This may sound totally off the wall but I almost got bit today trying to do a good deed for a snake. As I was riding I noticed a snake on the road and thought it was the usual road kill but noticed it was moving slightly. I thought it may have been wounded and picked it up at the middle to get it off the road and it suddenly came to life and wheeled around to bite me, but a really fast drop and retract avoided that. It looked like a rattler but had no rattles, although it was trying really hard to convince me that it was, with a big display of hissing and posing. I finally used the bike tire to nudge him off and he struck at the tire about 5 times before giving up. At least when I came back he wasn't road kill. A little further down I found another sunning on the edge of the road but when I got close he just retreated into the brush. This one was also about 2 feet long and had stripes so obviously not a rattler. I wonder if trying to do a good deed for a snake is worth the trouble. It just bugs me that so many get flattened on the street and snakes really aren't that bad as they eat nuisance rodents. I like snakes as curiosity items and have tried to catch real rattlers by distracting them and grabbing them behind the head. I almost did it once but my wife, who knows I am oblivious to danger like that, threw a rock at it and scared it into striking and it almost got me, blowing the whole trip and letting the snake get away. Why do I do this?
Adrenalin rush, plus I am non-allergic to any bites of any kind and had a hospital with 5 minutes in the car (Mustang 5.0). I get out and do things. Like I said 90 and a rest home is not for me so I have this inner daredevil.
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me. I made some ducks unhappy last year by watching them up close and they showed me what they thought of it by swimming across a drainage ditch. When I came back they were by the road again and when they saw me swam across again. How unsocial. Bill (nature boy) Baka
Bill, I think you must be crazy. Why would you help a snake? Do you think the snake would do the same for you if your roles were reversed? If you think the snake would help you in that situation, then I want to shrink you down to mouse size and test your theory empirically.
Bill, I think you must be crazy. Why would you help a snake? Do you think the snake would do the same for you if your roles were reversed? If you think the snake would help you in that situation, then I want to shrink you down to mouse size and test your theory empirically.
This may sound totally off the wall but I almost got bit today trying to do a good deed for a snake. As I was riding I noticed a snake on the road and thought it was the usual road kill but noticed it was moving slightly. I thought it may have been wounded and picked it up at the middle to get it off the road and it suddenly came to life and wheeled around to bite me, but a really fast drop and retract avoided that. It looked like a rattler but had no rattles, although it was trying really hard to convince me that it was, with a big display of hissing and posing. I finally used the bike tire to nudge him off and he struck at the tire about 5 times before giving up. At least when I came back he wasn't road kill. A little further down I found another sunning on the edge of the road but when I got close he just retreated into the brush. This one was also about 2 feet long and had stripes so obviously not a rattler. I wonder if trying to do a good deed for a snake is worth the trouble. It just bugs me that so many get flattened on the street and snakes really aren't that bad as they eat nuisance rodents. I like snakes as curiosity items and have tried to catch real rattlers by distracting them and grabbing them behind the head. I almost did it once but my wife, who knows I am oblivious to danger like that, threw a rock at it and scared it into striking and it almost got me, blowing the whole trip and letting the snake get away. Why do I do this?
Adrenalin rush, plus I am non-allergic to any bites of any kind and had a hospital with 5 minutes in the car (Mustang 5.0). I get out and do things. Like I said 90 and a rest home is not for me so I have this inner daredevil.
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me. I made some ducks unhappy last year by watching them up close and they showed me what they thought of it by swimming across a drainage ditch. When I came back they were by the road again and when they saw me swam across again. How unsocial. Bill (nature boy) Baka
I met a black bear last year on a local rail trail. I came around a bend and there he was; I grabbed brakes and the squeak alerted him. Head up, looked me right in the eye, and then ran off up the mountain. I thought about turning and pedaling away, but bears can run at 35 mph and I can't bike that fast except on a downhill.
-- ------------------------------------------------------- "Every day is Saturday when you're retired."
