Snake Bites

Eastern diamondbacks and canebrakes often let one know they are there via their rattles. A cottonmouth has no rattle although I have seen them fairly close in a coil and their tail is flicking about as if they actually had a rattle. I have been in small aluminum jon boats in fresh water and had cottonmouths swim right towards and in close proximity to the boat and I have heard others tell me they have had them swim down the side of the boat or near the stern. I don't know what these animals are displaying be it curiosity or aggression. I can't imagine a venomous snake attacking or wasting precious venom on something they can't eat because it just doesn't make critter sense. I can understand them striking a human in defense though.
I run marsh cattle in guess where....In the marsh. But anyway; I've had cottonmouths SEEM to charge me. I think their mean and evil and they give me the heebie jeebies. I've lost one cow to them but they seem to steer clear of them or I would have lost more I would think.
 
this is probably a better article.
Weekly Constitution, Aug. 8, 1882 -- page 2
Who was Killed First
Cusseta, Alabama, July 27. - Editors Constitution:
Gentlemen in your paper a few days since there appeared a communication from Major S.B. Right of Albany, Georgia in reference to the "First Dead Rebel." I desire to correct the major as regards the death of a soldier by the bite of a snake. Early in May, 1861, the Fifth Georgia Regiment was ordered to Pensacola, Florida. While we were cutting down the thorny chapparal thicket cleaning up a parade ground for old "Camp Stephens," Mr. Parkins, our cheif musician, who was a member of Company A, "Clinch Rifles" from Augusta, Georgia, caught a small snake and was carrying it around in his pocket. He contended the snake was harmless and provoked it to madness when it bit him five or six times on th eback of the hand. In spite of the best medical attention, Mr. Parkins was dead in six hours after the snake bit him. The writer saw him after he was laid out in his tent, dressed in his uniform of green and gold. He looked as if only asleep. That night an escort of honor carried his remains to the depot, the band playing a dirge and the torches flickering cast a fitful glare on the troops, who, with muffled drums, reversed arms, and solemn tread, followed the reamins of their comrade to the train, which bore him to Columbus, Georgia where I think he is buried. It being the first death in our regiment, and the sad circumstances surrounding it, made a lasting impression on my mind. So far as I know, that was the first death among the Confederate Troops at Pensacola Florida, up to the middle of May, 1861. The regiment which Major Wright refers, The First Georgia Volunteers, Colonel Ramsey was stationed over at the navy yard. Warrington, Florida, nine miles from Pensacola.
Respectfully Yours
W.O. Sandwich,
Late Lieutenant Company "K," Fifth Georgia Regiment.
 
I run marsh cattle in guess where....In the marsh. But anyway; I've had cottonmouths SEEM to charge me. I think their mean and evil and they give me the heebie jeebies. I've lost one cow to them but they seem to steer clear of them or I would have lost more I would think.

Dayum surely it would take multiple strikes to kill a cow. I am for the most part very respectable towards critters of all kinds but if I lost livestock to cottonmouths I would have to don my chest waders and take my shotgun into the marsh and shoot some snakes. Cottonmouths have a very strong venom but I would think it would take more than one to kill a cow.
 
I've been bitten three times by bad snakes. My first bite was on the left index finger by a diamondback. My second was during ranger school by a copperhead to the foot. My third was sitting on a pigmy rattlesnke at Camp Shelby Mississippi in an ammo bunker. I hate snakes!
 
Dayum surely it would take multiple strikes to kill a cow. I am for the most part very respectable towards critters of all kinds but if I lost livestock to cottonmouths I would have to don my chest waders and take my shotgun into the marsh and shoot some snakes. Cottonmouths have a very strong venom but I would think it would take more than one to kill a cow.

She got bit on the side of the jaw and it swole up and she couldn't eat or drink. She got so poor I had to terminate her exisitence.
 
Dayum surely it would take multiple strikes to kill a cow. I am for the most part very respectable towards critters of all kinds but if I lost livestock to cottonmouths I would have to don my chest waders and take my shotgun into the marsh and shoot some snakes. Cottonmouths have a very strong venom but I would think it would take more than one to kill a cow.

I haven't lost any cows to snakes - our timber rattlers are reasonable and believe in tolerance. Did lose one once to a black widow.
 
