1 00:00:05,160 --> 00:00:09,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to This Country Life. I'm your host, Brent Riggs 2 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: from coon hunting to trot lining and just general country living. 3 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: I want you to stay a while as I share 4 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: my stories and the country skills that will help you 5 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: beat the system. This Country Life is proudly presented as 6 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,880 Speaker 1: part of Meat Eater's podcast network, bringing you the best 7 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: outdoor podcast the airways have to offer. All right, friends, 8 00:00:30,160 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: pull you up a chair or drop that tailgate. I 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:39,000 Speaker 1: think I got a thing or two to teach you snakes. 10 00:00:41,159 --> 00:00:43,200 Speaker 1: I can think a few words that will get your 11 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:48,640 Speaker 1: attention quicker than someone saying snake. Say it loudly and 12 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:52,599 Speaker 1: you'll get everyone's attention. Research says that we have an 13 00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: ingrained fear of them that is become natural over time. 14 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:57,680 Speaker 1: And I don't know if I agree one hundred percent 15 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: with that, but I will bet that there's more folks 16 00:01:00,360 --> 00:01:03,040 Speaker 1: that fear them than those of us that don't. And 17 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:04,840 Speaker 1: if you're in the woods a lot like I am, 18 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: you're gonna see them, and you order to be informed 19 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,720 Speaker 1: about what you're looking at. More importantly, you need to 20 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:13,560 Speaker 1: be prepared and have a plan in the back of 21 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:15,440 Speaker 1: your mind for the ones you run up on that 22 00:01:15,560 --> 00:01:19,120 Speaker 1: you don't see. We're talking about snakes this week. But 23 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:31,560 Speaker 1: first I'm gonna tell you a story. I was in 24 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: high school and probably about sixteen years old, and I 25 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:37,480 Speaker 1: taken my mama's car to town to knock around with 26 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: my friends on a Sunday afternoon, and on the way home, 27 00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: I saw a pretty good rattle snake crossing the road, 28 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: and I decided to catch him and take him home 29 00:01:46,560 --> 00:01:49,240 Speaker 1: to show my mama. Now I don't know why I 30 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: did that, but in the heat of the moment, she 31 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: was the only one I knew that I could show 32 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:56,840 Speaker 1: the snake to. Everybody else was gone, so I stopped 33 00:01:56,840 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: her car and I caught him. It wasn't my first 34 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: time ca the venom of snake, not even close. There 35 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: wasn't any kind of snake that was off limits to 36 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: my rounding up skills growing up. I'd catch them all 37 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:12,240 Speaker 1: and I never had an issue except cotton mouse had 38 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: a bad musky odor that would stink up the world, 39 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:16,840 Speaker 1: and they did everything they could do to try to 40 00:02:16,880 --> 00:02:21,119 Speaker 1: bite you. But rattlesnakes and copperheads they were easy pickings. 41 00:02:21,840 --> 00:02:23,560 Speaker 1: I got out of the car, I caught him in 42 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: pretty short order. Then I got back in the car 43 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,000 Speaker 1: with a four foot rattlesnake. I got to thinking that 44 00:02:29,040 --> 00:02:30,480 Speaker 1: if he got loose in there, it's going to be 45 00:02:30,520 --> 00:02:32,440 Speaker 1: a chore to get him out, and my mama would 46 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,400 Speaker 1: kill me. So driving down the road, I swapped hands 47 00:02:36,440 --> 00:02:39,640 Speaker 1: from right to left, dragging that snake across my lap, 48 00:02:39,639 --> 00:02:41,320 Speaker 1: and I hung him out the window for the mile 49 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: ride to the house. I pulled up and went and 50 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: knocked on the door, and I hollered for Mama to 51 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:49,880 Speaker 1: come see what I'd got. She opened the door, and 52 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:52,120 Speaker 1: I was holding that snake with both hands, one on 53 00:02:52,160 --> 00:02:54,440 Speaker 1: his head and the other on his tail, so she 54 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 1: couldn't see him wiggling. And when she said, oh Lord, 55 00:02:57,720 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: where did you kill that thing? I dropped him on 56 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:02,680 Speaker 1: the car port and he bawled up and went to 57 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 1: buzzing like somebody had kicked over a beehive. I said, 58 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,600 Speaker 1: he ain't dead. She squealed and came on glued and 59 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: started swinging the room at me. I kept the snake 60 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,640 Speaker 1: in between me and her in case she charged, but 61 00:03:15,800 --> 00:03:18,040 Speaker 1: she was on the steps going into the house. It 62 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: wasn't about to come down to the level where me 63 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 1: and the snake were. She made it clear that I 64 00:03:22,840 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: was to terminate that snake with extreme prejudice, and that 65 00:03:26,600 --> 00:03:29,359 Speaker 1: if she ever caught me messing with poisonous snakes again, 66 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: that she'd save the snake the trouble and killed me herself. 