I applaud your concern for the snake. That said, unless you KNOW FOR SURE that the snake is non-poisonous, NEVER bother a snake.
Yes, I know you were 5 minutes drive from a hospital. But what if 4 minutes into the drive, you were overcome, lost control and plowed into a group of kids? Or veered into on-coming traffic? You might be willing to risk your own life. Hey, that's your decision. But your decision might well adversely affect other people.
Glad you're okay.
Jeff
PS: What's the difference between a dead snake on the road and a dead lawyer on the road? There are skid marks before the snake. (sorry, couldn't resist).
Bill, I think you must be crazy. Why would you help a snake? Do you think the snake would do the same for you if your roles were reversed? If you think the snake would help you in that situation, then I want to shrink you down to mouse size and test your theory empirically.
Not all snakes are poisonous of course. Some are quite helpful and eat pests such as rats. Not all poisonous snakes have rattlers though, so if you are not sure what you are looking at, it is still better to keep your distance.
This may sound totally off the wall but I almost got bit today trying to do a good deed for a snake. As I was riding I noticed a snake on the road and thought it was the usual road kill but noticed it was moving slightly. I thought it may have been wounded and picked it up at the middle to get it off the road and it suddenly came to life and wheeled around to bite me, but a really fast drop and retract avoided that. It looked like a rattler but had no rattles, although it was trying really hard to convince me that it was, with a big display of hissing and posing. I finally used the bike tire to nudge him off and he struck at the tire about 5 times before giving up. At least when I came back he wasn't road kill. A little further down I found another sunning on the edge of the road but when I got close he just retreated into the brush. This one was also about 2 feet long and had stripes so obviously not a rattler. I wonder if trying to do a good deed for a snake is worth the trouble. It just bugs me that so many get flattened on the street and snakes really aren't that bad as they eat nuisance rodents. I like snakes as curiosity items and have tried to catch real rattlers by distracting them and grabbing them behind the head. I almost did it once but my wife, who knows I am oblivious to danger like that, threw a rock at it and scared it into striking and it almost got me, blowing the whole trip and letting the snake get away. Why do I do this?
Adrenalin rush, plus I am non-allergic to any bites of any kind and had a hospital with 5 minutes in the car (Mustang 5.0). I get out and do things. Like I said 90 and a rest home is not for me so I have this inner daredevil.
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me. I made some ducks unhappy last year by watching them up close and they showed me what they thought of it by swimming across a drainage ditch. When I came back they were by the road again and when they saw me swam across again. How unsocial. Bill (nature boy) Baka
Last summer I had the opportunity to discover that almost 50% of eastern diamonback rattler strikes are "dry bites." I don't like the odds of flipping that particular coin again.
I say let Darwin take its course on the snake population.
Bill, I think you must be crazy. Why would you help a snake? Do you think the snake would do the same for you if your roles were reversed? If you think the snake would help you in that situation, then I want to shrink you down to mouse size and test your theory empirically.
As I mentioned they do eat rodents and the rodents are way more trouble chewing on things than a snake slithering by. I do the same when a spider gets in my house and sets up shop in a corner that is not too noticeable to company. If a fly or mosquito gets in the spider can have it. I only do that with Daddy long legs (Harvestman) spiders, not Black Widows. Bill
This may sound totally off the wall but I almost got bit today trying to do a good deed for a snake. As I was riding I noticed a snake on the road and thought it was the usual road kill but noticed it was moving slightly. I thought it may have been wounded and picked it up at the middle to get it off the road and it suddenly came to life and wheeled around to bite me, but a really fast drop and retract avoided that. It looked like a rattler but had no rattles, although it was trying really hard to convince me that it was, with a big display of hissing and posing. I finally used the bike tire to nudge him off and he struck at the tire about 5 times before giving up. At least when I came back he wasn't road kill. A little further down I found another sunning on the edge of the road but when I got close he just retreated into the brush. This one was also about 2 feet long and had stripes so obviously not a rattler. I wonder if trying to do a good deed for a snake is worth the trouble. It just bugs me that so many get flattened on the street and snakes really aren't that bad as they eat nuisance rodents. I like snakes as curiosity items and have tried to catch real rattlers by distracting them and grabbing them behind the head. I almost did it once but my wife, who knows I am oblivious to danger like that, threw a rock at it and scared it into striking and it almost got me, blowing the whole trip and letting the snake get away. Why do I do this?
