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Snakes alive! Arizona man, 91, doing fine after rattler bite


Phaeton10

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They skipped a mention of which store which leaves me curious.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akz0EtFEKPk

 

 

Found it!

 

http://www.havasunews.com/news/man-recovering-after-being-bitten-by-rattlesnake-in-quartzsite/article_a30f3920-3b14-11e4-9486-4780edf8eb7a.html

 

 

 

The incident occurred at 11:57 a.m., at the Quartzsite General Store on Main Street. Frank Anner said he'd just opened the door and walked into the store when he was bitten just above his ankle by the adult Western Diamondback, a rattlesnake common in Arizona.

 

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These two stories are proof that you can't believe everything you read. One story says the two snakes were killed and the other say's they were captured and released in the desert.

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It is the desert after all and you just have to be aware no matter where you are. With the current temperatures they are out and about and lively. I have lived in Arizona since 1966 which included hunting in particular Dove and Quail. If you pay attention there is really no problem if not you see what happens.

 

The incident did in fact happen. As to how the snakes was disposed of I have not idea. I don't think it matters actually.

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If you're in Arizona, you'd better not kill a rattlesnake unless you can distinguish between the species, since four of them are protected:

 

Massasauga

Twin-spotted

Ridge-nosed

Rock

 

http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/arizona-rattlesnakes.shtml

Most species of humans are protected also but try to hurt me or mine ! Just Sayin :D

And what makes these four snakes so special ? Are they actually more valuable than a humans life ? Kind of reminds me of archeological sites that we cant touch, Well get real this whole world is an archeological site. This place I am working is one such site. It takes an act of Congress almost to be able to dig a hole for a post and then they sift through the dirt looking for artifacts and if they find anything it is placed in a zip lock bag and recorded and put back in the hole you just dug. Wonder who pays for all of this ? :huh:

Jim Spence

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If you're in Arizona, you'd better not kill a rattlesnake unless you can distinguish between the species, since four of them are protected:

 

Massasauga

Twin-spotted

Ridge-nosed

Rock

 

http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/arizona-rattlesnakes.shtml

 

With all due respect to ESA. The hospital wants you to kill the snake and bring it to the emergency room.

 

A friend was releasing a rattlesnake from his rat trap. What a nice guy!! So caring.

 

The snake hit him with ONE fang. Three days in intensive care and a bill to his insurance company for $40,000. I was never to concerned about rattlesnakes until I saw him in the hospital. Now I am really paranoid. During snake season I keep the 20 gauge handy around the house. Forget a shovel.....I am not taking chances.

Vladimr Steblina

Retired Forester...exploring the public lands.

usbackroads.blogspot.com

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The problem is that if you bring in a protected snake the hospital is supposed to notify law enforcement and it can get very ugly.

Keep in mind the only snakes the folks writing these laws are familiar with is the type offering them a "fact finding tour" to Aruba. Do not expect any common sense or forethought. The folks enforcing the rules have little leeway.

The maximum penalty for killing a species protected by the Federal Endangered Species Act is one year in jail and a $50,000 fine.

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The problem is that if you bring in a protected snake the hospital is supposed to notify law enforcement and it can get very ugly.

 

Keep in mind the only snakes the folks writing these laws are familiar with is the type offering them a "fact finding tour" to Aruba. Do not expect any common sense or forethought. The folks enforcing the rules have little leeway.

 

 

Cant do it Stanley !! I don't have the cash and the jails are overpopulated already. So I suppose if theres anything not mutilated to bad a person could take a picture.. Might have to use Photoshop on it though :)

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The problem is that if you bring in a protected snake the hospital is supposed to notify law enforcement and it can get very ugly.

 

Keep in mind the only snakes the folks writing these laws are familiar with is the type offering them a "fact finding tour" to Aruba. Do not expect any common sense or forethought. The folks enforcing the rules have little leeway.

 

 

 

Never put your health in danger!!!

 

Yes, government employees over the years have lost some common sense. But there is always not only officer discretion, judge discretion and finally jury nullification.

 

We have a lot of grizzly shootings in "self-defense" in eastern Washington, Idaho and Montana. The complaints about the Feds getting it wrong have really gone down. It is taken seriously to get it right.