67 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,280 Speaker 1: Three years later, and an untold number of snakes caught 68 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:41,400 Speaker 1: and released, most that she didn't know about. Wayne Parnell 69 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: and I were driving home from my brother Tim's house 70 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: when we saw the largest copperhead in the history of 71 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: mankind crossing the road in front of us. We're setting 72 00:03:51,680 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: the stage for buffoonery, y'all pay attention. Sliding to a stop, 73 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: I got out of the truck to catch him. I 74 00:03:57,760 --> 00:03:59,720 Speaker 1: didn't even have to tell Wayne to stop. He knew 75 00:03:59,760 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: what was fixing to happen. And Wayne was a good 76 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 1: coach and a cheerleader as he stood safely behind his truck, 77 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:08,960 Speaker 1: urging me on in the capture of that serpent. Not 78 00:04:09,200 --> 00:04:14,360 Speaker 1: unlike Marlon Perkins to gym on Wild Kingdom. The snake 79 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,120 Speaker 1: called into his defensive position and I was moving in 80 00:04:17,160 --> 00:04:20,839 Speaker 1: to catch him. I remember exactly what I was wearing. Anybody, 81 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: I won't take a guess, bingo overalls and red high 82 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:28,240 Speaker 1: top converse tennis shoes. You probably didn't guess that, but 83 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,359 Speaker 1: that's what I was wearing anyway. I eased my foot 84 00:04:31,440 --> 00:04:34,520 Speaker 1: up to a spot right behind that joker's head and 85 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: slightly applied pressure. I could feel his body pin into 86 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,479 Speaker 1: the gravel road, and I reached down to grab him 87 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: behind his head, and the most amazing thing happened. As 88 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,720 Speaker 1: it turned out, I was standing on a small rock 89 00:04:48,880 --> 00:04:51,799 Speaker 1: and not the snake. The snake opened up his mouth, 90 00:04:51,960 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: wrapped his little lips around my favorite thumb on my 91 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: left hand, and stuck one of his fangs into the 92 00:04:56,800 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: knuckle joint of the previously mentioned thumb, and to what 93 00:05:00,520 --> 00:05:02,719 Speaker 1: must have been six and a half gallons of venom 94 00:05:03,040 --> 00:05:06,599 Speaker 1: into my now astonished, yet a recently more educated person. 95 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:09,479 Speaker 1: I pulled my hand back and jumped away from that 96 00:05:09,480 --> 00:05:11,960 Speaker 1: snake in disbelief, and I said, Wayne, he bit me. 97 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: No he didn't, Yes, he did. Look it's bleeding. You're 98 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,599 Speaker 1: gonna die. No I'm not, but that snake is Forget 99 00:05:20,640 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: the snake. We gotta get to the doctor. Get in 100 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: the truck. You're gonna die. There's nothing like encouragement in 101 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,840 Speaker 1: the face of adversity. Wayne is driving like a wild man, 102 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: and my thumb is starting to swell. I could see 103 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,560 Speaker 1: it swelling, but I was calm during the whole ordeal. 104 00:05:38,080 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: I was holding my left thumb with my right hand 105 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: and squeezing it as hard as I could to help 106 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,600 Speaker 1: stop the flow of venom. I wasn't afraid of snakes, 107 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:49,480 Speaker 1: and my doctor told me that not getting upset was 108 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: probably more beneficial to me as anything. The ride to 109 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:55,719 Speaker 1: town didn't take very long, but I had to take 110 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: off my watch after a few minutes because of the swelling. 111 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:00,920 Speaker 1: Wayne and I had pulled up to a red light. 112 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: Sitting in the lame beside us was a deputy sheriff 113 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: that both of us knew. I rolled down my window 114 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: and I asked him to contact the hospital and tell 115 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:12,279 Speaker 1: them that we were on the way and what had happened. 116 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,080 Speaker 1: He got on the radio and told us to follow him, 117 00:06:15,080 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 1: and he gave us a police escort all the way 118 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: across town. They were waiting for me when we arrived 119 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: at the emergency room a few minutes later. The snake 120 00:06:24,680 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: had bit me probably fifteen minutes ago, and my hand 121 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: was now almost twice the normal size. They stuck my 122 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:35,240 Speaker 1: hand down in a big garbage bag of ice and 123 00:06:35,279 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: asked how I had gotten bit. And that's when I 124 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,640 Speaker 1: realized somebody was going to write this down and my 125 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:45,160 Speaker 1: mama was going to read it. I may have been 126 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:47,640 Speaker 1: dang near grown, but if she decided to give me 127 00:06:47,680 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: a whooping for playing with venomous snakes, I was just 128 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,480 Speaker 1: gonna have to take it. I didn't want a whooping 129 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:58,479 Speaker 1: they hurt. A plan starts to materialize in my criminally 130 00:06:58,520 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: clever mind, a story so unbelievable that they would have 131 00:07:02,839 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: no choice to believe it. At that time, I was 132 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:09,760 Speaker 1: a bona fide member of the School Brothers Union and 133 00:07:09,800 --> 00:07:13,200 Speaker 1: I chewed tobacco. I have it associated with having to 134 00:07:13,240 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: spit tobacco juice into some type of receptacle, and I 135 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: referred to those as a spit cup. And this is 136 00:07:20,040 --> 00:07:23,000 Speaker 1: common knowledge where I come from. So I swing my 137 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:27,760 Speaker 1: plan into action. Doctor Chambers, Wayne and I were going 138 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: down the road and I needed a spit cup. He 139 00:07:31,400 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: pulled over on the side of the road and I 140 00:07:33,000 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: got out. I reached down for the cup lying there, 141 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: and the snake bit me. I never saw him until 142 00:07:39,360 --> 00:07:42,840 Speaker 1: he bit me. The r had been one of chaos, 143 00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,160 Speaker 1: with folks calling out procedures and this and that, and 144 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: it was like a scene out of a movie, everyone dodging, 145 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:52,320 Speaker 1: dashing around in medically orchestration. And as soon as I 146 00:07:52,400 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: said that, a hush fell over the crowd. Everyone stopped 147 00:07:57,000 --> 00:07:59,360 Speaker 1: and looked at me like I just walked into a 148 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:04,440 Speaker 1: saloon where my wonted poster was hanging. Doctor David Chambers 149 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:06,960 Speaker 1: was my doctor and just happened to be there making 150 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:10,120 Speaker 1: rounds when the call came in from the deputy sheriff. 