Apology to those that I promised Flint Rock

[chaos]

Over the years, I have collected up a bit of flint rock gratis for those who request it. I had promised to gather up some for a few guys on here when Deer Season ended.

As it would happen work was extremely slow and really picked up right after season ended. So much so that I sit here typing and am waiting for my A$$ to catch up to me.

Anyhow, I have not had a chance to get out until the last couple of days. As those I have spoke with know, this particular flint quarry is covered in Rattlers when the weather warms up. Still I made an attempt to gather a bit of rock.

I ran into this fellow right off the bat and can say that I will not visit the place again until it gets cold outside again. I am not scared of rattlesnakes, but wading through chest high shinery to get to my spot is at this point a foolhearty venture.

Chaos

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s132/colbcheese/Rattles.jpg

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s132/colbcheese/Rattler-1.jpg

[Abenaki]

WOW!!!!

That's a big one!

Sooooo, what cast boolet did you kill it with?

Take care
Abenaki

[chaos]

Sharpshooter 00 Buck mould and a 9 pellet load that I use to bust hogs/ varmints with in thick brush.

I cast em from wheel weights and water drop them. The pellets seem to bounce a bit more than factory fodder.


That snake isnt the largest

[blasternank]

You wouldn't catch me anywhere near there if that monster and others like him are around there! I'd be interested in some flint when it gets cold out again. I teach some 11 yr old scouts and I think I could use a little to help them out on a few projects.

Glad to see the snake laid out and not you!

[Freightman]

Where do you get the Flint? It is plentiful up north of here at the Alabates area though they have curtailed a lot of collecting as it is a National Monument. PS it is also guarded by some scaly friends of that one.

[chaos]

Where do you get the Flint? It is plentiful up north of here at the Alabates area though they have curtailed a lot of collecting as it is a National Monument. PS it is also guarded by some scaly friends of that one.

I'm south of you a pretty fair ways. Between Abilene and San Angelo. We have a BIG Limestone hill that is covered in Juniper and shin oak. There is a large vein of flint that runs along the top edge of this hill. Its not near as pretty as the Alibates stuff. I do find a point now and again made from that materiial.

[onesonek]

I'd love to have that snake skin,,,lol

[357maximum]

There is no flint/chert that is worth a bite from one of them critters. I am sure it will get cold again next year.;)

The weather here is confused to what it wants to be. I was catfishing monday night in 47 degree weather. We recieved 4inches of ice and snow last night and the power was out from 2 am until about noon today. Where's that global warming stuff when you need some?:groner:

[Tom-ADC]

Just before I retired from the navy I had the jet shop at Miramar naval air station. The land around the building had many of those, you could pick up a rock and toss it blind into the area behind our building and before you tossed three you'd hear a snake rattling. The sailors from Texas would catch them & sell them.

[steg]

Some good eating there, and I'd trade a piece of Anthracite for a piece of flint, that would be great to have, might even have something SWIMBO would like also, Not being nasty, talking about gemstones..............................steg

[shooterg]

So, you eat that thing ? Tastes like chicken, right ?

[arjacobson]

LORD... I'm glad I'm living in Iowa !!! That thing is huge........and I hate snakes..even the little non venomous type:bootgive:

[masscaster]

Looks like dinner to me!!

[chaos]

So, you eat that thing ? Tastes like chicken, right ?

I grew up catching Diamondbacks and selling them at roundups, so i've eaten my fair share of the things. If a man were to seek out a snake for food, he'd have to be in a heck of a bind to do so. There is not enough meat on a rattler to fool with. Folks only eat them for the novelty of being able to say "I ate a rattlesnake" as far as I'm concerned.

With that said, I did in fact clean this one as my boys have been badgering me to cook them a snake. I will be frying it up this weekend. Kind of like eating the ribcages out of a bunch of fish. All bone.

They dont taste like the proverbial chicken, but rather the same as Squirrel or Cotton tail rabbit.

http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s132/colbcheese/meat.jpg

There is more meat on a single little cottontail rabbit than even a snake this big. There is a row of "Backstrap" on either side of the backbone about as big around as a marble ( on big snakes), the rest is like pulling meat off a comb

Chaos

Edited to add:

I took this one a couple of years ago. Much heavier snake, but about the same length. ( This snake was taken in the fall after they have been out fattening up.... this time of year they are skinny from being in their dens all winter) Still not enough meat for a meal. I quit catching snakes about the time my kids were born and just kill them now. The few dollars a pound that they bring isn't worth the risk of handling them. I WAS ONCE YOUNG AND DUMB
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s132/colbcheese/rattler.jpg

[nanuk]

the skin makes excellent backing for selfbows. Natures camo

[*Paladin*]

I grew up near a canyon that was covered in green and purple slate (in fact, it's called Slate Canyon, near Provo, Utah). Me and my buddy used to go up there in the summer with 12ga bird shot and slay diamondbacks. There were a lot of them in that canyon. They'd sun themselves on the warm slate. Every time I camped in that canyon, if a breeze blew just right to tickle the hairs on my arm, I'd damn near jump outta my skin thinking it was a rattler... Biggest snake I killed up that canyon was a 6 footer, BTW.

