I finally got bitten

You're crazy MF!!!

Very impressive video... Thanks for sharing.

I couldn't watch the whole video.....eebie jeebies!!!!!!! So glad it didn't get you in the face. That is ONE very NASTY snake!!!!!!!!!! As a kid I was chased out of Oyster Lake by one of those...........still having nightmares.

I couldn't watch the whole video.....eebie jeebies!!!!!!! So glad it didn't get you in the face. That is ONE very NASTY snake!!!!!!!!!! As a kid I was chased out of Oyster Lake by one of those...........still having nightmares.

You should have watched the footage of it shaking its tail. I wouldn't have thought the sound would be audible there in the sand, but it clearly was. It is a spectacle to see that defense mechanism occur in dry leaves when it sounds like a rattler.

That was a healthy specimen, as are all the snakes there on St. Vincnet island, I'm sure. The abundance of beach mice, a great source of food, was evident all over the island. They were everywhere, only being out numbered by the mosquitos :angry:

Great video Mike. I have to agree with DuneAhh though.

Yikes!! You're worrying me!!

Be careful there, Evil Knevil, risk-taker~~~~

i'd prefer to see pictures of indian artifacts please, if they dont bite...

i'd prefer to see pictures of indian artifacts please, if they dont bite...

I finally put that video together. It's of my St. Vincent Island hike. I was only able to explore areas on its western end, but I was able to uncover some pretty neat stuff.

I have a pic of a piece of Indian Pottery in the video, along with some other interesting finds. I hope you get a chance to check it out and hope you enjoy what I put together.

i hope you have that camera on a 10 ft boom......thanks for another one!

I agree with dun-ahh. you are one crazy mf. I'm not surprised your camera was struck by the cottonmouth. I was walking beside a fellow employee at a Wildlife Refuge in the corner of a field near a creek and I saw a cottonmouth chase this guy about 20ft, after he jumped backwards five feet. I've nearly stepped on plenty of snakes, usually in the yard, and fortunately, most are non-poisonous. I think both the snakes and I are about equally scared of each other when we catch each other off-guard.

i hope you have that camera on a 10 ft boom......thanks for another one!

Hey, yep, I would never think of putting myself an inch away from a pit viper on a barrier island or anywhere for that matter.

Laregly because of my fellow sowallers being 'concerned' about me I have started to attach my camera to the end of my walking stick/boom, and it actually has made for better photography. Thanks for commenting on the video. I've enjoyed hiking and documenting my journeys.

I love your videos of all the expeditions you go on. Please be cautious enough to keep them coming!

You ain't right, mike. :shock:

You ain't right, mike. :shock:

You are absolutely right. Somethin' ain't right with me. Messin with snakes is harmless, but dealing with a kidney stone... now that'll bring you to your knees. Bam!!! Hope this is over soon. I think I'd rather have a cottonmouth feeding its fangs into my arm.

You are absolutely right. Somethin' ain't right with me. Messin with snakes is harmless, but dealing with a kidney stone... now that'll bring you to your knees. Bam!!! Hope this is over soon. I think I'd rather have a cottonmouth feeding its fangs into my arm.

Ouch! I hear they're very painful! Hope you're better soon.

Ouch! I hear they're very painful! Hope you're better soon.

Yep, it's been bad. And I just had a scorpion scurry from out of my shoe. I don't know what kind of punch these Florida scorpians pack, but I'm glad it didn't hit me. I've got it sitting in a bowl right now, wondering what to do with it. Might be a cool little pet.

Yep, it's been bad. And I just had a scorpion scurry from out of my shoe. I don't know what kind of punch these Florida scorpians pack, but I'm glad it didn't hit me. I've got it sitting in a bowl right now, wondering what to do with it. Might be a cool little pet.

Scorpions, snakes and stones..Oh MY!

Yep, it's been bad. And I just had a scorpion scurry from out of my shoe. I don't know what kind of punch these Florida scorpians pack, but I'm glad it didn't hit me. I've got it sitting in a bowl right now, wondering what to do with it. Might be a cool little pet.

If you're allergic to bee's or most insect bites then the scorpion's probably gonna send you to the hospital. Otherwise it's just pain like a fire ant bite.

If you're allergic to bee's or most insect bites then the scorpion's probably gonna send you to the hospital. Otherwise it's just pain like a fire ant bite.

Well, the little frog I put in with the scorpion must not be able to take a bee sting because this morning he's no longer responsive. I feel so bad about putting the little froggy in there, but there were thousands on the ground and after all, the scorpion needs to eat. And I'm not sharing one of my P & J sandwiches.

I think my kids will like to look at the scorpion when they next visit. I haven't seen your posts lately SWGB. Good to see you with some input.

Well, the little frog I put in with the scorpion must not be able to take a bee sting because this morning he's no longer responsive. I feel so bad about putting the little froggy in there, but there were thousands on the ground and after all, the scorpion needs to eat. And I'm not sharing one of my P & J sandwiches.

I think my kids will like to look at the scorpion when they next visit. I haven't seen your posts lately SWGB. Good to see you with some input.

MURDERER! I'm calling People for the Ethical Treatment of Amphibians! :nono1:

MURDERER! I'm calling People for the Ethical Treatment of Amphibians! :nono1:

Anyone up for frog legs tonight? NoHall? Enriched and marinated with scorpion venom. A delicacy in some parts.

that's not how i heard kermit the frog died.

