POZ Community Forums
Off Topic Forums => Off Topic Forum => Topic started by: CaptCarl on May 31, 2008, 04:36:18 pm
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As many people here know, I live in the mountains of central New Mexico. I take my 4 dogs for walks pretty much every day here. On the weekends, we go for extended hikes for a few hours in the morning while it's still cool. When we go off on our little adventures we frequently see all sorts of wildlife out in the woods. There are coyotes, bears, deer and antelope. Hawks and owls fill the skies along with myriad other species of birds. It's like living in your own private wildlife preserve, and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Occasionally, we literally run into some wild critter having what I've come to refer to as a National Geographic Moment. For the most part, while sometimes startling, they are benign. Until the other day...
While out with the kids, I decided to take a rest after an hour or so, and found a nice shady spot to relax in. The dogs all immediately swarmed around me for affection. One of them walked behind where I was sitting. As he walked behind me, I heard a noise and it sounded to me like a Junebug that had landed and was buzzing around in the leaves. All the dogs stiffened up and began looking at something I couldn't see, and I could tell by their postures that it was something unfamiliar to them, I turned to see what it was and was greeted by the sight of an very angry Rattlesnake, in full defensive posture, ie; ready to strike. It was only about two to three feet away. :o About that time, Rindy the Boston Terrorist decided to get a closer look. She is completely fearless, and in her mind is the Biggest Dog in the World. I had to grab her to keep her from getting too close. I got the dogs calmed down and made them sit and stay while I found a long stick that I used to lift the snake off the ground, so that it would uncoil, and I could get an idea of how long it was. I figured it was about 3 to 4 feet long, and very well fed too. I then set him down to go on about his business, and we vacated the area.
I suppose that it is time to take the dogs to the vets for the Rattlesnake vaccine that she offers. It won't keep them from being poisoned should they get bit, but it will buy a few extra hours to get them into treatment for the bite, and with a smaller dog like Rindy, that extra time could mean the difference between life and death. I suppose that with all the hiking we do out here, that a snake bite may be an eventuality we should be prepared for. I wonder if being HIV+ would cause the poison to act faster in case I am the one who gets bitten? A new question for the Doctor I suppose....
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Glad you and the dogs are okay. It was fortunate the dogs alerted you to the snake.
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Yipes. Just yipes.
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As children, living in Northern California around or near the Six Rivers Forest, we always knew about time of day and proximity of water the rattlesnakes like and how to pull out a gun and blow them into tiny pieces. ;D Have the best day
Michael
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Geezo!! Glad you and the dogs are OK, that would freak me out!
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Cap'n
It's strange you should bring this up. Just this afternoon we were at the market buying some milk and bannanas and etc. At the check-out we were talking to our friend at the register who happens to live in the country, like us. Anyway, she mentioned it was time to get the rattlesnake vaccine for the dogs. So it's on my list of things to do next week.
robert
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Hi Carl,
Glad to hear that you or the dogs were not bitten by the snake. The morning hikes , sound fantastic. It's great to spend some good time outside in the mountains.
Take care----Ray
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Hi Carl
I'm so glad you and the "kids" were ok..I lost my beautiful Border Collie Jack to a snake just before we left Australia to settle in NZ.
Hugs
Jan :-*
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Dang Karl,
have you encountered snakes before. You must have nerves of steel, and then to actually take a stick and lift it.. :o
I've always been told that they will move on if you leave them alone, but then you had your 'kids' with you ready to protect you..
I would have probably taken off running as though the hounds of hell were after me and not stopped until i couldn't run anymore. :D I could probably beat Forrest Gump :D
It sounds like a beautiful place to live. Is this a 'park' you are hiking in or is it out your own back door?
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Hi Carl
Its good that you did not come to any harm. You did the right things.
Growing up in the South, we encountered "copperhead mocassin" snakes on occasion. I think they are the south east's most poisonous snake but hey someone correct me. We had various dogs during my childhood. The beagles were by far the most curious and did the most running around. One of the beagles was bitten by a copperhead.....and survived to run another day. Luckily none of my family was bitten. There were also lots of harmless garter snakes ( black) and those cute little green garden snakes. We used to keep them as pets. I think snakes eat a variety of rodents, insects and such so they are an important part of the balance of nature. I dont think they ate squirrels tho, because my Dad was always after the squirrels with a shotgun because they ate the birdfood that was put out for the birds in winter. Later in life, my Dad was living at a retirement community and went out with a 22 to get squirrels eating birdfood ( as usual) and got into big trouble with the authorities there. Seems old folks aren't supposed to carry guns and shoot at things in a somewhat densely populated place.
One of my brother and my favorite passtimes was to take a green garden hose and scare the shit out of the chickens by dragging the hose around their pen.
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I did some investigating because I was unsure of the species of Rattler that I had encountered and was curious as to waht it was. I thought tit was a Prairie Rattler, but they are a light tan with brown "saddles" across the back. The one I ran into was dark brown, and had striking white stripes across it's face, and was a gorgeous animal altogether. I was surprised to find that it was most likely a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, which is very common in the southwest. Also very big, with some adults getting to lengths of almost 7 feet, though the 3-5 foot range is most common. They also tend to inject a massive amount of venom when they bite, which combined with their size makes them very dangerous critters.
