Freepistol
Member
So, if we have an office job, eat junk food, hunt near snakes, climb trees without a tether, and drive 50 miles to hunt, we should be dead before 30!
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Snake Season
- Thread starter CarolinaDog
- Start date
Gosh, I hope so. I've heard old age is a beeyotch.
DanielB89
Well-Known Member
It is a pretty wild concept that were trying to play a percentage with a snake bite and justifying it by "our snakes aren't lethal" when we could easily wear a snake boot and lower a percentage that is already reasonably low to an even lower percentage. I will gladly protect myself from the non lethal snakes. I don't know about you, but I don't care to be bit. I also don't care to be laid up in a hospital for x number of days due to a bite.
We hunt a bunch of palmetto thickets and it's nothing to not be able to see where you're walking. It'll make you question if hunting is worth it when you hunt as far back as we do and see a 5+ foot rattle snake it is scary. What If I hadn't had seen it and it struck me, would I be able to make it the hour+ walk back?
In this same realm, has anyone seen a test showing the puncture capabilities of a rattle snake? I wonder if they could penetrate through a standard rubber boot.
We hunt a bunch of palmetto thickets and it's nothing to not be able to see where you're walking. It'll make you question if hunting is worth it when you hunt as far back as we do and see a 5+ foot rattle snake it is scary. What If I hadn't had seen it and it struck me, would I be able to make it the hour+ walk back?
In this same realm, has anyone seen a test showing the puncture capabilities of a rattle snake? I wonder if they could penetrate through a standard rubber boot.
@DanielB89, I would gladly reduce the risk of snake bites if it wasn't for the fact that every snake boot I've ever purchased frankly sucked. I saw 4 cottonmouths on my very first hunt last year, and know exactly what you're talking about when you mention palmetto thickets. I'm honestly not opposed to a well fitting, durable, comfortable, waterproof boot for a reasonable price.
But I'm not paying a premium for miserable feet and leaky boots, especially when snake bites just don't happen with any regularity. I don't want to be out of commission for the season either, but push come to shove, I've got pretty good insurance.
I also have a suspicion that standard Mucks and wool socks are probably reasonably resistant to snake bites.
Maybe some of the smarter folk on here can weigh in on that, or come up with a better snake boot/sock. I'd buy that before I bought another saddle.
But I'm not paying a premium for miserable feet and leaky boots, especially when snake bites just don't happen with any regularity. I don't want to be out of commission for the season either, but push come to shove, I've got pretty good insurance.
I also have a suspicion that standard Mucks and wool socks are probably reasonably resistant to snake bites.
Maybe some of the smarter folk on here can weigh in on that, or come up with a better snake boot/sock. I'd buy that before I bought another saddle.
DanielB89
Well-Known Member
You know that is an interesting though.. snake proof socks... Like seriously.. wear them under whatever boots you want and they protect you.
I bet snake proof gaiters would suffice too. I would like to see a percentage of the snake bites that happen above or below the ankle. From what I gather that is the worst downfall to the gaiters, foot protection. It seems like all i've ever seen is a snake strike up in some form or fashion, but I have never been bit.
I don't know that a 5' rattler would be biting you below your ankle. A small ground rattler I would be he would, but would his teeth really penetrate the rubber? I believe the rubber on my boots is thicker in the foot than the legs, but I could be wrong.
I'm full of innovative ideas.
I know they make lightweight "anti-shiv" vests for prison guards. Maybe there's potential there?I'm not sure what percentage of bites occur on the foot vs the leg. I know that most of the snakes I've encountered have been small. Small ones to me seem to pose a higher threat than large ones due to numbers and the fact that they're harder to see.
I did see on a Georgia DCNR page a while back that 40% of bites occurred on arms and hands from people handling the snake. So the numbers I posted above can theoretically be cut in half if you just leave the dang things where ya found'em!
DanielB89
Well-Known Member
I'm full of innovative ideas.
I'm not sure what percentage of bites occur on the foot vs the leg. I know that most of the snakes I've encountered have been small. Small ones to me seem to pose a higher threat than large ones due to numbers and the fact that they're harder to see.
I did see on a Georgia DCNR page a while back that 40% of bites occurred on arms and hands from people handling the snake. So the numbers I posted above can theoretically be cut in half if you just leave the dang things where ya found'em!
I have found the same thing. I know i've seen a fair share of bites that happened while gardening or something similar. After researching a little it appears snake bites aren't a very high risk for death, but I don't know that I want to endure the healing process either. lol.
It can be ugly. Necrosis isn't pretty, and lower extremities don't heal well due to high usage and lack of blood flow. I have a nasty purple scar from September that shows each of the 7 stitches it took to patch my ankle up.
I just know a lot of contractors, surveyors, biologists, and outdoorsmen, and most of them have all their toes.
