Getting too warm in the low desert

[recordalley]

He is now an ex-rattler

did you kill the snake zip?

[zippetydude]

Thats pretty effed up if you did. Do you go around killing everything youre afraid of?

Kinda harsh, don't you think? I've never responded to any of your posts like that.

Keeping with the specific situation, I've seen a lot of snakes out in the wilderness, and this one had something wrong with him - they don't normally lunge wildly out at you unprovoked, but that's what he did. There are school kids that roam up this trail most afternoons, and there's a swing on an oak tree just a little way from where he was. With his propensity to attack first and ask questions later, it would be much too great a risk to leave him there to injure an innocent child walking by. To answer your question, no. But I don't think it's wrong to kill something that's actively trying to kill you.

Here's an analogy - maybe we can find some common ground. Recently a man shot a bear up in Forest Falls. It was in his driveway. It wasn't attacking anyone, it just happened to be standing in his driveway. That was ridiculous - it was absolute madness to shoot the poor bear. So I think it's safe to say we're in agreement that that was bad. Now, if the bear were attacking someone, I'd say just the opposite - a bear that was vicious and aggressive to the point of trying to kill someone would have to be killed. Do you disagree with that?

I don't want to hijack the thread and get into a long debate on this - I just thought a considered response was in order since I was surprised at the tone of your post.

z

[neverwashasbeen]

Hey Zip,

At least 93ludegirl's car looks nice and the flowers are blooming in the high desert. We just have to look for the good things in life.

[recordalley]

Zip, I think if you educated yourself about snakes a bit, it might help lessen your fear of them.

http://www.alongtheway.org/rattlesnakes/close.html

Snakes don't lunge at you. The can only strike about half their body length. The only way you are going to get bit is if you try to pick one up or surprise one crawling around rocks or maybe step on one on a trail.

There are school kids that roam up this trail most afternoons, and there's a swing on an oak tree just a little way from where he was. With his propensity to attack first and ask questions later, it would be much too great a risk to leave him there to injure an innocent child walking by.

& they don't lay in wait on the side of the trail to attack an innocent child or even an not-so-innocent adult

Snakes are beautiful creatures, those pictures in this post are incredible. I love snakes & it is always a thrill to encounter one on the trail. Guess I won't be encountering this one anymore.

[zippetydude]

Snakes don't lunge at you.

That's what made this encounter so strange and rather unsettling. I was running down the road, about 2 -3 feet from the grassy edge. There was nothing on the road in front of me. Suddenly, I hear a hiss (his rattle) and see something lunge out of the grass at my ankle. Just barely missed me. I would never have seen him if he hadn't struck at me, but that he did, with no provocation (I hadn't even seen him) and out of nowhere. You may not believe me, but I'm not sure why - I have no reason to lie. If you're walking down a trail, minding your own business one day and are suddenly hit in the ankle with a venomous bite, that'll be this guy's cousin. I completely agree with you that normally they just want to stay away from you - this one was different.

z

[msugarpants]

Geez,
You are all making me nervous about my 15 miles of desert I plan on trekking this weekend. No, 93ludegirl, I wont be running....nor killing. Maybe with enough beer, I wont even notice em. Jk

[Lcpl Hughes]

Maybe with enough beer

it would make
snake casserole delicious

[HikerLinda]

I was on my FAV fitness trail, South Lykkken, one day last week. All of a sudden I heard the HISS & RATTLE sound, jumped as far as I safely could, did not see the Bastard..... waited, then saw that he was on the edge of the trail I had just passed, against the mtn, safely protected from my feet, even stepping on him, but he had the nerve to hiss and rattle at me!

I think the 3 people who were ahead of me made him mad and he took it out on me...

Anyone ever hear the 3rd person rule? First one to pass snake wakes him up, 2nd person to pass makes him MAD so he takes his anger out on the 3rd person to pass him.....and strikes!

Which made me the 4th person for him to encounter in those few minutes....

My neighbor who would not even step on an ant hill (be kind to all wildlife and creatures), he was bit by a Rattler in his backyard. Right between his toes and the BASTARD hung on and just pumped the venom in him. Neighbor lived (barely), snake did not.