151 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: I'm from a small town, like y'all know. He knew me, well, 152 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: he knew my mama. He stopped what he was doing 153 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 1: and he looked at me and said, you're kidding me. 154 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: I said, no, sir, that's what happened. Now. I'm sure 155 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: you're probably saying to yourself, why is this idiot lying 156 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:33,040 Speaker 1: about how you got bit? This excuse is worse than 157 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:38,240 Speaker 1: the truth. Well, you don't know my mama. The incident 158 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,000 Speaker 1: involved in the rattlesnake was the last time she chewed 159 00:08:41,040 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: me out for playing with snakes. There had been countless others. 160 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:48,679 Speaker 1: I don't think anyone was buying the spits cup excuse, 161 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,440 Speaker 1: but it didn't matter. I just needed my mama to 162 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,760 Speaker 1: buy it. Now she had to be told him. Since 163 00:08:54,800 --> 00:08:57,800 Speaker 1: I was busy getting tended to. I told Wayne to 164 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:01,720 Speaker 1: do it. Wayne didn't want it do it. He had 165 00:09:01,760 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: been a good friend for the majority of my life 166 00:09:04,200 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: and still is growing up. He was figuratively a member 167 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:11,560 Speaker 1: of my family. That meant that also that he had 168 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: no immunity when it came time for Mama to dish 169 00:09:14,440 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: out the whoopings of fact, he was well aware of. 170 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: I don't want to call her. She'll kill me too. 171 00:09:21,240 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: Come on, Wayne, somebody's got to call her and get 172 00:09:24,040 --> 00:09:27,760 Speaker 1: her up here. Mama later told me that the phone 173 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:35,280 Speaker 1: call went like this. Mama said, hello, miss Betty, Yes, 174 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:40,839 Speaker 1: this is Wayne. Hi Wayne, We're at the hospital. Oh 175 00:09:40,880 --> 00:09:44,079 Speaker 1: my god, what happened? Where's Brent? He's right here, he's 176 00:09:44,120 --> 00:09:47,320 Speaker 1: all right. Well, why are you at the hospital? Well 177 00:09:47,480 --> 00:09:52,720 Speaker 1: he uh uh, Brent kind of got snake bid. Brent 178 00:09:52,840 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: kind of got what snake bid. He's all right. They're 179 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 1: giving him some Hello. Hello, Mama was on her way. 180 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: Wayne stuck his head in the room and told me 181 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:08,559 Speaker 1: he thought she was on her way and that she 182 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,720 Speaker 1: seemed a little bit upset. Wayne disappeared, only to resurface 183 00:10:12,760 --> 00:10:15,959 Speaker 1: about the time Mama would walk in the door. Doctor 184 00:10:16,040 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: Chambers told me that it was a possibility that I 185 00:10:18,280 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 1: could lose my thumb. I asked him if i'd still 186 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: be able to shoot a shotgun. He said, well yes, 187 00:10:23,600 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: and I said, well cut it off. I don't care. 188 00:10:25,920 --> 00:10:28,960 Speaker 1: He laughed and said there would be no amputations that day, 189 00:10:29,400 --> 00:10:31,000 Speaker 1: and he didn't think it would come to that, but 190 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:34,800 Speaker 1: it was just a possibility. You're not real smart when 191 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:38,160 Speaker 1: you're nineteen. I would have really missed that thumb during 192 00:10:38,200 --> 00:10:42,319 Speaker 1: all these years. I remember one of the nurses taking 193 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: my blood pressure three times in a row. She told 194 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: the doctor that something was wrong with the blood pressure 195 00:10:46,880 --> 00:10:50,320 Speaker 1: cuff and they got another one. She said, there's something 196 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:52,840 Speaker 1: wrong with this one too, because my blood pressure was 197 00:10:52,840 --> 00:10:56,400 Speaker 1: reading normal well. Doctor Chambers asked me if I was scared, 198 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:58,760 Speaker 1: and I told him no, sir, and that was the truth. 199 00:10:59,640 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: I never got the least bit scared or nervous. I 200 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:05,840 Speaker 1: didn't have enough sense to Doctor Chambers told her that 201 00:11:05,880 --> 00:11:07,840 Speaker 1: there was nothing wrong with the blood pressure cuff. I 202 00:11:07,920 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 1: was calm and that was the reason for the normal 203 00:11:09,760 --> 00:11:14,440 Speaker 1: reading that was all about to change. In Walkwayne eating 204 00:11:14,440 --> 00:11:16,640 Speaker 1: a snicker bar and drinking a coke. He was grinning, 205 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:20,319 Speaker 1: just checking out everything that was going on. Then Mama 206 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:22,199 Speaker 1: rounded the corner of the door like she was running 207 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,640 Speaker 1: a search. One on the er. Wayne more Or lesstood 208 00:11:25,640 --> 00:11:28,560 Speaker 1: an attention and said, high, miss Betty, I'll deal with 209 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: you in a minute, was what she said back. This 210 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:35,280 Speaker 1: has not started out well, Mama. I wasn't trying to 211 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 1: catch it, I promise. I was leaning down to get 212 00:11:37,640 --> 00:11:39,880 Speaker 1: a spit cup off the side of the road, and 213 00:11:39,920 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: the snake bit me all right out here on the thumb. 