Rattlesnake encounter!

[+kniezgoda]

While out caching on a camping trip my son and daughter in law and grandaughter encounted a rattlesnake while turning over a cache, anyone else had a simular encounter?

[+BigFrankBrummie]

While out caching on a camping trip my son and daughter in law and grandaughter encounted a rattlesnake while turning over a cache, anyone else had a simular encounter?

For some unknown reason this never seems to happen here in the UK! ;-)

[+ngrrfan]

While out caching on a camping trip my son and daughter in law and grandaughter encounted a rattlesnake while turning over a cache, anyone else had a simular encounter?

Wasn't a rattlesnake but........

[+BAMBOOZLE]

We ran into a canebrake not far from downtown New Orleans and a diamondback in Ocala, FL.

Edited September 21, 2011 by BAMBOOZLE

[+captnemo]

Whi Onele out caching on a camping trip my son and daughter in law and grandaughter encounted a rattlesnake while turning over a cache, anyone else had a simular encounter?

I found a small sidewinder rattlesnake under a cache I own I have since relocated the cache. On the way to my second find years ago we came across a foot diamondback, stopped for a minute and it moved on.

 

Rattlesnakes are not uncommon to find snakes when we are out in the boondocks especially in my neck of the woods.

[+JBnW]

I'm constantly amazed that as many times as I've crossed paths with rattlesnakes while doing just about anything else, I've not seen one while caching.

[+Touchstone]

I know of at least three snake bite related caching incidents that landed folks in the hospital. I always poke with my hiking pole first nowadays.

[+geodarts]

I know of at least three snake bite related caching incidents that landed folks in the hospital. I always poke with my hiking pole first nowadays.

 

There used to be a cache in the region that was named for the amount of money of the estimated hospital bill after a snake bite. A person who taught me a few things about snakes once explained the law of thirds to me: one-third of the time the snake bite will be serious enough to land you in a hospital; one-third of the time it will hurt like anything, but you will be okay; one-third of the time it will not be much of a problem at all. I think this was based on him having been bit three times. So far I have avoided testing out the hypothesis.

 

While caching, I have heard rattles every once in a while, but the closest encounter was when I was hiking out to place a cache. My dog spotted a young one just to the side of a fire road and made a flying leap at it. It was on a hill and I lost my footing. Fortunately, the land manager requires dogs to be on a leash and I hung on to that, stopping her two feet away from the coiled rattler. The dog pouted as I pulled her away.

 

I am a lot more careful about using my hiking pole to poke around ever since I removed a large piece of bark that was covering both a cache and a snake. But there was a time when my daughter and I rounded a trail and saw two rattlers, staring at each other intently, trying to see who could raise themselves the highest and stay there the longest -- unfortunately, it was one of the few times I did not have a camera with me.

Edited September 21, 2011 by geodarts

[+wimseyguy]

Copperheads are much more common around here than rattlers. I got up close and personal with one 3 summers ago. The pain was greater than anything else I can remember experiencing and I spent 8 hours under observation in the ER before they sent me home. The bruising and swelling did not fully subside for almost a month and I have a slight loss of sensation in that fingertip.

[+the4dirtydogs]

Haven't found one under a cache, but we have seen quite a few the last couple years. Anytime I hear that rattle it makes me RUN. I hope I never find one under a cache. I always use my hiking stick to smack bushes and move rocks. Better safe then sorry.

[+CanadianRockies]

But there was a time when my daughter and I rounded a trail and saw two rattlers, staring at each other intently, trying to see who could raise themselves the highest and stay there the longest...

Most likely a mating display.

[+TheLoneGrangers]

But there was a time when my daughter and I rounded a trail and saw two rattlers, staring at each other intently, trying to see who could raise themselves the highest and stay there the longest...

 

Would love to see a picture, to bad. =(

[+CanadianRockies]

But there was a time when my daughter and I rounded a trail and saw two rattlers, staring at each other intently, trying to see who could raise themselves the highest and stay there the longest...

Would love to see a picture, to bad. =(

Not a photo of the snakes in question, but a picture of two mating rattlers:

 

[+Lil Devil]

Several years ago, I found a cache in some rocks. These were really big rocks piled up on the slope under a bridge. Peering in the gaps I saw this:

 

You can see the ammo can just above and to the right of the snake, and in the upper-right corner of the picture.

 

The previous day I was startled by a large spider guarding a cache, which turned out to be a fake spider. This cache was by the same hider, so I thought the snake was fake, too. But a quick poke with a stick proved this one was real. Several more pokes and the snake moved deeper into the rocks so I could retrieve the cache, but not before showing off his rattles.