Adrenalin rush, plus I am non-allergic to any bites of any kind and had a hospital with 5 minutes in the car (Mustang 5.0). I get out and do things. Like I said 90 and a rest home is not for me so I have this inner daredevil.
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me. I made some ducks unhappy last year by watching them up close and they showed me what they thought of it by swimming across a drainage ditch. When I came back they were by the road again and when they saw me swam across again. How unsocial. Bill (nature boy) Baka
I met a black bear last year on a local rail trail. I came around a bend and there he was; I grabbed brakes and the squeak alerted him. Head up, looked me right in the eye, and then ran off up the mountain. I thought about turning and pedaling away, but bears can run at 35 mph and I can't bike that fast except on a downhill.
I ride in bear and cougar territory and scared something really big last year since I heard brush breaking that was beyond deer capability. Some here said it could have been a boar, but that is where the locals go bear hunting and I don't want to find out. I like nature but not THAT much nature. Bill
I applaud your concern for the snake. That said, unless you KNOW FOR SURE that the snake is non-poisonous, NEVER bother a snake.
Yes, I know you were 5 minutes drive from a hospital. But what if 4 minutes into the drive, you were overcome, lost control and plowed into a group of kids? Or veered into on-coming traffic? You might be willing to risk your own life. Hey, that's your decision. But your decision might well adversely affect other people.
Glad you're okay.
Jeff
PS: What's the difference between a dead snake on the road and a dead lawyer on the road? There are skid marks before the snake. (sorry, couldn't resist).
Hey, lighten up a little; most poisonous snake bites take hours before they affect you, and even then you don't get overcome. The recommended first aid when backpacking is to walk out to a hospital. I think Bill was a lot closer than that! -- ------------------------------------------------------- "Every day is Saturday when you're retired."
I applaud your concern for the snake. That said, unless you KNOW FOR SURE that the snake is non-poisonous, NEVER bother a snake.
The rattlers are usually not by the farms and this one did not have rattles but sure struck at me like he wanted me to think so. His color and size looked close to a rattler, but that is pretty unlikely.
Quoted message said:
Yes, I know you were 5 minutes drive from a hospital. But what if 4 minutes into the drive, you were overcome, lost control and plowed into a group of kids? Or veered into on-coming traffic? You might be willing to risk your own life. Hey, that's your decision. But your decision might well adversely affect other people.
My wife would have drove the car.
Quoted message said:
Glad you're okay.
OK, yes. Insane risk taker, maybe.
Quoted message said:
Jeff
PS: What's the difference between a dead snake on the road and a dead lawyer on the road? There are skid marks before the snake. (sorry, couldn't resist).
This may sound totally off the wall but I almost got bit today trying to do a good deed for a snake. As I was riding I noticed a snake on the road and thought it was the usual road kill but noticed it was moving slightly. I thought it may have been wounded and picked it up at the middle to get it off the road and it suddenly came to life and wheeled around to bite me, but a really fast drop and retract avoided that. It looked like a rattler but had no rattles, although it was trying really hard to convince me that it was, with a big display of hissing and posing. I finally used the bike tire to nudge him off and he struck at the tire about 5 times before giving up. At least when I came back he wasn't road kill. A little further down I found another sunning on the edge of the road but when I got close he just retreated into the brush. This one was also about 2 feet long and had stripes so obviously not a rattler. I wonder if trying to do a good deed for a snake is worth the trouble. It just bugs me that so many get flattened on the street and snakes really aren't that bad as they eat nuisance rodents. I like snakes as curiosity items and have tried to catch real rattlers by distracting them and grabbing them behind the head. I almost did it once but my wife, who knows I am oblivious to danger like that, threw a rock at it and scared it into striking and it almost got me, blowing the whole trip and letting the snake get away. Why do I do this?
