Geocaching and snakes

[Jonas14]

Just curious about snake encounters while geocaching. I live North Texas and I have just begun geocaching. I'm not new to the outdoors but this hobby puts us in unique spots. Just looking for advice, I also like to take my kids on our adventures. Any advice on my concerns?

 

Jonas14

[+cw1710]

Just curious about snake encounters while geocaching. I live North Texas and I have just begun geocaching. I'm not new to the outdoors but this hobby puts us in unique spots. Just looking for advice, I also like to take my kids on our adventures. Any advice on my concerns?

 

Jonas14

 

Easy answer, you live in Texas so I would assume most of your caching would be there in TX so carry a gun. ;x

 

Snakes will usually take off when they hear you coming so when you have kids with you I imagine theyll be heard. Mainly water moccasins will actually show aggression and that is when they are guarding a nest. I have only ran into one snake so far and he was sitting at GZ but he took off pretty quick and I made the find.

[+Kit Fox]

Just curious about snake encounters while geocaching. I live North Texas and I have just begun geocaching. I'm not new to the outdoors but this hobby puts us in unique spots. Just looking for advice, I also like to take my kids on our adventures. Any advice on my concerns?

 

Jonas14

 

Easy answer, you live in Texas so I would assume most of your caching would be there in TX so carry a gun. ;x

 

Snakes will usually take off when they hear you coming so when you have kids with you I imagine theyll be heard.

 

Snakes have bone conductive hearing , they feel you coming.

 

Jonas14,

 

Snake Encounters while Geocaching

 

Snake Avoidance Strategies

 

Plenty more snake threads

[+Roland_oso]

Hey,

 

Welcome to the sport/hobby/addiction. As a fellow North Texas Cacher I can tell you that snake encounters are quite possible, especially when you get to the caches that are deeper into the woods and any near creek beds. I’ve been caching since 2003 and I think I have encountered about a half a dozen snakes here in Texas. Most have been of the non poisonous variety, but I have seen 1 rattle snake out near Possum Kingdom Lake and 1 water moccasin down in the Swamps near Houston. For the most part is a non issue, but always a possibility.

 

I noticed that you have registered at Texas Geocaching.com If you post your question there you will get lots of feedback on other Texas cacher’s experiences with snakes.

 

Roland_oso

[MikeB3542]

Preparation is the key. Read the logs. Read ALL of the logs. If a hide has had "issues", you can be sure it will come up somewhere in the logs. I would even suggest scouting out a hide before bringing the kids if that is practical.

 

Snakes aren't a big deal in Wisconsin, but small furry things that bite when disturbed sometimes live in the same hidey holes that people put small caches in. A poke or two with a stick before putting in an arm is prudent.

 

Snakes eat vermin (in some people's books, snakes are vermin -- they are entitled to every rat, mouse, and prairie dog on their property), so my thinking is that if you find a snake, poisonous or not, just leave it be.

[MikeB3542]

Sorry -- double post.

Edited February 25, 2009 by MikeB3542

[+qlenfg]

Simple.

 

Watch where you are going, listen to things around you, use a stick to poke and prod things, use a flashlight and caution when looking under things, and never reach into a hole without checking it out first.

[groundhog123]

Welome to the sport from a NE Texas geocacher! I would first recommend learning all the varieties of snakes, their habitats and habits in your area. There are only 5 poisonous snakes around Tyler.

 

1. Copperhead (most prevalent and in wooded areas)

2. Timber rattler AKA Canebreak

3. Water moccasin

4. Coral (very colorful and very poisonous but would have a hard time biting you)

5. Pygmy rattler

 

You will most likely encounter few poisonous snakes (unless your around W Texas). Most will be a non-poisonous variety. Remember, all snakes serve a useful purpose and should not be killed.

 

Happy caching

 

Oh, and don't go pokin' your hands in places they shouldn't be. Thats what sticks are made for.

Edited February 26, 2009 by groundhog123

[+Woodstramp]

Just curious about snake encounters while geocaching. I live North Texas and I have just begun geocaching. I'm not new to the outdoors but this hobby puts us in unique spots. Just looking for advice, I also like to take my kids on our adventures. Any advice on my concerns?

 

Jonas14

 

Jonas,

 

Lots of good advice above. Spent a lot of my youth (native Texan) out there in the east and Hill Country. Most of that outdoor time was barefoot.

 

Just take an easy pace and keep eyes and ears open. Hike with a pokey stick for snakey spots you can't see in to clearly. Also get some of those knee high snake gaiters made by Rattlers Brand. Those will offer you some insurance until you develop your "snake sense".

