Beware the tall grass

[Texas by God]

Please be wary walking around in snake prone areas. I just lost a 500# bull calf to a Timber rattlesnake. I've been raising cattle for 55 years and this is a first. He was bitten in the left eye and the swelling in his neck shut off his airways. I've had them bit in the leg before and they survived but this bull was in the wrong place at the right time apparently. Gruesome and a waste of prime beef. Be careful, folks!

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[Sig556r]

sorry for you loss, them snakes thrive this time of year, especially in TX

[Thundarstick]

And the chiggers! They just make you wish you where going to die, but you don't!

I hate your loss, 2 years work pof gone. :-(

[Buzz Krumhunger]

I mowed the grass and weeds around my shop and barn with the tractor just yesterday because it was getting too “snakey” looking. About a week ago I had a dream about a big rattler trying to strike at me and I guess it gave me the willies.

[dangitgriff]

****.
Are you rounding the rattlers up now?

[popper]

Few years back son and I were fishing a small pond with high grass, he hollered 'you just stepped over a copperhead'. With all the water we see more of them. You butcher it?

[Texas by God]

Few years back son and I were fishing a small pond with high grass, he hollered 'you just stepped over a copperhead'. With all the water we see more of them. You butcher it?I didn't butcher it. Stressed Bullock beef isn't that toothsome- even without the venom. Legally, I can't round up the snakes as the Eastern Timber rattler(velvet tail) is on the protected list. But they thrive here. A year ago my old dog Buster laid on a copperhead and got bit on the ribs. Benadryl and antibiotics saved him. At least one good thing has come from the wild hog plague- no more Cottonmouth moccasins. Those snakes have NO sense of humor.
Thunderstick mention the chiggers- I am extremely fortunate to be immune to both chiggers and poison ivy. Neither one has ever bothered me thank goodness!

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[Der Gebirgsjager]

Hmmm....protected venomous snakes! Crazy world we're living in, and getting no better. My strong belief is that all poisonous snakes need to die. There are plenty of non-poisonous snakes to keep down the rodent population. It is interesting, and I know it to be true, that hogs will eat snakes. I don't believe that they're selective about the species? I grew up around diamond backs and had too many close calls with them, but where I live now we seem to be blessed with no snakes at all. The reason given by some of the locals that precede my residency is that the soil is volcanic pumice and it gets between their scales and irritates them so they stay away. I don't know the truth of it, but whatever works! They say that if you go over by the bases of the mountains where it's rocky you can find them, but I'm quite happy to stay away from there, just as I am to stay out of the tall grass!

DG

[jeepvet]

I thought popper was asking if you butchered the snake. In our neck of the woods we practice the three S's. Shoot, Shovel and Shut-up.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Another thought crosses my mind here also -- about bull meat. A few years ago (well, actually, maybe about 20) a neighbor's bull escaped from it's pasture, bulled it's way through the fence actually (:groner:), to consort with a nearby female who was a member of a herd that had also gotten out of their pasture and onto the county road. The stray bull got into it with the bull that belonged to the herd, and in the ensuing battle was pushed backward into a deep ditch along the edge of the road, breaking it's leg. The owner of the injured bull called the local meat cutter who dispatched his mobile slaughter truck, and the entire huge bull was ground into hamburger. My wife and I were a little skeptical when the bull's owner showed up at our door offering to sell us "bull burger", but we went for 5 lbs. of it, since he assured us that it was really good. It was! So we tried to get some more, but it was all sold. So "stressed meat" isn't necessarily bad, but I sure wouldn't want to eat anything that might have snake venom in it. Oh, yeah....the Sheriff's Dept. handed out a couple of tickets for allowing animals to encroach on the County Road. The back and forth of the battle caused one accident by a driver who had to swerve to avoid the combatants and who ended up in the same ditch as the losing bull.

