Snakes

[Jason and Jack]

My son and I have only been GC for three days now, and if you live in the South, you MUST be aware of snakes. They are EVERYWHERE. I never noticed them until I started getting out and GC'ing.

 

Does anyone know if a GC has ever been bitten by a rattlesnake/moccasin etc. while looking for a cache?

 

I mean black racers are literally everywhere. I saw at least three huge ones within 20 minutes.

[+simpjkee]

I once heard through the grapevine of a guy in California who got bit by a rattlesnake. Here in AZ, people see rattlesnakes frequently around this time of year, but I never known of anyone getting bitten here. Rattlesnake bites are extremely rare.

[+Dread_Pirate_Bruce]

I have not yet been bitten. However, on Saturday, one gave me a very stern warning about where not to go.

[+HawkLawless1]

I have not yet been bitten. However, on Saturday, one gave me a very stern warning about where not to go.

 

Same here. Wasn't out caching, but was in a park I frequently cache in. Heard the telltale sound and beat a hasty retreat. Didn't really sink in until I was back at the car...and what exactly do you do in the event you do get bit? I'm planning a caching trip this weekend up to another park that is a little more remote, so I'm a little concerned about encounters.

[+brslk]

WE DON'T NEED NO $%^&* SNAKES NEAR NO $%^&* CACHES!

 

*attempt at humour from snakes on a plane*

 

*why are so many of us making these disclaimers?*

[+briansnat]

I run into rattlesnakes and copperheads from time to time. I recall one geocacher who was bitten by a rattlesnake. He tried to pick it up and wound up in the hospital.

 

When you see a snake, walk around it and you are good to go.

Edited May 4, 2010 by briansnat

[+brslk]

I run into rattlesnakes and copperheads from time to time. I recall one geocacher who was bitten by a rattlesnake. He tried to pick it up and wound up in the hospital.

 

When you see a snake, walk around it and you are good to go.

 

Brian? may I call you Brian?

 

That involves common sense... which as you must know being a forum moderator is not so common.

 

I know this because I have made a fool of myself by not listening to common sense a few times.

 

Like containers.. things need to be idiot proof.

Edited May 4, 2010 by brslk

[+humboldt flier]

I run into rattlesnakes and copperheads from time to time. I recall one geocacher who was bitten by a rattlesnake. He tried to pick it up and wound up in the hospital.

 

When you see a snake, walk around it and you are good to go.

 

Brian? may I call you Brian?

 

That involves common sense... which as you must know being a forum moderator is not so common.

 

I know this because I have made a fool of myself by not listening to common sense a few times.

 

Like containers.. things need to be idiot proof.

I cache in an area that has a large rattler population. I drag my walking stick on the ground behind me and scuffle a lot. I never step over a trail obstacle without checking first. At the cache sites I always " sweep " the area with my walking stick before putting my hands into any potential hidey hole. Oh yes, my walking stick is a shovel handle hefty, long and cheap. To date no untoward encounters. I would like to think that dragging the stick and scuffling along gives the slithery critters warning, however, I might only be kidding myself. In snake country do not become complacent.

[+Setan Meyacha]

My son and I have only been GC for three days now, and if you live in the South, you MUST be aware of snakes. They are EVERYWHERE. I never noticed them until I started getting out and GC'ing.

 

Does anyone know if a GC has ever been bitten by a rattlesnake/moccasin etc. while looking for a cache?

 

I mean black racers are literally everywhere. I saw at least three huge ones within 20 minutes.

 

I've probably encountered over a dozen rattlesnakes while geocacching. Only a couple have bothered to give me the 'buzz'. A couple I found sleeping under the overhang of rocks, several I nearly stepped on, but none every struck at me; even the ones I nearly stepped on. How much longer I'll have that kind of luck on my side is anybody's guess. But, the same things can occur anytime you move about in the out-of-doors, even around your own home if you live in the 'right' area. It does get your pulse up a bit when you have one of these encounters, but no harm done...yet. Don't know of anyone geocaching who has been bitten by any kind of snake; maybe they just didn't advertise it because of what percipitated being bitten.

[+pissedfish]

This photo of a timber rattlesnake was taken by a local cacher this last weekend here in Alabama.

 

 

 

I personally don't know of anyone who has been bitten while caching. As humboldt flier suggested, I use that walking stick to make sure that the coast is clear before I put my hands anywhere I cannot see.

 

I really don't worry about the rattlers and moccasins too much, as they are prone to let you know they are there. The snake that worries me the most is the copperhead. They like to sit still rather than run and hope their camo hides them.

 

 

As you can see, it does a great job of that. That characteristic makes them very easy to step on.

Edited May 4, 2010 by pissedfish

[Jason and Jack]

That timber rattler was obviously thirsty.

[+tomfuller & Quill]

Another of the unspoken reasons that most of the caches on the Trail of the Gods were archived-the Mojave Green rattlesnake. I am surprised that none of the people that cached on this powertrail encountered one.

The temperatures out there will be over 100F sometime in the next month.

Let's all be careful when out in snake country.

[+journey4truth]

I haven't been an outdoorsy sort until I started geocaching and I am terrified of seeing these things. You're talking to the guy who about jumped 30 feet in the air when a wild turkey crossed my path. These animals, I dunno. Deer I can get along with, foxes, wabbits and even coyotes, but snakes???