Adrenalin rush, plus I am non-allergic to any bites of any kind and had a hospital with 5 minutes in the car (Mustang 5.0). I get out and do things. Like I said 90 and a rest home is not for me so I have this inner daredevil.
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me. I made some ducks unhappy last year by watching them up close and they showed me what they thought of it by swimming across a drainage ditch. When I came back they were by the road again and when they saw me swam across again. How unsocial. Bill (nature boy) Baka
Last summer I had the opportunity to discover that almost 50% of eastern diamonback rattler strikes are "dry bites." I don't like the odds of flipping that particular coin again.
I say let Darwin take its course on the snake population.
Ron
I don't think Darwin had cars and roads in mind. Besides that there are plenty of rats and mice to be taken care of and they don't get flat by trying to sun themselves on the road. We actually need the snakes. Bill Baka
posing. I finally used the bike tire to nudge him off and he struck at the tire about 5 times before giving up.
Snake bite?
Quoted message said:
I met a black bear last year on a local rail trail. I came around a bend and there he was; I grabbed brakes and the squeak alerted him. Head up, looked me right in the eye, and then ran off up the mountain. I thought about turning and pedaling away, but bears can run at 35 mph and I can't bike that fast except on a downhill.
But you don't have to outrun the bear, just the guy you're riding with.
--
David L. Johnson
__o | Anyone who is capable of getting themselves made President _`\(,_ | should on no account be allowed to do the job. -- Douglas Adams (_)/ (_) |
"RonSonic" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Last summer I had the opportunity to discover that almost 50% of eastern diamonback rattler strikes are "dry bites." I don't like the odds of flipping that particular coin again.
My understanding is that it takes time for a venomous snake to produce the venom. Once it strikes it will be some undefined length of time before they produce enough to make another venomous strike.
"Bill Baka" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me. I made some ducks unhappy last year by watching them up close and they showed me what they thought of it by swimming across a drainage ditch. When I came back they were by the road again and when they saw me swam across again. How unsocial.
I like snakes. They are cool.
Around here - especially after a rain - we have some mucking huge snapping turtles that for reasons known only to themselves trek from the river, across the MUP to sports fields. One day I stopped to look at one and nudged him with my foot. The crotchety bugger anchored with his rear foot and sung around to bite my cleated foot several times.
Other animals - lots and lots of ducks, geese, and squirrels which I often bring sunflower seeds for. Occasionally I see deer, gophers, beavers.
"Bill Baka" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me. I made some ducks unhappy last year by watching them up close and they showed me what they thought of it by swimming across a drainage ditch. When I came back they were by the road again and when they saw me swam across again. How unsocial.
I like snakes. They are cool.
Around here - especially after a rain - we have some mucking huge snapping turtles that for reasons known only to themselves trek from the river, across the MUP to sports fields. One day I stopped to look at one and nudged him with my foot. The crotchety bugger anchored with his rear foot and sung around to bite my cleated foot several times.
Other animals - lots and lots of ducks, geese, and squirrels which I often bring sunflower seeds for. Occasionally I see deer, gophers, beavers.
I've also run across (beside) dinner platter sized snappers on some of the bike paths in Madison. Snappers are mean buggers and you couldn't pay me enough to get near them. Snakes I have no problem with, though, and I will move them off the CCity Trail that I ride on, but that involves poking at them with a stick.
Turkey and Deer are the more interesting things to view on my bike rides -- I go by corn fields. I don't like seeing geese, as I'm never sure what they're going to do.
posing. I finally used the bike tire to nudge him off and he struck at the tire about 5 times before giving up.
Snake bite?
