Re: field geologist murdered Tuesday in Colorado

Jean wrote:
SBC Yahoo a écrit dans le message ...
"John Popelish" <jpopelish@xxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:gL2dnSmpid9ERx7bnZ2dnUVZ_iydnZ2d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
SBC Yahoo wrote:
(snip)
So far, it has bagged me about 25 rattlers, sent a cougar scurrying away
(did not try to hit it), but no crazy people, yet. You would not
believe
how difficult it is to shoot a rattler with a pistol, but a laser sight
helps. In the bright sunlight of the desert, the laser is so dim, it
can
only be seen 10-15 feet during the day, though. We need better
visability lasers for sighting purposes.
What harm has any rattle snake ever done to you?
Don't know, I never met one that lived.

Some people think they are cute little creatures, I am aware they are wild
creatures, and if one gets "too close" they attack. Myself, I prefer to
preempt that event.

I once met a govt official whose job it was to tend to the govt critters
(actually the land they inhabited) and shot a rattler in front of him. He
almost had a heart attack, and cried for the snake. I called his
supervisor
and suggested he be transferred to some desk job, because he was obviously
mentally deranged.



Years ago I had a mining activity in the American West. On a regular
basis I would put purification chemicals in the water taken from the nearby
stream to kill all of the little living creatures found in the water. I did
this to protect my life and well being. If I saw a rattle snake in or about
the workings I killed it. For the same reason!

JL



Oh folks, be real. About a month ago, we were hiking nearby and met a retiree (ex-college prof with Ph.D) who implants transmitters in venomous snakes and then tracks them. He was tracking copperheads, but most of his work has been done with rattlesnakes in urban or urbanizing areas. He's been doing this for 50 years, and never been bitten once. (Copperheads aren't life threatening except to the very young, very old, or immune-compromised; rattlesnakes are more so, but unless you step directly on one, they're more likely to just run away. Be more afraid of tick-borne disease than snakes.)

In Wyoming at field camp, there was one rock exposure where a rattler den is. One of the TAs went ahead and spotted a snake-- forty people passed by about 10 feet away, and the snake did nothing but flick it's tongue. I've stepped over copperheads, (after noting where the businss end was) and they didn't seem to pay much attention.

You're both reacting to snake myths. I'm no Francis of Assisi, but most rattlers are shy, retiring creatures who don't attack unless cornered, threatened or startled. They aren't even particularly solicitous about their young. Yes, there are times when they have to be destroyed-- I wouldn't want a nest under my back porch, for fear I *would* startle it or a visitor would panic.

I'd shoo one I found around camp. (Actually, I've done that, twice. Once, two moron women had a rattling rattler cornered with a hatchet (snake had come onto the asphalt road for warmth.) Idiots were trying to figure out how to chop off it's head without getting close to it. I suggested they back slowly towards me, with the hatchet (snakes have poor eyesight). They did, and the snake slithered off. The other time there was one lying crossways on a hiking trail. From about ten feet away I bounced a pebble toward it (not intending to hit it) and again, it was off into the weeds. Scaredy things, those snakes.


Kids should be taught to give them a decent berth when walking around them. But they're like most wild creatures--respect them, and they'll respect you. You don't have to kill 95% of them. Five percent, yes, it's the most prudent course of action.
.

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