 

One time in my career I was having a difficult time with a decision and finally went in to talk about with my boss. His advice was first to determine "what was the right thing to do". Then he said "figure out how to do it legally". I think that concept applies here.

 

Granted there are grey areas. For example, we have had wolves move into our area the past few years. I thought long and hard about it and yes I would shoot a wolf if it attacked my dog. If it was attacking a human I wouldn't even think about hesitating too pull the trigger.

Vladimr Steblina

Retired Forester...exploring the public lands.

usbackroads.blogspot.com

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In all the years I lived in Arizona and in all the years we've spent there during the winter wandering around the desert, we've never come across a rattlesnake. As long as you pay attention to where you are walking and don't put your hands or your feet someplace where you cannot see what's there beforehand, you should never have a problem. By the same token, don't let your pets wander around unleashed where they can put their noses down holes or underneath bushes where a rattlesnake may be hiding.

 

At the website to which I gave the link, above, if you click on "Living with Venomous Reptiles," it gives some good information about snakes. While it's aimed at homeowners who live in Arizona, it contains information that anyone wandering around the desert should heed.

LindaH
2014 Winnebago Aspect 27K
2011 Kia Soul

 

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A good snake is a dead snake

My wife agrees with this statement. I don't so much having seen a number of rattlers over the years and most I just left alone unless the posed a specific problem. They do have their place in the ego system. The list of protected rattlers are those because there are very few of them, highly unlike you will even see one. If you live in their home you will encounter those critters, rattle snakes, scorpions, centipedes, tarantulas; just be aware and live life. <_< I find it rather amusing people move to the desert and worry not only about those I listed but coyotes, wild pigs, in some location Mountain lions even. I wonder what they expect? :P

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rattle snakes, scorpions, centipedes, tarantulas ,coyotes, wild pigs, Mountain lions

 

Non-protected rattlers and wild pigs are good eating always welcome to drop into my camp and stay for dinner. The rest of them I don't have recipes for and am happy to have them go elsewhere.

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Arizona and Texas are not the only states with poisonous snakes. A couple of weeks ago we killed a Pigmy Rattlesnake in my back yard. His 2 companions escaped. We think the gator living in the pond down the road killed the cotton mouth rattler living there as well since no one has seen the snake recently and the gator looked pretty happy, LOL.

 

We live with the cross Florida Greenway as our back yard. This protected state land is full of all sorts of wild animals. You have to watch where you walk. As stated previously, you don't reach or walk in areas you have not checked before hand. We carry a walking stick, not for walking, but for banging in hidden areas. We used to just walk through the pathway our resort volunteers maintain in the Greenway, but now we are more aware and wear the proper clothes with the aforementioned walking stick.

GS Lifetime #822128658, FMCA #F431170

 

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Non-protected rattlers and wild pigs are good eating always welcome to drop into my camp and stay for dinner. The rest of them I don't have recipes for and am happy to have them go elsewhere.

In Florida the authorities put out cookbooks for iguanas, since they are invaders and cause lots of damage.

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When I lived in Apache Jct. Az.; my nephew who was 17 came home with a Tarantula. I told him to get the Darned thing out of my house. As he lived with us I asked him who was paying the hospital bill if he got bit! Told him to get it back to where it came from. I lived there 9 yrs. and never seen a rattler; scorpion in my yard as i kept it pretty much cleaned up. Sprayed around the foundation about every month.

I told people if we ever run out of chickens; cows; or pigs; or fish then just maybe I may resort to eating wildlife. My first would be deer; then Wild Turkey; and maybe a squirrel. I would have to be quite starving to eat snake! :rolleyes::huh::P

:) Living Life One Day At A Time!

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If you're in Arizona, you'd better not kill a rattlesnake unless you can distinguish between the species, since four of them are protected:

 

Massasauga

Twin-spotted

Ridge-nosed

Rock

 

http://www.azgfd.gov/w_c/arizona-rattlesnakes.shtml

 

Just follow the Montana Rule of 3-S's, SHOOT, SHOVEL, AND SHUT UP. No problem.

