Snake Prepaired?

W

weneedtoo

New member
When Prairie Dog shooting in snake country snake boots and snake shot is all good to take but what preparations has everyone done in the event of a bite? Quite often we are a long way from medical help. I cary a snake bite kit, but I am not sure I would know how to use it if needed. Lets hear from some experienced outdoorsmen on what to do except just hope it dosent happen.

Thanks.
 
About the only time I worry about the snakes is in the middle of the night when I leave the tent to go take a piss. It's awfully dark out there and I'm wearing flip flops. I don't own, nor have I ever owned snake boots. I do have a first aid kit and an Ice Chest full of ice. We decided long ago that if one of us got bit, and the shooting was real good, the guy that got bit could just put some ice on it and wait until sundown when the shooting was over.

I worry more about the lightning storms that can come up on a moments notice.
 
MOST Medical people say DON'T dink with a bite. Keep calm and get help ASAP. SO Most of the time your best route of action is Prevention and a cell phone if all else fails. "Medivack"
PS do you have any Idea How much it is to get treated for a rattle snake bite? Like $10 grand!!! Prevention is the best way to go...
 
Depending on the snake you might be able to get away with leaving it alone, not suggested, the best thing is to remain calm, keep the bite as low as you can. Try to not use that limb, and don't exert yourself. You do not want to get the blood pumping. If you are bit by a rattlesnake, cottonmouth, or something along those lines a tourniquet may be needed. Please note that a tourniquet may cause loss of limb, but may save your life. A snake bite kit that has a suction pump may help but not enough to really matter. Get to a hospital as soon as you can. Don't fuss with it, just get to help.
The best advise I can give is know you're snakes and stay away from them. An ounce of prevention goes a LONG way here.

Personally I'm more worried about scorpions. With them the bigger the better. I'd rather get hit by a big scorpion than a small one. Small one's will kill ya.
 
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In college we did a lot of field research dealing with different species of rattlesnakes. Even though no one ever got bit we all were taught what to do. Those snakebite suction kit things might help A LITTLE if you do it within seconds of getting bit but that's about it. Once it hits the bloodstream there is little you can do in the field. DO NOT use a tourniquet unless you are planning on losing the limb, you will do more damage than good. Same with putting ice on the bite, you will do more damage with frostbite than good.

The best thing you can do is just get to a hospital as soon as possible. Do the best you can to keep your heart rate down and the bite below level of your heart. One thing that does help is if you use a sharpie and mark where the swelling has gotten to with a line and time. That helps the hospital know what they are dealing with. If you know what kind of snake it is that helps but getting bit again trying to figure out what it is/catching it does not help (you would be surprised how often this happens)

One of my now co workers got bit last year on the ankle while walking in the yard before daylight. It took her over 1.5 hours to finally get to the hospital. Before it was all said and done with she had swelling all the way from her ankle to her armpit. She is now 10 months out and is still having issues but survived and is walking.
 
Originally Posted By: DoradoPersonally I'm more worried about scorpions. With them the bigger the better. I'd rather get hit by a big scorpion than a small one. Small one's will kill ya.


What Scorp in North Central Texas will kill ya?

Kelly
 

I mostly hunt alone at night and we have quite a variety of squigglers here in Florida so I consider snake boots a must have item.

I was hunting last year with a buddy in TX. It was fairly hot and I commented to him that he should be wearing snake boots instead of hiking boots. The next day at dusk I see a coyote cross a dirt road ahead and we stopped to look for him. I looked down to take a step and a small rattlesnake was coiled up and flicking his tongue on the toe of my snake boot. He decided at that point that snake boots might be a worthwhile investment.
 
We have our fair share of snakes here in Southern Idaho. I spend most of the year on the desert with the snakes. When they are out, I wear leather hunting boots and snake gaiters. I also do carry a bi-pod shooting stick for hiking and shooting. You can rattle it around in the lava rock and sage brush to get an early warning of a problem. As a side note, the most snakes killed in a single year was 120. We were fencing a newly filled reservoir. Pushed all the snakes up to the canyon rim. We just killed the snakes that got in the way. 18 miles of fence that summer. The snakes would swim back and forth across the reservoir. Caused problems for the water skiers.
 
My wife asked the Indian Guide: What to do if you get bit by a rattle snake.
Guide: Stay calm and get to the hospital.

Wife: Easier said than done. Where is the hospital?
Guide: Probably a good hour away after you figure out how to get back out to the main road.

Wife: Ok but after I get to Pierre, where is the hospital?
Guide: Just follow the signs and stay calm.

Wife: Who should you call for help?
Guide: Doesn't matter you can't get a signal anyway.
 
Sounds like you were close to Rosebud. We hunted outside of Ft. Pierre last year and had a blast. I also made sure that I looked before taking a step. I didn't like hunting in the taller grass but still had a good time.
 
Originally Posted By: CAT DADDY COLDOriginally Posted By: DoradoPersonally I'm more worried about scorpions. With them the bigger the better. I'd rather get hit by a big scorpion than a small one. Small one's will kill ya.


What Scorp in North Central Texas will kill ya?

Kelly

That would be the Bark scorpion, but we don't have them here Kelly. They can be found in Arizona though.


Chupa
 
Chupa don't do spidey's, or anything with more than 4 legs! I've owned, handled, wrangled some of the most toxic snakes on the planet and didn't break a sweat, but I'm terrified of arachnid's.....go figure. But venom has always been a fascination with me, so I know a little about spidey's as well.

It's simple to avoid snakes guys. Snakes prefer temps in the mid to high 80's. During the morning and evening hours watch your step as you walk, during the heat of the day, look that tree, bush or rock your about to cozy up to for your stand. Snakes are going to find that mid to high 80 temp or as close to it that they can get. Be mindful of that and you will be fine. This is how us snake wranglers are able to find so many of them. There isn't a snake any where on earth that starts his day with a prayer saying "Please, oh please! Send an unsuspecting coyote hunter my way.". Know where they will be and be mindful, you're goog to go.

Chupa
 
HUNT, we were down by the Rosebud and had a great time.

All during the week before we got there it seemed like every time I turned the TV on or changed the channel there was a show on about snakes. I told my wife we are going to see a snake this year. Sure enough we got about a quarter of a mile from where we stay and a rattler was sunning in the road. I ran over the sucker then backed up and took a picture.

We were talking about it the next day and the guide said some guys killed a great big one the day before in the field across the road from where we were. It was bulged out and they cut it open and it had a prairie dog inside it.

I just try to keep an eye out, wear electronic ear muffs and try to stay out of the tall grass. I have heard the smaller ones tend to be meaner.
 


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