I've been active in the outdoors all my life. Used to keep snakes as pets as a kid. Actually, I used to keep any live critter as a pet, or try to come to think of it.

Anyway, I had a bad encounter with a Cottonmouth one day (11 yrs old) where I was stuck knee deep in mud right next to a puddle with a big, thick CM in it. When I saw the snake, I started screaming bloody murder and freaked it out. The snake instantly moved closer, struck and missed, recoiled and never got fully extended on the second pass. My Dad killed it with a 410 from about 20 yards (close as he could get). I just knew I was about to get peppered or bitten and I experienced that rare, super-human adrenaline rush that propelled me out of the quagmire like I had rockets in my feet. Those were some brand new Chuck Taylors I left in those holes, too!

I was terrified of snakes for a long time after that. Today, they don't bother me as long as I can see and identify them. It's the big rattlers under a guyacan bush in S. Tx staring at a quail I just shot as I go to reach under the bush and pick up my bird that freak me out. Any venomous snake, really. I've been bitten once in my 17" snake boot by a rattler, and I have come very close several other times. They just happen to be the prevalent species in a bunch of places I visit regularly. I kill them all. Every other venomous snake in Texas too except a Timbler Rattler.

If that's wrong I'm sorry, but there are plenty of beneficial snakes in Texas that will do the work of the occasional venomous snake that I dispatch.

On a side note, I have caught by hand Indigo snakes on my South Texas deer leases that exceed 7 feet and are as big around as my forearm. They're very heavy and the numero dos predator of the rattlesnake, next to a feral hog. Every rancher I know down there protects their Indigos like their children. Now THAT'S a GOOD snake!

The king and milk snakes are as beneficial as the indigos in other parts of Texas. Prairie, speckled, and desert kings, as well as louisiana milks will all eat a coral, copperhead, or small moccasin for lunch if they run across 'em.

Most of the true nerodia species (Watersnakes) primary means of defense is to look like a moccasin and act agressively like a ticked off moccasin even though they are harmless. With most fisherman that is a death sentence for them.

I am not passing judgment on anyone I am only saying as outdoors men aren't we obligated to know the animals we may encounter so we can make intelligent rational decisions what to do when we encounter them? I can understand killing or relocating a venomous snake from your yard, especially if you have kids or pets, but irrationally killing every snake because you fear them is a childish response and definitely doesn't reflect a stewardship of the environment we are supposed to espouse.

I fear spiders with every fiber of my being (Long story about too many landing on my face running the woods in East Texas and wolf spiders climbing on my head while swimming in the Trinity) but I let every one I cross paths with live because I know they are just another species doing what they do to live 99.9% of the time and are not "out to get me". I also know which ones to avoid like the plague and to get out of my house should I spot them.

I agree with every inch of this post. Even the irrational fear of spiders.

Jeeez....why would a completely harmless animal send you to the ER?

After reading the whole thread, it's clear that there's no shortage of "outdoorsmen" who know little about the outdoors outside of the tiny spheres that cure their boredom, and, to boot, are heavily inclined to act like little girls at the drop of a hat. But, of course, senseless panic is real big these days.

Bummer.

heart attack!

Best kind of snake!!

Last night on Fork I looked to the back deck of my boat and there was a foot long baby copperhead just sitting there. Had it not of been a copperhead I probably would of just tried to flip it out of the boat but instead I introduced him to my transom saver aka all purpose metal wacking rod. Freaked me out, was looking around for his little buddies all night.

This one was out today

I agree... here is how I roll...

That's a diamondback water snake. Harmless, one of the "nerodia" species. They will act aggressively and also musk ([censored]) heavily if you pick them up. They will also try to steal your stringer of fish..... dad almost swamped us all when one has swallowed half our stringer on a farm pond one day many years ago. Dad hated snakes with a passion.... and hated my fascination with 'em.

saw this pic in your post earlier...this my friend is a bad boy!!!!

I wanted to make sure people on this thread noticed the picture of the snake in the crappie forum.

http://texasfishingforum.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5985988/Crappies_best_friend#Post5985988

Now this is a snake, I don't hink you want to mess with.
I will go out looking for snakes, and have only seen a snake like this twice, and decided I would be better off leaving it along (over 80% of the people bitten by a toxic snake, were playing the snake when it happened).

Look at the very thin tail, and fat body up to the head.

I have no fear of snakes, and I mess with a lot of snakes (been bitten by pygmy rattlesnake (3 times...I'm a slow learner)), and the snake pictures will certainly look odd to you from a distance. You don't need to look for fangs, it's eyes, or it's cotton mouth to tell that you want to fish in another location :)).

HILARIOUS. i never realized how many big SISSY bass fisherman there are til today. Now i know what to keep in my boat when people try to fish too close whip out a harmless ratsnake and they will hit the road. Really man pull your skirt up your girly parts are showing. as somebody else mentioned the people who get bit by snakes are usually messing with em not by accidentally walking by. I grew up on a pond and even most poisonous snakes will try to run before they engage you. I sat on a baby water moccasin as a kid by a stream, got up caught it and walked around with it showing/scaring my sissy stepdad with it. NOW that being said if you agitate a moc or copperheads and actually make em mad them dudes will chase you down. They have nasty attitudes when messed with. Just WOW man i bet some you boys freak out when a gator swims up beside the boat too think he is gonna crawl in there with ya.

Call me what you want....but I'm either hightailing it outta there or finding a way to kill whenever I come upon those slimy creatures. HATE 'EM ALL AND PROUD OF IT!

They are not slimy.