Beeman,
Postoak's link does indeed have a couple of cottonmouths in a tree, above the photog's head, in fact, you just didn't scroll down far enough.
Let it go man. You are wrong. Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
that snake stretched out along the limb is NOT a cottonmouth.

Then what is it, Mr. Beeman? Enlighten us.

You are pathetic.

To hell with the snakes, what the devil is a thermacell?

Jim

Arkypete:

It is a device that uses butane to burn a thin rectangular piece that keep mosquitoes away.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
Arkypete:

It is a device that uses butane to burn a thin rectangular piece that keep mosquitoes away.

And I learned long ago in Florida never to leave home without one!

How neat. Thanks fellas.
My Dad taught me, when I knew I was going to be around mosquitoes take a couple of ladies with me.
Seems the biters like females more then scruffy testy fellows.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by BongoCongo:

quote:

Originally posted by wasbeeman:
that snake stretched out along the limb is NOT a cottonmouth.

Then what is it, Mr. Beeman? Enlighten us.

You are pathetic.

I'm not the herpetologist but it looks like a common brown water snake to me. And you're a punk for the name calling. Does your mommy know you're sneaking around using her computer?

quote:

Originally posted by daniel77:
Beeman,
Postoak's link does indeed have a couple of cottonmouths in a tree, above the photog's head, in fact, you just didn't scroll down far enough.
Let it go man. You are wrong. Just because you haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

I looked at every picture there but perhaps you're right to a point. I won't surrender but I will withdraw.

I have been hog hunting in Florida in June and October and the mosquitos can be heard rising off the swamps at dusk. The other guys used Thermacells and they worked great for them. I have never used mine, although I do keep one in my backpack. I have found that a mosquito patch and a good dose of vitamin B1 along with a Off Clip On and never got more than one or two bites in a 3-day hunt. They really hate the B1, but you do need to take it an hour before you go out.

a chemist friend of mine swore by garlic as a skeeter repellant. He said: "I take the capsules so I don't have the odor. He was wrong.....about the odor.

I can go turkey hunting with my kids. We sit together. Without fail, they get bitten FAR MORE than me. Must be something with body chemistry or diet.

We were at a camp over the holiday. The gnats tortured Mary Lynn but hardly bothered me.

Absolutely Larry! My brother and my ex attracted mosquitos like crazy while I was bitten much less frequently. Don't know why though.

I work in a factory smack dab in the middle of rice country.....the skeeters are insane!

I am not kidding in any way.....we all spray down with OFF daily the months of June through August inside the factory just to be able to work and not swat!!

Anyway a story on snakes.....

My Aunt Dot was terrified of all snakes and lived in the Ozark hills of southern Missouri before her passing at 87 years old in 2007

She kept a garden hoe propped against the wall at each outer door of her house...all snakes died on her watch!

She once said "They are all King Cobras in my eyes" she was a truly awesome woman.....miss her daily

Simple fact is you will see cotton mouths in trees. they don't climb high (normally) like ordinary water snakes. Now the difference if those branches are up on a bank and you are down below in a boat is moot. The bastards are still there and overhanging the water.
So they only climbed 3 feet instead of seven, I will concede the distance as I watch them drop off the limb. As for the thermocell I have no idea except that being a pit viper they have heat sensors. Also if the area is flooded normal behavior changes at times. Last if I am close enough to check that vent and scale to see if it is poisonous I am too damn close!

Interesting thread. A variety of poisonous snakes, Mosquitos, chiggers plus heat and humidity. I can definitely see the draw of living in the south. (Forgot the hurricanes).

quote:

Interesting thread. A variety of poisonous snakes, Mosquitos, chiggers plus heat and humidity. I can definitely see the draw of living in the south. (Forgot the hurricanes).

Oh, it ain't too bad. You just take your time and mosey about slowly in the heat, and lounge about under the ceiling fan on your plantation house veranda, and all the meanstwhile drinking plenty of mint juleps, while pickin' off them ticks and chiggers and riding out them Cat 1 'canes...

quote:

Originally posted by Navaluk:
Interesting thread. A variety of poisonous snakes, Mosquitos, chiggers plus heat and humidity. I can definitely see the draw of living in the south. (Forgot the hurricanes).

