On 2/6/98 09:04AM, lhays_at_canby.com wrote: >Or hanging in trees over your boat as you paddle underneath? <grin> Used >to happen to me, cottonmouths in Southern Illinois when paddling there long >ago. Can't imagine that it doesn't happen in *real* swamps! Yes...this happens, although the cottonmouths live on land here in the south. And even if you encounter one hanging from a tree, they very rarely drop out of the tree if you leave them alone. Just avoid paddling under low lying branches and you'll be okay. We have water moccasins which you are more likely to encounter (especially swimming-is fairly common), but snakebite is very rare. I have seen a moccasin eat a fish that weighed a couple of pounds (I wasn't about to get out and weigh the fish-but was quite large.) The rule is LEAVE THEM ALONE and they'll leave you alone. Same with the gators-if you see a gator nest (big four foot mound of sticks and mud), STAY AWAY, especially during the spring (when they are raising offspring). As with all wildlife, You can observe but don't get close. Another denizen not mentioned is the Alligator Gar which is a wicked looking throwback to prehistoric times. Has a very long snout (1/3 to 1/2 of body length) with very sharp teeth, a cartilaginous skeleton and likes to float at the top of the water and sun themselves. Can grow quite large and if you catch one while fishing, is better to cut the line and let him go than try to get your hook back. The main bloodthirsty critters we have here are the mosquitoes which are unmerciful during the summer. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Neil Harrison-Houston, Texas email: nil_at_nol.net (_at_ _at_) web: www.nol.net/~nil/ ----------------------------ooO~(_)~Ooo---------------------------- 100% recycled electrons *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
At 10:52 AM 2/6/98 EST, Nil9000000_at_aol.com wrote: > On 2/6/98 09:04AM, lhays_at_canby.com wrote: > >>Or hanging in trees over your boat as you paddle underneath? <grin> Used >>to happen to me, cottonmouths in Southern Illinois when paddling there long >>ago. Can't imagine that it doesn't happen in *real* swamps! > >Yes...this happens, although the cottonmouths live on land here in the >south. And even if you encounter one hanging from a tree, they very >rarely drop out of the tree if you leave them alone. Just avoid paddling >under low lying branches and you'll be okay. Don't forget the Snake proof skirt ( sprayskirt ) so the won't get in with you and don't shoot them if they land on your kayak or you will be sunk ( holes in kayak) and up to your neck in them. Dana *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
On Fri, 6 Feb 1998 Nil9000000_at_aol.com wrote: >> >> On 2/6/98 09:04AM, lhays_at_canby.com wrote: >> >>>Or hanging in trees over your boat as you paddle underneath? <grin> Used >>>to happen to me, cottonmouths in Southern Illinois when paddling there long >>>ago. Can't imagine that it doesn't happen in *real* swamps! >> >>Yes...this happens, although the cottonmouths live on land here in the >>south. And even if you encounter one hanging from a tree, they very >>rarely drop out of the tree if you leave them alone. Just avoid paddling >>under low lying branches and you'll be okay. >> >>We have water moccasins which you are more likely to encounter >>(especially swimming-is fairly common), but snakebite is very rare. I >>have seen a moccasin eat a fish that weighed a couple of pounds (I wasn't >>about to get out and weigh the fish-but was quite large.) The rule is >>LEAVE THEM ALONE and they'll leave you alone. Same with the gators-if >>you see a gator nest (big four foot mound of sticks and mud), STAY AWAY, >>especially during the spring (when they are raising offspring). As with >>all wildlife, You can observe but don't get close. >> >>Another denizen not mentioned is the Alligator Gar which is a wicked >>looking throwback to prehistoric times. Has a very long snout (1/3 to >>1/2 of body length) with very sharp teeth, a cartilaginous skeleton and >>likes to float at the top of the water and sun themselves. Can grow >>quite large and if you catch one while fishing, is better to cut the line >>and let him go than try to get your hook back. >> >>The main bloodthirsty critters we have here are the mosquitoes which are >>unmerciful during the summer. >> >>------------------------------------------------------------------- >> Neil Harrison-Houston, Texas >> email: nil_at_nol.net (_at_ _at_) web: www.nol.net/~nil/ >>----------------------------ooO~(_)~Ooo---------------------------- >> 100% recycled electrons >> didn't the texas safari have an entrant attacted by an Alligator Gar one of the lst couple years...??? wasn't fun from what i remember... mark #------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com-------------------------------------- mark zen o, o__ o_/| o_. po box 474 </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') #~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~ http://www.diac.com/~zen/cpr [Colorado Paddlers' Resource] http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmskc [Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club] http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmcc [Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page] http://www.diac.com/~zen/mark [personal] -- Fortune: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (The Times of London) Dear Sir, I am firmly opposed to the spread of microchips either to the home or to the office. We have more than enough of them foisted upon us in public places. They are a disgusting Americanism, and can only result in the farmers being forced to grow smaller potatoes, which in turn will cause massive unemployment in the already severely depressed agricultural industry. Yours faithfully, Capt. Quinton D'Arcy, J. P. Sevenoaks *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net ***************************************************************************
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