Fifty Plus (50+) - Snake Delay

What's the longest you've been held up by a poisonous snake on the trail? Usually when I come across a rattler they slither off after only a minute or two and I'm on my way. This morning while I was ironically riding on a new to me trail named "Snakeskin", there's a rattler who immediately coils up and starts rattling. I stopped in plenty of time, so I'm about 10 feet away waiting for it to move and it just stayed there rattling. After about 5 minutes we're both waiting for the other to yield so I start tossing pine cones his way. He, or maybe it was a she, just stays coiled up rattling in the middle of the trail. After about a half dozen "warning shots" a pine cone finally lands right on it. Then it got really pissed. I decided to take a break, ate a few fig newtons drank a half liter bottle of gatorade I had stashed in my camelbak. Then I cleaned my sunglasses, twirled my sweat beanie around to sling out some of the sweat and provide a little evaporative cooling. Next I took a look at my topo map to try and figure out where I was. Finally, after I've checked my stem bolts and QR for tightness, the snake goes off the trail. I must have been there about 15 minutes, but it seemed like forever.

They usually split right away, never had to wait that long. Vertical Bob ran over one last week on the road. It seemed o.k. and slithered away.

Wow. I wonder if there was a nest nearby.

If you EVER get close enough to a snake for him to getcha, remember that in order to bite, the snake has to be somewhat "cocked" back. And if perchance you have to confront one, remember to get him as close to the head as possible. That way they can't turn back on you to bite.

Here I am holding my non poisonous (of course) friends. The brown one I had just found a few minutes before. Notice how I am holding him so he can't get me. The orange one knows me and won't go after me but you can see how she can turn back if she wants to.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/Snake.jpg

Wow. I wonder if there was a nest nearby.

If you EVER get close enough to a snake for him to getcha, remember that in order to bite, the snake has to be somewhat "cocked" back. And if perchance you have to confront one, remember to get him as close to the head as possible. That way they can't turn back on you to bite.

Here I am holding my non poisonous (of course) friends. The brown one I had just found a few minutes before. Notice how I am holding him so he can't get me. The orange one knows me and won't go after me but you can see how she can turn back if she wants to.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/Snake.jpg

Now your scaring me.....:eek:.....or at least your friends are!

Wow. I wonder if there was a nest nearby.

If you EVER get close enough to a snake for him to getcha, remember that in order to bite, the snake has to be somewhat "cocked" back. And if perchance you have to confront one, remember to get him as close to the head as possible. That way they can't turn back on you to bite.

Here I am holding my non poisonous (of course) friends. The brown one I had just found a few minutes before. Notice how I am holding him so he can't get me. The orange one knows me and won't go after me but you can see how she can turn back if she wants to.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/Snake.jpg

Well thanks for the handling tips, but I ain't about to grab a rattlesnake! I've handled snakes I was sure were non-poisonous, but I'm keeping some distance from the poisonous ones. The one this morning was "cocked" it looked like this one.
http://www.californiaherps.com/snakes/images/cohelleribxspmcl08.jpg

I hear they taste like chicken.

That picture gives me the creeps.

When I see a snake I lift my legs up and zoom right by.

You can usually tell a poisonous one by the heart shaped head:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2365/2281322209_e85f04b597.jpg?v=0

Vs. a non poisonous almond shaped head:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/80/249260366_21c26730ab.jpg?v=0

Wow. I wonder if there was a nest nearby.

If you EVER get close enough to a snake for him to getcha, remember that in order to bite, the snake has to be somewhat "cocked" back. And if perchance you have to confront one, remember to get him as close to the head as possible. That way they can't turn back on you to bite.

Here I am holding my non poisonous (of course) friends. The brown one I had just found a few minutes before. Notice how I am holding him so he can't get me. The orange one knows me and won't go after me but you can see how she can turn back if she wants to.

http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o286/Flycrow/Snake.jpg

Corn snake? And, Gopher snake?

I had a younger corn snake (in my teens) that was more melanistic in many of the areas on it's back where yours is white.

YES!! Orange corn and Gopher. :) I used to have a red corn but she just passed away last year. I got her in 1985 and she was around 2 years old then. So I figure she was probably 22 years old when she passed. Perhaps yours was a red corn? (oh no, it's going after my avatar!!)

http://www.floridasnakes.net/corn-snake.jpg

Anyone besides me actually eaten rattlesnake - and not from a can or jar, but one from the wilds?

Yikes!! Did you catch it?

I know they sell them at the outdoor markets in China, as my friends told me about their travels.

Perhaps yours was a red corn? (oh no, it's going after my avatar!!)


Yes, it was a red. :thumb:

I've never had to wait for one. I usually only see them as I pass by or occasionally run over them.

Nice hat, Siu. Peter built the wheels I have on Uncle Duke. Great wheels.

Had fried rattlesnake at a roundup once. It was fresh from the wild but I didn't catch it. Tasted kinda like gator.

