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CU Medallion [52846]
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A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 4:55 PM
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Have lived in the country most of my life, cept for the 23+ yrs in Uncle Sams Canoe Club. Was mowing my yard today and saw a really big Black Rat Snake(6+ ft). He was sort of hanging with me as I saw him with every pass(bout 4 acres). Came around and there he was with a 3ft Copperhead half way down the hatch. Knew that Black/King snakes would do this but had never saw it. NEVER KILL A BLACK SNAKE!!
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Legend [16505]
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Wise words! They are definitely good to have around.***
May 25, 2020, 4:58 PM
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CU Medallion [55398]
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Legend [15492]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 5:13 PM
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I found a big black snake up off dynamite road in Pickens and it was 8ft long, minimum.
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CU Medallion [52846]
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That's huge
May 25, 2020, 5:21 PM
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had to be 6/8yrs old.
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All-TigerNet [10632]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 5:17 PM
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I don't kill Black snakes ..... even the two that I have found in my kitchen were relocated .... but both have to cross an Interstate Highway to get back here!
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All-In [48078]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 6:07 PM
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Why don't you kill them?
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110%er [5466]
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They kill real pests...
May 25, 2020, 6:14 PM
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...including copperheads and rodents.
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Athletic Dir [881]
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Never kill a non-poisonous snake
May 25, 2020, 9:01 PM
[ in reply to Re: A first for me in 74 yrs ] |
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I leave rattlesnakes alone unless it looks like they are nested close (see the same one more than once). Copperheads and cottonmouths have to die, though.
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Athletic Dir [881]
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Correction
May 25, 2020, 9:02 PM
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Invasive pythons and similar need to die too.
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All-In [38020]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 5:48 PM
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My neighbor told a story very close to this today. I didn't know that either.
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Orange Blooded [3389]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 6:00 PM
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The oddest black snake siting for me was on the driving range at Rocky River Golf course near Chlt Motor Speedway. One 8 footer slowly traversed behind the entire length of the tee boxes a couple years ago. It was intent on getting to a patch of trees near the first tee and didn't stop to check out golfers.
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110%er [5631]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 6:11 PM
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Outstanding!! A once in a lifetime experience. About sixty years ago I saw large King snake take on about a four foot Timber rattler. The deftness and agility of these types of snakes is amazing. They hardly ever loose!!!
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110%er [5466]
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I've seen them go straight up a brick wall
May 25, 2020, 6:16 PM
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and they easily climb trees.
The only harm they do is eat bird eggs.
Message was edited by: Tiger1983®
Message was edited by: Tiger1983®
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All-American [579]
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Re: I've seen them go straight up a brick wall
May 25, 2020, 8:55 PM
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I always was taught they kept the bad snakes and rodents away, never had a problem with one until the same one kept getting stuck in a bird house at my grandmas house and the neighbors were complaining about her shooting a 357 off the back porch at it. I caught it after it got stuck again, put it in a cooler and let it loose in the woods behind my house. Haven’t seen it or a copperhead since.
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CU Medallion [50787]
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I had one on the side of my house a couple of years ago
May 26, 2020, 2:59 PM
[ in reply to I've seen them go straight up a brick wall ] |
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and it was following the mortar joints and had several 90 degree angles in its body as a result.
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110%er [5023]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 6:20 PM
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At about 10 years of age, my cousin and I saw a very large black snake in a field of broomstraw. We decided to capture it and located a crocus sack in a barn. We pinned the snake with a pitchfork and put him in the bag.
We shortly had the thought that it would be cool to see the snake eat something, so we found a frog, worked the snake's head to the to of the bag and introduced him to the frog. The snake quickly chowed down on the frog and we thought we were going to see the frog get swallowed by the snake. So, we put the bag on the ground and let the snake go free. The snake shot out of the bag like a rocket, stood up on it's tail and flung the frog about 30 yards, then made tracks away from us. The last we saw of the snake, it was hauling ####, with it's head so high it could see over the broomstraw.
Those snakes can run at a high rate of speed and can do it on the last few inches of their tail with their heads held high above the weeds. Incredible things.
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110%er [5631]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 6:23 PM
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That's why they are called Black Racers.
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Oculus Spirit [79243]
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There is a difference . . .