[Texas by God]

Had I seen the snake he may have died in an accident and I probably would have cut him up and fried him because I do like fried rattler.
DG- you and my wife would get along just fine. She would drive 20 miles out of her way just to shoot a poisonous snake.
Our local butchers will not receive an animal that looks sick and believe me this bull looked sick. And they definitely will not take a dead one no matter how fresh it is. A lot of hamburger meat on the market does come from bulls and older cows.
We used to castrate bull calves because steers would bring a better price at Market but nowadays there isn't that much difference to make it worth the trouble. I asked the local lion and tiger sanctuary if they wanted it but they did not and I can't say I blame them.

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[Hannibal]

I didn't butcher it. Stressed Bullock beef isn't that toothsome- even without the venom. Legally, I can't round up the snakes as the Eastern Timber rattler(velvet tail) is on the protected list. But they thrive here. A year ago my old dog Buster laid on a copperhead and got bit on the ribs. Benadryl and antibiotics saved him. At least one good thing has come from the wild hog plague- no more Cottonmouth moccasins. Those snakes have NO sense of humor.
Thunderstick mention the chiggers- I am extremely fortunate to be immune to both chiggers and poison ivy. Neither one has ever bothered me thank goodness!

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I never knew it was possible to be immune from chiggers. Lucky!

[6bg6ga]

Protected or not if I see one it will be a dead one when I'm done. The only good snake is a dead one.

[Texas by God]

Being immune and having no allergies on the farm was a mixed blessing. My three older brothers and my sister never had to brush hog river weed or gather brush piles or clean out grain bins or kill bumblebee hives- but I did. I’m very lucky that I’ve never been bitten by a poisonous snake- especially Cottonmouths - that actually WILL come TO you. A 5’ chicken snake got me on the hand when I thought(mistakenly) that it was asleep. I must have been a sight banging it against the coop walls till it died!

[dnepr]

I think I should stop complaining about wood ticks and blackflys

[MaryB]

Ticks are bad this year with all the rain.. I just weeded around the rhubarb and had to flick a half dozen off my arms form reaching into knee high grass. Just garter snakes here, and one bull snake that lives out back in my wild patch... I leave them be. The garter snakes keep the insect population down, the bull snake helps with rodent patrol, he even takes on the gophers that dig up my back yard.

[Texas by God]

According to rural legend, a bull snake can kill a rattler. They're cool but their attitude gets them killed by scared people.

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[richhodg66]

In 25 years of messing around in the woods in Kansas, I've come across exactly one venomous snake, a copperhead and he was cold enough he wasn't too frisky, I left him alone as he was far enough away from population to not be a problem.

I live out in the woods now, have quite a few snakes. Had two large black snakes in the shed I reload in the other day, at least one was still in there yesterday. Bad as the mice problem was this Winter, I don't mind those two being in there, I just need to be careful not to get startled by them.

Snakes don't bother me much, where I grew up in coastal S.C., big venomous snakes were a fact of life and saw them all the time. West Texas and southern Oklahoma also had a lot of them, we don't have many here.

[popper]

Chiggers and scabies are the worst. Poison ivy set Mom off if she was anywhere near it but I could walk thru ivy or sumac with no itching. Brother got Mom's side.
You near the tornadoes today?

[LUCKYDAWG13]

Sorry about your loss When i was about 7 years old i brought home a bunch of Snakes turns out they were pygmy rattlesnakes
my Dad did not know what kind of snakes they were at first had to look them up a few days after that a local dog was bit and died
this was in northern IL

[Tom W.]

I use to lay in poison ivy at the top of a bauxite mine and shoot snakes and turtles in the mine. I normally didn't realize it was poison ivy until I was getting up and getting ready to go back to the truck...
Chiggers are a whole 'nother matter. But either they didn't live in the poison ivy or my meds keep them away. I know iron sulfate pills will keep you from being food for any hungry bug.....

[bayjoe]

I had a horse get bit in the nose. Head swelled up big time. Had to put 3/8 hose up his nostrils so he could breath. Lots of rattle snakes in the caliche hills of western Oklahoma panhandle.

