://www.envenomated.com 80% of bites occur when someone tries to catch or kill a snake. The safest thing you can do if you see a snake is to leave it alone. (It's probably protected by law anyway.) 85% of bites in the United States occur on the hand and forearm. 50% involve a victim under the age of 20. 70% of bites in the United States involve alcohol consumption. If you have a snake in your yard, either call someone trained in their removal or stand at a safe distance and spray it with a garden hose. Snakes hate that and will leave quickly. Step on logs rather than over them. Snakes coil beside logs in the "Reinert Posture" and might mistake your leg for a predator or prey. Watch where you put your hands and feet. Do not reach under boards with your fingers. Snakes can be handled safely with proper tools and training, but do NOT risk trying to handle venomous snakes if you have not been professionally trained. There are things that no website can teach you about how to handle venomous snakes safely. You can minimize the appeal of your yard to a snake by 1. cutting the grass, 2. picking up debris, and 3. Controlling rodents. If there is no food or shelter the snake will soon leave for better hunting grounds. The safest thing to do if you see a snake is to LEAVE IT ALONE. Most bites occur when someone is attempting to capture or kill a snake. If you are bitten by a snake, seek immediate medical care from a licensed and experienced physician. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the first aid for snakebite consists of: "Do remain calm - Remember that there is an excellent chance for survival, and in most cases there is plenty of time. Do suck and squeeze - as much venom as possible directly from the wound. Venom is protein and can be taken orally with no ill effects. Do remove jewelry - Swelling can progress rapidly, so rings, watches and bracelets can be a real problem. Do mark the time - The progress of symptoms (swelling) is the most obvious indicator of the amount of envenomation. Do keep the stricken limb below the heart. Do get to a hospital as quickly as possible - Anti-venom serum is the only sure cure for envenomation, and because some people are allergic to horse serum it should only be given in a fully equipped medical facility. In case of a Coral bite, do pull the snake off immediately - Corals' fangs are relatively small, and they have to work at getting venom into the wound. Therefore, the faster the snake is removed the less venom is injected. Do attempt to identify the offending snake - Positive identification in the form of a dead snake is helpful, if convenient, but no time or safety should be wasted since the symptoms will give medical personnel an accurate diagnosis. Do get a tetanus shot. Don't cut the wound - This almost always causes more damage than it's worth. Don't use a tourniquet - This isolates the venom in a small area and causes the digestive enzymes in the venom to concentrate the damage. Don't use alcohol orally - it speeds the heart and blood flow and reduces the body's counter-acting ability. Don't use ice - Freezing the stricken limb has been found to be a major factor leading to amputation." Remember, snakes have their place in the ecosystem and were around long before we arrived. We are the visitors in their garden. Snakes are quite capable of defending themselves, but are reluctant to do so. If you follow a few common sense rules you can minimize an already very small risk of snakebite during your outdoor adventure. Chad Minter is the author of Venomous Snakes of the Southeast, and the webmaster of The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake Page at http://www.envenomated.com |
M y earliest boating memory was when I was 5 and had gone canoeing with
my parents to a local lake. We had put the bow of the boat on shore in some weeds and my dad was on shore. A Water Moccasin (poisonous and known to be aggressive) suddenly reared out of the water and actually charged the canoe and tried to climb in. My mother quickly gave the snake an "attitude adjustment" with the canoe paddle. Now, years later we all (9 kids) still joke with her about how she clobbered that snake. She normally had a remarkably blase attitude toward poison snakes. When we camped at a place called White Oak Landing (believe it or not on the River Styx in a place called Tates Hell Swamp), we were hesitant to swim with the water moccasins swimming around but she told us not to be wimps as they couldnt bite under water. When the family dog got bit on the face and swelled up like a balloon and died within an hour after swimming, she didnt change her attitude. Somehow, we all made it to adulthood. |
