And that is some VILE smelling stuff? I picked up a garter snake to show to some kids. First he slimed me and then bit me. They don’t have much of a bite but that smell is hard to remove.
personally haven’t been bit by a viper but still think there are plenty of places where it pays to be cautious. If you get out in warm weather regularly (once a week) in the New River Gorge in WV then you will encounter a copperhead or timber rattler. It’s not a if, it’s a when thing. Watersnakes are more common in and around the river but you are seriously kidding yourself if you don’t think poisnous snakes are out there. I’m always looking where I put my hands and feet. It’s not a fear, it is just being prudent and cautious.- here’s my tally- in an adjacent campsite a woman got bit by a copperhead at night (Grandview Sandbar), Encountered small fast moving copperhead at Rend Trail Head (Thurmond). I videoed for a guy Named Bobby who lived in Thurmond who got bit several times when he uncovered a nest of copperheads in a stack of firewood, fortunately i wasn’t around when he did it. While teaching at Glen Jean we had a copperhead on the playground, a rattlesnake on the sidewalk behind the school, and numerous other snakes in the yard. That school is one snakey place Saw Numerous water snakes at jump rock and surprise, and have seen 1 copperhead at surprise between the rocks on shore. At caperton (just above 2nd warm up/strippers) counted 5 rattlesnakes in grassy area (latrine area) adjacent to campsite, On one of the raft trips I was filming someone got bit by a copperhead in the raft on the river left beach at middle keeny. They had pulled the raft up on the rocks for lunch and when they got back in the raft the bite and evac ensued. I had already left to film the next rapid so was unaware at the time. I have seen one copperhead at middle keeny since then on the river left beach/lunch area. We surrounded it with white cups because it was almost impossible to spot- it blended so well with the reddish rocks. On the Gauley I’ve seen a rattlesnake at pillow rock (scouting) and a copperhead just below diaganol ledges (lunch spot). Combine that with reports of rock climbers getting bit, several folks getting bit while building the summit for the bsa and folks around here generally watch where they put their hands and feet It doesn’t stop me from going out, it just pays to be cautious. The old river joke is “don’t touch any sticks that move”.
Despite all this I try to keep it in perspective- none of those that I knew or was in close proximity to have died from a snake bite yet one of my 5 year old students did die from a mosquito bite (lacross encephitis). Of course, both the new and gauley have had their share of ww fatalities. So in the whole scheme of things, snake bites aren’t a big concern, especially on the water, but i am cautious on shore or when hiking where I put my hands and feet, perhaps a walking stick helps as well.
Here in the East I have been around numerous rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, copperheads, and a few coral snakes. The only poisonous snakes while paddling have been cottonmouths. My FL Grandmother lost a sister when she was young to a big Diamondback Rattlesnake bite. I once had a bull cause me to have to walk through a thick patch of saw palmettoes for at least a hundred yards. I was very careful as it was impossible to see the ground or behind the the leg size stems that grow along the ground. I would have felt much more comfortable wearing snake boots doing that.
There are 3 species of rattlesnakes in FL the Pygmy or Ground Rattler, the Canebrake a color phase of the Timber Rattler, and The Eastern Diamondback. I have been close to all 3 and never had them be aggressive toward me. You have to step on or very close to one for them to strike. Like Tony said watch where you put your feet and hands. In a kayak or canoe I doubt anyone would get bit by a snake while paddling on the water.