 

OF all the snakes I've encountered there in Texas and in the woods of Alabama the toughest to spot is a copperhead. Those are the only ones that really creep me out. They're like a small, skinny version of the Predator.

[Sharklady13]

Just wanted to post the pic I took of the snake I came across this morning while trying to be F2F for a new cache. Almost put my hand down on this little baby. Ugh. Freaked me out and I had to go home!! Happy Hunting.

 

http://im1.shutterfly.com/media/47b9db20b3...3D720/ry%3D480/

Edited May 1, 2009 by Sharklady13

[Sharklady13]

sorry, double post

Edited May 1, 2009 by Sharklady13

[+skeezicks]

If I am looking for a cache around sagebrush areas here,I use a long stick to poke around with before I stick my hands underneath an area that looks like a rattlesnake may like to hide in.So far,the only species of snakes I have seen while geocaching are bull snakes.I like snakes and don't mind handling them,but only the non-venomous ones ( no reason to take the risk,especially way out where some of the caches I find are at ).Here is a video still shot of one of the bull snakes I have ran across.

 

[+OracleStone]

As is written in "A Canticle For Liebowitz",

Carry a stick for dislodging the inevitable buzzing reptile.

 

Hiking around Tucson, I learned that when a snake is disturbed once it will hide, at the second disturbance it gets mad. That is, it won't make a sound when the first hiker walks past, and then buzzes up a storm at the second hiker. Lesson: poke a stick into hidey holes **twice**.

[+mickaxl]

As is written in "A Canticle For Liebowitz",

Carry a stick for dislodging the inevitable buzzing reptile.

 

Hiking around Tucson, I learned that when a snake is disturbed once it will hide, at the second disturbance it gets mad. That is, it won't make a sound when the first hiker walks past, and then buzzes up a storm at the second hiker. Lesson: poke a stick into hidey holes **twice**.

When I lived in CA my mantra was that the first cacher disturbs it, the second, angers it, and the third gets bitten - you can guess where I liked to be positioned.

 

Hope this mantra holds true for TX snakes too.

[+Caniac Nation]

I encountered one last month while caching in FL on St George Island. The cache warned of snakes but I was walking along about a 10 foot wide sandy primitive path and stupidly looking down at my GPS instead of where I was walking. When I noticed the snake, it was about 2 feet in front of me with it's head about 2-3 feet off the ground in the strike position. I backed away and the 6-8 ft snake left. One more step and it would have bitten me. Never have been able to properly identify it. Now when I'm in high brush, I use a stick to whack my way through.

Edited July 20, 2009 by Caniac Nation

[+Kit Fox]

I had two Southern Pacific Rattlesnake encounters on my Saturday hike. The first one I spotted on the trail ahead, and the second one slithered right by my leg as I was finishing a "#1."

 

 

The snake that slithered past me. :

 

[+Sol seaker]

I highly recommend checking out the American Red Cross Advanced Wilderness First Aid class in your area.

 

It's a class that takes 8-10 weeks, but is well worth the time.

They will teach you how to deal with all possibities in the wild, and also teach you about snakes and snake bites.

 

When I took it last they talked about always carrying a snake bite kit.

They recommend the type that is a suction type: a plunger, like of like a syringe but without a needle. Instead they come with different size cups to put on the end to put over the bite to suction out the poison.

 

The old style snake bite kits that are those rubber ones that come in two parts, they call useless.

 

Worse than useless are any parts of those kits that are for cutting the wound before suctioning. They say cutting the bite before suctioning has caused a lot more damage then any snake has.

 

Likewise for sucking out the venom with your mouth. The idea is to NOT get this into your system. Having a friend suction it out with their mouth is ineffective and stupid.

[+Sol seaker]

I highly recommend checking out the American Red Cross Advanced Wilderness First Aid class in your area.

 

It's a class that takes 8-10 weeks, but is well worth the time.

They will teach you how to deal with all possibities in the wild, and also teach you about snakes and snake bites.

 

When I took it last they talked about always carrying a snake bite kit.

They recommend the type that is a suction type: a plunger, like of like a syringe but without a needle. Instead they come with different size cups to put on the end to put over the bite to suction out the poison.

 

The old style snake bite kits that are those rubber ones that come in two parts, they call useless.

 

Worse than useless are any parts of those kits that are for cutting the wound before suctioning. They say cutting the bite before suctioning has caused a lot more damage then any snake has.

 

Likewise for sucking out the venom with your mouth. The idea is to NOT get this into your system. Having a friend suction it out with their mouth is ineffective and stupid.