It's that time of year and we need to be careful when out turkey hunting or looking for sheds...Here's something I found yesterday at my farm....

Spring,

Ouch! That could hurt! That is one fat mocc!
Where in GA is Bronwood? Southwest of Albany? Hugh

I'm usually pretty sane about snakes, but my motto is "Death to Cottonmouths"

Hugh,
Bronwood is 20 miles NNW of Albany. I actually live in Albany but my farm, and the doghouse my wife sends me to, is in Bronwood.

You have liquid water, greenery, and active reptiles in the dead of Winter?

Lol, that was my thought as well.

I have friends in Albany and Moultre.I used to go over to hunt squirrels in the pecan orchards and the best quail hunting was just a little south of Cordell that I could see.We had to wear snake proof boots quail hunting.I miss some things about the south but not the snakes, I have been here so long now I could never leave.Drop-Shot

Drop-shot,
Most of our regular quail season is after the snakes are gone for the winter, but we do get a few warm days when they might come out and sun even in January. Watching after your dogs is always an important part of the hunt. Fortunately snakes are not much of an issue except during our bow season for deer and turkey season in the spring. Good snake boots are de rigueur at that time.
Montana is such a beautiful state and I've had the pleasure of some great hunts there. No doubt it is a special place to call it home.

A friend of mine and his wife came here several years ago from Georgia.Well they were having some marital problems and thought they could work it out if they moved back to GA.Well less than a year and he was back in Montana and recently divorced.That is a damned ugly snake,I have seen heavier bodied prarie rattlers though.w/regards

Rattle snakes like you mentioned get longer than water moccasins. Rattlers in the 6' area are not uncommon but I've never head of a cottonmouth anywhere near that. Both can be mighty mean...

I think coral snakes are pretty, I won't go out of my way to kill a rattler, but I absolutely hate cottonmouths. I was fishing on the Moro creek in Arkansas with my grandad when I was 8 or 10 and we saw a ball of them mating. For some reason it struck a nerve with me and I've hated/feared them ever since.

Forrest, your post reminds me of that scene in Lonesome Dove when they're crossing a river and one of the Irish brothers gets caught up in a huge cottonmouth mating ball. Chills!

When they are breeding, they are very aggressive. I've had them charge the boat when I'd happen on them while fishing.
I mean they'll rear up out of the water by half (or more it seems like), open their mouth wide, and here they come. Makes you wish you had higher sides on the boat. I've never had one come in the boat as they'll drop down and dive right before they get to the boat. But it still makes you pretty nervous.

Hey Spring, That is a nice one. Only thing I see wrong with it is the "Head" is still attached.

One of my hunting buddies really has a problem with them. He wears both Snake Boots and Snake Chaps. He sweats all the time in the Aug-early Oct time frame and wonders why he doesn't see any Deer.

If the crops are up and the Deer doesn't drop within sight of the edge, one of us has to go in and get it for him. He just can't help it.

Don't particularly like it when I accidentally sneak up on one. My hand tends to go to my right hip and come back with Snake Medicine when it happens. I do fine as long as I know they are there - though they don't fair as well as your Cotton Mouth has.

Hot Core,
Its head might be attached, but I can assure you it is not in the same condition as it was before it met me...I'm just glad my little pistol holds six bullets as I needed them all with the way I shoot.....

quote:

it is not in the same condition as it was before it met me

Yeah, but I've heard more than one tale of guys who don't behead them and still getting a fang from the death throes! They do thrash a lot for quite a long time. Just be careful, no matter how many holes it has in it...the venom is still quite toxic and the bite reflex is present to the end.

quote:

Originally posted by Spring:
Hot Core,
Its head might be attached, but I can assure you it is not in the same condition as it was before it met me...I'm just glad my little pistol holds six bullets as I needed them all with the way I shoot.....

Hey Vic, When I was a young'un I carried a Colt Target Woodsman in a 45ACP holster while out fishing.

I was in a creek called Floyd's Fork with hip-waders on easing down the edge of a hole deeper than my boots, so I was going slow. I moved about 4' and all of a sudden I hear what sounds like limbs breaking above me.

As I begin to look up, I see the snake on the way down. Went immediately into some kind of "James Bond" leap up the embankment and through some waist high weeds(this was long before Ian Flemming dreamed up Mr. Bond).

Then it dawned on me I knew where that snake was, but I sure didn't know what I was stomping around on. Still had my rod and looked back to see Mr. Cotton Mouth following me.

Made one of the very best shots of my life with the Colt as I placed the Black front sight where I could see White Mouth. Then the snake disappeared for a moment and was doing the early version of what the kids now call Brake Dancing.

Had enough fishing for that day and eased on out to the road.

Today I carry a 357Mag of some sort with the Speer Shot Capsules in it. First two cylinders during Deer Season, first four when wading creeks and Bambi Blasters in the other cylinders.

I have a really old partial sack of #7 shot(which I don't think they make anymore) that I use in the Capsules. I suppose #7 1/2 would do fine, but the #7 shot really gets their attention - then more Brake Dancing.

Anyway, I can recommend the Speer Shot Capsules loaded with your own Shot - HIGHLY!!!

I have two small carry-guns for use when out on the Colorado prairie. One is the 3"bbl, S&W Mod 60, .357Mag, and the other is a Charter Arms 3" bbl stainless Bulldog in .44Spec. Both get loaded with Speer shot capsules and either #8 or #7-1/2 shot.
With these "small" guns, I never think about leaving one of them behind...and they sure do a job on rattlers.
Of course my now-ex wife wanted to carry one when a group of us were hunting (yes, she'd used it at the range). She saw a snake, pulled the gun with her thumb and forefinger at the base of the grip, and did a dance that none of us will ever forget. Snake luckily got away.

Hey Spring...I live right by you and have had two rattlers in the back yard! Gonna be
interesting with a "dryer than normal" spring forcasted! Seen a few one-antlered bucks thus far, but have not found the first shead.

Take it easy.