Good thing I was sitting on the hopper

[Pirate]

Ask any pest control professional...they will tell you if cats are allowed outside they are part of the problem not necessarily the solution...
like I said snakes seek what they want to eat...and it's not cats...!

I have no mice.

 

[Fuddy1952]

2 men in a John boat southern Ark fishing and snake fell from tree limb into the boat one grabbed the shotgun and blew a hole in bottom of boat .

That's too funny.
A carpenter friend years ago had to work under my house crawl space. I heard all this commotion, he saw a snake but missed, whacked his head.

Many years ago Dad was helping a guy work in his attic. Then Dad said the guy ran out after seeing a snake, guys head whacked every rafter...bump...bump...bump...bump.

 

[Fuddy1952]

Carpenter missed with his hammer.

2 men in a John boat southern Ark fishing and snake fell from tree limb into the boat one grabbed the shotgun and blew a hole in bottom of boat .

That's too funny.
A carpenter friend years ago had to work under my house crawl space. I heard all this commotion, he saw a snake but missed, whacked his head.

Many years ago Dad was helping a guy work in his attic. Then Dad said the guy ran out after seeing a snake, guys head whacked every rafter...bump...bump...bump...bump.

 

[s219]

I've had a couple startles this year with black snakes, one was hidden in the top of my barn door and when I opened it he fell down right in front of me and nearly gave me a heart attack. I can only imagine if he had actually fallen on me, that would have been even worse. Since then I look carefully before opening the door and one other time I saw a real little snake peeking out and was prepared.

Then another time, I had randomly stacked a few 16" patio paver blocks on some lumber, and when I picked up a block I found a snake had crawled under there. Both of us freaked out and of course I dropped the block, which pinned the snake in place with his upper body able to still lash out at me. He was not happy about that and was not making it easy for me to lift the block back off. But I finally got in there quick and he took off with a bit of a kink in his body, hopefully he's OK as I like having black snakes around.

Last week my wife shouts out "there's a copperhead by the front door" when she was taking the dog out, so I rush around the corner to see a real fat snake that was definitely not a copperhead and was probably a juvenile black snake that hadn't turned black yet. I shooed him off since I thought for sure he'd give someone a startle. I like having these beneficial snakes around, but with copperheads and water moccasins also on our property, we have to be vigilant and I like to get a positive ID anytime I see a snake. If it's a bad guy the shovel or shotgun comes out. Since we have a small child, the shotgun is locked away and not easily accessible, which makes it less useful.

 

[Sigarms]

I like having these beneficial snakes around, but with copperheads and water moccasins also on our property, we have to be vigilant and I like to get a positive ID anytime I see a snake. If it's a bad guy the shovel or shotgun comes out. Since we have a small child, the shotgun is locked away and not easily accessible, which makes it less useful.

+1 although we don't have any water moccasins around.

 

[polo1665]

I was cleaning up my outdoor kitchen the other day and found a black snake in the wood pile. Would have just as well left him there, but if SWMBO had ever seen it, there would have been He11 to pay.

 

[Thomas]

Oh man I'd be gone even w/pants down.

 

[Beltzington]

2 men in a John boat southern Ark fishing and snake fell from tree limb into the boat one grabbed the shotgun and blew a hole in bottom of boat .

I have to call rural legend (BS) on this story I have heard it repeated numerous times and what I am sure what has been left out is "My friend and I had been out fishing and drinking all day and forgot the gun was loaded accidently blew a hole in the bottom of the boat but that makes us look like idiots so...."

I was driving home from a fishing pond the other day and saw a snake crossing the road, driving past him I took a closer look and realized it was a water moccasin and it occurred to me I have occasional misidentified a non-poisonous snake as poisonous but I have never mistaken a poisonous snake as non-poisonous. In North America, with a couple of rare exceptions, you really can't miss the thick bodies and triangle head of the pit vipers.

Regardless, unless they represent an immediate threat to life and limb I let them live, as I get older I am more convinced karma can be a *****.

 

[Ken]

Beltzington Believe what you will about the hole in the boat. O'k
Get your map of Arkansas. close to southern boarder town of El Dorado and take state Hwy. 167 to where it crosses the Ouachita river look for a lake called the Calin on the river. the incident as told to me by a John Boat owner with a large patch in bottom close to where the person operating the outboard would be sitting. The man grew up and lived in the area good portion of his life. worked with and traveled with for over 20 years. Never knew him to stretch a tale to tight. but as you may call it what you want. I know my statement of hole shot in boat at a snake landing in the boat. If fact checking look for the years around '74.
ken

 

[MossRoad]

That and similar stories have been around for years. Google the story and it comes up in books, legends, tall tales, etc.... it's a good laugh, so let's just leave it for the humor that it is... and hope we never have such a fishing partner.

One thing about fishermen.... they are all tale-tellers, and wouldn't be respected if they weren't good at it.