Domain: tiger-web1.srvr.media3.us Prettiest cottonmouth I’ve ever seen | Page 2 | Outdoor Board
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re: Prettiest cottonmouth I’ve ever seen

Posted on 7/23/23 at 6:10 pm to
Posted by biglego
San Francisco
Member since Nov 2007
83816 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 6:10 pm to
Love your posts.

I like snakes enough to have had pet ball pythons when younger and I always look for them in any water body. Never occurred to me to go catch one with bare hands!
Posted by TigrrrDad
Member since Oct 2016
8009 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 6:24 pm to
I’ve caught snakes since I was 5 or 6 years old, but only recently started grabbing the venomous ones. Aside from one copperhead I caught years ago, I didn’t start catching venomous until I moved to my place in Folsom less than 3 years ago. Since then I’ve caught 74 out of 196 cottonmouths I’ve seen plus 3 copperheads.
This post was edited on 7/23/23 at 6:31 pm
Posted by 308
the backwoods of Mississippi
Member since Sep 2020
3185 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 6:48 pm to
quote:

Since then I've caught 74 out of 196 cottonmouths I've seen


Unusual stat to keep.

I had an acquaintance who found it important to keep track of how many birdies he had made in golf over his lifetime. Had something like 1,891.

The guy was a complete nut job. Don't know about you.

Posted by Astrosfan
Nowheresville
Member since Jul 2021
724 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 6:52 pm to
One of these days.... One of these days!
Posted by Wavefan
St. Tammany
Member since Mar 2005
266 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 7:17 pm to
TigrrrDad - I road cruise honey island on occasion. Not as much these days but a lot in the late 90s early 2000s. Only place where I have seen more cottonmouths than non venomous. Hardly ever go without seeing a cottonmouth or a few. Might be the time of year and time of day I usually go - spring and early summer before the biting flies get bad and late in the afternoon. Also have seen some gorgeous copperheads back there but infrequently. Hooked one out of the road after pics with two green jeans watching me like I was crazy. Never seen a canebrake or a Pygmy in there. Have you? Also used to see more racers and speckled kings but they seem less abundant back there over the last ten years or so. After cottons other water snakes are next in line for sightings and Texas rats are probably third these days, but again I don’t go as much as I used to.
Posted by TigrrrDad
Member since Oct 2016
8009 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 7:30 pm to
I’ve only been there a handful of times, but kings are still plentiful, along with racers and ringnecks. I also see more cottons than nonvenomous water snakes there. 2 of the 3 copperheads I’ve caught in the past couple years have been there.
Posted by Wavefan
St. Tammany
Member since Mar 2005
266 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 7:46 pm to
Interesting. Wish I would have kept a journal. By memory I recall cottons by the score, diamondback, banded, and yellow bellied water snakes, racers, Texas rats, speckled kings, ribbon snakes, either a rough or smooth earth snake (one time), rough green snake(twice), coppers (maybe ten times over the years), one ring neck found while turning over logs looking for marbled salamanders, and one mud snake (lots more of these seen on the road that goes from the turnaround at the state line back to the federal refuge).
Posted by TaderSalad
mudbug territory
Member since Jul 2014
26240 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 8:05 pm to
quote:

Taxman2010


Pretty sure the guy fingering these things knows what they are
Posted by LongueCarabine
Pointe Aux Pins, LA
Member since Jan 2011
8205 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 8:46 pm to
None of those damn things are dead enough.
Posted by BobABooey
Parts Unknown
Member since Oct 2004
16030 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 9:11 pm to
quote:

the first 3 were literally within 1 step of me

Are those boots bite-resistant?
Posted by mytigger
Member since Jan 2008
15351 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 9:38 pm to
Reading this thread thinking old boy has a screw loose, then I read this part…

quote:

I’ve caught 74 out of 196 cottonmouths I’ve seen


And I realize he’s just a bored retiree with nothing to do, and still has a screw loose.

You’re going to feel like a damn fool when a friend or family member gets bit by one of those vipers you keep releasing.
Posted by tiggerfan02 2021
HSV
Member since Jan 2021
4081 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 10:36 pm to
quote:

Frick all that



Yep.
I see a bunch of pictures of intact snakes that should be pictures of headless bodies if they were in my back yard.

Mind you, I do not condone killing harmless snakes and have relocated several out of my yard, but venomous ones, yes.

As a caveat, unlike TigrrDad hunting them to show and release, (that is different as he is going into their territory) I am not out looking to kill them, but if they come on my property, the dog and family trump the snake, and the snake will die.
This post was edited on 7/23/23 at 10:37 pm
Posted by baldona
Florida
Member since Feb 2016
23840 posts
Posted on 7/23/23 at 11:18 pm to
In your experience OP what do you think makes an area have snakes as opposed to areas that look snakey and don’t? Food supply I’m assuming?
Posted by BigWillyMetry
Member since Dec 2021
1548 posts
Posted on 7/24/23 at 12:44 am to
I thought this would be about a hungover sorority chick
Posted by TigrrrDad
Member since Oct 2016
8009 posts
Posted on 7/24/23 at 5:11 am to
Yeah food supply is a big reason. This creek is loaded with frogs. It’s shallow and clear and I don’t see many fish. I think this is why the cottons are all relatively small here too. They are probably living off of frogs and other water snakes. I can go to Honey Island and the average cotton is larger than the biggest I’ve seen on my creek.

Regarding the boots, I think they are thick enough to stop these small cottons. Might not stop a big canebrake bite but I just don’t come across those, aside from one we’ve caught in N.O. East.

As far as proximity to my house, I’ve only found a few cottons within a few hundred yards of my house, and I do relocate those. The overwhelming majority are where no one goes except me.
Posted by TigrrrDad
Member since Oct 2016
8009 posts
Posted on 7/24/23 at 5:21 am to
Aside from those I’ve mentioned, we’ve also caught rough greens, DeKay’s, ribbons, marbled salamanders, and a friend has caught a few mud snakes there.
Posted by Wtodd
Tampa, FL
Member since Oct 2013
68520 posts
Posted on 7/24/23 at 7:36 am to
I'd run out of 12 ga shells on that walk
Posted by bengalman
In da Country
Member since Feb 2007
4071 posts
Posted on 7/24/23 at 8:14 am to
Nice. I enjoy seeing the snake pics on your property and NOT mine in Folsom!
Posted by 98eagle
Member since Sep 2020
3151 posts
Posted on 7/24/23 at 8:21 am to
You are one very brave guy! I pick up non venomous snakes like 5' long gray rat snakes. I learned how you approach them makes a big difference.

Are copperheads and water moccasins the only venomous snakes you will/would pick up and do you catch them directly with your hands?
Posted by blueboxer1119
Baton Rouge
Member since May 2013
9681 posts
Posted on 7/24/23 at 8:31 am to
You have a big set of balls my friend.
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