Jump to content

Live Rattlesnake As Ftf Prize?


Recommended Posts

There's a dude in my town, jumps on FTF's like a rabid dog, usually has 'em mere hours after they're posted.

 

Just heard he found more than he bargained for! Waypoint is GCVBT2, link is:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-68dc6a423b22

 

Pictures are included, and a funny log entry!

 

So, then it occurs to me that a FAKE rattlesnake would be really funny to leave near the cache!

 

He sent an e-mail he was mad at me, I replied, "DUDE, that was your FTF prize!!"

 

Off to search the forums for "Rattlesnake...."

 

Mike

O-

Link to comment
Don't put live rattlesnakes in your cache. You might piss-off an amateur herpetologist.

 

HaHaHa!!!! ROFL!

 

I do want a cache with a rubber snake, but I'm afraid some elderly cacher will come by and have a heart attack.

We have one of those here. Won't spoil it for anyone with a waypoint.

 

Crap I had wanted to find that cache this summer but will have to watch the logs for futher run ins with Mr. Rattler since we cache as a family including an active dog and 4 under 6.

Link to comment

Pretty freakin' stupid. I read somewhere that the overwhelming majority of venomous snakebites in the US come through handling snakes.

 

According to Reptile Gardens in South Dakota - something like 75% of all rattlesnake bites in the US are to young males aged 16 - 28, who were trying to agitate, kill or handle a snake.

Link to comment

This guy wasn't FTF, but he seemed to think the snake was a prize. :ph34r:

 

f88e8177-f02d-47ed-be2d-254b3b11af53.jpg

 

I nearly stepped on a rattlesnake yesterday. I was in a grassy area stepping over a patch of thistles when I heard the sound. Fortunately, the snake seemed to be as afraid of me as I was of it, so it slithered off. But I saw its body, black and white tail stripes, and about the same number of rattles that snake has. :ph34r:

 

I used my walking stick the way a blind person uses their white cane during the rest of the hike . . .

Link to comment

Pretty freakin' stupid. I read somewhere that the overwhelming majority of venomous snakebites in the US come through handling snakes.

 

Here is one geocacher showing off the result of toying with a rattlesnake:

 

Thank you for that picture. I think it's important for people to understand what truly happens when you try to play Croc hunter.

Link to comment

Great story, thanks for sharing. And his posted pics are pretty good too.

I've seen snakes, spiders, lizards, birds, and even rats as part of the cache camo. Critter caches are fun. :P

 

Rats you say? :D

 

I Hate Rats!!!!!

 

:D

 

;):P:P

One of my boys had a mouse run across his foot when I pulled back some covering on a cache. The look on his face was priceless but was a good lesson for excited kids who needed to learn to wait to reach for a cache until Mom or Dad check it out. I plan to show them the picture of the snake to reinforce this :D

It is a mission impossible theme thus the language of the log...(He is 5 thus oo5) http://www.geocaching.com/seek/log.aspx?LU...17-691856e17c9d

Link to comment

Snakes this time of year? Good chance.

Why would he be made at you? Sounds like he made his way into the snakes home.

I have a cache where there is a fake snake in the can and it is tied to the lid so that when you pop the top out he comes. Hasn't been found yet since the new addition, but the log should prove interesting.

Link to comment

There's a dude in my town, jumps on FTF's like a rabid dog, usually has 'em mere hours after they're posted.

 

Just heard he found more than he bargained for! Waypoint is GCVBT2, link is:

 

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_detai...49-68dc6a423b22

 

Pictures are included, and a funny log entry!

 

So, then it occurs to me that a FAKE rattlesnake would be really funny to leave near the cache!

 

He sent an e-mail he was mad at me, I replied, "DUDE, that was your FTF prize!!"

 

Off to search the forums for "Rattlesnake...."

 

Mike

O-

 

There is already one in the area MMarshall. Your going to have to do some more caching in the area to figure out where it is though!! :D

Link to comment

Hey there, first time logger, first time reader! :unsure: We are in Northern CA. and have a cache called "Snake Country" it is a large plastic rattler and we placed a micro in it's belly. The cache page has warnings etc "not for the faint of heart" but doesn't let you know what you're in for (although by now the logs sure do!) . We've had the best fun and responses from that cache. It got caught in not one, but two brush fires last year and still holds it's own although it looks a little... burnt! :)

 

We also ran into our first rattlers of the season on 4/11. Not one but three, two babies and a mid sized one. Actually was caching in the area of a cache we discovered along with a guardian rattler last June and the owner was willing to archive the cache (and later moved it on). A quick look at the logs told a story of a lot of snake sightings and obviously a den nearby. The cache was called the "Little Bead Cache" and is now.... the "Little Bead Cache No Mo." At least in our area the rains this Winter have got the food chain exploding and we can count on the snakes being out in force this year. Remember: one eye on the gps, one eye in front of you! (funny picture, eh?) :huh:

Link to comment

Nice Prairie Rattler (Crotalus viridis). The photos aren't large enough/close enough to get specific to subspecies, but it's a likely possibility given the area that it's a Crotalus viridis viridis (C.v.viridis)

 

The Prairie Rattler is the most common rattler in the United States with a massive range across subspecies. C.v runs 10-45" long, and is common in long grasses and esp. around prairie dog towns, and rock outcroppings. In fact, prairie dogs, small squirrels, and moderators that look like hamsters are its most common diet.