May 25, 2020, 7:23 PM
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in Black Racers and Black Rat Snakes . . .
My area has more black rat snakes than the other.
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Athletic Dir [881]
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The racers are skinny and pretty delicate
May 25, 2020, 9:05 PM
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very easy to accidentally kill
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110%er [9903]
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Re: The racers are skinny and pretty delicate
May 26, 2020, 9:00 AM
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No they get pretty big actually and are very hardy. Also have quite an attitude when caught unlike most king snakes which tend to be very docile.
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All-TigerNet [10134]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 7:41 PM
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I have a black snake that hangs around inside my mailbox sometimes. I never know when he’s going to be in there so I can pet Him. The only time I’ve got close enough to pet him, he sprayed some stuff in my eyes. Any suggestions on how to get close enough to pet him?
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CU Medallion [55398]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 26, 2020, 10:16 AM
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I know how, you use a 12 gage loaded with high brass #7 shells, and after one blast, it will be very easy to pet if that's what you like to do!!!!
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Hall of Famer [22127]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 25, 2020, 7:42 PM
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I always thought the King snake was better than the Black snake for eliminating other snake. The black snake is long and slender and the King snake larger around.
When I was a youngster, there was a fellow in my home town who ran a grocery store. He had a board with rattle shake rattles on the board. Invariably, people would come in, count the rattles and tell him they had killed a rattler with more rattles then the one on his board. The store owner would get more rattles and add to his rattles on the board. He kept doing this for a long time. He glued the extra rattles at the end of the others and these extra rattles were every size imaginable.
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All-In [27366]
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Rat snakes generally don't get that long.
May 25, 2020, 9:44 PM
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Definitely a King Snake. Best snake you can have in your yard. I take one to one of my family's yards every time I find one or are given one. Noticed a lot less copperheads lately.
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All-TigerNet [12246]
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Saw my first black snake of the year last Saturday...
May 26, 2020, 7:43 AM
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Was out in the back yard clearing an area of brush close to the pond when he crawled out to say "hello". That fellow was as long as my rake handle. I let him pass on by to find some vermin or copperheads.
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110%er [9903]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 26, 2020, 8:40 AM
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If it was eating a copperhead it was most likely a black racer. They grow to that size and routinely eat other snakes. Rat snakes quite often reach that size but generally don’t prey on other snakes. Of course the eastern king snake has the white chicken wire like markings and don’t lose to our native vipers as they are immune to their venom. They also will normally grab venomous snakes by one or both jaws to keep them from biting during constriction. In any case, glossy black scales are “friendlies”.
Message was edited by: TigerJS®
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CU Medallion [55398]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 26, 2020, 9:50 AM
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King snakes are a good thing to have hanging around your property. I have been deathly scared of snakes my entire 67 years of my life, and I have killed every type of snake that live in SC, but I have never and will not kill a King snake for the reason that they will kill and eat other snakes. I'm scared chitless of them also, but I will vacate the area they are in when I see them!!!!
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Orange Blooded [3338]
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Pigs?***
May 26, 2020, 10:12 AM
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110%er [9903]
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Re: Pigs?***
May 26, 2020, 10:23 AM
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Eastern King Snake
Message was edited by: TigerJS®
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CU Guru [1012]
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Re: A first for me in 74 yrs
May 26, 2020, 1:45 PM
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Saw one on the road couple days ago. I would have stopped, picked him up, and brought him home except it was raining:<(
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Legend [16505]
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Just remembered a black snake encounter while fishing. Been
May 26, 2020, 1:54 PM
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probably 20 years. Was fishing a pond on my Grandparents place and slowly working my way around to the opposite side. A terrible squawking started over behind some weeds. Sounded like someone was stepping repeatedly on a dog's toy. Got over to the other side and there was a big black snake with a good-sized frog hanging out of it's mouth. He had the rear end, and needless to say the frog was not happy, thus the squawking. The snake did not like me being over there, and took off with his meal out into the woods. Pretty neat.
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All-In [27374]
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Odd day
May 26, 2020, 6:14 PM
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In the Brushies 2k. I saw my first copperhead of the spring today. Did you send him over to Wilkes? If so, quit it,
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Replies: 32
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