Southern Sawing

ARKANSAWYER · August 23, 2004, 08:48:29 PM

Twice by rattlers and once by copper. They are different bites and the effect is different. Rattlers are like cottom mouths and it is a muscle pain and you get a stomace acke. It can stop your heart and a set of car keys are the best thing to have. Ice down the area if possible and you have hours before you die unless it gets you in the neck. Copper heads sting more and cause more swelling in the bite area. You take anti-botics to help clear it up. They tell me the next rattler should not bother me much but I am not looking forward to it. I was bitten while hunting twice and once in the barn telling my wife she should turn the light on before she stepped on a snake and when I went for the light it got me. >:( She remembers it quite well.
ARKANSAWYER

LeeB · August 23, 2004, 10:35:13 PM

When I was a kid I lived in Singapore. I got bit by an ittty bitty snake and didn't think a whole lot about it. bit me on the finger tip. Being a kid i just squeezed it a lot till it bled some and went on playing with the little snake. We fed it to a chicken and the chicken died. Got worried then. had to do the anti venom thing then. Found out later it was one of the most poisonous snakes on the island. Guess the good Lord really does take care of fools. LeeB

Stan · August 24, 2004, 02:16:40 AM

A mohave green bit my boot once. My friend was able to save my foot, but the boot died a horrible death. Them little puppies are filled at the same pump that cobras use, High Test! My bud said next time he's gonna leave the boot on my foot, until I cough up enough to cover the remedy bill.

DextorDee · August 25, 2004, 01:47:34 PM

I got some of them coppers , they like to hang around my house.

Thumped three last year only one this year.
So far.

VA-Sawyer · August 25, 2004, 07:12:03 PM

My helper and I moved some old rotting boards today. We also shoveled up a small pile of wood chips for filling in some low spots around the mill site. I counted 6 snakes today, none poisonous. Every one made my heart skip a beat when I first spotted it.
We have cottonmouths, copperheads and rattlers around here. We also have a lot of Black Widows. I don't put my hands on anything outside unless I'm wearing work gloves. I make my young helper wear them all the time as well. I'm thinking about giving up the tennis shoes and going to heavy boots. I just hate wearing those hot boots in the summer, but I would hate being snake bit even more.
VA-Sawyer

sprucebunny · August 25, 2004, 07:22:06 PM

I'm with Paschale about the snow . In fact, after reading all this, I might move further north , just in case.

Patty · August 26, 2004, 06:24:57 AM

Holy cow, you guys, and I thought those big ugly worms on my tomato plants were awful! I would have a stroke if I saw a poisonous snake or spider. A little snow & ice are a very small price to pay to keep those horrible animals away!

Bibbyman · August 26, 2004, 07:54:38 AM

I was runnin' the mill yesterday and Mary said ... "Look at this!"

They had fallen out of a hole in a walnut log.

Yes! M R Snakes! C D E D B D Is !

MULE_MAN · August 26, 2004, 08:58:57 AM

So what part of the country did the Walnut Logs come from ???

And what does Mary think of snakes ???

Your Shotgun probably has a New Home, next to Saw Mill ;D

Bibbyman · August 26, 2004, 10:42:46 AM

Not sure where that log come from other than south of us - towords Arky's... It had been on the lot for a while. I hope momma snake ain't around. :(

Hammy · August 26, 2004, 03:13:02 PM

Man! You all gotta come over & live in NZ, the worst thing we get around here is sand-flies! ;)
You must have eyes in the back of your head when milling eh?

Woodcarver · August 26, 2004, 05:53:30 PM

One of the things I liked about moving north from Southwestern Wisconsin to the central part of the state was the lack of rattlesnakes in the area.