[Dean D.]

There is no flint/chert that is worth a bite from one of them critters. I am sure it will get cold again next year.;)


My sentiments also Colby, stay safe!

[MDC]

How come none of your snakes have heads?

I hunted at Blackwell for 4 years and rans across some good uns, but none as big as your second pic.

[chaos]

How come none of your snakes have heads?

I hunted at Blackwell for 4 years and rans across some good uns, but none as big as your second pic.

Blackwell is a good area for persuing snakes. Plenty of limestone. Not to far from here. Anywhere you have limestone and cactus, you will usually have large numbers of rattlers. The small caves and depressions that form in the rock make perfect dens for the rascals. They love cactus, because rats love cactus. I used to hunt snakes between Blackwell and Sweetwater, In those hills. A couple of years back, I had a place leased in that exact area. The windmill ( power generator) folks had opened a ditch about 4 and a half foot deep across the place for 24 hours. They were burying a transmission line or somesuch. They killed 56 snakes out of that ditch the next morning when they went to laying the line. That ditch cut across one section of land or 640 acres. High density of rattlebugs out there.

Those boys dug up that entire countryside burying lines to feed electricity to the good people of Dallas. Kind of an eyesore come to think of it. It used to be peaceful out here. Now blinking lights and the whirr of turbines.....

[waksupi]

LORD... I'm glad I'm living in Iowa !!! That thing is huge........and I hate snakes..even the little non venomous type:bootgive:

You aren't totally safe in Iowa. I believe there are 17 species of rattler there. I used to catch them, and sell the venom at the University in Iowa City way back when.

[chaos]

You aren't totally safe in Iowa. I believe there are 17 species of rattler there. I used to catch them, and sell the venom at the University in Iowa City way back when.



:drinks: I guess you were once young and dumb too:drinks:

[waksupi]

:drinks: I guess you were once young and dumb too:drinks:

Oh, I could tell you some stories.........[smilie=1:

[tom threepersons]

http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy262/redwing340/IMG_0098.jpg


This Sidewinder bit my bird dog. Sidewinders are small but mean. He died from a couple lead pistol slugs cast from WWs.

[Hamish]

Glad you posted the pics, took me back to younger days on the 74 Ranch south of San Anton. Made decent money, had to be quick riding around with the guy's trying to fill your snakebox for the next sale. I mess Texas in the Spring. Still have the skin off the first one I caught too high on the neck and he coiled up and broke his spine. Did I say I miss Texas and wild hog meat?

[chaos]

http://i798.photobucket.com/albums/yy262/redwing340/IMG_0098.jpg


This Sidewinder bit my bird dog. Sidewinders are small but mean. He died from a couple lead pistol slugs cast from WWs.

That is a beautiful snake. Cant say that I've ever seen a sidewinder. Just a few timber rattlers when I lived in East Texas and piles Diamondbacks here. The timber rattlers are protected in Texas and cannot be touched.

Diamondbacks will flat run from you unless stepped on or cornered. Cottonmouth Water Moccasans on the other hand will actively come after a man at certain times of the year. I never had the guts to play with those jokers.

I've read a bunch as of late concerning "rattleless rattlesnakes". Aparently some California hippies are causing a stir with findings that Some rattlesnakes dont buzz a warning before biting a victim. I've even seen a TV documentary on the phenom. I truly believe this is complete Hogwash !
In my experience with the serpents, A rattlesnake will never rattle and give up his position unless he knows there is no other choice but to stand and fight because he is cornered. Still they will try and back away from you. Camoflague is their first line defense and it WORKS! Ever seen a Buck deer run out of hiding to show you his horns? Snakes are not going to give up their positions unless they feel a fight is the only resolution, this is not any new groundbreaking news.

I have a few friends that have been bitten. In every scenereo, they either stepped on a sanke that they didn't see laying in the scrub brush, or they put their hands under something where a snake was hiding and there was no place for the snake to go..... other than one man who has been bitten twice while fishing. Once in the Chest and the other in the top of the foot by Cottonmouths. He doesnt wade fish anymore.