wrote in message oups.com... M y earliest boating memory was when I was 5 and had gone canoeing with my parents to a local lake. We had put the bow of the boat on shore in some weeds and my dad was on shore. A Water Moccasin (poisonous and known to be aggressive) suddenly reared out of the water and actually charged the canoe and tried to climb in. My mother quickly gave the snake an "attitude adjustment" with the canoe paddle. Now, years later we all (9 kids) still joke with her about how she clobbered that snake. She normally had a remarkably blase attitude toward poison snakes. When we camped at a place called White Oak Landing (believe it or not on the River Styx in a place called Tates Hell Swamp), we were hesitant to swim with the water moccasins swimming around but she told us not to be wimps as they couldnt bite under water. When the family dog got bit on the face and swelled up like a balloon and died within an hour after swimming, she didnt change her attitude. Somehow, we all made it to adulthood. They do bite in the water. Year before I went to Biloxi and Keesler AFB, a guy water-skiing in Backbay fell into a nest of them. Lots of bites. Survived as they got him to the base hospital in about 5 minutes. Was near the dock. 1965 when I was there, a poor guy fell into a nest of them up near Jackson. He did not survive. Why most water except Backbay (brackish) was off limits to swimming in the area. |
My parents used to put the canoe in the Wakulla River, a crystal clear
deep spring fed jungle like body of water teeming with snakes and gators. They'd throw a long rope off the stern and all of us kids who could swim like fish, all 9 of us would hold onto the rope as they dragged us downriver to the next bridge. It was cheap entertainment. Years later, I realize this was probably a great way to troll for gators but nothing ever happened. We all had masks and snorkels and I still remember the huge prehistoric looking gar fish, some 8' long looking like barracuda beneath us. For some reason we were not afraid of them. If I tried to give my kids such good memories I'd be accussed of child abuse. |
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Thats what we accuse them of now.
Another time, it had to be about 1962 when I was 6, they took us to Jacksonville, Fl beach DURING A HURRICANE. We stood about a block from the beach watching the waves washing against a 3 story hotel tearing out huge concrete chunks. Now my parents are in their upper 80s, and I recently asked thekm about this incident and my mother replied "I just cant remember, i am too old" . Of course we all know thats BS. With 9 kids, entertainment is either free or nonexistent and that was free. |
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LMAO! Good one!
On Sun, 11 Sep 2005 01:19:18 -0700, John Sobieski ] wrote: Found this at http://tinyurl.com/7kgcf I thought it cute. I'll repeat it here. ____________________________________________ I guess by now everyone realizes I took the day off. (too many posts) I want to thank everone that responded to my earlier post of "A Sad Day For Me". It does my heart good to know that there are such caring people in this world. Thank uou all!!! My wife and I made it to the viewing today and I had the chance to say my last goodbyes to a dear friend. OK, true story. My hunting buddy and I took my old boat ( a lot smaller than my present boat ) to a lake in upstate New York. This was about 15 years ago, before I started my own company and could actually take a vacation. The lake was a well known passageway by canoe or when frozen over by foot or skates. We were looking for campsites along the lake that were used by Rogers Rangers of F&I War fame. They wore clothes with the buttons marked RR. We had hoped to find one of these rare buttons. We didn't, but not for lack of trying. We landed the boat in a secluded forested and rocky area of the lake. We agreed to fan out and hunt and meet back at the boat in an hour in the event either of us found the signs of a camp site. Being a long time hunter in the woods, I had come across copperheads before but the swinging of the detector loop in front of me sent them fleeing off. Since I was a boy scout, I was taught to never just step over a fallen tree, just in the event a snake was laying in the shade on the other side. No exception to the rule here either. Anyways, I was swinging the coil I noticed a movement right at the head of the coil. I froze and stared down. There was a rattlesnake about 3' in front of me coiled up, head raised a bit, and the tail began to buzz. Now here is where stupidity took over. Instead of quickly jumping backward, I took the shovel I had in my hand and swung it sideways and lopped off the snakes head. Then I cut it up with the edge of the shovel into a half dozen pieces. My heart was pounding, sweat was pouring, and I was just shaking all over. After I had regained some of my senses, I actually thought about taking the head back with me, boiling the tissue off, and keeping the skull as a souveneir. But I didn't have anything that I could put the head into without fear of accidentally getting punctured by a fang. So I left it. Back to the boat I went. When I got back to the boat, there was another boat that had pulled in alongside. The other boater greeted me with a "Hello, you aren't looking for snakes are you?" I said "No" and was just about to tell him of my experience when he said "Good". Then he went on to say he was a herpatologist studying rattlesnakes in the area. Uh oh I thought, time to play it cool. We exchanged some pleasantries and he told me that rattlesnakes were "protected" in the state. I asked him what the snake popultion was in that area and he told me about 10 per square mile. About then, my buddy came back to the boat. I told him to jump in because I knew of a better place to go. Started up the engine and wished the other boater "Good Luck". As soon as I could get away from shore enough, I hit the throttle wide open and zipped to another spot many miles away. When I returned to work after the vacation, I related the story to a fellow engineer. He had a bit of a stutter. He listened to the story and said "You shshould have tatold him there were only nnine". Regards, Relic Hunter ____________________________________________ Regards, SOB -- John H "All decisions are the result of binary thinking." |
