Requiem for a snake

[DocHeb]

There's also problems with ducks nesting in upland habitat - the mothers won't abandon the nest until it's too late to escape the tractor/mower. Concerned mowers build a pipe extension off the front of the tractor with chains hanging down every 12" or so (covering the width of the tractor) - this sweeps the grass in front of the tractor and raises the ducks earlier, and the nest can be avoided. Would probably work for other animals (but not snakes!).

 

[TresCrows]

I accidently chopped up a snake that had been hanging around here for several years, it made me sick. I had no idea he was in the dry lake as I mowed down the dead cat tails. I now take more effort to clear my area of animals.
I was bitten by a Copperhead also, used to run barefoot for the cross coutry team. It was rather painful and not something I would want to do again.
I only kill posinous snakes if they seem to be a threat, non posinous snakes are always welcome. We have a hawk nesting pair, a nesting owl, some Bluebirds, Redwings, some Scissortails, various snakes, varmints, Coyotes in the woods behind us and those darn deer--yeah--and of them all it is the deer that are wearing their welcome out.
Did anyone hear Ted Nugent on Shawn today? I have to say that while I support hunting and gun ownership and all that stuff does anyone else think he was just a bit strange with that "thump of the bow--and twang of the arrow--and primal scream that is Rock and Roll" stuff. Could he possibly be suffering some kinda venison or drug induced state not unlike the one Ozzie is living in, name of his new Book --Kill It and Grill It-------ooookkayyyyy.
Well maybe he will eat Ozzie, the official poster boy of this is what is left of your mind after it has been on drugs and R&R. I meana, aahhhh, I meannaa ma, maa, ahhaa, like, a ah, ahha ha na n, far out. J

 

[Ozarker]

A few years ago when I lived in town, I was doing the first mow of the year with a push mower. As I made about the second or third pass around the back yard, I saw something come out of the side discharge chute and up against the fence. I looked a little closer to see what it was and it was a baby rabbit. I quickly shut down the mower and moved it to fine a small nest with three or four other babies just sitting there looking up at me.

I took a closer look at the one that came out from under the mower and it didn't appear to be hurt in any way. Must have belly crawled to be missed by that blade.

I quit mowing that day and the next day when I looked, momma had moved all the babies.

 

[Bird]

<font color=blue>momma had moved all the babies</font color=blue>

Maybe? Ozarker, when I was raising rabbits, I learned that a common problem is with the babies crawling out of the nest, and unlike most animals, a mother rabbit will not pick up or move a baby rabbit. And what I've read about wild rabbits is that they are the same way. I've read that they most frequently have the babies in a burrow so that they will roll back to the bottom if they start to crawl out before they're big enough to get around on their own. So . . ., for wild rabbits, what I've read only; for domestic rabbits, lots of experience and a number of lost babies.

About 3 years ago, I was digging my potatoes in the garden with the middle buster and plowed up a nest of 5 baby rabbits; didn't know a cottontail had dug a burrow into the hill under one of the plants. They didn't even have their eyes open yet, so they did not survive.

 

[MossRoad]

Around here, the rabbits just dig out a shallow hole right in the middle of the lawn, about 4 inches across and 2 inches deep. They line it with fur and cover the babies with grass clippings. The mommas don't come around until dark. We check on them occaionally, when we find them. They don't stick around long. Usually about a week, then all you see is little bunnies hopping around the yard /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif. They appear to be on their second set of babies already this year, as there are two sizes of little bunnies all over my yard and garden.