[oneofsix]

One of our dogs was bitten on the nose by a copperhead, antibiotics, painkillers and overnight with vet. He recovered fine, except with a new-found wariness of snakes!
Lots of copperheads, a couple of cottonmouths, one pygmy rattlesnake in this corner of NC.
King snakes hunt & eat other snakes, usually copperheads, although I did witness one kill & eat a corn snake.
Kings, rat snakes, all non-venomous snakes get a pass here, the bitey ones get a permanent nap. SSS.

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[Texas by God]

Chiggers and scabies are the worst. Poison ivy set Mom off if she was anywhere near it but I could walk thru ivy or sumac with no itching. Brother got Mom's side.
You near the tornadoes today?I actually was. I was working north of Ft. Worth just west(LUCKILY) of where a small one went through. I saw transformers blow up but no funnel. The hard rain kept visibility to a minimum, though.
My wife has caught poison ivy by washing my clothes and mosquito bites leave a welt on her. Poor girl.
We had a rattler here once that measured 5'8" and 4" girth with 12 rattles and a button. Snakes don't bother me but that one kinda did[emoji45]

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[429421Cowboy]

I am very sorry to hear that Texas, losing stock is always a bad deal! Only time we have ever lost cows to rattlers is the same situation, they get tagged on the nose and swell up till they suffocate since they are obligate nasal breathers. Have seen horses saved by putting tubes or cut off syringe tubes in each nostril, but they way we run our cows there is just no way to watch them close enough to catch it in time unless you're very lucky. 6 or so bunches of cows in several counties across the state means I cant watch every single one. We have had plenty come out fine from bites on the legs after the swelling goes out though. Had a bull calf a few years back that had to have laid right on one because he got bit very high up on the shoulder. He looked a sight from all the hair falling out and skin sloughing off down his whole side, and always had a limp because it got in his joints but he pulled through. Always amazes me that they can sneeze wrong and be deader than a wedge, or look like death warmed over and pull through the next second.

[iomskp]

I grew up on a farm, we kept the lawns mowed short around the house because of nasty types, I saw more snakes on the lawn sunning themselves than I ever saw in the long grass and all of them eastern browns.

[MrWolf]

I was immune to poison ivy also till I moved about an hour or so south of there. Seems my immunity was only to that location. Be careful.

[MaryB]

No poison ivy in my yard... lots of stinging nettle that I am luckily immune to. Helping my neighbor kill a patch off, I can pull it no issues, she touches it and her hand swells up.

[bedbugbilly]

Sorry for your loss T by G - an nobody likes ti see an animal suffer either. I'm with the others - to me, any poisonous snake should be allowed to commit suicide by sitting its head on a shovel or running in to a load of shot or throwing itself under a tractor tire.

You better not let this story get out though . . the next thing the "left" will be picking up on it and OSC will be preaching for more poisonous snakes to eliminate those terrible cows that are contributing to global warming with their noxious gas.

Fortunately, here in MI we only have one rattlesnake and we've never been bothered with them on the farm in spite of their existence. I think I have only seen perhaps four of the Massasaga (sp?)in my life and two were actually in town - probably coming from the mill pond area. One once got caught up in the baler but it didn't survive.

In AZ . . when we are there and it's "snake weather" . . .I am always on the lookout when I walk the dogs as we have desert area across from the house and we often have them get run over or see them out. We try to snake proof the back yard which is fenced in with a block fence but you still are wary. We ran our dogs through snake aversion classes twice and I would like to believe that they retained the training but never want to put it to a test.

I often heard my Dad tell about on some of the islands in the lakes here and woodlots where they had rattler issues, they would run hogs and they would clean them up.

[JBinMN]

Around many places I have been, there was an , "acronym", or "saying", on how to deal with any sort of pest, or the like.

It, as an acronym, is, "S.S.S.". Sometimes heard as, "I would take care of it..." then, you would hear someone say the, "S-S- Shhh".

Translated, it "might" be, "Shoot, Shovel ( a hole) & Shut-up(about it)".

But, of course I could be mistaken about that translation & it could be, " Sunshine,and a Swim, means a Sunburn.".

Or, any number of other options for translation...

