(meteorobs) [Bulk] Re: Meteor Watching and Wild Animals

[Larry]

I once(1940's) hunted rattlesnakes for a snake farm(milking) and zoo near 
Big Bear and around German Village. Got 50 cents for every (unmarked by fork 
stick) snake.
-During the course of this exciting venture I learned the real danger lies 
in the early morning hours. Sidewinders and Rattler's leave their den to sun 
themselves and still being stiff and cold they often do not rattle and can 
strike without warning.
-When temperatures reach about 78 degrees, they seek sun cover and will 
rattle vigoursly on an approach.
-Nearly got hit twice. Once when a BIG Rattler wrapped itself around my left 
arm and darn near pulled his head free of my right hand while I was trying 
to get him in a burlap collection sack.
-The other time was when I was cutting the rattles off of a 12 rattle (row) 
snake and he pulled his head free from under a pile of rocks. He came across 
me just above both my arms with his mouth open and locked on a boulder on my 
left. Venom ran down on the boulder. He was blind from head damage and was 
striking at the source of the tail pain.
-I was just metal detecting the remains of an old cabin at that time......He 
had me cornered near a canyon edge when I decided to take him for rattle 
mounting.

-So much for wasting meteorobs time.........

Be especially aware they hang around & hunt near water bodies and 
creeks/streams for small game.

YCSentinel


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Richard Kramer" <kramer at sria.com>
To: "Global Meteor Observing Forum" <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>; "Global 
Meteor Observing Forum" <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
Sent: 2009/11/02 10:42
Subject: [Bulk] Re: (meteorobs) Meteor Watching and Wild Animals


> At 10:39 PM 11/1/2009, Wayne Watson wrote:
>>** See Rattlesnakes by L. M. Klauber. I think he has a story about using
>>them in an Indiana Jones movies. Any time a human approached a group of
>>them, they would scatter.
>
> This is often NOT the case in spring (around May/June in S/N
> California) when they are just waking up and looking for mates. I had
> an encounter in S. Cal this past May where a rather large rattler
> crossed the trail in front of us and held his ground in a bush right
> next to the trail, rattling vigorously. Nothing could persuade him to
> move on. We eventually had to make an unpleasant, scratchy detour off
> the trail through the sage brush in order to get by him.
>
>
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