oplopanax Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 I haven't been at geocaching for long, but I figure this doesn't happen everyday: a rattlesnake lying it wait for innocent geocachers!! I won't repeat the whole story, I posted it here: My visit to Hawk's Eye View cache (California) For your enjoyment, the pic (such as it is): Note that rattler hanging out in my *direct* path to the cache. Dramatized re-enactment with stuffed snake found in cache: Note footwear, not exactly snake-resistant. oplopanax Quote Link to comment
+DustyJacket Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 Having a walking stick, or staff, would help. I wave it throught grass or whatever before blundering in..... DustyJacket ...If life was fair, a banana split would cure cancer. Quote Link to comment
+Tradboy Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 Is that a good idea? Piss the snake off before stepping on it..... Quote Link to comment
+Dersu Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 Very good story, did you have him for dinner? As a side note to this. Most people think that if they are struck/bitten by a rattler that the snake has injected them with vemon. This is not always true and even if the snake did inject vemon, the dose may be a small amount. If the snake killed recently, it may not have replenished it's load of vemon. The smaller the person (weight) the more dangerous the vemon. The vemon is for killing prey, (mice,birds,rats and such)and rattlers would prefer to save it for that purpose. The rattles and a strike without vemon is usally all they have to do to persuade a interloper to leave them alone. So, if you are bitten/struck by a rattler just stay calm and get to the nearest health care location at a safe speed. Don't cut, suck or otherwise work on the bite area. If possible take the very dead snake with you for ID purposes. "It is interesting to note that rattlesnakes can control the injection of venom when biting; up to 60% of all poisonous snake bites to humans are "dry," containing no venom." This quote is from Wisconsin DNR And you may want to look at other related websites. I wear a pair of Rocky uninsulated snake proof boots for caching. they can be purchased at: Cabela's BTW, deepfried rattlesnake meat is delicious I have flouted the wild, I have followed its lure, fearless. familar, alone; yet the wild must win, and a day will come when I shall be overthrown. By: Robert Servic [This message was edited by Dersu on March 29, 2003 at 11:19 AM.] Quote Link to comment
+DustyJacket Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Tradboy:Is that a good idea? Piss the snake off before stepping on it..... Given the chance, most snakes will flee. DustyJacket ...If life was fair, a banana split would cure cancer. Quote Link to comment
+zoltig Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 Given the chance, I'LL FLEE!!! Snake goes one way, I go the other. Both happy! Quote Link to comment
oplopanax Posted March 29, 2003 Author Share Posted March 29, 2003 All I can say is, it's a good thing them rattlesnakes have those rattles. I was about two steps from accidently stomping the snake -- which, I'm sure, would not have been good for either the snake or me. Score one for natural selection I guess. As it was, the snake just said "hey man, back off until I get myself comfortably under this rock over here, and then you can continue your little geocaching adventure...[muttering: what kind of screwy hobby isthat, anyway]". The cache was on a rocky, sunny hilltop, I guess I should've reminded myself that this kind of place would be the perfect rattlesnake hangout. Anyone else ever had a venomous snake encounter at a cache? Quote Link to comment
+DustyJacket Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 Nope. Just Bison, elk, deer, owls, hawks, and an awful lot of critter that make noise shuffling through the underbrush....... DustyJacket ...If life was fair, a banana split would cure cancer. Quote Link to comment
Cholo Posted March 29, 2003 Share Posted March 29, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Dersu:Very good story, did you have him for dinner? [This message was edited by Dersu on March 29, 2003 at 11:19 AM.] Being a California snake, he probably declined the offer due to a previous "let's do lunch" date with his agent. Quote Link to comment
+themagician Posted March 30, 2003 Share Posted March 30, 2003 I hope you took that rattlesnake home for dinner. while in high school The teacher brought in snails and rattlesnake. Everyone had to try one or the other. The snails looked like a big ball of snot! The rattlesnake was all nice white meat. I tried the snake! It didn't taste bad you just had to get over the fact that you were eating rattlesnake! YUM Alumni of Cache U ! Quote Link to comment
+TEAM 360 Posted March 30, 2003 Share Posted March 30, 2003 I have been tromping through the Arizona desert on hikes for 5 years now and have YET to come across a rattler, or a black widow, or gila lizard, although I did see some small scorpions the other day... Quote Link to comment
+rpecot Posted March 30, 2003 Share Posted March 30, 2003 quote:Anyone else ever had a venomous snake encounter at a cache? I was about 2 steps from a water moccasin a few weeks ago in central Louisiana. A low part of the trail was under water, so I headed off trail for a better place to cross. I got to the cache fine, but on my return I was about to hop over the stream when I saw the snake curled up on the side of the water. I froze in place and backed away. My daughter and I saw 3 moccasins and 1 unidentified snake that weekend. Quote Link to comment