Rondrond, Yes I have encountered snakes before, and actually used to keep pet snakes for many years, though none that were overly poisonous. I'm not afraid of them, though I do have a healthy respect for what they are and what they can do. Especially the poisonous ones. I once kept a 17 foot long Reticulated Python named Luthor, who ate the neighbors Yorkshire Terrier. But that's a story for a different time.... And yes, all this nature and beauty is available by just stepping out of my back door. :)
Bear60 I used to catch Copperheads as a kid. They are pretty even tempered for the most part, and their poison isn't too dangerous except maybe to small children. The Copperheads are a form of Moccassin, the ones you don't wan't to run into though are the Water Moccassin. They are much bigger than a Copperhead, 5-6 feet long. They have highly toxic venom, and they tend to be territorial and aggressive. Whereas most snakes are defensive in their biting, and will leave if given a chance, The Water Moc will bring the fight directly to you if you don't leave...
As Ever,
CaptCarl
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I have got to hear about Luthor and the Yorkshire. That sounds too good to keep. :D
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Well, Ok Rondrond, since you asked...
Many moons ago, a much younger CaptCarl kept a lot of snakes as pets. You name it, I probably had it at one time or another. Boa Constrictors were always my favorite though, and Pythons too, though pythons tend to be less pleasant. Anyways, A friend asked me to babysit his 17 foot long female Reticulated Python named Luthor for about a year or so. Reticulates are known for two things, getting really big, and being really mean. They are usually the snake that are in the running for longest snake in the world title,(over 35 feet) along with the Anaconda. Luthor though was a very tame snake, but at her size she could easily kill and adult human, should the mood strike her. With that in mind, I NEVER handled her alone. Her owner came by on the first warm day of spring, and we decided to take her outside into the front yard for some warm sunshine after a long winter. We carried her out and let her stretc in the sun for awhile. While outside, a next door neighbor came out to work in her flower beds, and she brought her little Yorkie out with her. I will state here and now, that this woman was a Catacalysmic Bitch, and couldn't be nice if her life depended on it. Her little yapper was even less pleasant. And I, along with many other people on the block, had encountered difficulty with her over her mutts propensity to bite anyone, anywhere, any time.
Eventually, the little rat came over onto my property. I yelled over to the neighbor to get her dog out of my yard immediately, and all I got from her was a dirty look, as she went into the house and slammed the door. Without taking the dog in with her. The dog began investigating the snake, which smelled food and began activley looking around for the source. At that point, there was no way in Hell, I was getting between a 17 foot long, 150 pound predator, that was actively hunting. So we stood back and let nature take its course. There was really nothing that we could safely do. After it was over, we corralled Luthor and put her away. Later, a very angry neighbor showed up at my door demanding to know what we had done with her dog. I stood there trying to think of a way to phrase it politely, when Craig, the snakes owner, came up from behind me and asked her if she believed in Doggie Heaven. The County Police showed up an hour later....
I explained to them what had happened, including the neighbors response to me trying to get her to get her dog.They requested to see the perpetrator of the murder, so I showed them the snake who was lounging in her room. To quote the deputy; " Wow! That poor little doggie wasn't even big enough to make a lump!" :D
The postscript came when nieghbor tried to sue for the cost of a purebred Yorkie as well as all the expenses incurred over the life of the dog. It came down to the fact that the dog was off leash in a town with a leash law, and I wasn't responsible especially since she ignored my warning. Case dismissed.
A week or so later, when Luthor crapped out the remains, I put them in a shoebox (poo-box?) and another neighbor presented them to her for burial. I was going to do it myself, but I can't be that cold.
So there it is Kiddies, a sordid tale of nature doing what nature does...
Have an most enjoyable day. Really
CaptCarl
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..O.O .....0.o ....>.> ...@.@....Captcarl....well, now, that was quite a story. I'm seeing the humor in the situation, but can't help but feel for that poor little doggie. It's not his fault that he had such a crappy master. ...
you stated that you were a much younger CaptCarl ...so I'm assuming you you no longer keep such a dangerous creature as a pet anymore. When you brought someone home for a romantic tryst, did they stick around? :D I would probably have widdled my britches, made an excuse that I had forgotten something in my car, RUN to the car and then burned rubber.... :D
and then...that's a good story ;D
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Poor Yorkie.......but hopefully the lady learned a valuable lesson. I would love to hear her tell her side of the story, I can't just imagine the lies she made up for that one.
Snow
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Glad you or the dogs weren't bitten Carl......very scary situation.
There's only two kinds of snakes I am afraid of: live ones and dead ones.
As my friend Ragheena, the 'fab-u-lous' drag queen once said "Honey, the only place I want to see snake is on my shoes or my hand bag"
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Hey Carl,
Loved the story. I can just see in my mind's eye you, your dogs, the piņon and juniper forest in the crisp morning and a startled rattler all playing out beneath a cobalt sky.
I can smell the scent of the earth.
Ah, I love living in this enchanted land. Don't you?
I have been hoping to find a snake or two around the house. Not necessarily a western diamondback, but a bull snake or such. I am having rodent issues.
Hope you're well.
HUGS,
Mark
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Talking about pythons.
I was at the vet hospital the other day and a Russian lady had brought in her python pet for surgery.
Its tip of her tail needed to be amputated, due to an unpleasant bite from a rabbit, who was the snakes dinner.
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Dang Karl,
I would have probably taken off running as though the hounds of hell were after me and not stopped until i couldn't run anymore. :D I could probably beat Forrest Gump :D
Not me i would have sloooow like eased back a few steps, then run like hell. ;D
I'm sure the screams i would be making would be heard for miles.
Glad to hear you and the kids are OK
Lucas