Quoted message said:
I met a black bear last year on a local rail trail. I came around a bend and there he was; I grabbed brakes and the squeak alerted him. Head up, looked me right in the eye, and then ran off up the mountain. I thought about turning and pedaling away, but bears can run at 35 mph and I can't bike that fast except on a downhill.
But you don't have to outrun the bear, just the guy you're riding with.
That would work except that these are solo jaunts taken on the spur of the moment, like yesterday with no rain, for once. I saw the sun and just grabbed the bike out of sheer delight that it wasn't raining. Bill Baka
"Bill Baka" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:[email hidden]...
Quoted message said:
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me. I made some ducks unhappy last year by watching them up close and they showed me what they thought of it by swimming across a drainage ditch. When I came back they were by the road again and when they saw me swam across again. How unsocial.
I like snakes. They are cool.
Around here - especially after a rain - we have some mucking huge snapping turtles that for reasons known only to themselves trek from the river, across the MUP to sports fields. One day I stopped to look at one and nudged him with my foot. The crotchety bugger anchored with his rear foot and sung around to bite my cleated foot several times.
Other animals - lots and lots of ducks, geese, and squirrels which I often bring sunflower seeds for. Occasionally I see deer, gophers, beavers.
I have only seen one big turtle, but thousands of geese, a few dozen ducks, deer, squirrels, and a number of those big white cranes. Still better than city, cars, buildings, and tons of people. The only drawback was that when I got up to open mouth speed I kept inhaling the ever present bugs. They got stuck in my mouth but the taste was terrible, still that was better than a bug in the lungs. Ahh, the country. Bill Baka
I like snakes as curiosity items and have tried to catch real rattlers by distracting them and grabbing them behind the head. I almost did it once but my wife, who knows I am oblivious to danger like that, threw a rock at it and scared it into striking and it almost got me, blowing the whole trip and letting the snake get away. Why do I do this?
Hmm, you remind me of something my sister-in-law once told me. She works in a hospital and she said the only snake-bite victims she's seen have been young males who were looking for a thrill (and found it). Guess she hasn't encountered any "testosterone-enriched" older guys like you yet. ;-)
Quoted message said:
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me.
I had an encounter with a noisy elk last summer on an early-morning ride. I'm used to seeing deer in that area, but I was startled by crashing through the trees. Suddenly there was a big bull elk in the road. If I'd been another 20 yards closer I don't think I could have avoided him. He would have made a mess of me and my bike if I'd hit him. Fortunately he ambled into a field on the other side before I got too close for comfort.
I grinned from ear to ear after that -- it was one of nature's great rewards for riding early on a summer morning.
I like snakes as curiosity items and have tried to catch real rattlers by distracting them and grabbing them behind the head. I almost did it once but my wife, who knows I am oblivious to danger like that, threw a rock at it and scared it into striking and it almost got me, blowing the whole trip and letting the snake get away. Why do I do this?
Hmm, you remind me of something my sister-in-law once told me. She works in a hospital and she said the only snake-bite victims she's seen have been young males who were looking for a thrill (and found it). Guess she hasn't encountered any "testosterone-enriched" older guys like you yet. ;-)
Quoted message said:
Does anybody else have nature interactions or just me.
I had an encounter with a noisy elk last summer on an early-morning ride. I'm used to seeing deer in that area, but I was startled by crashing through the trees. Suddenly there was a big bull elk in the road. If I'd been another 20 yards closer I don't think I could have avoided him. He would have made a mess of me and my bike if I'd hit him. Fortunately he ambled into a field on the other side before I got too close for comfort.
He would have made a mess of you and the bike if he was defending his territory, too. A man was killed about 5 years ago when a big bull elk wandered into town and stomped him to death coming out of a store. Them big males are just plain mean.
Quoted message said:
I grinned from ear to ear after that -- it was one of nature's great rewards for riding early on a summer morning.
-JR
Elk are nice to look at but not to get close to. Around here it is the deer that I try to get close to before they get spooked. I have managed to get within about 20 feet before they run off. Bill