Cholo Posted March 31, 2003 Share Posted March 31, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Indiana Jeff:I have been tromping through the Arizona desert on hikes for 5 years now and have YET to come across a rattler, or a black widow, or gila lizard, although I did see some small scorpions the other day... As a kid in the mid 1950's, I lived in the South Phoenix area, at one time in the desert area near South Mountain. Most of these animals don't come out during the day. I never saw a rattler, but I have smelled them and seen their shed skins. The only Gila Monster was seen on a trip to Jerome. There were quite a few chuckawallas in the area. They're not poisonous or as colorful, but just as big. The other lizard is the horny toad. These were seen on the tamrisk trees that grow along the canals. I think the Japanese enlarged them on film as substitutes for prehistoric monsters. Kick over a rock or some trash in a dry wash, and you will see scorpians. We only found one in the houses we lived in out there. My brother lives in Gilbert and says his house is full of them. This is probably for my wife's benefit. Dang!...it's cold here..we've got to move Illinois farther away from Wisconsin! Quote Link to comment
+Gaddiel Posted March 31, 2003 Share Posted March 31, 2003 The wife and I were out with our 18-month-old last weekend. In the process of moving leaves to try to find this cache, we uncovered a copperhead. Temps were still a little low for him to be very active, but we learned a valuable lesson that day... always carry a hiking stick and never use your hands to move leaves/sticks! Quote Link to comment
oplopanax Posted March 31, 2003 Author Share Posted March 31, 2003 quote:Originally posted by rpecot: quote:Anyone else ever had a venomous snake encounter at a cache? I was about 2 steps from a water moccasin a few weeks ago in central Louisiana. A low part of the trail was under water, so I headed off trail for a better place to cross. I got to the cache fine, but on my return I was about to hop over the stream when I saw the snake curled up on the side of the water. I froze in place and backed away. Well, that beats mine for sure! I wonder if someone has a "list of geocaching-related injuries/near-death experiences" somewhere. Such things should not be encouraged of course, but after the fact they are fun to read about... Quote Link to comment
+DustyJacket Posted April 1, 2003 Share Posted April 1, 2003 Yes, there is an existing Lost/Hurt thread somewhere in here....... DustyJacket Not all those that wander are lost. But in my case... Quote Link to comment
+tozainamboku Posted April 3, 2003 Share Posted April 3, 2003 Look at my log for this cache wodden hand -- I found it in the last place I looked. Quote Link to comment
+yrium Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 I had an encounter with a snake once... It put me into a songwriting mood. --- yrium --- Sung to the tune of I FOUGHT THE LAW AND THE LAW WON: Woke up early – woke up the clan… Packed our gear – to the car ran… Drove to the canyon – and embarked… Hit the trail – It was still dark… I saw the snake - and I did run… I saw the snake – and I did run… Superfly was plodding – Gromit was yawning… I was geeked – and the day was dawning… Falls we passed – It was awesome… Cache is near – Cache is calling… I saw the snake - and I did run… I saw the snake – and I did run… Watching the GPS – Numbers are dwindling… Started scanning the landscape - It is weedy… Not finding no Cache – No cache log fondling… Turning over Rocks – Heard a Hissing… I saw the snake - and I did run… I saw the snake – and I did run… Ran thru the weeds – Ran thru the brambles… Heart beating staccato – In a blind scramble… Went back later – Found the cache… I saw the snake - and I did run… I saw the snake – and I did run… I saw the snake – and I did run… (Refrain repeats, song fades out) Quote Link to comment
+bitbrain Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 quote:Originally posted by oplopanax: Anyone else ever had a venomous snake encounter at a cache? Darned near stepped on a 4-foot, thick-bodied, cottonmouth that happened to be sunning itself on the trail while I was on a double cache hunt this past Wednesday. The snake reminded me that I had left my stick in the truck, so I picked up the closest sturdy fallen pine branch to accompany me on the rest of my hunt. Didn't see any more snakes, but I did run across a sizeable fire ant hill and fields of poison ivy. Gotta love Spring in the South. Quote Link to comment
geoStrider Posted April 4, 2003 Share Posted April 4, 2003 quote:Anyone else ever had a venomous snake encounter at a cache? I've encountered a few rattlers in my search of the elusive cache. The most recent was just a month or so ago on a small peak near Tucson. Now that the weather is really warming up here in southern Arizona, those fellows are on the move. One of our cats has been bitten twice by rattlesnakes on our patio and survived both bites. I've never been lost, but I was a might bewildered for three days once. Daniel Boone Quote Link to comment
+wimseyguy Posted April 17, 2003 Share Posted April 17, 2003 quote: Anyone else ever had a venomous snake encounter at a cache? Yep, check out my log entry for this cache last September. These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes; Nothing remains quite the same. Through all of the islands and all of the highlands, If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane Quote Link to comment
+Last Lap Gang Posted April 18, 2003 Share Posted April 18, 2003 We walked up on a gaggle of about twenty or so Garter snakes last Sunday and they fled one direction and we walked slowly off in the other. I know whimpy compared to Rattlers, Mocassins, and Copperheads but thi sthread does remind one to poke with a long stick carefully and not bend with a head or hand first. Wags, Russ & Erin Quote Link to comment