 

Now the *really* pretty snake that you have over there in just a few tiny regions of the south-east portion of the state is the Copperhead. The are gorgeous!

Link to comment

How to die, 101:

 

...but when the Mayor poked it with a stick and it hissed and rattled at us...

...he entertains the snake while the first lady looks for the cache...

...gives the snake a nice fling out of the way so we can continue to look....

 

How to not respect the local wildlife 101:

 

...but when the Mayor poked it with a stick and it hissed and rattled at us...

...he entertains the snake while the first lady looks for the cache...

...gives the snake a nice fling out of the way so we can continue to look....

 

whoa! exact same course!

Link to comment

Just need to chime-in with something fairly important: Very few people die from rattlesnake bites... Yeah, it's nasty. Yeah, it's uncomfortable. Yeah, you should provide first-aid for snake bite victims. Yeah, you should get 'em to a hospital post-haste.

 

But snakes get killed 'cause people live in fear of the "deadly reptile". In the US, we just don't have much that's all that deadly. Even a heavy envenomation event isn't at all likely to kill you as long as it's treated.

 

If you've been hit by a king cobra a thousand miles from medical attention - all bets are off... :)

 

You probably have a better chance of being killed by a single bee sting than a rattlesnake bite.

 

That doesn't mean you should horse around with 'em. As far as "respecting wildlife" goes, I'll often move a rattler off the trail - for its own safety. Likely some jerk is going to come along and kill it. All my neighbors know to call me to dispose of rattlers in their yards. I catch and release them. Now, of course, as a geocacher, I look at my favorite release points in a whole new light... :):unsure::rolleyes:

Edited by Adrenalynn
Link to comment

I see your point, but I don't think "keeping it busy while someone runs for the camera" or "balancing it on a stick while posing for a picture" falls under "for its own safety"

 

I will concede "how to die 101" should be changed to "how to be severely injured 101" as only about 2 per year are deadly..

 

and that goes for both of you. not calling you an idiot or anything but obviously the chances of being bitten are greater when you choose to capture a snake rather than avoiding it. It's sweet that you care for the safety of the snake enough to move it, I wish you good luck and 0 injuries in that.

Link to comment

I see your point, but I don't think "keeping it busy while someone runs for the camera" or "balancing it on a stick while posing for a picture" falls under "for its own safety"

 

I will concede "how to die 101" should be changed to "how to be severely injured 101" as only about 2 per year are deadly..

 

and that goes for both of you. not calling you an idiot or anything but obviously the chances of being bitten are greater when you choose to capture a snake rather than avoiding it. It's sweet that you care for the safety of the snake enough to move it, I wish you good luck and 0 injuries in that.

 

I completely agree. Having the right tools and training (yeah, believe it or not, there are venomous reptile handling courses) doesn't hurt. But even the best get bitten now and again.

 

And I further agree that "keeping it busy..." "balancing it on the..." don't qualify, as you noted.

 

Incidentally, a great many states will charge you with Misdemeanor Reckless Endangerment if you get bitten by a snake whilst handling it. Showing tool and training will frequently get that dismissed, however.

Edited by Adrenalynn
Link to comment

Just need to chime-in with something fairly important: Very few people die from rattlesnake bites... Yeah, it's nasty. Yeah, it's uncomfortable. Yeah, you should provide first-aid for snake bite victims. Yeah, you should get 'em to a hospital post-haste.

snip

 

great points. Most rattlesnakes bites do not result in venom being released, the snake can control and only releases venom when he is hunting food. (of course I'll get the stupid one that can't control himself)

 

First Aid for Snakebites

 

Over the years, snakebite victims have been exposed to all kinds of slicing, freezing and squeezing as stopgap measures before receiving medical care. Some of these approaches, like cutting into a bite and attempting to suck out the venom, have largely fallen out of favor.

 

"In the past five or 10 years, there's been a backing off in first aid from really invasive things like making incisions," says Arizona physician David Hardy, M.D., who studies snakebite epidemiology. "This is because we now know these things can do harm and we don't know if they really change the outcome."

 

Many health-care professionals embrace just a few basic first-aid techniques. According to the American Red Cross, these steps should be taken:

 

* Wash the bite with soap and water.

* Immobilize the bitten area and keep it lower than the heart.

* Get medical help.

 

"The main thing is to get to a hospital and don't delay," says Hardy. "Most bites don't occur in real isolated situations, so it is feasible to get prompt [medical care]." He describes cases in Arizona where people have caught rattlesnakes for sport and gotten bitten. "They waited until they couldn't stand the pain anymore and finally went to the hospital after the venom had been in there a few hours. But by then, they'd lost an opportunity for [effective treatment]," which increased the odds of long-term complications. Some medical professionals, along with the American Red Cross, cautiously recommend two other measures:

 

* If a victim is unable to reach medical care within 30 minutes, a bandage, wrapped two to four inches above the bite, may help slow venom. The bandage should not cut off blood flow from a vein or artery. A good rule of thumb is to make the band loose enough that a finger can slip under it.

