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Post by type1troy on Apr 13, 2006 20:48:16 GMT -5
Be aware that there has been a 4 ft. long rattlesnake spotted on the trail. This should come as no surprise since they are a dominant species in our heavily wooded Sumter Nat'l Forest. Just wanted to give everyone a head's up and to be real careful and be safe.
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Post by azdrawdy on Apr 14, 2006 13:13:22 GMT -5
HA! Had a guy at work get bitten on his finger yesterday. Guess what he was doing...Yep, since it was just a small one, he was going to play with it. He's now in ICU at the local hospital...
Michael
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Post by ted on Apr 15, 2006 7:21:56 GMT -5
Before the discussion goes any further, there will be no killing of any creatures on the trails to protect us humans!!! I was in the parking lot yesterday and overheard someone say "if we see any more we need to get rid of 'em". I'm afraid people are thinking it; but please, let's not do it.
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Post by azdrawdy on Apr 19, 2006 7:19:40 GMT -5
Nope, we don't need to go out of our way to kill'em. If you give them a tiny bit of space, they will happily get out of your way. Heck, I always look at a snake on the trail as a good time to practice my jumping skills (or severe lack thereof!). The times I really feel bad is when I have thumped a turtle. Happens quite often on Horn Creek, right down by the duck pond on section 2...Them little buggers look awful close to a rock! Michael
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Post by Rich Borst on Jun 25, 2006 13:59:42 GMT -5
I saw a CAnebrake on the long part of the skinny trail last Saturday. No, we shouldn't kill them but be aware of where and when they are out and about. I've seen a bunch of lizards of all kinds which is a good sign that the pit vipers are around. No problem. I've seen copperheads at Turkey Creek and run over a water moccasin on wine. Fortunately it was too cold for them to strike.
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Post by ehscott on Jul 9, 2006 19:28:35 GMT -5
A friend of mine went out and rode the Great Wall this afternoon and ran across the rattler (not literally). He saw the last two feet of snake sticking out from behind a log beside the trail and stopped about 20 ft from it. He tried to provoke it into moving off the trail by throwing something at it, which only made it coil up in a defensive posture. He wound up having to walk the bike off the trail around the snake because apparently once they coil up they don't leave very quickly. The incident got me to wondering: if a snake is just off the trail and can't be seen (and thus avoided) are you in any danger of getting struck by just riding by on the trail? If the first person by isn't in danger, is somebody riding behind them in danger of getting struck (if the snake coils up when the first rider goes by)?
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Post by mtbazhiker on Jul 10, 2006 11:36:02 GMT -5
The incident got me to wondering: if a snake is just off the trail and can't be seen (and thus avoided) are you in any danger of getting struck by just riding by on the trail? If the first person by isn't in danger, is somebody riding behind them in danger of getting struck (if the snake coils up when the first rider goes by)? Yes! Having moved here from Arizona I have encountered numerous rattlesnakes. I have never been bit because snakes are typically more scared of you. While snakes by the trail are a danger, so is losing control and smacking your head into a tree. Isn't that what makes our sport so exciting?
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Post by seenvic on Aug 14, 2006 13:20:02 GMT -5
I found a foot long rattlesnack in my garage on Saturday.
Picked it up w/ a shovel, and while speaking in tongues, threw it far back in the woods.
This is a couple miles from FATS.
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Post by wooglin on Aug 14, 2006 16:55:49 GMT -5
Rattlesnack? Yum! Them little guys are tasty!!!
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