Turkey Scouting and Snake Encounters Hunting Articles - Our View
Turkey Scouting - Watch for Snakes!
By: Kenny Presnell
Turkey
Turkey season is just around the corner. My wife, Brenda, and I went on a little scouting trip this past weekend looking for turkey signs. We came across a few tracks and several places where turkey had scratched out the road. But turkey sign was not all we found. Camouflaged in the leaves, I noticed this little Pigmy Rattlesnake:
Pigmy Rattlesnake
We've run across these little fellows just about everywhere -- from the wilderness of the wildlife management areas to the comfort of our hunt camp. They are sometimes referred to as ground rattlers. They are one of Florida's venomous snakes. Their bite is usually not deadly if you're a healthy adult, but it is painful and can result in the loss of a finger (or toe) if that's where you happen to get bit. Their bite, however, could be more serious to an infant or elderly person. Here is another pigmy rattler we found on a sandy road in the Apalachicola National Forest.
Pigmy Rattlesnake
Like his little brother in the first photo, this Pigmy Rattlesnake also took up a getting-ready-to-fight stance when I took his picture.
While we're on the subject of snakes to be on the look out for, here is a Water Moccasin, sometimes called a Cottonmouth. I saw him on the highway, and I stopped to get this photo. I noticed that he didn't quite make it.
Water Moccasin
Water Moccasin
If you do any scouting along a river, you might want to keep your eyes open overhead as well as on the ground. While traveling along the Ochlockonee River, I spotted this water moccasin hanging around.
The Water Moccasin is in the "water" snake group and is usually found around water sources and wet marshy areas. Sometimes you can see them on the highways, like we did, during dry, hot spells when they are out searching for water. The Water Moccasin is a poisonous snake. However, their bite may not be fatal if immediate medical treatment is provided. If you're interested in my true-life encounter with a water moccasin, you might want to read about me and Brenda at the "turkey log" here.
What discussion of snakes would be complete without mentioning the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. I saw this guy making his way down the highway, when I got this photo.
Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake
The Eastern Diamondback is the largest and considered the most dangerous of Florida's native snakes. It also ranks high on the list of poisonous snakes of the world. They can grow to eight feet long, but most adult Eastern Diamondbacks are in the six to seven foot range. This is one snake you definitely want to stayaway from.
I hope I haven't scared you away from the great outdoors. Just remember that with adventure comes possible danger, whichcan be avoided. So keep your eyes open when scouting or hunting turkeys, deer, or hogs.
