I am deathly afraid of snakes.
The good news: During decades of hunting, hiking, camping and random rambling around the woods and mountains from Virginia to North Carolina to Alabama, I saw few snakes of any kind, and never had a close encounter with a timber rattler.
The bad news: Last August, on a remote ridge halfway into a 15-mile hike on the Appalachian Trail in central Virginia, I nearly stepped on a huge yellow-phase rattler.
Last week on another day hike on the AT, I passed a southbounder who said,” Be careful, rattler in the trail about a mile back.” About a mile up the trail, leaves rustled just off the path and I jumped two feet. A big black-phase rattler coiled there, looking dastardly and deadly.
With two venomous snake encounters in less than a year, my luck has run out, and so I have done extensive research on how to avoid a rattlesnake encounter. These tips are from the USDA. They are timely, since most bites occur between April and October when snakes and humans are most active outdoors.
–Wear over-the-ankle hiking boots, thick socks and loose-fitting long pants. Never go barefoot or wear sandals in wild areas. (I wear shorts on summer hikes, but have started wearing high, thick wool outer socks which could help stop fangs, God forbid.)
–Stick to well-used trails if possible. (I was on a major trail during both my encounters, so you never know; and when turkey (spring) or deer hunting in early fall, you are rarely on a trail, so look where you’re walking!) Avoid tall grass, weeds and heavy underbrush where snakes may hide during the day.
–Look at your feet, watch where you step and do not put your foot in or near a crevice where you cannot see. Do not step or put your hands where you cannot see.
–If a fallen tree or large rock is in your path, step up on to it instead of over it, as there might be a snake on the other side. (Learned this in Boy Scouts many moons ago.)
–Be especially careful when climbing rocks; check out stumps or logs before sitting down.
–Shake out sleeping bag before use. (Now there’s a scary thought!)
–Do not turn over rocks or logs. If you must move a rock or log, use gloves and roll it toward you, giving anything beneath it the opportunity to escape in the opposite direction.
–Avoid approaching any snake you cannot positively identify as a safe species. (No problem there, as I hate all snakes!)
–If you hear the warning rattle, move away from the area and do not make any sudden or threatening moves. Remember rattlesnakes do not always rattle before they strike!
–Do not handle a freshly killed snake, it can still inject venom. (Again no problem, I don’t kill any snakes. Not cause I don’t want to, I’m just running too fast away.)
Photo: My friend John Fink ran across this rattler on his morning hike in north Alabama last week.
Coming tomorrow: First-aid for a rattlesnake bite.
I was raised on a very rural farm back in the mid 1950s . We raised our own pigs whom were treated like the family dog, rarely tied up or put in a pen. My grandfather said they were his “rattled protection” cause they loved to hunt for snakes around the farm. I remember as a kid seeing a hog pick up a copperhead in its mouth and biting it in half . That snake must have bit the hog 10 times on the nose and face but he never got sick….and yes I know what a copperhead looks like.
I too, am terrified of snakes. Was going on an elk hunt in New Mexico in 2004. (late august/early sept) One of the questions i asked the outfitter before traveling was if we should bring snake boots. They swore they had never seen any snakes in the area we were hunting. After the first evening hunt, while hiking out of a canyon by moonlight I hear a buzz. Thought maybe i stepped on some type of bees’ nest. Turn on my light and there is a rattler coiled up about 12″ in front of my foot. My brother was with me and he still swears that i jumped 10 feet in the air and covered 100 yards in less than 5 steps. Someone was definitely watching over me that night. The outfitter told me that most likely i would have died since we were so far away from civilization with no means of communication. (still haven’t figured out if he was kidding or not) I have seen a few other rattlers since then, but none that close.
I’ve seen just a handful of rattlers in all the years I’ve run around the woods “BUT” one of them was three summers ago. I was turning ground over with my John Deere for a new food plot when nature called me off the tractor, I was about to settle onto a log when I heard a buzzing…yep right under the log between my feet was a 3′ black phase timber rattler…My feet hit the ground 10′ from the log in what could have made the “Snake Olympics”…I drove back to camp to use the outhouse!!!