 

I have a snake bite kit but I'd probably be too freaked out to use it right if some scaly evil dragon beast ever decided to take a bite out of my boom booms.

 

 

Snakes... why did it have to be snakes...

Edited May 4, 2010 by LincolnAdams

[+DazeDnFamily]

I haven't run across one while caching, but I saw several during my time in the Marines. The thing I thought was hilarious about snake bites that 95% of the time, when a Marine gets bitten, the bite is on the hand or the face......

 

What does that tell us, folks?

 

We were given roughly the same statistic regarding the Habu snakes in Okinawa. (Those who don't know, the Habu is a pit viper, and is basically the Rattlesnake's bastard cousin. No rattles, and nastier venom. http://www.habu.org/what-is-habu.html ) Habus are so nasty, that any time you get bitten by a snake in Oki, unless you can pick up the snake that bit you, and show it to the medic, you get a hasty helo ride and Habu antivenom as a matter of course. The one they had in a jar to show us what they looked like had THREE FANGS. Some poor Jarhead sat on it in the darkness caused by night time in a double canopy jungle.

 

Me personally.....While I don't fear snakes, I was taught at a very early age to respect them. Copperheads and Cottonmouths weren't all that uncommon where I grew up, and my stepdad taught me to ID and avoid them before I was 10.

 

Now, I'm trying to teach my kids.

 

Later!

[+KoosKoos]

I've heard from plenty of local cachers who have seen rattlesnakes while out, but have never heard of anyone being bit. I haven't managed to see a rattler in the wild yet

 

The only venomous snake I've come across was a very aggressive coral snake. It didn't take kindly to me observing it and taking a few steps closer to take some pictures. I understood when it turned toward me, and even when it slithered in my direction to make me back off, but it had no reason to keep coming after me for 20-30' after I was clearly moving out of its space!!

 

Of course, that's the same species that was laying alongside my front door a few years ago and my neighborhood association puts rattlesnake warnings in our newsletter every spring because they often end up in yards. I don't really worry too much about it when I'm out and about.

[+KoosKoos]

I have a snake bite kit but I'd probably be too freaked out to use it right if some scaly evil dragon beast ever decided to take a bite out of my boom booms.

 

Don't bother with the kit:

 

Deadly Dilemma: Do Snake-Bite Kits Help?

[roxaskid15]

Well i don't know anyone who has been bitten

 

but this weekend before heading out my sister and her boyfriend scared me with a fake snake

 

later while Geocaching i saw a stick on the ground and thought wow that looks like the snake they scared me

 

with...

 

Then the stick moved lol my whole group got scared by the snake it was hilarious

[+StarBrand]

I frequently see prairie rattlers around here in warmer months. No big deal - I use a hiking staff to probe areas I don't want to put my hand in.

 

A good friend that knows once told me that 80% of snake bites in the US involve males aged 15 to 30. Of those about 70% also involve alcohol. Do the math.

[+DazeDnFamily]

I frequently see prairie rattlers around here in warmer months. No big deal - I use a hiking staff to probe areas I don't want to put my hand in.

 

A good friend that knows once told me that 80% of snake bites in the US involve males aged 15 to 30. Of those about 70% also involve alcohol. Do the math.

 

The rest must be Marines out in the field for training.

[+journey4truth]

I have a snake bite kit but I'd probably be too freaked out to use it right if some scaly evil dragon beast ever decided to take a bite out of my boom booms.

 

Don't bother with the kit:

 

Deadly Dilemma: Do Snake-Bite Kits Help?

 

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh poopie. Well here's hoping the tick remover I got wasn't equally a waste.

[+briansnat]

My wife stepped on a rattlesnake on a cache hunt. She was sort of jumping between rocks and landed right on the back of a rattler. She was moving so fast that she was out of range when the rattler struck at her and missed. I was about 50 yards away and heard a scream. It was my wife's reaction to the snake rattling at her.

 

By the time I got there the snake was quickly heading off in another direction. I don't know who was more startled, my wife or the snake.

[+Casting Crowns]

We have a truly EVIL hide here in Fort Worth.....a REAL snake (young rattler) that had been preserved.....coiled up in the "sleeping" position with a nano glued underneath. Placed in a rocky area......thank GOD I went there in the winter and knew from the cache name and logs what to expect.......but still......*shivers*

[+coffee/wired]

I grew up and still live in snake country. Wasn't out of the ordinary to see a rattler a week. Big suckers too, about 6'. Last time I saw one was about 10 years ago though.

 

I started caching in the fall, so snakes while caching hasn't been an issue so far. But it's May now and most of them should be awake. I need to get a stick. I'm not too concerned about it though.

[+jnoropallo]

ALWAYS look for anything that would be dangerous to you. Here in South Orange County in Southern Ca, I have come in contact with a few eye openers. Several Blackwidows, Ticks, bee hives, a VERY LARGE swarm of bee's all within the first 4 cache finds, also a friend and his wife was supprised by a Tarantula in their first 2 finds. Geocahing is a lot of fun for all family members, but just like any outdoor activity, be careful and keep your eye's and ear's open. Always report any dangers when you log your finds so others will be aware....Happy GOECAHING!