214 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,600 Speaker 1: It sounded even dumber the second time I said it, 215 00:11:45,600 --> 00:11:48,560 Speaker 1: and she just looked at me. I could feel every 216 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:51,800 Speaker 1: eyeball in there going back and forth from her to me, 217 00:11:52,240 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: like that scene in The Good and the Bad and 218 00:11:54,320 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: the Ugly when Clint Eastwood leave, Van Cleef and Eli 219 00:11:57,240 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: Wallach were giving each other the stink eye waiting for 220 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: so I wanted to make the first move, draw their 221 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: pistols and commenced to shooting. Watch that movie and you'll 222 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 1: get a sense of what the tension was in that 223 00:12:08,840 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 1: room is Everyone waited to see what she was going 224 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:14,680 Speaker 1: to use to kill me with. After she made sure 225 00:12:14,720 --> 00:12:17,600 Speaker 1: I was going to live, she walked over to the 226 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:20,760 Speaker 1: exam table and said, I told you that stuff was 227 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:23,800 Speaker 1: going to kill you. I should have just went with 228 00:12:23,840 --> 00:12:26,080 Speaker 1: the truth. I was going to be wrong either way. 229 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: Doctor Chambers and the rest got a pretty good laugh 230 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:33,480 Speaker 1: out of that, but I wasn't about to laugh. I 231 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,120 Speaker 1: knew I was in for it. Eventually, the new would 232 00:12:36,160 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: rub off that story, The exposed holes would be exploited 233 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,160 Speaker 1: by my brothers to my mother, and they would sit 234 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:46,440 Speaker 1: back and gleefully watch as she tortured me. It all 235 00:12:46,440 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 1: eventually came to pass, and I was none the worse 236 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: for wear. I spent three days in the hospital. I 237 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 1: never got sick, and I still sport a scar on 238 00:12:54,880 --> 00:12:58,800 Speaker 1: the favorite thumb of my left hand. There was talk 239 00:12:58,880 --> 00:13:01,320 Speaker 1: of having to do surgery to keep my skin from 240 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: tearing because it had gotten so big. But at the 241 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:07,200 Speaker 1: last minute, and right before they started getting the operating 242 00:13:07,320 --> 00:13:12,280 Speaker 1: room ready, the swelling started going down. That snake was 243 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,600 Speaker 1: one of a jillion that I had caught in my youth, 244 00:13:16,120 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: and the last live venom of snake I have ever touched. 245 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,400 Speaker 1: If I had listened to my mama, I wouldn't have 246 00:13:24,400 --> 00:13:27,800 Speaker 1: gotten bit that day. If I had listened to my mama, 247 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:29,360 Speaker 1: I wouldn't have done a lot of things that I 248 00:13:29,480 --> 00:13:33,280 Speaker 1: later got in trouble, for if I had listened to 249 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:37,760 Speaker 1: my mama, I wouldn't be talking to you now. She 250 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,160 Speaker 1: told me that hunting, fishing and running my mouth about 251 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:46,559 Speaker 1: it wouldn't get me anywhere. Hey mama, what's the name 252 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: of your podcast? Is she going to kill me for 253 00:13:51,080 --> 00:14:02,439 Speaker 1: that one? And that's just how that happened. September is 254 00:14:02,480 --> 00:14:05,160 Speaker 1: a busy time in Arkansas and in other parts of 255 00:14:05,200 --> 00:14:07,839 Speaker 1: the country as well. Leaves are starting to turn loose, 256 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,160 Speaker 1: elk or bugling bears are fattening it up prepping for 257 00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:14,720 Speaker 1: the winter. White tails have lost the velvet off their antlers, 258 00:14:14,880 --> 00:14:18,199 Speaker 1: and the creepy crawleys are at the peak of their activity. 259 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:22,720 Speaker 1: And of all those majestic creatures and activities I just mentioned, 260 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about snakes. First of all, we 261 00:14:27,680 --> 00:14:31,880 Speaker 1: have six venomous snakes in Arkansas. The Eastern Copperhead, that 262 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: that one that we just talked about, Then there's the 263 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:38,400 Speaker 1: Northern cotton Mouth. It's been my experience as these jokers 264 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: have the worst disposition of any of them. Allow me 265 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:46,000 Speaker 1: to elaborate. Back in the eighties, it was in April 266 00:14:46,040 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: and the opening morning and turkey season, and I was 267 00:14:48,800 --> 00:14:50,960 Speaker 1: so fired up to go that when I stepped out 268 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: of my truck to walk down into the bottoms where 269 00:14:53,440 --> 00:14:56,160 Speaker 1: I was going to listen, I was about two hours early. 270 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,040 Speaker 1: It was way before daylight, and the only life I 271 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 1: had with me was a little pen light that was 272 00:15:02,760 --> 00:15:05,160 Speaker 1: so dim he dang there. Had to strike a match 273 00:15:05,200 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: beside it to see if it was on. I stuck 274 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:10,440 Speaker 1: it back in my pocket, but I couldn't set it 275 00:15:10,480 --> 00:15:13,400 Speaker 1: the truck. I had to go, so, taking my time 276 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,120 Speaker 1: because I had plenty of it, I made my way 277 00:15:16,240 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: slowly down through the woods in the dark, navigating by 278 00:15:19,720 --> 00:15:22,720 Speaker 1: a sliver of moonlight and just using my face as 279 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: a limb detector. It was a very effective but somewhat 280 00:15:26,280 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: painful way to find out where the limbs were. But 281 00:15:29,720 --> 00:15:32,600 Speaker 1: I'd made that trip a million times before and I 282 00:15:32,680 --> 00:15:35,240 Speaker 1: knew the way, so I knew that if I could 283 00:15:35,320 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: just keep from jobbing both of my eyes out or 284 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:40,240 Speaker 1: ripping the ears off the side of my head, that 285 00:15:40,320 --> 00:15:42,920 Speaker 1: when I got close to steep Bank Creek and heard 286 00:15:42,960 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: the water running over the shallow gravel crossing, that I'd 287 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: just wait there until goblin time came in the dark. Eventually, 288 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:55,200 Speaker 1: but not without a few stumbles and abrasions. I heard 289 00:15:55,240 --> 00:15:58,080 Speaker 1: water running through that show where I'd planned to listen from, 290 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 1: and I stopped in a small opening in the trees. 