Useles billy snake id thread #762

[Dirtroad Johnson]

Good pictures Nic. A friend that I worked with from Coffee county (Ambrose Ga) was always amongst the top at catching rattlesnakes around these parts back in the round-up days. His name is Waymond Bailey but everyone called him Koochie Bailey. Should be somewhere between 65 to 70 maybe, a heck of a nice guy. Thought you may have known him from back in those days.

 

[OmenHonkey]

The ole Rattlesnake roundups was good times. Nic, on one of our farms here in Irwin co we pulled out 11 Easterns out of 1 Gopher hole!!! Then later that evenin we were coming out of the farm and past the same Gopher hole and there was a 12th snake right at the mouth of the hole. I used to enjoy doing that. I was always the "Digger" I had to dig out the snakes if they got to many fumes and wouldn't come out.

 

[OmenHonkey]

And Mattech, Mr. nic is absolutely spot on about the odor a Rattler puts off. I can smell them and will usually tell whomever i'm with that "I smell a snake" Usually they call Bull, so I start looking. Sometimes i'm lucky, sometimes not.

 

[JB0704]

The ole Rattlesnake roundups was good times. Nic, on one of our farms here in Irwin co we pulled out 11 Easterns out of 1 Gopher hole!!! Then later that evenin we were coming out of the farm and past the same Gopher hole and there was a 12th snake right at the mouth of the hole. I used to enjoy doing that. I was always the "Digger" I had to dig out the snakes if they got to many fumes and wouldn't come out.

Folks ever get bit doing that?

 

[Nicodemus]

I don`t recall him DR, but I never did do any of the roundups. I can only remember going to one and that was back in the early 70`s.

I miss those days, but looking back at some of the chances I took sends a chill down my back. I never got bit, but Lord God, I had some close calls.

 

[JB0704]

I don't ever wanna be a "snake digger." It does not sound like fun.

 

[rydert]

I don't ever wanna be a "snake digger." It does not sound like fun.

x's 2.....

 

[Dirtroad Johnson]

And Mattech, Mr. nic is absolutely spot on about the odor a Rattler puts off. I can smell them and will usually tell whomever i'm with that "I smell a snake" Usually they call Bull, so I start looking. Sometimes i'm lucky, sometimes not.

I've had a few that I smelled that give off that strong musk odor then later be walking thru the woods - weeds & stop in my tracks when I get a whiff. Most times when I encounter them I don't smell 'em.

 

[dixiecutter]

rattlesnake has a white gland insiden last few inches of the tail. unmistakable smell. thanks.

 

[dixiecutter]

they can be smelt

 

[dixiecutter]

smelt flop

 

[dixiecutter]

my house is diamondback, but my hunting is edge of piedmont= both kinds

 

[OmenHonkey]

I've had a few that I smelled that give off that strong musk odor then later be walking thru the woods - weeds & stop in my tracks when I get a whiff. Most times when I encounter them I don't smell 'em.

Once you know that smell. It'll make the hair on the back of my neck stand up till I scan the area and find it. lol. I'm tiptoeing until then. Lol.

 

[Dirtroad Johnson]

Once you know that smell. It'll make the hair on the back of my neck stand up till I scan the area and find it. lol. I'm tiptoeing until then. Lol.

I know that feeling well.
I never saw a canebrake in Irwin county ever but when we bought this property in Wilcox back in 99 & moved here I have encountered both canebrakes & diamondbacks & plenty of "em. All I ever came across in Irwin was diamondbacks. Honkey do you see canebrakes in Irwin these days?

 

[Nicodemus]

The ole Rattlesnake roundups was good times. Nic, on one of our farms here in Irwin co we pulled out 11 Easterns out of 1 Gopher hole!!! Then later that evenin we were coming out of the farm and past the same Gopher hole and there was a 12th snake right at the mouth of the hole. I used to enjoy doing that. I was always the "Digger" I had to dig out the snakes if they got to many fumes and wouldn't come out.

That`s a pile of snakes out of one gopher hole. About the most I`ve heard of around here.

Around here we have all 6 of the venomous ones, but the the copperhead is the rarest. I still need a coral and pygmy to have caught all of them here in my yard in Lee County.

 

[dixiecutter]

what I hate about close encounter with snattlerake= once i see one, I can hardly make myself walk around rest of the day.

 

[hancock husler]

Timber rattlers use to scare me to death but since we have so many in Hancock co, very rarely do they bother me now. However if the boys are around it is a different story

 

[hancock husler]

Never have I had one strike at me. Mostly they stay coiled up don't move

 

[Nicodemus]

Never have I had one strike at me. Mostly they stay coiled up don't move

Three unintentional hits since I was old enough to walk. One each from a diamondback, canebrake, and cottonmouth. It feels like a light to moderate slap on the boot. All that bull about them knocking you off your feet or breaking your leg is just that, bull.

But, no matter how much you ain`t scared of em, it will still make you jump.

 

[Dirtroad Johnson]

Time to head down to the camphouse & ice down a few. I'll be watching for rattlesnakes while easing around the fields.