Snake Boots

Mannlicher

Mannlicher

Joined
Nov 19, 2008
Messages
3,400
I was up at 5 AM this morning, and drove the 40+ miles to the Osceola National Forest. It has rained a lot recently, and the woods are very wet. When I parked, there was a steady downpour, and I was wearing a Seattle Sombrero rain hat and a USGI Poncho.

I was walking a trail into the Impassable Bay swamp, when I felt a sharp blow to my left foot. A two foot cotton mouth had just struck my Rocky 16" snake boot. I was surprised that I had not seen the critter before I was that close to him. I can't think of another time in my life where I was surprised by a snake like that.

I hate to think of how all that would have turned out had I not been wearing those boots. In Florida, snake boots are a must, not something to wear on a rare occasion.

The Moccasin is slithering about in a better place now.........;)
 
Snake boots make no sense to me... at all.
Then you kill the snake? :barf:
 
Lycosa said:
Snake boots make no sense to me... at all.
Then you kill the snake? :barf:
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.......let me try to 'splane it better. YOU wear the snake boots, not the snake.

and yes, if the snake trys you, you kill it. Every time. No exceptions. :eek:
 
Thanks for getting rid of another venomous pest. :) I have a couple pair of snake boots,but rarely go places I need 'em.
 
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I've had a pair of rocky snake boots for about 7 years now, still going strong.....great to see it didn't break the skin buddy!!!!!
 
You're quite fortunate! I've had several encounters and water moccasins are the most aggressive. I typically leave snakes alone, but on my property where kids run around, I'll kill any of the venomous ones. We found a large Eastern King snake yesterday...I wish I could get more like that; they'll kill and eat mocassins!

ROCK6
 
although the moccasican is agressive its venom is only 1/2 as strong as the eastern diamondback which frequents your area & is the most poisonous snake in america.
 
The cottonmouth is not aggressive. I heard all the stories and they're bs.
 
Lycosa said:
The cottonmouth is not aggressive. I heard all the stories and they're bs.
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Yes, they can be extremely aggressive and unprovoked at that.
I am a very old school herp friend with plenty of field experience, and much of it with these fellas (Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana) and I know exactly what I am talking about.
 
Lycosa said:
The cottonmouth is not aggressive. I heard all the stories and they're bs.
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I don't know what to say in reply to that. I have encountered a number of 'aggressive' moccasins, the one today comes to mind.

If you are saying that they won't go out of their way to mess with you, then I'll agree. If you are saying that when confronted they won't strike, then I will call BS. :D

I have encountered more snakes in the wild than a lot of folks, since I tend to hike and mess about in some fairly nasty terrain. I never go looking for snake trouble, and will go out of my way to avoid an interface with one.
If push comes to shove though, if one strikes at me, then I take appropriate action.
 
Lycosa said:
The cottonmouth is not aggressive. I heard all the stories and they're bs.
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I heard from both parties; of my four close encounters, only one was not aggressive. In my wilder youth, I use to hunt rattlesnakes for my highschool secretary (she made snake-skin belts, hand bands and some real cool rattler ear-rings for the girls); I must have killed close to 70-80 rattlers. I never had one aggressive towards me without being provoked...that's not the case I've had with cottonmouths. Like I've said, of my four personal encounters, three were aggressive without being provoked. That doesn't mean much against the cottonmouths on a larger scale as there are so many factors involved, but in my world, they are the most aggressive of the pit vipers I've run into. While I don't fear the pit vipers, I give the cottonmouth much more respect as they can be territorial and easily provoked.

ROCK6
 
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I was at work folding a tarp up that has been rained on, while i wasn't wearing snake boots, I had on a pair of Welco's on, they are leather and steel toe..well anyways, i noticed a thump on the tip of my boot, and a 17" cottenmouth was attached to the tip of my boot. Thank god they were steel toe.
 
With all due respect to all posters: if the snake attacked, it MUST be terminated. You don't mess with pit vipers.
It is just coincidence, but I just killed a small viper ¡¡INSIDE MY HOUSE!!, today (a few minutes ago). I'm no expert, but the vipers in Panamá, as a rule, are amongst the most dangerous in the world.
 
I know snakes. I met a leading authority on the cottonmouth when I worked at Reptiland. Unless a snake is trying to eat you, snakes to not attack people. Give me a break. :eek:
 
Lycosa said:
I know snakes. I met a leading authority on the cottonmouth when I worked at Reptiland. Unless a snake is trying to eat you, snakes to not attack people. Give me a break. :eek:
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LOL.. so all the people bitten by differant snakes in the USA or anywhere for that matter, were bitten by a snake that intended to eat them?

I want some of whatever you're smokin! LOL.... must be good chit! :D
 
Lycosa said:
I know snakes. I met a leading authority on the cottonmouth when I worked at Reptiland. Unless a snake is trying to eat you, snakes to not attack people. Give me a break. :eek:
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Maybe the many I've dealt with and have had attack without provocation didn't get the memo.
I worked with and rehabilitated many native herps and raptors through WRANPS and the Marine Research Lab in Biloxi, MS., the Audubon Zoo has several snakes from my collection as breeders and I cut my teeth on volunteer work @ Woodland Park Zoo. This is all in addition to my personal research and fieldwork in Washington, California, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Florida. Bragging aside, I've dealt with more than a few Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin in person. They can be, and are generally aggressive. I can also give you specifics on behaviors of a few other pits, many colubrids and many, many pythons.
I do mean this post with respect, but herp (or any other species) behavior cannot be easily summed up with totality. Experience rules.
 
Ive seen quite a few Bites on the ambulance from those buggers. Usually people fishing at the lake of the ozarks. Everyone who lives around here knows cottonmouths(especially females) are aggressive and territorial. Especially when they have young nearby. Ive seen them with my own eyes attack canoes on float trips. Nasty buggers.
 
I don't care about aggressive snakes who want to eat me. I do care about the one who I might scare when I slip near its hidey hole, or accidentally corner it and it instinctively protects itself. My working days and nights are spent in snake habitat. In Thirteen years, one colleague has been bitten by a poisonous snake, three others have seen poisonous snakes, and I have seen one of those dead.
Until two months ago, when work took me to India, I have never even thought about snake boots, but I figured I should get some kind of armor. Although snake boots do not protect against cobras, there are vipers here that are more likely to bite on purpose, or defensively. I bought snake boots, chaps and snake gaurds, which a gaiters that will protect from cobras. I only wear those at night, and have never worn the chaps, but wear the boots religiously. No one else has any snake gear at all, but some say they will the next time they come to India.
The best thing about snake boots is the thorn protection, even in the states I have to run through cactus, stinging vines, thorny plants, and the like. I imagine they will give me a few more seconds to knock fire ants off my legs when I get to Florida again.
So, man eating snakes or not, the boots are useful, and I don't have to pull thorns out of my legs as often, so I will be wearing them from now on. I am working in 110 degree heat as well, and the boots are no more uncomfortable than my standard work boots.
 
Lycosa said:
I know snakes. I met a leading authority on the cottonmouth when I worked at Reptiland. Unless a snake is trying to eat you, snakes to not attack people. Give me a break. :eek:
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I think the point all along was that when in snake territory, wearing snake boots is not a bad idea.

I'll leave the 'truth' regarding the aggressive tendencies of moccasins to the real experts.
 
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