His thoughts have changed regarding snakes.

Hiker Linda, Massage Therapist

[George Carlin's Ghost]

I’ve thought about this one can’t hold my tongue, and they DO have beer in Hell”

This zip guy and others! have a long standing irrational fear of critters.
It ain’t the first snake he’s killed!
I’ve been looking at his posts over the years!
Constant irrational fear!

I would suggest that Zip (and other squeamish types) run only on sidewalks, parks, and places where sudden disturbances of nature in their natural environment are lessened…especially during rattlesnake season!
Poor things are turbid and frozen in time…they hear your plodding feet, well before you ever see them. And are trying to get away OR lying completely still till you nearly step on them whilst yacking or running!

If you come upon one usually it’s because it couldn’t move fast enough to get out of the way of the stomping egos!!@!!

..anyone who is running looking at their watch for some time constantly can NOT BE TOO AWARE of their surroundings!
I’ve had trailrunners smack right into me on the trail looking for better time…

I always hike with hiking pole or stick that you can lead with!
then when I'm looking around enjoying nature and the beauty of the Creation, the wind in the tress, the smell on the breeze...I can wave that sucka around in front of me like I'm blind...well, I can't see as well as I used to but.......
See snakes all the time, love them!!

Gaither’s are a must especially with the brome... and the knee deep ego's on this forum!

Maybe if Zips ankles weren’t so dainty and covered up, prancing about, they wouldn’t look so tasty?

Sadly, over 60 percent of children under 5 are killed by their twisted parents!
Not snakes, not bears, in fact more deer cause more harm/death/injury through car accidents!

Sadly people like zip would rather have a world with NO SNAKES so that they can use RAID to kill/keep the rodents in check.
Dude, did you ever have a biology class that took? I seriously question your mental capacity in general!
RAID? what, I wouldn't have the stuff in my home or around my children!
bUT YOU KNOW WHAT I DON'T HAVE SNAKES OR RATS!
The only rat problem is the ego's here who have no life!

Excellent, a world where the corporate poison dealers kill our children and paranoid egomaniacs kill wildlife without a thought!

Best thing Zip could do is slow down, educate himself, his family, and learn to enjoy wildlife before it’s all just concrete, people, pharmaceuticals, and pesticides!

I personally believe that Wilderness should be enjoyed by hiking/backpacking…not selfish, noisy, egomaniac trail runners whose pressure wave rides ahead of them for a mile scaring-off everything that lives there most of the time! A lot of us go to the wilderness to enjoy wilderness...if we wanted to see jackasses running around we'd stay in the city! but then again I'm a senior crusty citizen whose been alive too long!

I too am just getting started with the hiking season, love the snakes, love the heat mostly because it keeps the city-fied, weekend bone-heads away!

Sista ludegirl you keep rocking it baby!
Hope you see ya out there...
Long live the Rats AND Snakes....ever hear of balance?...no NOT NEW BALANCE.......

[zippetydude]

I'm a senior crusty citizen whose been alive too long!

Perhaps a helpful rattler could assist you with that!

But seriously, I have always playfully maintained that I hate snakes, but I don't really hate all snakes. However, what I really do find distasteful are trollish posts that make a board take on a negative tone. I don't call names, I don't go around tossing out personal insults when I disagree with someone else's point of view...I don't clumsily try to mock other people's way of having fun (trail running instead of hiking) in the wilderness...If you don't like those things either, perhaps you should examine your own post.

If you're so full of venom (catch the clever pun) that you need to rant, feel free to pm me. I'd be happy to respectfully exchange opinions without insulting each other, dragging the board down, hijacking threads, and creating a negative atmosphere here.

To everyone else, I didn't mean for this to take on a life of it's own! I'm rather of the persuasion of Linda's friend. When I'm trail running, I still intentionally avoid stepping on ant hills. I turn to avoid hitting those funny little black beetles that stumble along the trail with their tails pointed up in the air. And I refuse to respond in kind to trollish posts by people who (I assume) are trying to protect the environment in their own way.

z