You left out ticks, alligators, illegal immigrants and Yankees who moved down to tell how to run our lives!

All good points Larry. It makes me wonder how crappy is it in NY and Michigan that they would think, "Yes I am moving to Florida!" Got to feel sorry for people whose life choices have backed them into such a corner, that it makes the South look good. There must be a liberal nonprofit to help those poor souls.

quote:

Originally posted by larryshores:
and Yankees who moved down to tell how to run our lives!

Don't forget about the Southern Belles and all that great food and cold beer.

Six months of snown AND you have to live in NYC? Not no, but HELL NO.

Hell Daniel, if I lived in your part of the country, I would gain at least 300 pounds from all that good food you all have in LA.

I am getting hungry now!

Larry,
In response to the original question about the Thermacell I recently experienced a similar situation.

Thursday before last found me sitting in my pop-up blind waiting for some hogs to come out of a large swamp (well, now the whole property is basically a large swamp from the rain) and travel through a oak hammock on the way to feed for the night. I heard the hogs approaching, but they were coming in on a different trail 100yards behind me. I made a choice to leave the blind and go ambush the hogs on the other trail. It worked out exactly like it always does when I decide to abandon my primary setup...hogs I heard never came out of the swamp, and a different group came out of the swamp and went right past where the blind was set up.

Disgusted, I returned to the blind to retrieve my pack and the Thermacell that was sitting on top of it. Why I left it there I will never know, even wearing deep woods off I felt like the mosquitos were trying to carry me off into the swamp to have their way with me.

Something just didn't feel right about the blind. I don't know if there was a smell that tipped me off or something else, but I was on edge as soon as I stuck my head in through one of the windows of the blind..I rarely use the door, just climb through the window. The light was failing so I flicked my headlamp on to have a quick look around and just about had a heart attack. Sharing the space on top of my pack with the thermacell was a moccasin. He was right around 24" in length and with healthy girth to him. I was seconds away from reaching down to grab my pack, and that little dude probably would not have taken kindly to me reaching in and grabbing him along with the pack.

Was it the Thermacell..? I don't know. I reasoned that it was a dry spot by a swamp with a heat source on top of it in a nice protected shelter...why wouldn't he choose to be there!

For naysayers that will ask the dumb question..How did you know it was a water moccasin? I used his body to educate the 21 year old who was hunting with me how to positively identify a pit viper, and a water moccasin.

I spend considerable time in the woods and swamp here in Florida and I have positively identified the bodies of several moccasins that I have personally shot out of trees. Not high up, but on branches/in crotches of trees withing 5-7 feet off the ground. It happens. They climb trees here. Feel free to argue the point, but don't be offended if I ignore you for being an idiot. It's not hear say from someone I know who told me stories about them and their uncles with snakes. It's personal first hand experience.

Question for the rest of you Floridians... Are you seeing larger mosquitoes than you ever have?
This year I not only have more, but larger mosquitoes than I have ever seen. I'm talking larger than a quarter and with a bite that actually hurts like hell. They are striped and a giant pain.

Are you seeing them also?
AB

Actually, they don't seem to be quite as bad, YET.
Lots of water. I expect them to become unbearable soon, real soon.

Some one asked me what species of mosquitoes we have. My response was Eastern and Osceola. There are some big buggers.

I think there is something to the heat and the Thermacell.

I dont know about water moccasins climbing trees or not ..... but I saw one jump about 4 feet in the air once. Although, maybe..... the snake was still and I'm the one who jumped when I saw it at my feet.

quote:

Originally posted by theback40:
I dont know about water moccasins climbing trees or not ..... but I saw one jump about 4 feet in the air once. Although, maybe..... the snake was still and I'm the one who jumped when I saw it at my feet.

Been there done that. Not fun!

Alex, there is supposedly a new strain of mosquito we have not seen before. It is larger and more aggressive than the normal variety supposedly but that is all I know about them.

Larry I have seen some of those bastards jump 4 feet in the air as well, granted they had some help from my 12 gauge.
and yea I have done happy feet when startled by one as well. I don't like them normally but even less when I am either startled by them or am real close and suddenly loose sight of them.