[Clan Riffster]

unfortunately, it was one of the few times I did not have a camera with me.

I had to chuckle at that...

I am a lifetime snake enthusiast. As far back as I can remember, these little buggers have fascinated me. There was a time in my misspent youth when I was grounded for having several venomous snakes in habitats in my bedroom, and for fibbing to my Mom about what breeds they were.

 

I hid a cache in what I would call perfect Eastern Diamondback territory. It was a 26 stage multi/puzzle thingy leading to an ammo can final, and took numerous trips to build. Every day I would haul my wife's bulky digital SLR camera with me, in the hopes of adding to my collection of snake pictures. Every day I went home empty handed. (or should that be, empty flash carded?)

 

The one time I decided to leave her camera at home, I encountered a beautiful 4' female Diamondback. We schmoozed for a while, discussing Life, The Universe and Everything, then I released her so she could get back to doing snake things. While I cherish the memory, I still kick myself for not bringing the camera. I did bring it every other time I went out there, but all I found were Pigmys.

 

I've since renamed her camera "Snake Repellant".

[+Corfman Clan]

I stopped by one of my caches once and found a sleeping rattlesnake underneath it. Here's my log.

 

So far this year, I've had six rattlesnake encounters. Two of them yesterday.

 

September 20: We Make Um Hike

 

June 11: Canyoneering-Wet Beaver Creak

 

June 5: Watch for Wildlife

 

April 24: Witness Corner

 

March 20: Highway View

[+Postholedigger]

Last Saturday I was caching in the Lake Poway area in San Diego North County. I got near GZ and found a likely spot for a "small" size cache as indicated by the cache page. There was a large boulder embedded in the hillside with a 4 inch by 8 inch "cave" covered in part by some dry grass. I thought, "bingo!" and went to move the dry grass aside with my hiking pole to claim the find but instead came face to face with a rattler taking refuge from the midday sun. I jumped back and started to walk away when I thought, "that might not be the actual cache location..." I went back to the general area and looked around and made the cache find else where but still fairly nearby. The snake was a good 3+ inches in diameter.

[+wildchld97]

Copperheads are much more common around here than rattlers. I got up close and personal with one 3 summers ago. The pain was greater than anything else I can remember experiencing and I spent 8 hours under observation in the ER before they sent me home. The bruising and swelling did not fully subside for almost a month and I have a slight loss of sensation in that fingertip.

 

When my kids and I were at our cabin several years ago, we had an encounter with copperheads. I gave my kidlets one of those insect containers (the one with the magnifying glass on top). I wanted them to explore and discover. Oh boy....I didn't realize how curious they were! When they brought it back to me to show their discovery...I was horrified to find a dozen baby copperheads!! After I got my breath back, I asked them how they managed to get all of them into the container. Their response???? "We picked up the big one and took the little ones."

 

After I was revived, we disposed of the babies humanely in a remote area of the Allegheny Mtns.

[+Catydid]

We found a young, small rattlesnake nearby a cache we dnf'd. Lots of hiding holes and crevices, too much heat, and then the rattler. Maybe another day and with much more care!

[AZcachemeister]

If I don't see around 6-8 rattlers a year, it means I haven't been out enough.

[+wildchld97]

If I don't see around 6-8 rattlers a year, it means I haven't been out enough.

 

[+5g]

Recent encounters include a few rattlers, gopher snakes, and bull snakes. Have a couple pics

 

[+Team Dromomania]

While out caching on a camping trip my son and daughter in law and grandaughter encounted a rattlesnake while turning over a cache, anyone else had a simular encounter?

 

Many, many times including today here. In one case I actually grabbed hold of a live rattlesnake. Neither of us were too happy about that.

[+G & C]

Snakes scare the bejeesus out of me. Rattlers top that list. Been around them all of my life, and just never got the fear out of me. I see a handful of snakes a year, but I've never encountered a rattler while caching. My buddy CraigsOutside, on the other hand, has been bit on the hand while caching. Interesting stuff.

[+briansnat]

I've run into rattlesnakes while caching but never at a cache. I own a few caches where finders mentioned rattlesnakes near the caches in their logs.

 

My wife stepped on a rattlesnake on a cache hunt. I was about 100 feet away and heard her scream. She was going from rock to rock and she felt something under her foot and as she jumped up on a rock she heard the rattle. I don't know who was more startled, her or the snake.

