Snakes

[Paisano]

Well I did manage to see two snakes while I was in GSMNP this past week. One a dead water logged Rattlesnake on the Little River just below Fish Camp Prong. With it being dead it certainly didnt hurt me or my feelings very much. **** thing was about 3 feet long too!!!

Second was a tiny baby copperhead that crossed my walking path on the Anthony Creek Trail in Cades Cove. Other than that no snakes that distrubed any of my fishing.

The rattler was a wake up though!

Fish On!!!


Paisano

[Kevin_Thomas]

Had a snake sneak up on me yesterday ... I was above the cascades on middle prong. It came out of the water about 8 ft from me and froze once it saw me. It had a skinny black head and neck, but a large black and grey body with a large diamond pattern. It was 4 - 5 ft long. What was it?

[Skipper]

I fished the Nantahala over in NC last weekend (Delayed Harvest ends this week). We fished above the powerhouse all day and never saw a snake until we were just about to leave. I was casting to some risers upstream when out of the corner of my eye I saw what I thought was a big fish come up out of the water. It was a 3-4 ft. copperhead swimming downstream with its head sticking up about 6 inches out of the water. It swam right past me and stopped at a rock below me. It was so well camouflaged, it then just disappeared. This scared my horse pretty good and I decided it was time to head for the house.

[Gek]

Watch where you place your flyrod on the bank. Watch even closer when you go to pick it up. Got a couple shots of this rattler that my buddy came across this past Sunday at Tremont...

[thebig21]

The family and I were at Tremont before Easter and saw the same type of snake on the rocks. It was very still and probably cold at that time so we managed to get a good view. This was the 7th snake I have seen since early March and have since changed fishing and family fun locations.

All have been on land except 2 that were obviously water snakes and were not scared to try to get me wet...very aggressive!

[lauxier]

My late friend,Bill,hunted rattlesnakes.He made rattlesnake billfolds,purses etc.He diedc at the age of 96.He taught Zoology for may years at a Tenn. college.When he retired he took up snake hunting.He was bitten 29 times.The last bite hardly swelled.He and his wife,Ruth.vacationed in the Smokies every summer.He owned a cabin.I think it was in the Wear valley.Sometimes they would stay a month,usually July.Ruth would shop,Bill would explore the park.I talked to him often about snakes.I have a business.He was a good customer.Bill loved th park.Some of his comments about the park's snakes comes his vacations from the mid 60's to 1996 when he died.Agree or disagree here are a few of Rattlin Bill's comments.
1)The largest copperhead he ever saw was in the parking lot at Newfoundland Gap.It was over 60inches long!!!!
2)Be most careful around Tremont.It is very snakey.During the long drought of 1972-He saw and teased 8 rattlesnakes that lay along the banks of the stream.
3)Snakes are somewhat like bee's--Some are more aggressive than others--The hotter the summer,the more aggressive the snake--the drier the summer,the more aggressive the snake.
4)Noise will put most snakes in reverse
5)Don't tease snakes
6)Carry a snake bite kit and a small bottle of ammonia
7)Bill's snake bite treatment--(Like i said before this is what he told me)If you get bit--act as fast as possible--1)lance the bite with a sterile blade2)cut deep--don't stop cutting until you feel the blood running3)Pour ammonia over the lanced bite-wipe clean--pour again(Bill said ammonia will neutralize the venom!!)Apply a tourniquet--get it pretty tight--loosen when needed--Go to an ER.If you lance the bite correctley a suction cup will work well.Do not rinse the bite area with stream water--
the larger the snake the worse the bite
9)Rattlesnkes will not necessarily rattle.when you approach.About half the time they rattle an instant before striking.
10)Snakes can strike in water
11)Dark colored rocks attract more snakes than white or light colored rocks.
12)In late summer pine forests repel most tpes of snakes
13)honey suckle vines,moist-mossy logs,southern sun areas,attract snakes
14)Stay away from old structures
15)Where you find one snake--you will always find another close by--snakes are not loners
These are a few of Rattlin Bill's snakehunter theories,comments,instructions etc.

[lauxier]

By the way,Bill never killed any snakes in the park--and was never bitten while visiting the par

[JP]

Saw a rattlesnake crawling across the road above Elkmont campground where the houses are on Memorial Day. It was about 30" long. Never rattled, never moved, till I pushed it off the road. A couple of families were coming up the road from the parking lot with kids and thought I'd try to get it out of the way. The rattler was bright yellow with black bands. I HATE SNAKES!

[hoosier troutbum]

Del Striegel and I were fishing up the Middle Prong last year and had a pretty good sized and extremely upset timber rattler come washing down the stream between us. It was in fast water and was not happy about it, he would try to get up on a rock as he went tumbling past ( one of which Del was standing on!) He ended up about twenty feet below us in flat water and swam to shore. A park ranger told us that the snake was probably shedding and either fell into our simply got washed into the faster water. I have had a few water snake encounters before, but now I tend to pay a bit more attention after seeing a rattler that close. Be careful and don't forget to have fun.

[DrDan]

6)Carry a snake bite kit and a small bottle of ammonia
7)Bill's snake bite treatment--(Like i said before this is what he told me)If you get bit--act as fast as possible--1)lance the bite with a sterile blade2)cut deep--don't stop cutting until you feel the blood running3)Pour ammonia over the lanced bite-wipe clean--pour again(Bill said ammonia will neutralize the venom!!)Apply a tourniquet--get it pretty tight--loosen when needed--Go to an ER.If you lance the bite correctley a suction cup will work well.Do not rinse the bite area with stream water--

as a physician i would strongly advise against the medical treatment espoused above...except the getting quickly to the er part and not pouring stream water in the wound. that is good advice

there is an old adage in wilderness medicine..."the best snakebite kit in the field is keys to a vehicle in good running order"

1. never lance/suck the wound in the field. studies have shown that this is ineffective in removing the venom and may cause excessive tissue damage and bleeding as well as infection. the suction cups have failed to demonstrate efficacy in studies and using your mouth is well...gross...and also introduces more infection

2. NEVER use a tourniquet to restrict arterial flow. this causes more harm than good. the use of a constricting band to decrease lymphatic/venous flow has been suggested in serious envenomations (ie mojave rattler) but carries real risks and uncertain benefits. if you do not know how to properly apply one...do not do it.

3. do not pour chemicals on the wound. they can cause more local tissue damage and will not help

my advice

keep person calm. immobilze affected extremity and keep at level of heart. transport quickly to er. make sure the doctor is well versed in snake bite treatment ...i would request that they contact a medical toxicologist. there are great ones at vanderbilt in nashville and carolinas medical center in charlotte