291 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:03,440 Speaker 1: I dug around for that little pen light, and when 292 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:06,200 Speaker 1: I did, I found an extra battery. I loaded that 293 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: rascal and fired it up, and it was like I 294 00:16:08,280 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: had harnessed the power of the sun. After my eyes 295 00:16:11,000 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: had gotten so acclimated the darkness and tree bark, I 296 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: also realized that the creek was louder than I had 297 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:21,000 Speaker 1: originally thought it would be, so I was going to 298 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:23,680 Speaker 1: have to relocate a little ways away from it when 299 00:16:23,720 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 1: gobling time came, so I wouldn't miss a far away gobble. 300 00:16:26,680 --> 00:16:30,080 Speaker 1: Because of that record, I knew that I had over 301 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: an hour before I needed to move, so I turned 302 00:16:33,000 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: on my light and I looked toward that creek that 303 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:39,600 Speaker 1: was fifteen yards away. The creek was about ten feet wide, 304 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:41,320 Speaker 1: and laying on the opposite bank from where I was 305 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,600 Speaker 1: looking was a big cotton mouth. He was cooled up 306 00:16:45,080 --> 00:16:48,280 Speaker 1: and striking into the riffles of the water. It was weird, 307 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 1: and I ain't never seen that before. So I took 308 00:16:50,800 --> 00:16:53,000 Speaker 1: a couple of steps closer, and I saw that there 309 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: was a bunch of little brim going through that shoal, 310 00:16:55,320 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: and he was trying to catch him one. I bet 311 00:16:59,160 --> 00:17:01,400 Speaker 1: I washed him, striking four or five fish and didn't 312 00:17:01,440 --> 00:17:05,040 Speaker 1: catch a one. I grew weary of watching him strike out. 313 00:17:05,119 --> 00:17:07,679 Speaker 1: It was like watching all the out takes on National 314 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: Geographic when of them palace get away from the cheetah. 315 00:17:10,640 --> 00:17:13,640 Speaker 1: I want to see something get in time to change 316 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,240 Speaker 1: the channel. I turned my light off and went back 317 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:19,359 Speaker 1: to stating in the dark, looking at the stars, minding 318 00:17:19,400 --> 00:17:23,719 Speaker 1: my own business and waiting on daylight. I never gave 319 00:17:23,800 --> 00:17:25,600 Speaker 1: him another thought, for I don't know it must have 320 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:29,080 Speaker 1: been ten fifteen minutes. Fella can only do so much 321 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:31,840 Speaker 1: in the dark past the time, so I decided to 322 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: turn my little light back home to see what was 323 00:17:33,720 --> 00:17:37,200 Speaker 1: happening on the snake channel. I shined my light over 324 00:17:37,200 --> 00:17:40,159 Speaker 1: thereby Elvis had left the building. The little fish were 325 00:17:40,200 --> 00:17:42,680 Speaker 1: still shooting through the rabbits, but the cotton mouth he 326 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:46,399 Speaker 1: was nowhere to be seen. I was a little disappointed 327 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: that I hadn't kept watching him, because he'd obviously caught 328 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:53,520 Speaker 1: one and took off. That had been pretty cool to see. 329 00:17:53,840 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: I shined left and right up and down the bank, 330 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 1: looking for him, but I didn't seem And then, for 331 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:02,280 Speaker 1: some unknown reasoned that pen light at my feet. In 332 00:18:02,400 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: less than a foot away from me was that cotton mouth, 333 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: all cold up with his mouth wide open. He looked 334 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:12,680 Speaker 1: like he weighed ninety two pounds and his mouth was 335 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:15,000 Speaker 1: big enough to swallow us. Sit in here and her nest. 336 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: I don't know how high I jumped or how high 337 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: I squealed, but both of them were way up there, 338 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:23,840 Speaker 1: and when I came down, I monkey stomped that joker 339 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:26,160 Speaker 1: all over that little clear and until he didn't favor 340 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:29,400 Speaker 1: a drink of water. I don't know why he came 341 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:33,400 Speaker 1: to where I was, but he did. I've had them 342 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,480 Speaker 1: come to where I was before, when I was frog 343 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:40,680 Speaker 1: gigging or running the trout line at night with a spotlight. Regardless, 344 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: they deserved some respect in space, and apparently I'd failed 345 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:47,480 Speaker 1: to one or both of them. Now, doing some research 346 00:18:47,520 --> 00:18:50,560 Speaker 1: for this episode, I kept reading where contrary to what 347 00:18:50,720 --> 00:18:55,439 Speaker 1: I just said, cotton mouths aren't overly aggressive. Well, okay, 348 00:18:55,480 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 1: mister snake expert, maybe they're just really curious and like 349 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,680 Speaker 1: to show off their fans. Where's doctor Chris Jenkins when 350 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: I need him? Speaking? To him. He's got a podcast 351 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: called Snake Talk, and if snakes are your thing, it's 352 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:13,560 Speaker 1: very informative and you should check it out now. In 353 00:19:13,600 --> 00:19:17,399 Speaker 1: all seriousness, that snake was between two and twelve feet long. 354 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 1: Not really, he was about two and a