 

Lucky for her she was moving so quickly that she was on top of the rock and out of reach by the time the snake was able to react.

Edited September 22, 2011 by briansnat

[+Thrak]

While out caching on a camping trip my son and daughter in law and grandaughter encounted a rattlesnake while turning over a cache, anyone else had a simular encounter?

 

Never found one under or on a cache but have encountered rattlesnakes multiple times while geocaching. The most recent one started rattling approximately 2 feet from my wife's foot. We just backed slowly away and then went around it. Lots of rattlers in the hills around here and even in parts of the park that are essentially right in town.

[+Presence]

Funny I should stumble upon this thread. Here is my facebook status that I just posted a few minutes ago. I know it was a rattle snake because google told me so.

 

ME CRYING: We have to move right away theres a rattlesnake in the pond! DAVE: Stay away from the pond, you dont see me going back there. ME: We (me & Bub) were looking for frogs. DAVE: So was he............

 

I thought when I left Florida I was rid of these creatures.

[+TK7464]

 

Can't take credit for the photo but I have run across many of these

[+Corfman Clan]

I stopped by one of my caches once and found a sleeping rattlesnake underneath it. Here's my log.

 

So far this year, I've had six rattlesnake encounters. Two of them yesterday.

 

September 20: We Make Um Hike

 

June 11: Canyoneering-Wet Beaver Creak

 

June 5: Watch for Wildlife

 

April 24: Witness Corner

 

March 20: Highway View

Then yesterday, I had my seventh rattlesnake encounter this year on my hike back from Above the BCT #5. Three in a week must be a new record for me.

[Clan Riffster]

I've since renamed her camera "Snake Repellant".

I guess her SLR isn't the only camera that earns the name "Snake Repellant".

I've been building a series of caches in a large national forest which has lots of snakes. I've been out half a dozen times building this, (always faitfully toting my Olumpus waterproof point & shoot, getting some nice pics, but seeing nary a snake. Today, I forgot my camera, and saw three snakes. The first was a medium easter diamondback crossing the road, the second was a juvenile pine snake and the third was a pigmy rattlesnake. (sigh...)

[+Redfist]

If I don't see around 6-8 rattlers a year, it means I haven't been out enough.

 

I hope to one day have such a cavalier attitude. For now, the idea of them still scares the crap out of me.

[+mullyman]

Not to hijack the thread but, we don't have rattlers in Japan. Instead, we get to deal with the "suzumebachi" or "giant Asian hornet" as it's called in English. The suzumebachi kills more people each year, in Japan, than any other animal.

 

We do have the "mamushi" though. It's some sort of Viper if I'm not mistaken. I've seen warning signs but haven't ever seen the snakes.

MULLY

[+popokiiti]

We've seen plenty of garter snakes....nothing as scary as you all have, thank goodness. Our closest encounter with potential trouble while caching was Mama Bear and cub, but we were in the car, and stayed there to take photos. Junior at first ran up a tree at the side of the road, but he listened to what Mama said and chose another tree a bit further away...and peeked around the trunk at us. Mama was standing up, leaning on the tree. Got a few photos, talking to them while we did, then drove away.

[+Chilli Pipers]

I am so glad to be living in the UK, we dont have much in the way of snakes or dangerous animals to stumble across, in fact the only animal enounters I have had are a couple of times with toads

Edited October 1, 2011 by Chilli Pipers

[+Don_J]

While out caching on a camping trip my son and daughter in law and grandaughter encounted a rattlesnake while turning over a cache, anyone else had a simular encounter?

 

I can go for two years without seeing one, then find one at two caches in a row. I'm not that worried about them because I know that they want to get away from me more than I want to get away from them, plus, they come with a warning system. I'm not sure how I would deal with some of the snakes in the SE part of the US. I always hike with a trekking pole and it goes into any place I can't see, before my hands do.

[+Borst68]

 

Can't take credit for the photo but I have run across many of these

 

Ok, I am not terribly of afraid of snakes. Respectful, yes. Terrified, no. But that picture was just plain creepy! I think I would soil myself if I ever happened upon that! Fortunately we don't have much in the way of poison snakes in western NY. I'll take 6" of snow over a 6" pile of snakes any day.

 

Somewhat OT... I have a friend that teaches English in Taiwan. His hobby is "herping". Him and his friends go out and try to catch snakes and photograph them. Then they let them go. He has sent me some photos of some fairly nasty snakes. Asian Pit Vipers and the like.