Some years ago while walking on a nature trail, I came across an old man killing a small snake. I almost went bananas - started yelling "you stupid *******, this is where he lives...this is his home...what is wrong with you!" The guy was practically pissing down his leg from fear that I was going to give him the same treatment. His response: "it scared me".

I see snakes on the KATY trail all the time but very few are poisonous. Often I can't recognize it as a snake until I'm right on it. I've had to swerve to miss several and accidentally run over a few.

What's the longest you've been held up by a poisonous snake on the trail? .

There are very few poisonous snakes in my area but it takes me about 1 second to turn around when I see any snake on the trail. They can have it - there are plenty of other trails in the area to ride:twitchy:

Some years ago while walking on a nature trail, I came across an old man killing a small snake. I almost went bananas - started yelling "you stupid *******, this is where he lives...this is his home...what is wrong with you!" The guy was practically pissing down his leg from fear that I was going to give him the same treatment. His response: "it scared me".

Years ago I lived next to a fellow who was a real lawn beautiful fanatic. I mean he lived for his yard and his yard was perfect. We lived in houses that backed up to a never developed wooded area and a creek. As you might imagine, there were snakes. I'd find a couple every time that I mowed.

My neighbor and another fellow from across the street went on a crusade to rid the neighborhood of snakes. They were successful. The next year our lawns were cris crossed by dozens of mole tunnels. We'd never had moles previously. Sometimes justice is done.

I've never had to wait for one. I usually only see them as I pass by or occasionally run over them.

Nice hat, Siu. Peter built the wheels I have on Uncle Duke. Great wheels.

Yes, Peter is a great wheel builder as well as Sean. I got my bike from Vecchio's. Went all the way from California to Colorado to get fitted and to visit with them. :)

All I've seen on the trails around here are harmless little garter snakes, or water snakes, and an occasional blow snake. When I was boy, I made the mistake of deliberately running over a rattler that was crossing the road, as I was coasting down a hill at a high rate of speed. I hit it with the front wheel, and it flipped up and got caught in the rear spokes and ran through the seat stays, fender braces, and chain stays a couple of times. Blood and body parts flying, and me trying to get my feet up on the handlebars while coasting down hill at 30+ MPH! I have never done that again, nor will I!:(

We were riding a cross state tour in SC and were being escorted down a rural two lane highway. We pulled over to allow traffic to pass. As I ride over to the edge of the road, I pass a small black snake in the grass, and it looked like it was trying to wiggle away.

The guy behind me, 6'5" and about 260 lbs, starts to put his foot down, sees the snake. He tries to get clipped back in and pedal, but its too late. He falls hard right beside the snake. He jumps up, and the snake doesn't move. ITS DEAD AS A DOORNAIL, as we say in the south.

I hear they taste like chicken.
They only hold me up long enough to catch them for a tasty meal.

I accidentally ran over a rabbit once and killed it. No need to waste it so it became a meal as well.

A country boy can survive.

Yikes!! Did you catch it?

I know they sell them at the outdoor markets in China, as my friends told me about their travels.

Yep!

In those days it was considered the correct thing to kill rattlers. We don't do that any more. Times change!

But wait! How did you prepare it? Was it easy to skin? How about the bones? How did it taste?

You cut off the head - already done in the field.

You skin it by sort of unpeeling it, gut it, cut it into parts, use a flour or corn meal or whatever coating, fry it like chicken, and it tastes like rattlesnake.

Wow. I'd be too freaked out to do that.

The single track I used to ride (before I got addicted to the Road) is frequented by lots of copperheads. When I would zip through the trees in the bottom land, on a very twisty track, I would be on top of the copperheads before either one of us knew the other was there. Since I couldn't stop in time, I would run over them, but don't think I ever really hurt them, and, I am pleased to say, the favor has always been returned.:)

I ride at Santos in Florida and in the area called Spider Kingdom I have bunny hopped two BIG rattlesnakes. Both times it was a warm winter afternoon and I was on a slight down slope in pine straw on singletrack.

quick calculations said if I try to stop I will be right on top of him.... so grab some air and :eek:

cleared them easily ----still scared the doo doo out of me:eek:

But wait! How did you prepare it? Was it easy to skin? How about the bones? How did it taste?

Be sure to get there early, before all the snake is gone.

http://www.rattlesnakeroundup.net/

I have seen a few rattlesnakes on the rail trail but never a big one, just go around them or wait until they are off the trail. As for eating them, I have eaten rattlesnake, soft shell turtle, rabbit, quail, squirrel, raccoon, alligator, and a few other things. They are all good, some harder to clean than others. I have to draw the line at opossum and armidillo, they just don't look good. Now days I don't mess with any of them but if I happened on a big soft shell turtle crossing the road I wouldn't pass it up. They are delicious.