this is probably a better article.
Weekly Constitution, Aug. 8, 1882 -- page 2
Who was Killed First
Cusseta, Alabama, July 27. - Editors Constitution:
Gentlemen in your paper a few days since there appeared a communication from Major S.B. Right of Albany, Georgia in reference to the "First Dead Rebel." I desire to correct the major as regards the death of a soldier by the bite of a snake. Early in May, 1861, the Fifth Georgia Regiment was ordered to Pensacola, Florida. While we were cutting down the thorny chapparal thicket cleaning up a parade ground for old "Camp Stephens," Mr. Parkins, our cheif musician, who was a member of Company A, "Clinch Rifles" from Augusta, Georgia, caught a small snake and was carrying it around in his pocket. He contended the snake was harmless and provoked it to madness when it bit him five or six times on th eback of the hand. In spite of the best medical attention, Mr. Parkins was dead in six hours after the snake bit him. The writer saw him after he was laid out in his tent, dressed in his uniform of green and gold. He looked as if only asleep. That night an escort of honor carried his remains to the depot, the band playing a dirge and the torches flickering cast a fitful glare on the troops, who, with muffled drums, reversed arms, and solemn tread, followed the reamins of their comrade to the train, which bore him to Columbus, Georgia where I think he is buried. It being the first death in our regiment, and the sad circumstances surrounding it, made a lasting impression on my mind. So far as I know, that was the first death among the Confederate Troops at Pensacola Florida, up to the middle of May, 1861. The regiment which Major Wright refers, The First Georgia Volunteers, Colonel Ramsey was stationed over at the navy yard. Warrington, Florida, nine miles from Pensacola.
Respectfully Yours
W.O. Sandwich,
Late Lieutenant Company "K," Fifth Georgia Regiment.

That story sounds like a coral snake which looks similar to a corn snake although the coral snake is highly venomous but it is not a pit viper in that a coral snake has to basically gain purchase on a finger or skin between fingers where it kind of has to chew to inject its venom. There used to be a rhyme Iwas told as a kid about the colors on a coral snake and its non venomous cousin as they have multi colors red yellow and black but the order is everything. Something like red before yellow he's a nice fellow yellow before red you're dead.
 
I've been bitten three times by bad snakes. My first bite was on the left index finger by a diamondback. My second was during ranger school by a copperhead to the foot. My third was sitting on a pigmy rattlesnke at Camp Shelby Mississippi in an ammo bunker. I hate snakes!

Well Bob I have been bitten at least a half dozen times by non venomous snakes and it wasn't fun but a little anticeptic and everything cleaned up fine. However I can certainly understand your attitude about the venomous mister no shoulders. BTW how did that left index finger heal? I ask because I have seen some nasty wounds from diamondbacks.
 
Biggun
 

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Well Bob I have been bitten at least a half dozen times by non venomous snakes and it wasn't fun but a little anticeptic and everything cleaned up fine. However I can certainly understand your attitude about the venomous mister no shoulders. BTW how did that left index finger heal? I ask because I have seen some nasty wounds from diamondbacks.
It took two years to return to normal even after anti-venom shots. That bite was in 1963.
 
I haven't lost any cows to snakes - our timber rattlers are reasonable and believe in tolerance. Did lose one once to a black widow.

Wow you lost a cow to a spider Diane? I gotta say that is the first time I have heard that but I believe you because you say so.
 
Red and yella will kill a fella; red and black poison lack.

I stand corrected proud texan. It was a long time ago I was told that rhyme I am just happy I remembered being told even if I couldn't remember it correctly.<g>
 
Wow you lost a cow to a spider Diane? I gotta say that is the first time I have heard that but I believe you because you say so.

Yes, indeed! Black widows will make nests in fields, sometimes a good many of them. I don't believe she was bitten just once by one spider. My dad almost died of a black widow bite and I've had one - which was plenty! I'm more afraid of those things than any snake around here.
 
It took two years to return to normal even after anti-venom shots. That bite was in 1963.

Wow that had to hurt.Still you are a lucky man to have got your finger back to normal after being hit by those two venom loaded syringe fangs.........
 
I have had a number of run ins with snakes and gators, all which turned out for the best. When I was an Instructor at Ft Benning, I stepped on a gator one night while leading a patrol, scared him more than me. I saw a gator dragging a deer across one of the hard balls out in the training area at full gallop, like he was carrying a sock puppet. I almost flipped a Deuce and a Half driving a bunch of Captains back from the Land Nav Site one night when I hit an armadillo. I heard it pop after the last set of passenger tires ran over it. The snakes in Georgia were relatively tame, I used to play with them often, much to the chagrin of the rest of the guys in the unit.

My best Rattler story was horse back riding on Mel Gibson's property just outside of Red Lodge Montana. We were going up a steep hill and switched back near a downed Aspen, which had become the home of about 20-30 Rattlers. Scared the **** out of Lori and our horses, probably the snakes as well.

I was in the lead and when they started rattling, my Chestnut Gelding and I looked like Clayton Moore and Silver when he reared back and pawed for what felt like an hour. To this day, Lori claims I just sat in the saddle and said "Snakes, where?" Of course, she blew past me before my horse's hooves hit the ground, so I believe she employs a bit of literary license.

I have stomped a lot of ground in snake country and never really had any issues. As Ole says, give them a way out and they usually take it. Except for that Copperhead on the Appalachian Trail, who chased me for about 30 yards, before he committed suicide by diving under my walking stick.

Spiders are another story though, they really seem to love me.
 
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