You can pick one & choose, make up your own, or just forget about it.
;)

I do know that most folks I know, who lose a grand or two, maybe more, usually make sure what lost them that $$, doesn't happen very often & usually, "Not again".
;)

My condolences for your loss....

[Texas by God]

I can neither confirm nor deny knowledge of the three S doctrine[emoji55]

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[nekshot]

A couple years ago I was mowing hay and right behind me I saw a crow fly down on cut hay and take off with a snake dangling from it. I thought it was funny to say the least!

[MaryB]

Neighbors cat was having a fit out back so we walked over to see what she was after... my bull snake was sunning in my rhubarb patch. Little 4 pound cat versus a 6' snake... we grabbed her and put her in the house before the snake got mad and ate her LOL

[Texas by God]

Mary- one of our un-Tommed cats has killed two baby rattlesnakes and presented them on the porch for us to inspect. I hope he doesn't mess with any bigger ones!

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[Kenstone]

Hmmm....protected venomous snakes! Crazy world we're living in, and getting no better. My strong belief is that all poisonous snakes need to die. There are plenty of non-poisonous snakes to keep down the rodent population. It is interesting, and I know it to be true, that hogs will eat snakes. I don't believe that they're selective about the species? I grew up around diamond backs and had too many close calls with them, but where I live now we seem to be blessed with no snakes at all. The reason given by some of the locals that precede my residency is that the soil is volcanic pumice and it gets between their scales and irritates them so they stay away. I don't know the truth of it, but whatever works! They say that if you go over by the bases of the mountains where it's rocky you can find them, but I'm quite happy to stay away from there, just as I am to stay out of the tall grass!

DG

Protected, um...the snake don't know that.
:2gunsfiring_v1:

[Three44s]

A snake in the grass?

Oh, wait! This is not he political section, never mind!

Best regards

Three44s

[john.k]

My mother used to tell the story how she shot at a snake in the chookpen,missed the snake ,32/20 bullet went thru a rooster,deflected and hit the old man in the calf of the leg.....And he would roll up his trouser and show us the scar......he used to say best medicine for a snake is a long thin iron rod.,and Ive killed lots with a length of 1/4 spring steel rod.Even put a proper handle on it.

[richhodg66]

My mother used to tell the story how she shot at a snake in the chookpen,missed the snake ,32/20 bullet went thru a rooster,deflected and hit the old man in the calf of the leg.....And he would roll up his trouser and show us the scar......he used to say best medicine for a snake is a long thin iron rod.,and Ive killed lots with a length of 1/4 spring steel rod.Even put a proper handle on it.

Yep. An ordinary garden hoe or shovel is much better snake medicine than any firearm.

Like I said, snakes don't bother me much, my wife is irrationally phobic about them, not sure how someone who grew up in the rural Carolinas can be that way, but she is. Many years ago, when we still lived in town and the boys were small, I was away with the Army and mother in law, who's always been a pretty tough sort, was visiting. They were getting the kids in the car when a snake presented itself in the yard. Wife freaked out, mother in law grabbed a posthole digger I hadn't put away and quickly dispatched it. When I got home, wife immediately inundated me with how this gigantic anaconda like thing nearly ate all three of them and mom bravely fought in in one on one combat. Went out to look at it and found a garter snake about 18" long if that. Kinda ticked me off a little, those guys are good to have around.

We live out in deep woods now, she doesn't get out and around the house as much as I do, not gonna tell her how many snakes I see around here.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Sorry you lost the calf, I've had three horses bit on the nose by prairie rattlers, used 1/2" pvc in the nose of one when her muzzle started swelling. My old retired guy, a big dark bay thoroughbred cross managed to step on one. Three bit marks on his off hind, terrible swelling, carried feed and water to him for a week, almost put him down. He lay down and couldn't get up, tried for 30' or 40' feet of drag marks, he was 34. Went to get the 45 to end it, got back and he was up. I guess it was good that all I had was a the little 38. He finally recovered, took several months. I have witnessed dogs bitten by the prairie rattlers, but the vaccine really protects them. We use a shovel when convenient, but a 38 J-frame with shot is much handier, only shoot the rattlers, no other poisonous ones here. The neighbor kid does kill the bigger snakes, he raises chickens, they eat his eggs and chicks. He is not fond of skunks or raccoons either. He even lost a kid goat to a golden eagle. Again, losing stock is tough.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

