Snake season

Toad

Toad

Active member
Looks like Summer snake season has started again in the backyard. It's such a small fenced in area, relatively speaking, for the number of copperheads that seem to want to hang out there.

Copperhead #1 has been added to the 2013 bag... Looks like it is time to start locking the dogs in the house after sunset.:mad:

It may sound crazy, but I am actually considering putting up a snake fence... Just a short, smooth little wall to direct them around the yard instead of through it...
 
Toad,

It doesn't sound crazy to me. I'd do whatever it took to reduce the # of copperhead visits to my yard every year! I hope the fence works:thumbsup:
 
Who's been rattled at while afield? I got rattled at once in Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, and Nevada.
 
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snakes

it is something that i am concerned about but in 40 yrs or hunting in the west, mostly colorado and kansas, i have seen just two rattle snakes and both were in the road, my biggest concern is dove hunting around ol' farmsteads even though i don't ever see them there either. lot's been written on them and dogs, talking to my vet about it, a fishing buddy, he doesn't offer much hope if the dog gets bit and there ain't much ya can do about it except maybe panic and run up a $1000 or more with a vet that more than likely can't do much for the dog. a young snake, the most dangerous usually, if it hasn't bitten anything lately, your dog doesn't stand much of a chance, mostly i think, the dogs that vets save were bitten by older snakes that had no venom or didn't waste it on something too big to eat. had lots of beers over this conversation with the guy and you better just start praying, maybe give the dog some antibiotic for infection and then be glad if wasn't you. this vet started his practice in ok. and usually saw about 2 bites a week, pray mostly

cheers
 
Get your dog though a snake avoidance program. It' well worth the money and dogs do remember bad experiences. I run into snakes every year multiple times. The ones that rattle don't bother me, it's the ones that don't that scare the heck out of me. Some rattle snakes do not always rattle before they strike. AZ has what 13 different types of rattlers. :eek:
 
jmac said:
Get your dog though a snake avoidance program. It' well worth the money and dogs do remember bad experiences. I run into snakes every year multiple times. The ones that rattle don't bother me, it's the ones that don't that scare the heck out of me. Some rattle snakes do not always rattle before they strike. AZ has what 13 different types of rattlers. :eek:
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the only thing im huntin in arizona is huge bullelk if you could sneak me in the apache res jmac :thumbsup:Man i hate snakes
 
A couple of things here on Snakes. First there are vaccines for dogs to help decrease the severity of rattlesnake bites. The vaccine is specifically for the western diamondback rattlesnake. The vaccine works by stimulating the dog?s immune system to produce antibodies against rattlesnake toxin. The antibodies are short lived and the vaccine typically only provides protection for six months necessitating a booster shot

Post snake bite-swelling can be effectively contolled with steriod called Dexium-SP. I give 5mL as soon as possable. Matter of fact, I keep a bottle in the truck. Additionally I follow up with Penicillian for fighting the infection.

Typically bird dogs will get bit on the face or head area. Severe Swelling is what needs to be controlled in most cases.
 
Several years ago,we had a couple of snakes buzz us.Being from SEK,we did not really know what the noise was.We where spread out really wide,real thin CRP,80 degree,heard what sounded like electricity running through power lines,our local guy shouted Holy Shit! Rattler,nobody move.One guy about 40 yards form me looked down and scream words I won't repeat.This guy must off jumped 4 feet into the air.If it wasn't so serious,it would of being funny as hell.(We stilled laughed at him)Small snake,about 24 inches long,thats after two mags to the head.We still have the rattle somewhere around here.
Then when we walked out of the field(in single file lol) we where lounging at the trucks,having some refreshments,one guy walked up the dirt trail to relieve himself,and just about stepped on another snake.This real small only had three rattles.Needless to say,we have not ever hunted that field again.
 
it's also tick season,you might wanna inspect every body when they come in
bug juice as apropriate.
they'll be out "questing", looking for some thing warm blooded to grab a hold
of
 
Copperhead count is up to 3. :eek: This one was out this afternoon, but couldn't resist 1 1/8 oz of 7 1/2 shot.:D Plus I suspect there was one in the bushes on Friday evening, but we just brought the dogs into the house and blocked the dog door shut.

First black widow spider in the corner of the chicken coop today. That's the first one of those I've seen in probably 15 years.:eek: Wasp spray worked on the black widow, followed by a boot.

Just another day in paradise.:cheers:
 
Good lord Toad! Remind me if I ever get the chance to visit you or your area to do so in the winter time!!

Guess I don't mind living on the "prairie" after all! Not many trees over here where I'm at. Occasional garter snake and thats about it.
 
Good call, Duckn66.

Copperhead #2 was a little guy that came slinking through our front yard barbeque with us, 7 friends, kids, and a jack russel terrier. Luckily, we saw what the dog was going after right away, and grabbed her up before she actually got the snake. It was an interesting way to wrap up the party... :laugh:
 
I wonder if in the winter time they have a den somewhere that they all get into......

That's insane the amount of copperheads you have!
 
Toad, you've got to be more careful who you invite to your parties! Glad everyone is ok. Might want to put up warning signs! If you do, the parties will probably never develop:) Keep a good eye out. Kinda like you without the severe swelling and tissue loss!!!
 
dens

i suspect that all snakes meet up someplace and make a den, fur sur, eels do, rattlesnakes do and i bet the rest of them do also. don't think we have copperheads in w. kansas and e. colo. not sure, just guessing. in basic training a few years back at f. leonardwood, copperheads were common but bites were i believe pretty rare, we usually saw them at night and one of those nights i killed five, cut em' in half with the entrenching tool. they had a pretty serious smell when you did that. most of them were about 18-20 "'s. anyway, eastern kansas seems like a great place for them, be nice to them so that they don't head west

cheers
 
Yeah I think they all make dens as well. I remember one time a few years ago I was spring bass fishing in March along this bluff bank that faced to the east. The sun was hitting it pretty good and I could hear a lot or rustling in the leaves up on the bluff about half way up or so.

As I looked closer there were snakes coming out of what I guess was their winter hibernation spot. Not sure what kind the were as I was in my boat and wasn't planning on finding out!

If Toad could find out where they are hibernating at a guy could wreak havoc on them with some diesel fuel and a match!

Naw I really would hate to see a mass killing of them like that. As bad as I dislike snakes I don't think I could do that to them.
 
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