Snake Season

It's snake season for a lot of areas and will be snake season for others pretty soon. Thinking of this, I thought I'd share a story, a true story of something that happened to me when I was a teen.

I got a job through the school for the summer of 86. Not just any job! A job working for the Labosa Springs Fish Hatchery in my schools town of Pecos, New Mexico!! I was totally stoked! I'm gonna take care of the Trout!

There was that, but mostly I was cutting weeds 6', 7' tall around the settling pond. One day we were tasked with moving rocks out of a field so it could be brush-hogged. When I say rocks, I do mean ROCKS! One or two or three of us would lift the rock and put it in the tractor to be hauled off. Three of us circle this big rock looking it over. We step in and I grab hold of this thing and begin lifting my side so we can get it on its edge to put a strap on it. Someone yelled snake and everyone started moving! I was holding the rock! I turned it lose and stepped back... To late.

The rock missed me but the snake did not. Everyone looked on in horror as first my knee and then my inner thigh began to swell with my jeans getting tight on my right leg. I grabbed my right thigh just below my crotch and held on tight!! Everyone just stood there, the look on their faces said it all. I'M DEAD! I'm shaking and sweating and holding onto my right thigh for all that I'm worth. Slowly, very, very slowly, holding by leg tight, I began to slide my hands down my leg. As I got closer to my knee, I really began to shake! I continued adding pressure and sliding my hands down my leg. Before I knew it my hands were passed my knee. Then I seen it!!! The tail... No rattles! I reached down and grabbed the tail and yanked the damn thing out of my pants leg, straightened up, twirled it over my head and gave it a fling. When it landed, it was set upon by a monster of a man wielding a large weed eater. He killed a bull snake.

My point of telling you this is this: wear the correct clothing/footwear and protective gear, as well as take all precautions when dealing with rocks. Lift them AWAY from you! Its the simple things that will keep you safe and if you forget, it could kill you.

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Replies

  • As a kid on our ranch, I was irrigating. I picked up the end of a 8” pipe and it exploded with buzzing.  I dropped it like a hot iron.  There were 4 rattlers in it and 3 more under it on my end of the pipe.  They were gone by the time I ran to the truck for a shovel. Too close for comfort!

  • Nothing like being in a old abandoned building and of course while looking down come across a big black snake hanging from a ceiling face to face when you look up!  

    • Lol, there is an attention getter!

  •  i hear the snakes in vermont are very active at this time of year .cheers for sharing your story 

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