My father has 3 dogs and all of which have been bitten by rattlers. He purchases the rattlesnake shots for them every year. Apparently it does some good as the dogs all swelled up to unbelievable proportions but pulled through just fine.

[felix]

I will attest to Cottonmouths being somewhat aggressive, or, at least inquisitive. That is the only brand of snake I will kill, but only in a people area, like at the riva' dump where I shoot. A moving target is my delight with the bench gun, and this kind of snake is ideal. I have only killed two snakes over a 10 or more year period. Positive identity is the problem. ... felix

[Skipper488]

I had to fight a water moccasin over a stringer of fish one day, I let him have the fish but I needed the stringer, it was the only one I had.

[bowfin]

I usually adopt a "live and let live" policy with snakes of all kinds.

However, I won't second guess anyone who kills a snake if they think they pose a danger. My brother emptied his Remington 1100 on a bull snake that struck at his young pointer when we were out hunting prairie chickens. Not enough time to make a positive ID, so err on the side of safety.

[arjacobson]

:drinks: I guess you were once young and dumb too:drinks:

Great. Now I Gotta worry about that!!! I knew Iowa had rattlers but I thought they were found more by the mississippi river.. I heard decorah had a few.. I think we are too far north to get many of them. We did have a pretty big bull snake in the yard last year though... he was not a happy camper and actually chased me down the sidewalk..may he R.I.P....

[excess650]

I've only killed a few venomous snakes, and all were with motor vehicles. I got (2) copperheads in the summer of 1989 as they crossed the road near our hunting camp and near another(central Pa). My brother got another in the camp yard that same summer with the lawnmower. In 2006 I got an eastern diamondback as I rounded a blind turn on the motorcycle.

The contractor killed a copperhead in the basement of our new house as it was being built. We've been out and about the property there a fair amount during warm weather, but haven't encountered another. Regardless, I DO wear snake boots when hunting there in the early ML deer season. The local folks seem to think it a good idea.

[Freightman]

[QUOTE=chaos;1209693]Blackwell is a good area for persuing snakes. Plenty of limestone.
May have been some of my kin that established Blackwell as that is my last name. I know that Blackwell OK. was established by a cousin several times removed a long time ago.

[tom threepersons]

Chaos ,every thing you said is dead on true. I have seen more than one rattler never make a sound even after he is attacked. Rattlers encountered near or in water cannot rattle when the buttons are wet. Just proves what we knew all along the California Hippie is a sub-species of a lower form of humans.

[mpmarty]

Years ago I worked as a surveyor north of Reno Nevada. Killed a lot of rattlers with a piece of wood lath or a shovel.

[lead-1]

No way, no how, I take a detour when they are the size of nightcrawlers. Snakes are mean, snake meat looks nasty not tasty and I do not blame you a bit for not wanting to go back there till they are gone but I still wouldn't go back then.

I about put my kids up for adoption for bringing a six inch garter snake in the house, lol.

[chaos]

Chaos ,every thing you said is dead on true. I have seen more than one rattler never make a sound even after he is attacked. Rattlers encountered near or in water cannot rattle when the buttons are wet. Just proves what we knew all along the California Hippie is a sub-species of a lower form of humans.


LOL, I dont like Hippies or Pinko Commie types no matter where they are from !

[chaos]

Regardless, I DO wear snake boots when hunting there in the early ML deer season. The local folks seem to think it a good idea.

I once purchased a pair of snake boots, but quickly retired them to the dumpster. Every couple of steps, I had to stop and pull them off to pour the sweat out of 'em . Hottest footwear on the planet!!!!

[tom threepersons]

Old timers would wear stove pipes tied to their legs. Now that would have been real uncomfortable.:sad:

[canyon-ghost]

I think the title of the picture tells it all. Shooting range over here by Pampa has them too. http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx228/3rdshooter/contenders/7mm138.jpg

Ron

[Down South]

I don't see that many rattlers near as much as I used to. I used to kill at least one or two big uns every year. We do have our share of what I call ground rattlers. They are a small species of rattle snakes and I usually kill several in the yard every year. They seem to like the wife’s flower beds.

[steg]

Last year a neighbor proudly showed me a "copperhead" he had killed, poor old Hognose snake didn't stand a chance against that shovel, I tried to tell him it was a harmless snake, and he looked at me like I was nuts. Just wondering when was the last time anyone saw a garter snake, or the little green grass snake?