+3 HAPPY CAMPERS Posted April 18, 2003 Share Posted April 18, 2003 Here in Alaska we don't have to worry about snakes but we do have to watch out for bears. See Cache Mendenhall Treasure Trove GC15DC. Check out the photos taken last summer when the trail was closed due to Brown Bear activity on the trail. Happy Caching Quote Link to comment
+Brian - Team A.I. Posted April 18, 2003 Share Posted April 18, 2003 I have yet to find a rattler while caching, but I wouldn't be surprised to find this statement inaccurate very soon. First week in May I plan on a marathon 16+ hour caching day in Wickenburg to make up for all the caching I haven't been doing lately. Without a doubt I'll stumble across a snake or 3. Brian Team A.I. Quote Link to comment
+rpecot Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 Not cache related, but... quote:Originally posted by Gaddiel & OrangeDanish:The wife and I were out with our 18-month-old last weekend. In the process of moving leaves to try to find http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?ID=15518, we uncovered a copperhead. Temps were still a little low for him to be very active, but we learned a valuable lesson that day... always carry a hiking stick and never use your hands to move leaves/sticks! A few years ago, my daughter and I were on a short overnight backpacking trip in Mississippi. Early the second morning we packed up our gear and hit the trail, heading back to the trailhead. We weren't 50 feet from our campsite when my daughter stepped on a copperhead curled up in the middle of the trail. Thank God it was early morning and still cool. The snake did not move. We got around it, and after I recovered from my heart attack, we continued on. We were about 3 miles from the nearest road. Quote Link to comment
grison777 Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 In an effort to stamp out ignorance, rather than snakes, I would first encourage all to leave the environment unharmed, including poisonous snakes. Snakes serve a valuable purpose, yet most people kill them on site, for no apparent reason other than the fact they are snakes. Secondly, whatever source states that venoumous snakes can "control" the amount of venom they inject is totally nuts. It is true that many bites do not inject venom. However, that is not due to a snake "holding back" and saving the venom for other purposes. What a ridiculous statement! Every bite victim should immediately proceed to medical care. I have seen fang "scratches" that caused loss of fingers, and full bites that had no lasting effect. It is not possible for you to know the amount of poison, or your reaction to it. And, btw, copperhead bites are generally worse than rattlesnakes. They are the ones to look out for. Quote Link to comment
+Renegade Knight Posted April 21, 2003 Share Posted April 21, 2003 quote:Originally posted by Tradboy:Is that a good idea? Piss the snake off before stepping on it..... Of course it's a good idea. Then they bite your stick and you can swing them off into the brush and get the cache. ===================== Wherever you go there you are. Quote Link to comment
+Logscaler and Red Posted May 1, 2003 Share Posted May 1, 2003 LAst summer Red and I where cache hunting in the Idaho panhandle on Dworshak lake when heading back to the truck from a cache, 4-5 mile round trip, when a big Timber Rattler buzzed in the trail. About five feet behind us. After we had walked past it. That got my heart rate up a touch. I Poked it with a stick, counted around a dozen beads and looked to be about 4 plus feet long. That really got my heart rate up. But I would rather deal with them then those little black bugs with the hour glass on their belly. Or those little tick buggers. Or downtown Potland traffic. logscaler. Quote Link to comment
Cholo Posted May 1, 2003 Share Posted May 1, 2003 quote:Originally posted by logscaler: Or downtown Potland traffic. logscaler. I will assume this is a typo and has absolutely nothing to do with the main cash crop of Oregon. Quote Link to comment
oplopanax Posted May 2, 2003 Author Share Posted May 2, 2003 Well, I must really have a knack for near-disasters while geocaching. See my latest mishap at the GeoLeo cache (beautiful cache, just the drive home was the problem!): http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?id=59073 Quote Link to comment
+Tsegi Mike and Desert Viking Posted May 2, 2003 Share Posted May 2, 2003 Just recently, we attempted a cache at night to nail a first find....and ended up in an area infested with black widows. There were lots of them. For the record I HATE SPIDERS. We gave up on the cache, which has since been disabled. I hope the owner will reactivate the cache again. They said they would move it into a spider free area. For those of you who don't know what a black widow is, they are big ugly black creepy female spiders with a red hourglass shape on their belly. They are poisonous. Victims of their bite are often quite miserable. Another cache we went to had a large hive of bees nearby. All hives in our area are Africanized now (killer bees). But it was at dusk and the bees were quiet, so we got away without incident. No matter if we are caching or not, we'd probably encounter some of our nasty desert denizens sooner or later, so we might as well go geocaching. That moss-covered bucket I hailed as a treasure, For often at noon, when I returned from the field, I found it the source of an exquisite pleasure. Samuel Woodworth The Old Oaken Bucket Quote Link to comment
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