In can remember twice in my teen years (a very long time ago) where I crossed a particular swamp when it was very cold. After getting across the creek, I looked down. There was a massive cottonmouth coiled less than a foot from my foot on 2 different occasions.. Thank god it was less than 30 degrees. Shotguns work wonders on snakes. Snakes work wonders for my high jump abilities!

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Smith:
Alex, there is supposedly a new strain of mosquito we have not seen before. It is larger and more aggressive than the normal variety supposedly but that is all I know about them.

I believe it! One 1200ac orange grove that I hunt has them in droves like you wouldn't believe. The breeding conditions are prime there and it has almost become unbearable to hunt.
The farmer is all over me to get back out there because he can't hardly mow the grass in between the rows for all the hog rooting.... but I just about can't stand to be there from all the mosquitoes. But wow!!..There some big hogs there...That's why I say "about" can't stand to go!

Here's a photo of one that we caught with our dogs a little over two weeks ago. For reference I am 6'1" 215lbs. This is one of the oldest boars I have ever seen. His molars were all worn down to the edge of his gum line and he had more scars than any boar I have ever seen. I felt honored to have caught this old warrior. We turned him loose on a different property that we have. Hopefully he will cover all of the sowe's there because I want his gene's running around! If you look closely you might be able to see all of the mosquitoes that are eating me alive while having the photo taken!

quote:

After doing a bit of research with some help from my wife, we find that this is not a new species. it is a floodwater species that is very cyclic. It resembles the invasive Asian tiger mosquito but is a native and is much larger.
It is called Psorophora cilliata. you can do a web search and find several articles on it.
There are currently over 80 species of mosquito in the US and the number is climbing.

quote:

Originally posted by AB Joint Outfitters:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Smith:
Alex, there is supposedly a new strain of mosquito we have not seen before. It is larger and more aggressive than the normal variety supposedly but that is all I know about them.

I believe it! One 1200ac orange grove that I hunt has them in droves like you wouldn't believe. The breeding conditions are prime there and it has almost become unbearable to hunt.
The farmer is all over me to get back out there because he can't hardly mow the grass in between the rows for all the hog rooting.... but I just about can't stand to be there from all the mosquitoes. But wow!!..There some big hogs there...That's why I say "about" can't stand to go!

Here's a photo of one that we caught with our dogs a little over two weeks ago. For reference I am 6'1" 215lbs. This is one of the oldest boars I have ever seen. His molars were all worn down to the edge of his gum line and he had more scars than any boar I have ever seen. I felt honored to have caught this old warrior. We turned him loose on a different property that we have. Hopefully he will cover all of the sowe's there because I want his gene's running around! If you look closely you might be able to see all of the mosquitoes that are eating me alive while having the photo taken!

Now that is a HOG! How much do you think he weighed?

I always try and be a little conservative on my weight estimates.... Normally when I get hogs on a scale I am surprised at just how huge a 280lb hog is....

That being said...If this big boy wasn't pushing close to 350lbs I would eat my shoes that I was wearing the night we caught him. I think he probably had about 125-150lbs on me. Usually when they get bigger than that I can't get them up on their butt in the sitting position like this old brute is shown.

When we first saw him my description to my buddy was, "that is one Jurassic sized boar!"

Hell cottonmouths seem to e my best friends, I hunted the Dismal and fished Tulls bay diwn here in Moyock NC have been hit three times by them on the boots in the early morning, have had them drop out of trees into the john boat, it is why we keep a bimmie top on her now, most of the time we just use a boat hook and flip them out,for those who refuse to move on once in the water the little snake charmer works wonders, notmuch scared of them any more but the damn canebreak and timber rattlers give me the shakes

Damn, I wouldn't care much for that.

When I used to fish a lot, we always had to be careful, especially when the line/lure got hung up in the bushes. The was always the risk of having the thing(s) in the boat with you.

My dad used to say that there was only 2 kinds of snakes he didn't like and was afraid of. Dead ones and live ones. They usually don't bother me. However, when they get in the boat, that is a different story.