Did I scream and run away? No. I went and got my camera and zoomed in on the sucker. It watched me. I went around the other side of it and the head followed me. And back around again. The head followed me.
I spend a lot of time in the bushes and am far more likely to see fields of purple Ironweed, Vernonia novaboracensis, than poisonous slithering reptiles.
Those fields of purple pull me in and pull me over. I wade through the tall lush for a better look and a better shot, not thinking much at all about the varmints that constantly surround me.
The varmints I do think about and loath the most are the field mice. They don't stay in the field where they belong. One died somewhere in my truck recently. You can imagine how that smells. I spent this evening turning over all the sofas and chairs at the house next door to find the mouse that won't get caught. It pushes the glue traps aside to get to the food left as a lure. I found a mouse had been storing cat food and sunflower seeds in the innards underneath Bulbarella's main lounging chair. Damn varmints!
You can see why I wouldn't be quick to want to kill a poisonous Copperhead snake. It was a small thing anyway, only about 14 to 16 inches long. The head followed me.
It was time to get back to work though and this snake was to close for comfort. I took a rake and tried to shoo it off. It coiled up into a striking position. Shoo snake. I have my picture. Now get. I don't have time for this. It recoiled to strike. I took the rake again, scooped it up with the ends of the soft tines and flung the snake off into the bushes. It got the message and got moving after that. I'll be just fine if it is another four years before I see another Copperhead.
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10 comments:
Christopher,
Found one here a few years ago. I put it in a can and let it go on the 205 acre lot of the 12 million house down the street. Figured the land was so much it would have a great home. If it got into the 18,000 sq ft house doubt the one person that lives there would ever see it.
I am not so generous on this side of the mountain. If it's poisonous, it most likely will meet it's demise. Black snakes, they are welcomed. Watch out for rattlers too. They are here as well. We just killed one a couple weeks ago in my flowerbed close to my porch.
You are braver than I am for sure!
One hears about this creature much more often than one sees it. Great shots. I am glad you didn't step on it.
Wow, a rake's distance would have been too close for me! After a diet of all those mice, though, you might end up with a bigger copperhead on your hands!
If this Copperhead had been at my house I might have felt differently. I have seen the kitties playing with snakes more than once. I worry about them getting bit. But it was at a client's mostly vacant second home. I could toss it back into the forest with no worries.
Seems like critters of all kinds are more visible than usual this summer - our first bear sightings in our three years living in this house, more rabbits and squirrels, and more snakes of all kinds. I'll admit I enjoy your capture of the purple wildflowers more than contemplating your copperhead.
Glue traps are useless. I've had to use snap traps (the ones with the black hoods, so you don't have to look at the poor mouse until you release it from the trap). They're at Lowe's.
I've only seen one copperhead on my farm in 15 years, surprisingly, although I'm sure there's more around than one! A lot of similar-looking water snakes though.
PS The Ironweed is gorgeous.
Good for you for not taking a sharp spade or hoe to the snake's head. That would have been the traditional way of dealing with the situation.
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