+Tater & Cupcake Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 OK, here's the deal. I love caching. I love it, love it, love it. However, I have a huge fear of snakes. Therefore, when I cache calls for a trek through high brush, I get a little antsy. Here's my question: what do all of you do to keep the snakes at bay? Can anybody recommend a good place to get some sort of hiking stick or something? Quote Link to comment
+StarBrand Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I use a good sturdy wooden hiking staff to poke ahead of me - that and I keep an eye out for them. Quote Link to comment
+briansnat Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 No need to keep snakes at bay. Most snakes don't want anything to do with you and will freeze or retreat. You just have to walk around them. The Cottonmouth is one of the few exceptions. They can be quite aggressive. Cottonmouths are pretty rare in Texas and you will only find them near water. Quote Link to comment
+Bad_CRC Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 my solution is to live somewhere there are no dangerous snakes. since that's not an option, you may want to just get some good thick leather boots, and be careful before digging around under things. I did find a cache in florida where I had to dig around under a bunch of palm leaves, and the very next finders logged seeing a cotton mouth snake literally lying on the cache container. oops. Quote Link to comment
nobby.nobbs Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Leather boots, Don't tiptoe snakes feel vibration and will be long gone before you are anywhere near (normally) most important: don't put your hand where you can't see! Quote Link to comment
+Hobo2 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) Here is what you need... good old snake boots. Snake Boots Also, just about any good sporting goods store will have walking sticks too. Just google what you need... here is a light weight one Walking stick Edited January 9, 2008 by Hobo2 Quote Link to comment
+UncleJimbo Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 OK, here's the deal. I love caching. I love it, love it, love it. However, I have a huge fear of snakes. Therefore, when I cache calls for a trek through high brush, I get a little antsy. Here's my question: what do all of you do to keep the snakes at bay? Can anybody recommend a good place to get some sort of hiking stick or something? Make a lot of noise as you walk so the snakes hear you coming and get out of your way. Quote Link to comment
+Snoogans Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 OK, here's the deal. I love caching. I love it, love it, love it. However, I have a huge fear of snakes. Therefore, when I cache calls for a trek through high brush, I get a little antsy. Here's my question: what do all of you do to keep the snakes at bay? Can anybody recommend a good place to get some sort of hiking stick or something? Any stick will do to kill the object of your irrational fear. You should host a "Whacking Day" event to drive all the snakes from your caching area. Don't forget to practice up on Whack Kun Do. Quote Link to comment
+Bunganator Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I've heard that you can charm ANY snake with a simple recorder like many learn to play in 4th grade at school. With some practice, I bet you could get them to help you find the cache. Actually, in Minnesota, I've only seen a few very small snakes. Id like to see a Timber Rattlesnake someday, though. Quote Link to comment
+sunburykids Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Fear nothing, but fear itself! Quote Link to comment
+Stargazer22 Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Snake boots, hiking stick, and a watchful eye are your best friends. Make plenty of noise and do not tread lightly. Snakes pick up vibrations and most will get out of your way if given time. I have seen plenty of them in Florida. Most of them will run away unless they are cold and lethargic or like the water moccasin, agressive and protective of their territory. You will mostly find those near water. They like to lie next to tree bases. Don't stick your hand into the brush. Use a hiking stick to poke where you can't see first. Lots of resources for hiking sticks out there. You can find them on Ebay for a reasonable cost. We got 2 last year made of Sassafras wood (beautiful, they look like a giraffe's leg) that were hand carved and had our names engraved on them for $17.50 each. They have been good sticks for us and help with balance on unsteady ground, crossing logs over streams, etc... Have fun! Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Snake Guards leg armor Snake proof boot Mongoose. Quote Link to comment
+9Key Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 I've found a few snakes resting under cache containers. Luckily it's been cold when I've made these startling discoveries and the snakes weren't interested in moving. Quote Link to comment
+Segerguy Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 When Hiking on the trails I always use a walking stick, hiking boots and I attach little bells to my boot laces to make added noises as I walk along the trail. The bells also help to alert other animals that there is something strange going on...I'm gettin outa here!!! Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) ...Here's my question: what do all of you do to keep the snakes at bay? Can anybody recommend a good place to get some sort of hiking stick or something? 1000 caches, 1 Rattlesnake (only one I've ever seen in the wild) and a couple of Garter snakes*. Cache in a group, make noise and snakes will tend to stay away. If you see one, pass on the cache. That means you may have to give up on 1 or 2 caches in every hundred max. Unlike some critters snakes will not chase you down when you leave. * Idaho is not the snake capital of the world. Your area may have more or less of them. Edited January 9, 2008 by Renegade Knight Quote Link to comment
+TrailGators Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 (edited) I have seen many rattlesnakes while hiking in SoCal and have had a few close calls with people that were with me. The best advice I could give is to walk slowly and make noise to give the snakes time move when they sense you coming and more time to be able warn you that they are there. They are not going to try bite you unless they perceive you as a threat. If you are really paranoid you can buy some trailgaters. Finally, I won't reach into any hole or under any rock without first carefully checking the area with my stick. Edited January 9, 2008 by TrailGators Quote Link to comment
+Confucius' Cat Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Best thing to do is attack the source: The fear of snakes. Find a friend with a SMALL pet snake and handle it, just for a second at first, then for a little longer as you discover that it is harmless. Next get a book about the snakes in your area and learn to recognise any that are dangerous. Take a walk along a stream with a friend who knows the local snakes and see if you can find one or two in the wild and just watch them. At a later point you might have the friend catch one and let you look at it more closely. Eventually you can catch one yourself. The trick to beating ANY irrational fear is to SLOWLY introduce yourself to the object of the fear in a safe setting and gradually move on to more "risky" encounters. As you come to realise that there is little to be afraid of, the fear will DIMINISH. Most irrational fears never truly go away, but you CAN learn to live with them and control them rather than letting them control you. Mine was "heights." There really is VERY LITTLE to fear from snakes, even the poisonous ones. If you make a normal amount of noise as you walk, you will rarely even see one... they tend to stay a bit ahead of you and keep out of sight. Quote Link to comment
+BlueDeuce Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Snakes never scared me, but marsupials do, because they’re fast! Quote Link to comment
+Sand-Man Posted January 9, 2008 Share Posted January 9, 2008 Fear nothing, but fear itself! Rattle Snakes have a way of making old Mr. Fear jump out on his own..... Quote Link to comment
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