+Monkey Toes Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I was out on my first geocaching/letterboxing trip today ( found my first, second, and third cache... go me) when something interesting happened. I was at the gulf, looking for a particular letterbox under a cement block, when I get up off the ground and notice one of the biggest rattlesnakes I've ever seen a couple of feet from my face. He probably lresides under said block and was just out to warm himself. I shudder to think what might have happened if he would have been in the hole I just stuck my face into. I've been outdoorsee for all my life and know all about snakes. For some reason I left my guard down here. I'm not sure if it was some leftover winter sluggishness or that I don't picture snakes at the beach. I just want to remind everyone, even the veterans, that there are dangers lurking at even the simplest cache. Keep your guard up and look for more than just the box. A little rattled, MonkeyToes. Quote Link to comment
Bio-X Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Glad to hear you made it out of that situation alright. I hate snakes and there are a lot of copperheads around here. It won't be long & they'll be all over. Quote Link to comment
+Spzzmoose Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Good thing you didn't get bitten! In Michigan, we only have one poisonous snake...the Mississauga (sp?) Rattler. Haven't come across one yet but your post has defidentally made me make a mental note to be more careful! Quote Link to comment
+cache_us_if_you_can Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 We've already seen a few around here... I hate snakes Quote Link to comment
+RichardMoore Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 A little rattled,MonkeyToes. Ouch! Are you sure you haven't been into the snake-bite medicine (the 90 proof kind)? RichardMoore Quote Link to comment
+astheravenflies Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Snakes are cool! Quote Link to comment
+Snoogans Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 ARGH! SNAKE! A SNAKE! OOOOO! It's a snaaaaake! Sn gans Quote Link to comment
+ironman114 Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 A little rattled,MonkeyToes. Ouch! Are you sure you haven't been into the snake-bite medicine (the 90 proof kind)? RichardMoore snakebites are made with 100 proof. I should be pretty immune by now. Quote Link to comment
bug and snake Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Grrrrrrrrrrr.......... (OK, it's short for 'snake leg soup') Quote Link to comment
+Oilman Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 So far while cacheing, we have seen several desert rattlers, a bunch of water moccasins, one woodlands rattlers and one coral snake. The coral snake was real cool; I had never seen one in the wild before. When we run across one, if it is next to the cache box, we just shoo it away with a stick. Other then that, we leave them be; they eat the mice and rats. Quote Link to comment
+Geo Ho Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 I've encountered a snakes only twice while Geocaching. Once there was a snake lying in the middle of the trail with a half swallowed frog in his mouth . . . it kind of gave me a start but I know he couldn't bite me because his mouth was full! Poor, poor Signal! The other was the day I met Mopar. We were caching and I almost stepped on a huge black snake sunning himself. Just be careful! Happy caching and stuff! Quote Link to comment
+Sparrowhawk Posted March 4, 2004 Share Posted March 4, 2004 Just for the fun of it... (not to make any sort of point, of course...) Quote Link to comment
+Logscaler and Red Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Red and I have had a few snakes cross our paths the last couple years also. One BIG buzztail let us know he was sunning itself beside the trail. AFTER we had walked past it! A third person hiking with us might have got hit. Another one poked itself up out of a rock pile I had walked across and Red was standing on. It popped up right between her feet and started letting us know it was not pleased with our walking on it's house. I poked it with a tripod leg until it went back into its hole. It had not coiled and was still slinking along so there was no problem or worry about a strike. Beside's, Red had already went into orbit and was hovering about ten feet off the ground. No way was the snake getting to her. The same day we took a snake off the road and shoved it in a Sage Rat hole. But I have figured out a way to attach a fake snake to a cache so when you pull the cache box out, the snake shoots out onto your arm. Now, if I do it or not remain's to be seen. logscaler. Quote Link to comment
+robert Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 But I have figured out a way to attach a fake snake to a cache so when you pull the cache box out, the snake shoots out onto your arm. Now, if I do it or not remain's to be seen. I'd shoot you dead. Quote Link to comment
+aka Monkey Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 (edited) I've encountered a snakes only twice while Geocaching. Once there was a snake lying in the middle of the trail with a half swallowed frog in his mouth . . . it kind of gave me a start but I know he couldn't bite me because his mouth was full! Poor, poor Signal! The other was the day I met Mopar. We were caching and I almost stepped on a huge black snake sunning himself. [image Removed] Just be careful! Happy caching and stuff! I believe that big black snake is a common "rat snake." Generally harmless (I used to own a couple as pets). And just a reminder to people: Please don't kill snakes when Geocaching! If they're on your property, that's an issue I'm not going to address, but in the wild, they serve a purpose. It's unlikely that even the poisonous ones will kill you if they bite you (most rattlesnake bites don't even inject venom), leaving you with not too much more than a sore leg, a small scar, and a great story. Just because you find an animal "oogy" doesn't give you the right to kill it. Edited March 5, 2004 by Indiana Cojones Quote Link to comment
+carleenp Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 I have garter snakes that breed under an old stump in my backyard. I like them. The little baby snakes are cute! Quote Link to comment
+The Cheeseheads Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 ARGH! SNAKE! A SNAKE! OOOOO! It's a snaaaaake! Sn gans I knew you couldn't leave this one alone... I have never come across snakes while caching. I've had close up encounters with squirrels, deer, and a racoon that looked like it died in its sleep right next to the cache, but never snakes. I hate snakes... Quote Link to comment
+cacheKidds Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 The other was the day I met Mopar. We were caching and I almost stepped on a huge black snake sunning himself. Cool picture! I've always liked snakes and have never been afraid of them. Quote Link to comment
+bigredmed Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Lucky that the rattler didn't bit you in the face. Bites like that tend to be full envenomations as the heat shadow is small enough to be mistaken for food and a strike into your face would have caused the venom to go systemic fast. Its bad when that happens.... I guess I will be taking my walking stick with me more regularly given the change of seasons. Another reason to miss winter. Quote Link to comment
+ChinCache Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Always remember snakes taste good! Quote Link to comment
+aka Monkey Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Always remember snakes taste good! I've eaten rattlesnake. It tasted like oily chicken. Quote Link to comment
+bigredmed Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 Always remember snakes taste good! I've eaten rattlesnake. It tasted like oily chicken. With lots of annoying bones. To honest, it tastes more like oily, bony alligator than chicken. Quote Link to comment
+the8re Posted March 5, 2004 Share Posted March 5, 2004 ARGH! SNAKE! A SNAKE! OOOOO! It's a snaaaaake! Sn gans ROFL. OMG. That was the first thing I thought of when I read the topic name! I like the kenya clip myself. And the LOTR. But this is OT now, so I'll quit. :-) -T Quote Link to comment
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