Sorry you lost the calf, I've had three horses bit on the nose by prairie rattlers, used 1/2" pvc in the nose of one when her muzzle started swelling. My old retired guy, a big dark bay thoroughbred cross managed to step on one. Three bit marks on his off hind, terrible swelling, carried feed and water to him for a week, almost put him down. He lay down and couldn't get up, tried for 30' or 40' feet of drag marks, he was 34. Went to get the 45 to end it, got back and he was up. I guess it was good that all I had was a the little 38. He finally recovered, took several months. I have witnessed dogs bitten by the prairie rattlers, but the vaccine really protects them. We use a shovel when convenient, but a 38 J-frame with shot is much handier, only shoot the rattlers, no other poisonous ones here. The neighbor kid does kill the bigger snakes, he raises chickens, they eat his eggs and chicks. He is not fond of skunks or raccoons either. He even lost a kid goat to a golden eagle. Again, losing stock is tough.

[WheelgunConvert]

I had several copperhead and cottonmouths around the last couple of years. All the king snakes disappeared after the 2016 flood.
This year I know of 3 of these kings and haven’t seen any of the C&Cs so far. 242896

[MaryB]

Bull snake was sunning as I mowed, up on top of a grassy mound I don't mow(to steep). He looked at me as I went by 3 feet away and laid right back down. I think he knows I am not a threat considering how many times I have been within feet of him.

[Lloyd Smale]

I think I would have discarded the head neck heart and liver and ground the rest into burger.
I didn't butcher it. Stressed Bullock beef isn't that toothsome- even without the venom. Legally, I can't round up the snakes as the Eastern Timber rattler(velvet tail) is on the protected list. But they thrive here. A year ago my old dog Buster laid on a copperhead and got bit on the ribs. Benadryl and antibiotics saved him. At least one good thing has come from the wild hog plague- no more Cottonmouth moccasins. Those snakes have NO sense of humor.
Thunderstick mention the chiggers- I am extremely fortunate to be immune to both chiggers and poison ivy. Neither one has ever bothered me thank goodness!

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[curdog]

Sorry for your loss. Its a shame to lose livestock that way.

[john.k]

A loss alright...at Wednesdays sales at Toogoolawah,yearling bulls were selling for $1100,about $800US......so thats a loss.

[Idaho45guy]

I'm very scared of snakes, but I've had to deal with them in a professional capacity as a park ranger years ago. I used to patrol 130 miles of the Snake river in Idaho and Washington and whenever a rattlesnake was reported in a visitor area, I had to go kill it. No sidearm, so I used a shovel to kill a few. Ran over a couple with my patrol vehicle.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine asked for help doing DNA research on rattlesnake venom in order to develop more effective antivenom. He was capturing rattlesnakes and taking blood and venom samples.

So, I spent a few hours driving around the back roads near the Snake river catching rattlesnakes and handling them to take samples. Thought it would help to get over my fear. Nope. Still scream like a little girl when a snake surprises me...

243285

243286

[AllanD]

Mary- one of our un-Tommed cats has killed two baby rattlesnakes and presented them on the porch for us to inspect. I hope he doesn't mess with any bigger ones!

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A decade ago I had a tomcat who's favorite play toy was a baby copperhead!
I'd take one away from him and he'd take off and be back with another in 10min or less.

Oddly that cat never bothered with the 4' eastern milk snake that lives under the upright freezer in the garage. Or for the big black snake (Descriptive, I don't know what species it is) that lives under my toolbox... but If I ever again see the 6' timber rattler I saw under my wood rack, I'll burn my entire supply of firewood to kill it!


If I didn't take it away from him he'd play with it for half an hour or so, slapping it silly and making it strike at him until the snake got tired before eventually biting it's head off and eating the rest.