We do have ground nesting hornets to make life a little interesting at times. I was rudely reminded of that this afternoon. I was out moving some oak logs around that I'm bucking up for firewood and walked into--or on--a nest. I vacated the area as soon as I realized what the buzzing sound was that I was hearing. Must have been quite a sight. I was running and flailing my arms at the buggers. Had a stone hammer in one hand that I had been using to set my skidding tongs in a log. It's a wonder that I didn't
do myself more violence than the hornets were doing. They are persistant little buggers. I ran about 60 yards, decided that was enough, slowed up and got stung two or three more times. I hot footed another 30 yards or so to the house. On way I passed our lab mix who was laying in the shade minding her own business. They nailed her a couple of times for good measure. She beat me to the kitchen door. Now we are laying around licking our wounds. Well, she is anyway. Guess that log will lay where it is until cold weather.

Woodcarver

ARKANSAWYER · August 26, 2004, 08:43:07 PM

Last spring was the worst for snakes I have seen here. It got so bad that I had to keep a .410 shot gun in the tractor because every time I picked up a bundle of lumber or logs one would run out. I went through a box of shells and killed at least 20 snakes in the log yard.
I sold some 2x10's to a customer and he noticed some #6 shot in some of the lower boards. I told him the lead was soft and it would not bother his tools and that I must have aimed a bit high on that snake. After filling him in on the deal I noticed that he walked around with his head down quite a bit. Steel toe boots come in handy for other things then just dropping stuff.
ARKANSAWYER

pasbuild · August 26, 2004, 09:40:36 PM

I sure am glad all I have to worry about is misquiteos (sp?) and snow flees ;D

OneWithWood · August 27, 2004, 04:13:41 PM

I am not what you would call a religious man, but just a few minutes ago I had a revelation as I was unstacking a stickered pile. I pulled back the black plastic on the top of the pile and to my amazement I found myself giving a bible lesson to Mr. Copperhead

Whack, whack, whack

He is now with his maker.

Woodcarver · August 28, 2004, 05:11:47 PM

I'll take the hornets any day. They're only a serious problem if you are allergic to the stings. This episode put that to the test. I'm not allergic. :D :D

I located the nest today in a hollow in the log I was about to skid. I was prepared to send them on their way, but then I read that hornets eat large numbers of insects. If what I read is true a nest of hornets will consume as many insects in a day as two or three nests of birds. Live and let live. I guess I'll just recover my skidding tongs in the cool of the evening and cede the log to the hornets for awhile. I have no shortage of logs to buck up.

Woodcarver

Tom · August 28, 2004, 08:48:25 PM

Put a sign on the log so you don't accidentally get into them again. Your a brave man. :D :D

Woodcarver · August 28, 2004, 10:23:30 PM

My wife made the same suggestion. She knows how absent minded I can be at times.

LeeB · August 29, 2004, 01:23:22 AM

I got a DanG rat snake around my place that likes to eat the rats that get into the horse feed. He don't bother me too much, but he is a little territorial and tries to bite the kids when they feed. I"ve hauled the bugger off three times already, as much as a mile away and he keeps finding his way back. I hate to have to kill him as I've read that this kind is actually becoming an endangered species. Guess I will haul him off one more time. LeeB

DanManofStihl · August 29, 2004, 06:00:33 AM

This topic is giving me the hebejebes I need to go split wood but Im thinking i might do that tomorrow I really don't want to have another run in with a snake I do not mind them so much if I know their their but it is the surprise attack Like last sturday I was cutting a piece of wood from the side of the road when a copper head came out and bit my boot I sliced it with my 066 and draged a$$ out of their forget that wood its not worth it.

Fla._Deadheader · August 29, 2004, 06:09:27 AM

Whooowee, After readin all the way through this post, it's become very clear of what folks I don't need to ask to hep us with this water loggin. If'n Y'all are skared of little bitty crawly creepers, then, I just KNOW y'all won't get back in the Swamps with us. :

:

:D :D :D :D :D

sprucebunny · August 29, 2004, 06:19:07 AM

You're right Fla-D. Now I know why they paved so much of Florida.They must have snake patrols round all the rich folks houses. Glad I didn't know any of this when I went camping (travel trailer) in Arkansas last fall!!