So I'm walking the dog last night.......

[suncat05]

and it was dusk, almost dark. We had just returned home from the day at Daytona Beach. As my little doggie is walking along, as she always does, in between the small boulders that are set up around the park as barriers to keep vehicles out of this one certain area, when suddenly she abruptly stops and then hastily turns while looking behind her with that "Oh oh!" look on her little face. She was about four steps ahead of me, so I hurried the pace as I drew my .38 snub nose loaded with snake shot. Sure enough, there it was, a dark black water mocassin, only about a foot long, but fat as can be. Making sure my little doggie wasn't in the line of fire, I drew a good sight picture and pulled the trigger. The snake twisted and flipper and squirmed as I coaxed my pooch back to the house. After getting her back in the house I grabbed a flashlight and went back to that spot. That snake was still squirming, and it kind of ticked me off that it was still breathing. I picked up a handful of fine gravel and tossed it at him and he immediately turned his head in my direction, so I knew he was still able to hurt someone or something, so I shot him again. He stopped moving this time. I HATE A POISONOUS SNAKE!
Although it was dark, and admittedly my eyes ain't as good as they used to be, especially in low light conditions, I am a little perturbed that it took 2 shots with snake shot to do what I otherwise only need one shot to accomplish.
And then my daughter says to me "Dad, you know you're already old already!"

Thanks honey..........I love you too!

[MickintheHam]

There is nothing worse than to have a water moccasin drop out of a tree and into your boat. Talk about excitement on a lazy summer day!

There is also nothing like you daughter commenting on your age. It's different with a son, there is always a comeback. But having your daughter cite it, cuts to the core.

[jazyd]

I hate any snake. Thank you for ridding this one from earth. Personally I like the fact you shot it twice, that was twice the pain it felt.

Don't worry. Daughter loves her dad or she would not have made that comment. :)

[suncat05]

LOL! Yeah Mick, I'll bet that caused a bit of pandemonium inside that boat, for sure! So how did you get it out? No one went overboard did they?
Jazy..........me, my phone, everything older than her is "jurassic", according to her. Of course, while on the way to Daytona on Sunday she lamented to her Mother & myself that she is quickly approaching "old maid" status because she's already so old at the age of 23. Life is tough, I tell ya! Just tough.

[MickintheHam]

LOL! Yeah Mick, I'll bet that caused a bit of pandemonium inside that boat, for sure! So how did you get it out? No one went overboard did they?
Jazy..........me, my phone, everything older than her is "jurassic", according to her. Of course, while on the way to Daytona on Sunday she lamented to her Mother & myself that she is quickly approaching "old maid" status because she's already so old at the age of 23. Life is tough, I tell ya! Just tough.

We were on the Cahaba River in a canoe paddling down to West Brockton. I was with a guy who grew up in Bibb County, Alabama, and he had told me before we started out to keep a watch out for the damn things hanging in the trees. He told me they would plop right down from the tree and if one landed in the boat to remain calm, but to continue paddling away from the trees. The snake was about 6 inches from my butt in the middle of the boat. I never turned around. He let the snake wrap itself around the handle of his paddle and once he did he dragged the paddle in the water until it released itself. I kept paddlin'. Naturally, we were veering off to the left, were completely sideways, but I don't think I consciously was aware of it. I was doing what I was told and trusting that he was living up to his end of the bargain. There a a few times when a firearm just won't get the job done!! I have no idea if there was a plan B.

[dan_bgblue]

Mick that is a great story, and mine can not top yours for sure.

[blueboss]

I was recently told a story from Dale Hollow lake in between KY and the Tn border where a guy shot a copperhead on the bank Tn side which was observed by a Tn wildlife officer at which point he was issued a ticket and his gun was confiscated. The guy had to go to court and go through a big rig-a-marow to retrieve his gun. Apparently you can't go shooting snakes in Tn. poisonous or not. Tn go figure, I guess they figure you could mistake a vols fan for a copperhead.

[CitizenBBN]

suncat -- I get mixed reveiws on snake shot, so it was 99% the shot itself and the pattern and not the shooter that led to the 2nd shot. It's not a consistent enough pattern to fault the shooter even in good light and without worrying about your dog's whereabouts, esp. for a snake that small.

Mick -- sounds like plan B was for it to bite your butt and not his.

[jazyd]

We were skiing on Barklay Lake when we still lived in the great state of Ky. We were in a friends boat and I was running the boat. because we were in an area I fished a lot. Up ahead I see a snake crossing I front of the boat so I decide to run it over....not bright...
.so after I think I should have gotten it I throttled back to look for the dead snake w/o telling anyone why. Now there were 3 women, 2 guys and 2 kids in that boat. All of a sudden one lady with her
er child in her arms starts screaming and we look back and that snake was looking at us from the motor. It had crawled up the shaft when I went over it. We beat that thing flat with the paddle. Needless to say the ladies asked me to move to another cove.

Mick, never had one drop from a tree but I watched them race one day thru the trees while fishing and I asked the owner to at us THE HELL out of the there. Lol

[suncat05]

suncat -- I get mixed reveiws on snake shot, so it was 99% the shot itself and the pattern and not the shooter that led to the 2nd shot. It's not a consistent enough pattern to fault the shooter even in good light and without worrying about your dog's whereabouts, esp. for a snake that small.

Mick -- sounds like plan B was for it to bite your butt and not his.

CBBN - I know I hit the darn thing because it flipped and rolled and was moving. It was still moving when I went back with the flashlight. And this was the first time I have ever had to take a followup shot using snakeshot, so this was not the desired result in having to expend another round of munitions. Up to this incident the snakeshot had always worked like a charm.
I am still of the opinion that the combination of dark and my poor night vision is the reason for having to take that 2nd shot. That first shot, from no more than 2 feet away, should have been instantly fatal. Just one of those things that will make you scratch your head.

[MickintheHam]

I love tubing and canoeing. But,that experience kept me out of the water for a while. The only thing that got me back in the river was when they decided to take the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders tubing down the Cahaba on the last day of summer enrichment camp. But, that experience was more harrowing. It just didn't involve snakes (that I know about). But the school bus falling through the floor of the bridge, the rental company running out of tubes and the cows in the river, were individually memorable moments as well.

[bigsky]

I love tubing and canoeing. But,that experience kept me out of the water for a while. The only thing that got me back in the river was when they decided to take the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders tubing down the Cahaba on the last day of summer enrichment camp. But, that experience was more harrowing. It just didn't involve snakes (that I know about). But the school bus falling through the floor of the bridge, the rental company running out of tubes and the cows in the river, were individually memorable moments as well.

No doubt!

[jazyd]

Mick you might want to stay away from that river, it doesn't like you :)


QUOTE=MickintheHam;103333]I love tubing and canoeing. But,that experience kept me out of the water for a while. The only thing that got me back in the river was when they decided to take the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders tubing down the Cahaba on the last day of summer enrichment camp. But, that experience was more harrowing. It just didn't involve snakes (that I know about). But the school bus falling through the floor of the bridge, the rental company running out of tubes and the cows in the river, were individually memorable moments as well.[/QUOTE]