Nothing like nice weather to bring the rattlesnakes out:)
 

Rattlesnake swimming accross lake.

Came up on this one this morning. Check it out.

Why did the Rattlesnake cross the lake?

Hope the pups respect them.

Yeesh.... I was at a local nature history museum here a couple months back when it got warmer out. there was copperheads swimming everywhere.. saw about 6 of them. for a non aquatic species, it swam pretty well

Pretty cool vid, Jim..

But here behind this computer screen --- that is about as close as I'd like to get to that thing.

~~~~~

It reminded me of a friend's father who was out here years ago from his home, visiting SF from Lake Charles Louisiana where he lived.

He was a Cajun guy that liked to go out fishing in the bayou.


He told me that sometimes Water Mocassins would be draped over tree branches that extended over the water.

Once one of the Water Moc's dropped off.


Right INTO his rowboat !!!!!

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

Unless I am wearing chain mail and steel boots.

AND CARRYING AN AUTOSHOTGUN

I have a machete that makes fast work of any poisonous snakes on The Farm. I don't like trying to shoot snakes because; I usually don't have hearing protection on when I randomly encounter a serpent, and sometimes they are on paved surfaces. Actually I have a bUnch of Machetes.

ARRRRRRRRGH !!!!
 

You speak "PIRATE" ???!!!




"AVAST, YE SCURVIES !!"

SLASH, SLASH, SLASH !!!!!

One side of our original barn is nearly wallpapered with buzzworm skins that have been tacked up over the years, gently weathering away. I don't keep them any more, they are pretty predictable when you've been around a few. Free range poultry, especially guineas are good rattlesnake protection.

When I was about nine or ten I used to wander off to a large pond near our home and shoot Cottonmouths. There were two old trees in the middle of the pond that were dead and the branches were just lousy with the snakes out for a bit of sun.

There was nothing on the other side of the pond for about three miles, and I could climb up on a hill so I had the high ground, and when I hit one they just sort of slowly unwound and fell in the water. I was about 30 yards away.

I got bit once and thought I was going to die from the pain, but after a day or two I was OK. Doctors cost money, so I just rode it out. I saved my paper route money after that for a good pair of boots and another box of .22's.

And.....

There is a Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas, every year. I was going to post a link but there are so many of them and so many videos on YouTube that I will just leave that to those that are interested.

Not my cup of tea, but I have talked to guys who have done this and say is it hunting like no other and a great deal of fun.

I guess I am one of those once bitten twice shy kind of people.

Tie the scurvy dog to the yard arm.

I'm trying to teach the dogs to steer clear of snakes.

Same here. We've seen a couple of copperheads already...one right up near the new house and he was too fast for me. I'm OK with them in the creeks and woods and all but any venomous units found near the house it is a death sentence or transportation somewhere else. Last week, I had a juvenile king snake living in the ranch buggy. Probably going after a mouse or a copperhead.

Around here, they call timber rattlers 'velvet tails'...I've never seen one here at the farm but they do have them about 5-6 miles to the south.