Back to the boot subject, this would seem to suggest that rubber boots do provide a measure of protection:
https://www.researchgate.net/public..._snake_bites_in_selected_rural_area_Sri_Lanka
avgjoe
Active Member
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2018
- Messages
- 179
As a pharmacist at a rural hospital that serves as the regional snake bite treatment center, let me just say that snake bites are EXPENSIVE to treat. We're talking 10's of thousands of dollars for each dose of antivenin. A bad bite can cost upwards of $100k. Not to mention they're painful. Smart docs know when to treat or not, but most just err on the side of caution and give the antivenin whether it's a dry bite or not. Just an FYI...
With all that said, I don't wear snake boots. Our bites are usually somebody doing something stupid, or somebody just randomly stepping off their back porch... Just be smart and pay attention.
My snake prevention strategy in a nutshell.
Antivenin is one of those ridiculously expensive aspects of healthcare that I actually support. If I was milking venomous snakes, I'd be demanding a premium too!
Makes me realize I don't like snakes or treestands. I shot a snake in southern Ohio THAT WAS 73" LONG. None of the locals could agree on what it was. I didn't really care. I just new he wouldn't be there when I came by again. I guess some things we don't understand hence we are afraid of em. He was close enough for a headshot with the recurve. Waay too close for me.
I can practically guarantee a 6ft snake that didn't have a rattle was non venomous. I know the biggest snakes I've seen in person were king snakes, which eat other snakes.
Snakes serve a purpose, and are a sign of a healthy ecosystem. But that gut fear is hard to shake. Read up on them some. A herpetologist friend of mine really changed my perspective on them. They're fascinating...
From a distance, at least.
May be fascinating just outside of bow range!!
ricky racer
Well-Known Member
Yep, glad I live in Michigan. I've almost stepped on rattle snakes on two occasions out west. You can keep them snakes...
For copperheads, most rubber boots will stop penetration. Maybe some protection for big rattlesnakes, but much less. I have been wearing Tingley Airgos exclusively since last October due to their light weight and comfort. I have had at least 4 large bramble briars penetrate to where I felt it on top of my foot so far turkey hunting, so they will not work. Still wearing them, and not worrying about it. If I get bit, that's why I pay for insurance. Most of us have more odds of a bow limb exploding and putting your eye out than a bite. Again, if I hunted further south and west, I would be more concerned, but not enough chance here and up.
Seriously, kingsnakes are cool. I followed a beautiful speckled king around for an hour last year. He was huge. It takes a while for snakes to get that big, and it was like looking at an old buck or a gnarly cypress. Majestic.
Here's what they do in their spare time
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- Sep 27, 2018
- Messages
- 3,949
I spend more time than most in the woods since my job has me there as well as my hobbies and I don’t wear snake boots. We don’t have cottonmouths in the upstate of SC and rattlesnakes and copperheads are pretty docile. Like has been said already, as long as you don’t step on them they’ll leave you alone.
On a side note: I absolutely loathe baiting, be it in season to hunt over or out of season for trail cam purposes, but I can’t help but laugh and shake my head when I see folks post trailcam pictures of snakes or talk about how many snakes there seem to be nowadays when they go and dump out more corn.....
Corn = vermin...... snakes eat vermin.... your bait is the reason you’re seeing all the snakes
On a side note: I absolutely loathe baiting, be it in season to hunt over or out of season for trail cam purposes, but I can’t help but laugh and shake my head when I see folks post trailcam pictures of snakes or talk about how many snakes there seem to be nowadays when they go and dump out more corn.....
Corn = vermin...... snakes eat vermin.... your bait is the reason you’re seeing all the snakes
I spend more time than most in the woods since my job has me there as well as my hobbies and I don’t wear snake boots. We don’t have cottonmouths in the upstate of SC and rattlesnakes and copperheads are pretty docile. Like has been said already, as long as you don’t step on them they’ll leave you alone.
On a side note: I absolutely loathe baiting, be it in season to hunt over or out of season for trail cam purposes, but I can’t help but laugh and shake my head when I see folks post trailcam pictures of snakes or talk about how many snakes there seem to be nowadays when they go and dump out more corn.....
Corn = vermin...... snakes eat vermin.... your bait is the reason you’re seeing all the snakes
Where you at @dalton916 ? I grew up in Greenville/Simpsonville area.
KYHunter
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 20, 2018
- Messages
- 1,113
Y’all definitely have a TON of cottonmouths. They should be moving down off the bluffs this time of year. Murphy’s Pond has quite a few as well as the Clarks and Blood river bottoms going into the lake. I’ve ran into a couple of rattlers in LBL farming/hunting. In fact, if I’m not it mistaken, LBL is one of the only spots in KY with all 4 venomous species in the state.