August 28, 2013
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The Year of the Snake
When we were in New Mexico in July, Jeremy and Justin went hunting early one morning with my sister's sons. I think they went thinking that they might scare up a rabbit or perhaps a prairie dog. My nephew had told the story of hunting for rabbit one morning and before he could get close enough to take a shot, a coyote had jumped out of a bush and snatched the rabbit. With that story in mind, they set out armed with a pellet gun, two bows and a range finder. I'm sure the hunting party wasn't the quietest thing on that New Mexico mesa that morning, but they were quiet enough that a rattlesnake didn't hear them coming in time to dive for cover. When they came marching home, they had the snake skewered on an arrow and excitement was high. By the time I got out to see their prey, the snake had lost his rattles and was just about to lose his head. Those rattles now reside in a box in my kitchen. I haven't convinced Justin that they'll be safer somewhere else.
Last week I was driving home by myself just after sunset when I saw a snake on the road about a quarter of a mile from our house. I didn't think he looked like a blacksnake, so I aimed the van straight for it. As I got closer I began to suspect that it was a copperhead, but I didn't think that I would have much of a chance of killing it. After I thought I had gone far enough, I backed up in time so see it slither into the grass at the edge of the road. I turned my wheels and drove into the grass determined for a kill. Justin and JJ had been picking up trash along the road just the day before and I didn't want this fellow to be around if they decided to beautify the neighborhood any more. After several changes in direction, I decided that I had wounded the snake and headed home for a stick or something. As I pulled in Justin popped out of the house and I saw a rake leaning there. Justin joined me and we grabbed the rake and headed back down the road.
Sure enough, it was still there so I used the rake to pull the snake out of the grass and this time I tried to stop the front tire on the snake's body. I finally snagged the snake on the tines of the rake and drove home again - this time with a snake hanging off the rake out the window. Everyone had to take a look and as we released him from the rake, he began to writhe on the patio. Once again we were facing a snake that was about to lose its head. After the head and body had been separated, we calmed down.
Normally I don't kill snakes and didn't even get real excited when we saw a black snake sneak into our crawl space one summer, but when I see a poisonous one, I do change my tune. We've gone for years without seeing poisonous snakes outside of a zoo, so seeing and killing two in one season definitely marks this year as the Year of the Snake.
Comments (3)
Wow! I'm glad no one was bitten. I see garter snakes around here but a rattlesnake would be scary. I only saw one once in the wild and somehow a big rock got picked up and thrown at it.
We walked away!
Wow!!!! Ewwww!!! I abhor snakes, and fear them with every ounce of my being. It is funny because we've been talking about this ever since we found a two-foot long garter snake in our yard the other day (first we've seen here).
I blame growing up in Africa for my fear--as there snakes were a daily threat. You killed first and identified said dead snake after it was good and dead.
I admire your courage in going back to make sure that snake was dead, but I'm glad I was nowhere around at the time!
Oh my! You are brave!! The only place we see snakes here is at the zoo, or in a pet store! My family and I were boating one year and a snake had gotten in the boat and slithered behind my back ... well, you can imagine my reaction to that! lol! My nephew picked it up, literally, and threw it over the side into the water! That's the closest I ever want to come to any sort of snake!
I also want to thank you for coming by my site here. Still not sure about this 'new' Xanga format. It's been confusing, and I don't recall Blogger ever being this hard to figure out, but I'll keep trying!
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