* A suction device may be placed over the bite to help draw venom out of the wound without making cuts. Suction instruments often are included in commercial snakebite kits.

 

From the FDA. No bite and suck, no ice, just wash, lower, keep the victim calm, and get to medical help.

Link to comment

Just need to chime-in with something fairly important: Very few people die from rattlesnake bites... Yeah, it's nasty. Yeah, it's uncomfortable. Yeah, you should provide first-aid for snake bite victims. Yeah, you should get 'em to a hospital post-haste.

snip

 

great points. Most rattlesnakes bites do not result in venom being released, the snake can control and only releases venom when he is hunting food. (of course I'll get the stupid one that can't control himself)

 

 

True, but also remember that it depends upon how traumatized the snake is. If you're swinging it around on the end of a stick whilst people are snapping pictures, if it can get to you the odds are pretty good that there's going to be an envenomation event. As I've posted in this thread or elsewhere - they don't want to bite you. They want to "run away" and hide. That's their first line of defense. They don't want to waste venom that should go into basic survival. But piss 'em off enough and they're going to kick your @ss.

 

I'm fairly attached to my body parts, average though they are, and I'd rather not have any of them inconveniently rotting off... So I do tend to keep in mind that although most bites do not constitute envenomation events, every bite should be treated as though it is, and every venomous snake has more than enough venom to down a human...

Link to comment

I won't comment on respect for wildlife or the wisdom of antagonizing venomous snakes, that's been pretty much covered here.

 

I've seen many rattlers here in Colorado while hiking, but none while caching. I have, however, thought about this very thing as I reached under rocks or in crevasses to retrieve a cache. I have infinite respect for wildlife, but you'd better believe in a case like this my hiking staff is going in before my hand does.

 

On the other hand, I was caching up north two months ago when I crossed a pack of coyotes. Now I've gotta tell you, I get nervous when bunnies gather in large numbers, so this had me petrified, which is probably for the best, since once they realized I was there they moved off. I had the camera in my pack, but there was no way I was going to try and get it out.

Edited by CheshireFrog
Link to comment

>> Speaking about FTF hogs, I'd personally would like to conceal a paintball grenade next to a cache container, connecting the container to the pin, making sure the first guy taking the box out would get his hands dyed a different color...

 

I tried to think of a nice reply... Really, I did. But the only thing I could write would be illegal in 52 of the 50 states to even CONTEMPLATE, let alone write about. So I guess I'll just leave it alone. :D:blink::):blink:

Edited by Adrenalynn
Link to comment

Great story

thanks for sharing.

I supose it could be worse

 

 

Holy k-rap. That picture actually startled *me* as I slide the scroll wheel to the bottom and BLAM!

 

I've seen similar views in the wild, and photographed them live. It *never* gets "common"...

 

You should see the second picture which shows the whole body. I looked it up on the urban legend site to find out it's a real snake that was electrocuted on the fence. It had just eaten a big meal and really wanted to get through to the other side. Imagine the surprise of the owner of the fence.

 

Reading through this thread has given me the creeps. I can handle rodents, but snakes? <<SHIVER>> I'm glad I'm in the mid-west... yes, we have snakes, but not a lot of them (in my area at least).

Link to comment

It bad enough that The Leprechauns put live hamsters in their caches. Don't put live rattlesnakes in your cache. You might piss-off an amateur herpetologist.

 

They did WHAT?!? Live hamsters??? Aren't there any rules about placing live animals in caches????

 

If it's not a joke, I would have been mad as heck if I ran across something like that. I'd have new pets to take care of 'cause they would not have been left there.

Link to comment

It bad enough that The Leprechauns put live hamsters in their caches. Don't put live rattlesnakes in your cache. You might piss-off an amateur herpetologist.

 

They did WHAT?!? Live hamsters??? Aren't there any rules about placing live animals in caches????

 

If it's not a joke, I would have been mad as heck if I ran across something like that. I'd have new pets to take care of 'cause they would not have been left there.

 

Yeah, but then you'd have to trade-up and leave your dog... :wub:

 

Do you have the linkage on that snake story? I'd love to read it!

Link to comment

It bad enough that The Leprechauns put live hamsters in their caches. Don't put live rattlesnakes in your cache. You might piss-off an amateur herpetologist.

 

They did WHAT?!? Live hamsters??? Aren't there any rules about placing live animals in caches????

 

If it's not a joke, I would have been mad as heck if I ran across something like that. I'd have new pets to take care of 'cause they would not have been left there.

 

Yeah, but then you'd have to trade-up and leave your dog... :wub:

 

Do you have the linkage on that snake story? I'd love to read it!

 

Nope, wouldn't leave the dogs. Maybe a toy hamster.

 

Sent link to your e-mail address.

Link to comment

I've got a cache that employs the services of a "watcher" :lol:

 

When you lean down to retreive the cache from under the bushes you get an eye to eye shot of a black rubber snake!! :lol:

 

It has made for a some pretty funny stories from the area cachers :)

(Right Cory! :) )

 

D-man ;)

Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...