Mike
Cool video and i am glad your okay,but yes i am going to say it (your Dumb) if you had your hand on that camcorder because if that snake hit that lens with that much force and your fingers were nearby the only 2 things keeping you from getting bit was heat from the camcorder or God. Because cotton mouth strike at prey using there sense of heat that's how they tell the difference in a mouse and a clump of grass they have very poor eyesight.cotton mouths venom is a Hemotoxin(kills blood cells and keeps blood from clotting),so if you had a weak immune system your in trouble,if your healthy you would probably be okay.Glad you are using a pole now but if you run across a 5 or 6ft Diamond back you better remember that they can spring up too twice there body length. so just becareful and keep the video's coming. ps sorry about the dumb name but i am scared someone else may try that and not be so fortunate

Mike
Cool video and i am glad your okay,but yes i am going to say it (your Dumb) if you had your hand on that camcorder because if that snake hit that lens with that much force and your fingers were nearby the only 2 things keeping you from getting bit was heat from the camcorder or God. Because cotton mouth strike at prey using there sense of heat that's how they tell the difference in a mouse and a clump of grass they have very poor eyesight.cotton mouths venom is a Hemotoxin(kills blood cells and keeps blood from clotting),so if you had a weak immune system your in trouble,if your healthy you would probably be okay.Glad you are using a pole now but if you run across a 5 or 6ft Diamond back you better remember that they can spring up too twice there body length. so just becareful and keep the video's coming. ps sorry about the dumb name but i am scared someone else may try that and not be so fortunate

No problem. It's good of you to point that out, but as I stated I was using my camera on my walking stick, so there was absolutely NO WAY I could have been bitten on the hand or anywhere else for that matter.

I get a lot of people tell me how crazy I am etc. etc. but I have been around snakes for years and I don't push the envelope at all. I am 'way' out of range with these snakes when putting my camera on the stick. It actually has made for better ability to get closer while actually having myself further out of range.

Regrading the rattlesnake, its strike range is one third to half of its body's length. So an 8 foot snake can only strike up to four feet. It is commonly believed that their strike range is more because after a savage strike their body can project into that direction. But their strike range is a maximum of half their body length.

But I do very thoughtfull respect your message. I haven't really thought of putting disclaimers on my stuff or anything, but guess that's your overall point, not wanting anyone else to try this. I'd hate for someone to mistakenly believe that I was within an inch or two of the snakes fangs, foolishly waiting for it to inject its venom. Somehow it seems a few people are missing the point that I am well out of range. I care deeply about my health. I am more thoughtful than most pertaining to safety, partly because I know how many snakes actually exist out there.

When I walk, almost anywhere, I keep an eye out and when in grass of any length I am very slow with my steps. I doubt too many other people even think of this. But again, I respect your message even if you were 'colorful' in describing my overall intellectual capacity. Apparently you found my ACT scores online somewhere. Btw, I was tired when I took that test . It did get me well beyond all remedials though.

Hey Mike
sorry again about my Colorful name calling but you are right i was trying to warn other people about getting careless and or overconfident. you are a lot like me in that i respect the danger of these creatures but are so fascinated by them that i just have to check them out and get a picture or in your case video of them. My dad had a friend who we used to go golfing with a lot at Tyndall air force base who me and my dad used to get onto about messing with the snakes they would run across. (He had good intentions) he would always try to move the snakes back into the woods or water so no one else would try to kill them, well he picked up a water moccasin with his club and tried to sling it back into the marsh but it fell off so he tried again but when he bent down lower to try to pick it up with the club it turned and struck him in the face. luckily my dad and another buddy knew what to do and they were only a few minutes from the club house and Hospital, but the guy almost died from his face swelling so bad he couldn't breath and then from his brain swelling. But the tuff ole' military Officer hung in there and survived but had to have some plastic surgery. This was several yrs ago. As far as your ACT's go I am sure you did well. I now wish i had found away to go to college, but i am a country boy who grew up having to use his hands more than his brains. but thats what i enjoyed along with being in the outdoors. Hope you have many more great adventures and i may have to get a video camera too!!

Hey Mike
sorry again about my Colorful name calling but you are right i was trying to warn other people about getting careless and or overconfident. you are a lot like me in that i respect the danger of these creatures but are so fascinated by them that i just have to check them out and get a picture or in your case video of them. My dad had a friend who we used to go golfing with a lot at Tyndall air force base who me and my dad used to get onto about messing with the snakes they would run across. (He had good intentions) he would always try to move the snakes back into the woods or water so no one else would try to kill them, well he picked up a water moccasin with his club and tried to sling it back into the marsh but it fell off so he tried again but when he bent down lower to try to pick it up with the club it turned and struck him in the face. luckily my dad and another buddy knew what to do and they were only a few minutes from the club house and Hospital, but the guy almost died from his face swelling so bad he couldn't breath and then from his brain swelling. But the tuff ole' military Officer hung in there and survived but had to have some plastic surgery. This was several yrs ago. As far as your ACT's go I am sure you did well. I now wish i had found away to go to college, but i am a country boy who grew up having to use his hands more than his brains. but thats what i enjoyed along with being in the outdoors. Hope you have many more great adventures and i may have to get a video camera too!!

That's a terrible story about getting bitten in the face. Especially since he meant well and wasn't trying to harm the snake. And getting hit in the face makes it that much more offensive.

As far as being a country boy having gotten by on your hands, hats off to ya. My college degree has meant little, actually. I graduated to watch most of my friends making well over 100 grand a year in the oil field while I struggled to make i/4 of that. I wished I'd... well, gone a different route in life. College, and what passes as education, from my perspective, is a scheme. But I won't get started with that.

But thanks for writing back. I figured you meant no harm. And thanks for the story. It puts things in perspective. Btw, I have a video I just put together that I'll be putting up late tonight or tomorrow. It has nothing to do with snakes but it is an interesting journey to witness none-the-less.