In 1943 When I was three years old my Dad was stationed at then Camp Rucker,
AL. We lived in Elba, AL very close to a river. My Dad was a keen fisherman but had no boat, so he built one. It was very small but the aft portion would just fit into the very deep trunk of his 1942 Mercury. The bow stuck out several feet. The boat construction was canvas on rib and frame like many aircraft of the time. Dad built the frame and some soldiers at Rucker did the canvas and dope part. Dad also made some very nice little "duck boards" to fit in the bottom to support a person's weight, tackle boxes, etc. He took me on the maiden voyage. Power was a canoe paddle or two. While skimming around on the river we passed under a tree and suddenly had an uninvited guest; a big old cottonmouth. Dad's first reaction was to beat it to death with the paddle but soon gave up thet idea due to the potential of punturing the canvas. He grabbed me by an arm and was holding me in the air while trying to get the paddle under the smake and keep it from getting beneath the duck boards. We were on the verge of abandoning ship when the cottonmouth decided to cooperate by attacking the paddle which permitted Dad to flip it overboard. I don't think I've ever seem my Father so angry and frightened. Of course, I just thought it was great fun except for a sore arm. My Dad had my arm in a death grip for what seemed like a long time. Whole incident probably lasted 30 seconds or so. Butch wrote in message ups.com... Thats what we accuse them of now. Another time, it had to be about 1962 when I was 6, they took us to Jacksonville, Fl beach DURING A HURRICANE. We stood about a block from the beach watching the waves washing against a 3 story hotel tearing out huge concrete chunks. Now my parents are in their upper 80s, and I recently asked thekm about this incident and my mother replied "I just cant remember, i am too old" . Of course we all know thats BS. With 9 kids, entertainment is either free or nonexistent and that was free. |
"Butch Davis" wrote in message link.net... In 1943 When I was three years old my Dad was stationed at then Camp Rucker, AL. We lived in Elba, AL very close to a river. My Dad was a keen fisherman but had no boat, so he built one. It was very small but the aft portion would just fit into the very deep trunk of his 1942 Mercury. The bow stuck out several feet. The boat construction was canvas on rib and frame like many aircraft of the time. Dad built the frame and some soldiers at Rucker did the canvas and dope part. Dad also made some very nice little "duck boards" to fit in the bottom to support a person's weight, tackle boxes, etc. He took me on the maiden voyage. Power was a canoe paddle or two. While skimming around on the river we passed under a tree and suddenly had an uninvited guest; a big old cottonmouth. Dad's first reaction was to beat it to death with the paddle but soon gave up thet idea due to the potential of punturing the canvas. He grabbed me by an arm and was holding me in the air while trying to get the paddle under the smake and keep it from getting beneath the duck boards. We were on the verge of abandoning ship when the cottonmouth decided to cooperate by attacking the paddle which permitted Dad to flip it overboard. I don't think I've ever seem my Father so angry and frightened. Of course, I just thought it was great fun except for a sore arm. My Dad had my arm in a death grip for what seemed like a long time. Whole incident probably lasted 30 seconds or so. Butch wrote in message ups.com... Thats what we accuse them of now. Another time, it had to be about 1962 when I was 6, they took us to Jacksonville, Fl beach DURING A HURRICANE. We stood about a block from the beach watching the waves washing against a 3 story hotel tearing out huge concrete chunks. Now my parents are in their upper 80s, and I recently asked thekm about this incident and my mother replied "I just cant remember, i am too old" . Of course we all know thats BS. With 9 kids, entertainment is either free or nonexistent and that was free. I worked with a guy from the south. He related the story of a Northern Cousin visiting, and they are out in the jon boat, and he sees something in an overhead tree, and before anyone can stop him, he waps the branch with a paddle. Shortly thereafter is about 5 snakes in the boat. They did stop him from shooting the snakes with the 22. They flipped the snakes out of the boat, and though about sending cousin after the snakes. |
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