half feet long. 355 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:24,240 Speaker 1: I don't think he was attacking me because he had 356 00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,800 Speaker 1: every opportunity to bite me before I ever turned my 357 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 1: light on looking for him. And there's no telling how 358 00:19:30,440 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: long he'd been there. Either he was just going my 359 00:19:33,720 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 1: way or was defending his fishing on who knows. He 360 00:19:36,840 --> 00:19:40,000 Speaker 1: only did three things wrong. He scared me down near 361 00:19:40,040 --> 00:19:42,960 Speaker 1: to death, violated the perimeter of my personal space, and 362 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,680 Speaker 1: he didn't wear a helmet, all of which were not 363 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:59,359 Speaker 1: my phone. All right, that's two of them, cotton mouse 364 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,360 Speaker 1: and copperheads. We still got three kinds of rattlesnakes. That's 365 00:20:02,440 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: Western diamondbacks, timber rattlesnakes, and pigmy rattlesnakes. That's the little fellow. 366 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:11,359 Speaker 1: Not sure if I've ever even seen a diamondback, but 367 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: I've seen a box car load of timber rattlers. They 368 00:20:14,760 --> 00:20:17,800 Speaker 1: were very prevalent where I grew up. But I've never 369 00:20:17,920 --> 00:20:21,320 Speaker 1: had a bad experience with rattlesnakes. I'd run up on 370 00:20:21,359 --> 00:20:23,640 Speaker 1: them in the woods and could count on probably one 371 00:20:23,680 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: hand how many times I've ever heard them rattle before 372 00:20:26,600 --> 00:20:29,600 Speaker 1: I saw him. I don't go around looking for them, 373 00:20:29,600 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: but when I'm in places where they like to be, 374 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:36,800 Speaker 1: I guess I'm subconsciously more observant. Diamondbacks are over in 375 00:20:36,840 --> 00:20:40,679 Speaker 1: the western in the southwestern corner of Arkansas, and I 376 00:20:40,840 --> 00:20:44,520 Speaker 1: just wasn't in my stomping grounds. Had a fellow in 377 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:46,679 Speaker 1: the neighborhood knock on my door one day. It was 378 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:51,359 Speaker 1: September in twoenty and nineteen. When I answered the door, 379 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,119 Speaker 1: I recognized him from seeing him drive by the house, 380 00:20:54,160 --> 00:20:57,400 Speaker 1: but I'd never talked to him before, knew which house 381 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:00,480 Speaker 1: he lived in. I opened the door, and the first 382 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:04,560 Speaker 1: thing out of his mouth was do you have a gun? Well? 383 00:21:04,560 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: That got my spidy senses tingling, and I took a 384 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: step closer to him and quickly looked to see if 385 00:21:09,520 --> 00:21:12,240 Speaker 1: he had one in his hands or on his person. 386 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 1: Satisfied he didn't, and that I was now close enough 387 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,480 Speaker 1: to throw punch him off my porch if I needed to, 388 00:21:19,520 --> 00:21:23,000 Speaker 1: I said, do I need one? That's when he told 389 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:25,440 Speaker 1: me about the big rattlesnake. He'd seen him a driveway. 390 00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: You sure it was a rattlesnake. Oh yeah, he's a 391 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:31,080 Speaker 1: big one. Well, I figured he saw a snake, but 392 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: I doubted he'd seen a rattlesnake. I'd been here for 393 00:21:34,520 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: nine years and ain't never seen one. So I followed 394 00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:39,720 Speaker 1: him outside to look at the snake and was about 395 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,720 Speaker 1: to give him a lesson on snake id. I didn't 396 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:46,840 Speaker 1: bother bringing a gun when we walked him. When we 397 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 1: walked to the mailbox, he pointed it to nearly five 398 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 1: foot rattlesnake coled up behind it. I retreated for the 399 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:56,720 Speaker 1: twenty two You can check my Instagram and see the 400 00:21:56,720 --> 00:22:00,600 Speaker 1: picture of him the snake, not the neighbor. Now, I 401 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:02,960 Speaker 1: want to say, for the record, I ain't bad about 402 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:05,879 Speaker 1: killing snakes. They serve a purpose, and he was just 403 00:22:05,960 --> 00:22:09,679 Speaker 1: out making a living. Anything whose diet has rats in 404 00:22:09,720 --> 00:22:13,240 Speaker 1: it is my friend, because I give no quarter to rats. Also, 405 00:22:13,560 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: for the record, there's no difference in my mind when 406 00:22:16,080 --> 00:22:18,440 Speaker 1: it comes to rats and mice. Rats or rats and 407 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: mice are small rats. But he can't make a living 408 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,200 Speaker 1: in my yard when I got kids and grandkids running around. 409 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:28,080 Speaker 1: Life is hard it's harder if you're a rattlesnake and 410 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 1: you trespass at Brent's house, a king snake or any 411 00:22:31,640 --> 00:22:35,720 Speaker 1: other non venomous snake would have got a free pass anyway, 412 00:22:35,760 --> 00:22:38,639 Speaker 1: That pigmy rattlesnake is as common as crickets. And lastly 413 00:22:38,720 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: there's the Texas coral snake, of which I have only 414 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,199 Speaker 1: seen one in my lifetime. So by sheer law of 415 00:22:45,200 --> 00:22:49,439 Speaker 1: averages and in my experience in Arkansas and in similar environments, 416 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,440 Speaker 1: if you come across a venom of snake, you're gonna 417 00:22:52,480 --> 00:22:56,600 Speaker 1: be bumping into copperheads, cotton mouths, and timber rattlers more 418 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,840 Speaker 1: than any other. Like when I got bit, you seek 419 00:22:59,920 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: medical attention at once, But what about your dog? When 420 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:06,600 Speaker 1: I'm coon hunting, I'm purposely sending Whaling down creek and 421 00:23:06,640 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: slew edges where the bandidos roam, but also overlaps where 422 00:23:10,320 --> 00:23:14,160 Speaker 1: the snakes live and operate too. It's bound to happen 423 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:16,399 Speaker 1: at some juncture, and when it does, you may not 424 00:23:16,400 --> 00:23:19,320 Speaker 1: notice the effects immediately. First thing I do when I 425 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:21,399 Speaker 1: call Whaling in to go home is give him a 426 00:23:21,440 --> 00:23:24,520 Speaker 1: good inspection before I load him up. When I've got 427 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 1: him on the tailgate and removing his track and collar. 