 

Joe

Joe

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My wife agrees with this statement. I don't so much having seen a number of rattlers over the years and most I just left alone unless the posed a specific problem. They do have their place in the ego system. The list of protected rattlers are those because there are very few of them, highly unlike you will even see one. If you live in their home you will encounter those critters, rattle snakes, scorpions, centipedes, tarantulas; just be aware and live life. <_< I find it rather amusing people move to the desert and worry not only about those I listed but coyotes, wild pigs, in some location Mountain lions even. I wonder what they expect? :P

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I have found that the meanest down right dirt ugly species around are Humans and YES they are protected too although they may have a few less rights than a snake ;)

Jim Spence

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I have found that the meanest down right dirt ugly species around are Humans and YES they are protected too although they may have a few less rights than a snake ;)

And a LOT fewer rights than a corporation...

 

WDR

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Our daughter moved into a new housing development in Richland, WA a couple years back... new parks, new schools (no recession there, apparently). No one told the snakes about all this stuff and she remarked that the "dog park" had a few rattlesnakes and even a few in hre neighborhood. She recently moved to the Puget Sound area where the only snakes are the human variety.

 

Most people in the USA now live in metropolitan areas where the snakes have pretty much all been evicted. We've lived and hiked in snake country (mostly deserts) all our lives and have always been careful.

 

If we are hiking, we use walking sticks... preferably one in each hand. I encourage everyone to make plenty of noise with feet and walking sticks. Snakes cannot hear but they are very sensitive to vibrations in the ground. I buy good (light weight) walking sticks now but when they weren't so much in fashion we just picked them up along the trail.

 

Third person in line on a desert trail be very cautious. First person past a snake under a sagebrush and the snake goes alert. Second person and the snake gets nervous. Third person and the snake is likely to strike if it cannot get away.

 

I am now hard of hearing and the rattle of a rattlesnake is in the middle of my hearing loss band so I am especially careful. If you have hearing loss be aware of this.

 

Dogs can be vaccinated against rattlesnake venom.

 

Do not leave doors open. Rattlesnakes are ambush predators and choose places to hide... just inside a doorway can seem perfect to them. Especially if it's shady. Zip up tent entrances!

 

Ten years as a scoutmaster with weekly campouts and hikes and we never had a snake incident.

 

WDR

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  • 2 months later...

Tarantulas will bite if handled roughly but they are not poisonous. Lots of them in NM, just enjoy looking at them and then just walk down the trail The same is true of rattlers. Something like 90% of those bitten are drunk young men with the attitude of "Hold ma' beer Bubba and watch this!" That said, I would not have rattlers in my home back yard (a once a time statement since we are full-timers). Our kids have a friend who captured Banded Rock Rattlers and sold them for folks who liked having this beautiful and small snake in terrariums (quite illegal since Crotalus lepidus klauberi is protected in New Mexico). I told him that I had read that Rock Rattlers have never been known to strike. He said that his buddy had been struck in the hand. I asked how this happened. "..he was stuffing it into a Tupperware jar.." Moral is "don't pick up small and inoffensive snakes, and particularly do not pick up large and aggressive snakes.

 

When I went to work at White Sands Missile Range in 1973 there had been a serious snake bite event. A guy hated snakes and carried a piece of bent iron in his pickup. He saw one once when he didn't have his 4' iron, got out of his government pickup and tried to kill one with a piece of 2' iron. He was hospitalized for a few weeks.. The accident report had the laconic statement in lessons learned, "Do not try to kill a 3' snake with a 2' stick."

 

We had a number of Westerns, Diamondbacks, and Mojaves wind up in our lab at White Sands. One guy had made a snake catching device. We would catch them, put them in 50 gallon trash can and put on the lid before carrying them out to a pickup and depositing him/her a quarter mile away.

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Had an interesting run in with a very young Diamondback, crotalus atrox about 28 years ago. I was taking our son and daughter for a walk in the Organ Mountains near Las Cruces. I noticed that one of our son's shoes was untied. So he sat down to tie it - and an 18" long Diamondback struck him on the sole of his shoe. Had to grab the dogs (a Rottie and a black mutt - the greatest dog we ever had) as they were incensed. Hiked for a couple of hours and saw the same snake about 50 meters away from first spot (have only seen two snakes that small in my life which has included a lot of rock climbing and hiking).

 

When we got home, they excitedly told Elaine about their big adventure. And then Elaine told me what she thought of the big adventure. It was not fun.

 

Reed and Elaine

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