In September on the 400 trail, it's a great time to see bunches of garter snakes. Saw thirteen one day. Wound up running over one that darted in front of me. I hope it lived. In the same area I saw a gopher snake last year. It was about 2 ft. long. It just laid in the trail when it saw me and wiggled its tail against some gravel. It was interesting to watch.

Then there's the Root River trail in Minnesota. Many people ride right by the rattlesnakes cause they're just off the trail and unless you're looking for them you won't see them. In the beginning of June on one particular morning I saw 4 of them just off the trail in the place I usually only see one or two. The smallest was about 2ft. and the largest over 4 ft. I came back that afternoon and watch cyclist after cyclist ride within 2 ft. of one and never even noticed. Since I'm so low to the ground, I could have a problem if I ever ran over one.

:eek: SNAKES ON TRAIL!!! :eek:

http://ffmedia.ign.com/filmforce/image/article/714/714135/snakes-on-a-plane-20060622062440854.jpg

I am ok with rattlers as long as I see them a looonnnngggg way off

Never seen a rattler on the road. Lots of dead gopher, garter and a few king snakes. You'd think those dead snakes would stay off the road. Maybe they're going after the dead squirrels?

If you ride out west in the Mojave you better keep your eyes open.

The rattlers are ok and they go their way an I go my way BUT

The “Mojave Green” is a killer. It is one of the few aggressive snakes in the world and there is not a lot of chance that the anti-venom will work.
If you get with in 10 feet he can just about get to you before you can turn and run.

Mojave Rattlesnake - Desert Wildlife (http://search.netscape.com/search/redir?src=websearch&requestId=8ce43058fc63b3e3&clickedItemRank=1&userQuery=mojave+green&clickedItemURN=http%3A%2F%2Fdigital-desert.com%2Fwildlife%2Fmojave-green-rattlesnake.html&title=%3Cb%3EMojave%3C%2Fb%3E+Ra%20)
The often mis-named "Mojave Green" has the most potent venom of any rattlesnake in North America. Its poison is about 16 times more powerful than that of ...
digital-desert.com/wildlife/mojave-green-rattles... - 25k - Similar pages (http://search.netscape.com/search/search?invocationType=similarPages.search&query=related%3Adigital-desert.com%2Fwildlife%2Fmojave-green-rattlesnake.html&clickedItemPageDescription=similarPages)
One Bad Snake and they are everywhere.

If you come out west be awake they have a green head for about 6 inches.

believe it or not I got stopped last night by a humungous snapping turtle. This woman stopped her car on the road and I stopped and she asked me if that was a snapping turtle. I said Yep, sure is.

I got off the bike, grabbed a branch from a tree and scooted it off the road and went my merry way.

It may not be politically correct but if I see a copperhead I kill it. One was on the MUP last year, it had it's head smashed by a 700x28 gatorskin @ 100 PSI. Bounced it right down on the nasty little *******. Can you say snake jelly?

We are at war with copperheads. Had too many bite our dogs to count (one took a bite directly in her eyeball - had to have it sewn shut for a week or so to keep it from bursting) and one person working at our house also took a bite. I kill several every year. Anybody worrying about me destroying the ecosystem, relax, they are numerous here.

Not biking, but I was running a trail in northern Arizona several years ago in the late afternoon. The trail had lots of scree and sharp rocks. Anyway, I caught my toe on a rock, fell hard and really cut up my knees on the sharp rock. I'm sitting there cussing and such when I hear a very quiet rattle.

Turns out a mojave rattler was sitting on a rock not four feet away from me getting warm in the sun. He was all curled up, but looked to be about three feet long and VERY fat. These guys (as mentioned above) are the only rattlers that have a reasonable chance of actually killing a person.

Fortunately, it was early spring and he was probably still pretty cool and not moving fast. I very slowly back crawled out of range, said my good byes and hobbled back to the hotel, looking very carefully at every rock by the trail!

Last summer there were a few incidents of rattlesnake bite in the news around here. People on golf courses and on nature trails getting bit. My wife warned me to watch out on the C-470 bike trail. This is an 8 ft wide strip of concrete, so I wasn't too worried about it.

A couple days later, I was just turning onto the trail via a short steep dirt path where I have to make a sharp turn onto the trail. I saw a big stick on the trail just a couple of feet from where I turned onto it. I didn't realize until I was right next to it that it was a big rattlesnake. Must have been 5-6 ft long and about 2 inches in diameter. :eek: I saw a few small squashed ones later that summer on the trail.

I have not seen any this summer, but have seen a couple of cotton tail rabbits who appear to have been hit by bicycles on the trail. We are overrun with rabbits around here this year. We need more big snakes, fox, coyotes to keep them under control.

I've eaten rattle snakes and copperheads. I perfer the rattlers. When you're at the top of the food chain you get to choose. It doesn't taste like chicken, it tastes like snake.

Never had to wait for a snake to move. On the rare occassion when a rattler was coiled, simply thumping on the ground near him or her and giving them some space, seemed to get 'em moving.