428 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:29,920 Speaker 1: I'm inspecting him for any damages he may have incurred 429 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:32,960 Speaker 1: while out hunting. When I get him home to unload 430 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:34,880 Speaker 1: him and put him up, I do the same thing 431 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,240 Speaker 1: again on the tailgate from his grill to his exhaust pipe. 432 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: I'm looking him over and first thing. The next morning, 433 00:23:41,520 --> 00:23:42,919 Speaker 1: when I go out to feed him, I do the 434 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 1: same thing again. If I see some swelling, that's when 435 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:49,520 Speaker 1: I start my diagnosis. Me and Rex were hunting Whaling 436 00:23:49,560 --> 00:23:52,280 Speaker 1: and his dog Shadow one night and they were blowing 437 00:23:52,280 --> 00:23:55,439 Speaker 1: a coon track up in a big hardwood flat in 438 00:23:55,480 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 1: the Cache River bottoms. Walking to where they were treed, 439 00:23:59,040 --> 00:24:02,280 Speaker 1: we heard Shadow yep like he had something had hurt him, 440 00:24:02,280 --> 00:24:05,879 Speaker 1: and then he went back to tree. Rex asked me 441 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:07,640 Speaker 1: if I heard that, and the one I said yes, 442 00:24:07,680 --> 00:24:11,200 Speaker 1: he said, I think Shadow just got snake bit. We 443 00:24:11,240 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 1: went on into the tree and they'd split tree at 444 00:24:13,359 --> 00:24:15,880 Speaker 1: about thirty yards apart, and both of them had a coon. 445 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:21,679 Speaker 1: It was August and Primo Cottonmouth Country. We checked him 446 00:24:21,720 --> 00:24:23,800 Speaker 1: over and we didn't see any issues. But the next 447 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:25,679 Speaker 1: morning Rex called me and said, well, it looks like 448 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:29,359 Speaker 1: Shadow got bit. His right front foot is about twice 449 00:24:29,400 --> 00:24:31,399 Speaker 1: the size as it should be. He sent me a 450 00:24:31,440 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: picture of it. It looked like he's wearing a boxing 451 00:24:33,359 --> 00:24:37,119 Speaker 1: glove on it. Long story short, it wasn't a snake 452 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:40,080 Speaker 1: bite at all. It was a thorn off a black 453 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:42,880 Speaker 1: locust tree that he'd stepped on. And let me tell you, 454 00:24:43,160 --> 00:24:47,920 Speaker 1: those things hurt. The thorns of the Robenia suiticacia commonly 455 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,320 Speaker 1: called the black locust tree or toxic and can call 456 00:24:51,480 --> 00:24:55,200 Speaker 1: swelling and the cross which is tissue death a saw 457 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:59,639 Speaker 1: that won't heal. The vet couldn't find anything punctures, so 458 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 1: he make sure hed his foot to see if he'd 459 00:25:01,600 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 1: broken it, and found the thorn, and then he removed it. 460 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:07,760 Speaker 1: A few days of antibiotics and Shadow was ready to 461 00:25:07,840 --> 00:25:10,560 Speaker 1: hunt again. So, if you have a dog that gets 462 00:25:10,600 --> 00:25:13,320 Speaker 1: bitten by a venomous snake, and you're fortunate enough to 463 00:25:13,400 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 1: know what kind it is, that's gonna dictate what your 464 00:25:16,680 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: next steps are. I call my good friend and serial 465 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:25,880 Speaker 1: duck killer doctor Jonathan Bradshaw, DVM, the Sporting Dog Veterinarian. 466 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,359 Speaker 1: If y'all ain't following him on Instagram, you are to be. 467 00:25:30,119 --> 00:25:32,639 Speaker 1: He's like a mild mannered Clark Kent going about his 468 00:25:32,760 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 1: day to life in the city limits of Dogopolis until 469 00:25:35,800 --> 00:25:38,560 Speaker 1: there's a need for heroics, and as quick as a hiccup, 470 00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:41,320 Speaker 1: he's in a phone booth, putting on his cape and 471 00:25:41,359 --> 00:25:45,560 Speaker 1: flying off to save the day. For real, He's always 472 00:25:45,640 --> 00:25:48,719 Speaker 1: posting stuff on there about health care for you dogs 473 00:25:48,720 --> 00:25:52,399 Speaker 1: that you'd normally have to pay for. Anyway, I hemmed 474 00:25:52,440 --> 00:25:56,359 Speaker 1: him up and posed this question to him. First of all, 475 00:25:56,800 --> 00:26:01,280 Speaker 1: here's the disclaimer. Good lord, the times that we live in, y'all, 476 00:26:01,280 --> 00:26:03,199 Speaker 1: don't be jamming me of the dock up in the 477 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:07,240 Speaker 1: future saying y'all's device killed my dog. Well, ain't nobody 478 00:26:07,240 --> 00:26:10,399 Speaker 1: got time for that. If you're concerned about your dog's health, 479 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:14,840 Speaker 1: told him to the vet. End the disclaimer. Now here's 480 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:19,359 Speaker 1: the question and his answer, Doc, do you have a 481 00:26:19,480 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 1: general rule about treating snake bites and dogs? If it's 482 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: a big dog and a little snake, do nothing? Or 483 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,080 Speaker 1: a little dog and a big snake do you seek 484 00:26:28,119 --> 00:26:32,720 Speaker 1: treatment to me? Here's where snake idea comes in. It's 485 00:26:32,840 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: very important to know the difference. Both cotton mouth and 486 00:26:36,080 --> 00:26:40,479 Speaker 1: rattlesnake venoms are hematoxic and cast circulatory system and muscle 487 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:44,919 Speaker 1: tissue damage, including the crosis, but the rattlesnake venom is 488 00:26:45,040 --> 00:26:48,280 Speaker 1: much more potent than the cotton mouth Enough rambling, Brent, 489 00:26:48,359 --> 00:26:50,919 Speaker 1: What did the guy who knows sake? This is what 490 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 1: he said, Unless it's a rattlesnake, I don't really worry 491 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:59,640 Speaker 1: about it. Benadrill is nice to give. Steroids are nice 492 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: to give, but antibiotics sometimes really saved the day a 493 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:06,760 Speaker 1: few days down the road when infection from the bite 494 00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:11,639 Speaker 1: sets in or sluggish blood flow settles in. Here's what 495 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:16,159 