Not talking about if you were handling one or messing with one.

The thread about snake boots got me wondering. Just how common is it? I know it's scary walking through tall grass or having to look for camoflaged snakes when treking through the wilds, but wondering just how often it does happen.

I got tagged on the hand by a copperhead about 6 years ago. It bit my boot first. Hand had severe swelling then up the arm. ER never gave antivenom. Doc said they get a lot of mild or dry bites from them.

This is an interesting subject to me.

Almost 20 years ago I was doing some field work and saw a big rattlesnake strike at me out of the corner of my eye as I was walking through the brush past a blown over cedar tree. I pulled my boot off 3 times on my way back to my truck that day because I was certain there was no way he missed me. I feel confident that he was just warning me but he scared me pretty good.

I've always been very conciously aware of where I step. It's been etched into my brain from the moment I can remember to watch for "rattle-copper-mocassins" every time I ventured outside.

I spend way way more time in the outdoors than the average person but I've never worn snake boots. Doesn't mean that I probably shouldn't at times. I just wear standard "cowboy" boots everyday. I have been known on occasion to make fun of some of the green folks I've worked with in the past about their snake boots though too.

Most of the stories it seems I've always heard was folks getting tagged while opening a gate or turning the water hydrant on. I can't recall a single story of someone walking in the pasture or woods and actually getting bit.

I'm definitely curious about this subject...

I was out running 3-4 years ago one afternoon in the Houston suburbs on a sidewalk and damn near stepped on a copperhead.

Oddly enough, a cop happened to be parked right there and heard me loudly say some foul words while probably jumping as high as I ever have. He got out of his car and yelled at me about the language (I guess he thought I was yelling at him) and then I pointed at the ground. Needles to say, he was overly nice after that.

Last week - was weedeating and saw what I thought was a coral slither into a coil. Thought no way, have never seen one out here in 6 years but did see one about a week prior on the way to work on the road about half mile from here, never happened before. I'd hit that coral about 2/3 down it's body and now way it was gonna survive, never saw it as the grass was about a foot high and I was the length of the shaft away from it. Put it out of its misery with a shovel.

Same property: the year we moved in wife and I were moving leftover stones, she is terrified of snakes. She's got gloves on and picks up a 2ft stone and under it sits a 3ft copperhead. Yeah. It never moved despite us moving dozens of stones around him but once exposed slithered towards me and off his head went.

I do see the occasional rat snake and they can walk unless they misbehave but that coral had me thinking.

ETA: almost stepped onto the biggest hog nose out I've ever seen, this thing ate other hog nose I'm sure of it. Same year copperhead incident.

always gig em said:

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Last week - was weedeating and saw what I thought was a coral slither into a coil. Thought no way, have never seen one out here in 6 years but did see one about a week prior on the way to work on the road about half mile from here, never happened before. I'd hit that coral about 2/3 down it's body and now way it was gonna survive, never saw it as the grass was about a foot high and I was the length of the shaft away from it. Put it out of its misery with a shovel.

Same property: the year we moved in wife and I were moving leftover stones, she is terrified of snakes. She's got gloves on and picks up a 2ft stone and under it sits a 3ft copperhead. Yeah. It never moved despite us moving dozens of stones around him but once exposed slithered towards me and off his head went.

I do see the occasional rat snake and they can walk unless they misbehave but that coral had me thinking.

ETA: almost stepped onto the biggest hog nose out I've ever seen, this thing ate other hog nose I'm sure of it. Same year copperhead incident.

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Coral snakes, by behavior, are not very dangerous. They have really tiny heads, and have to chew on their prey to inject any venom. Only 1 person has been killed by a coral snake that I know of - and that involved alcohol.

They usually just hide their head underneath their body and hope the danger leaves.

I've stepped on several rattle snakes giving hikes - nothing happened. Also walked up on several doing surveys - nothing.

I have seen a bunch of copperhead bites in Colorado county and Fayette county area in the ER. They love to live around oak leaf litter. But most people aren't wearing snake boots walking around their yards to take out the trash or walking past wood piles where they like to hang out. So the snake boots wouldn't have done any good. Copperheads like to bite. I only saw maybe one or two mocassin bites ever even while working in Louisiana. They seem more reluctant to bite comparatively. Never seen a coral snake bite. I haven't worked much near diamondback rattlesnake habitat to see bites to comment.

BrazosDog02 said:

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Yes. Copperhead for me at age 30 and my daughter got bit at 2. Both in our yard. My daughter wouldn't have known better but I got bit because the wife called me into the yard to kill a copperhead she was watching so I walked out in my flip flops and then got bitten by a second copperhead in the yard. Lol. Tough lesson.

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That's what you get for killing their partner. Lol

Reminds me of my friend's story. One night his dogs were barking and going crazy in the backyard. Buddy walks out and sees that they have a cottonmouth cornered. (He was living on a lake at the time). Buddy heads to his shed to grab a shovel (barefoot of course) and gets tagged on the foot by a copperhead before he can get across the yard. Benadryl and some pain meds and a week on the couch with his swollen leg elevated. He's fine now

nealan said:

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Reminds me of my friend's story. One night his dogs were barking and going crazy in the backyard. Buddy walks out and sees that they have a cottonmouth cornered. (He was living on a lake at the time). Buddy heads to his shed to grab a shovel (barefoot of course) and gets tagged on the foot by a copperhead before he can get across the yard. Benadryl and some pain meds and a week on the couch with his swollen leg elevated. He's fine now

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My dad has the same story. He grew up in New Gulf, TX back when they had a sulfur mine there. Foot Swollen up a bit and rested. All good.

ShouldastayedataTm said:

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BrazosDog02 said:

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Yes. Copperhead for me at age 30 and my daughter got bit at 2. Both in our yard. My daughter wouldn't have known better but I got bit because the wife called me into the yard to kill a copperhead she was watching so I walked out in my flip flops and then got bitten by a second copperhead in the yard. Lol. Tough lesson.

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That's what you get for killing their partner. Lol

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Everything died that day.

The wife also ridiculed the decision.

Why'd you wear flip flops? That was dumb!!

You were yelling to get out here quick!

You could have put on boots. Just sayin'.

TexasAggie73 said:

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Not me but had two staff members at Scout camp got bit. The first one was trying to put a cotton mouth in a jar and it got him on the finger. Ending up losing the finger, this happen in the early 70's. Never thought he was too bright.

The other was a camp ranger that went outside his house one night barefoot and got hit by a copperhead.

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Camp Pioneer?

Texarkanaag69 said:

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TexasAggie73 said:

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Not me but had two staff members at Scout camp got bit. The first one was trying to put a cotton mouth in a jar and it got him on the finger. Ending up losing the finger, this happen in the early 70's. Never thought he was too bright.

The other was a camp ranger that went outside his house one night barefoot and got hit by a copperhead.

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Camp Pioneer?

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Camp Strake when it was in Conroe