Speaker 1: he said about rattlesnakes. If it's a rattlesnake, any venom 496 00:27:16,240 --> 00:27:21,560 Speaker 1: and extreme supportive care period. Now there's going to be 497 00:27:21,680 --> 00:27:24,679 Speaker 1: somebody send me a message saying you don't need no 498 00:27:24,800 --> 00:27:27,480 Speaker 1: vent to treat a snake bite. My dog got bit 499 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:30,119 Speaker 1: by a sixteen foot rattlesnake and we didn't do nothing 500 00:27:30,160 --> 00:27:33,400 Speaker 1: and he was all right. Well, y'all also don't need 501 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:35,360 Speaker 1: a spoon to eat soup with, but it sure makes 502 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:38,640 Speaker 1: it less messy when you use one. Please don't send 503 00:27:38,720 --> 00:27:41,600 Speaker 1: me that message or a picture of you eating soup 504 00:27:41,640 --> 00:27:45,239 Speaker 1: without a spoon. Knowing the environment you're hunting in and 505 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:48,119 Speaker 1: what venom of snakes most likely in habit the area, 506 00:27:48,119 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: will help you determine what level of care you give me. 507 00:27:51,280 --> 00:27:53,680 Speaker 1: I'm going to err on the side of caution every 508 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:59,000 Speaker 1: time you you do what you want. Snakes are part 509 00:27:59,040 --> 00:28:01,399 Speaker 1: of the landscape, and the struggle to coexists with the 510 00:28:01,480 --> 00:28:04,320 Speaker 1: humanity started when that joker talked to even to taking 511 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:06,840 Speaker 1: a bite out of that apple. Dang girl, what was 512 00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:10,760 Speaker 1: you thinking? Now? That was the first incident when a 513 00:28:10,840 --> 00:28:15,240 Speaker 1: serpent caused havoc on the planet. But Eve made that choice. 514 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:18,960 Speaker 1: The snake didn't make her eat it. Fast forward to 515 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:20,879 Speaker 1: when I was nineteen and not more or less him 516 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:22,880 Speaker 1: the copper head up so I could stick my thumb 517 00:28:22,920 --> 00:28:26,240 Speaker 1: in his mouth. He didn't make me do that. It 518 00:28:26,359 --> 00:28:29,040 Speaker 1: was my choice, And like that old dude set in 519 00:28:29,080 --> 00:28:35,440 Speaker 1: that cave on Indiana Jones, I chose poorly. A high 520 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:38,200 Speaker 1: percentage of snake bites a curve when we're messing with him. 521 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:41,360 Speaker 1: If you leave them alone, they're more liable to leave 522 00:28:41,400 --> 00:28:46,000 Speaker 1: you alone. One more story about snakes and dogs. My 523 00:28:46,080 --> 00:28:48,680 Speaker 1: brother Tim had a black lab that I've talked about 524 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:51,200 Speaker 1: on here before. His name was Zach and he was 525 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: quite a dog. I loved that rascal. Everyone loved him 526 00:28:55,040 --> 00:28:59,760 Speaker 1: and he loved everyone. But he hated snakes, and this 527 00:28:59,920 --> 00:29:03,760 Speaker 1: was no entry level hate either. This dude was a 528 00:29:03,760 --> 00:29:07,560 Speaker 1: Tier one snake hater. He hated them so much, especially rattlesnakes, 529 00:29:07,600 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: that he would dig them up either the den, kill them, 530 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:12,760 Speaker 1: and bring them to my brother's porch and offer them 531 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:16,160 Speaker 1: up as a testimony of his hatred for old Jake 532 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:20,000 Speaker 1: no shoulders. He wasn't alone in this endeavor either. He 533 00:29:20,040 --> 00:29:24,560 Speaker 1: had an accomplice, a half Boston Terrier and half Blue 534 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,960 Speaker 1: Healer named Fred. Don't even ask how that cross came about. 535 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:32,720 Speaker 1: Zach was laid back in about the coolest dog you 536 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,760 Speaker 1: have ever seen. His expressions reminded me of Eore on 537 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:39,680 Speaker 1: Winnie the Pooh. That dude was the epitome of chill. 538 00:29:40,600 --> 00:29:44,640 Speaker 1: Fred was not. Fred was a hot wire And I'm 539 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:46,680 Speaker 1: not sure if Fred was nervous or if he was 540 00:29:46,760 --> 00:29:50,560 Speaker 1: just really quick. But my brother is a gunsmith, and 541 00:29:50,640 --> 00:29:53,200 Speaker 1: on top of repairing guns and test firing them, we 542 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:55,720 Speaker 1: would shoot skeet and everything else around there. We was 543 00:29:55,760 --> 00:29:59,480 Speaker 1: always shooting at something whenever Zach and Fred were around. 544 00:29:59,680 --> 00:30:02,240 Speaker 1: Every time time someone pulled the trigger and fired a shot, 545 00:30:02,560 --> 00:30:04,400 Speaker 1: for ever to body Zack right in the rear end. 546 00:30:05,080 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 1: Only Zack and nobody knew what. But back to the snakes. 547 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: Tim told me it was a common occurrence to hear 548 00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:15,280 Speaker 1: something on the porch and open the door to see 549 00:30:15,360 --> 00:30:18,440 Speaker 1: Zach and Fred standing there, Zack holding a dead rattlesnake 550 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,880 Speaker 1: in his mouth, and he and Fred both looking like 551 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:25,520 Speaker 1: they just survived five rounds with Mike Tyson. Tim said, 552 00:30:25,560 --> 00:30:28,320 Speaker 1: at first, as Zack said, it would look like a basketball, 553 00:30:28,720 --> 00:30:32,880 Speaker 1: but eventually, after years of Zach's campaign against snakes, that 554 00:30:32,960 --> 00:30:36,120 Speaker 1: the swelling wouldn't amount to much at all. It's pretty 555 00:30:36,160 --> 00:30:38,120 Speaker 1: crazy when you think about it. Now. Did he build 556 00:30:38,200 --> 00:30:41,000 Speaker 1: up a tolerance to the venom? He sure didn't build 557 00:30:41,080 --> 00:30:45,000 Speaker 1: up a tolerance to their presence. Zach lived a long time, 558 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:47,240 Speaker 1: but I don't remember what happened to Fred. He probably 559 00:30:47,240 --> 00:30:49,840 Speaker 1: wound up in the nervous hospital. He was definitely a 560 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:55,240 Speaker 1: good prospect for it. Anyway, Snakes are your challenged this week. 561 00:30:55,520 --> 00:30:58,600 Speaker 1: Do some paperwork and learn about the snakes in your 562 00:30:58,640 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: area and have a plan on what to do if 563 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:04,600 Speaker 1: you or your dog gets bitten. I see people on 564 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: social media saying that the only good snake is a 565 00:31:07,560 --> 00:31:10,719 Speaker 1: dead snake. Well that ain't true. They serve a purpose 566 00:31:10,760 --> 00:31:13,720 Speaker 1: and they have a place. It's usually the best when 567 00:31:13,720 --> 00:31:16,640 Speaker 1: that place is over yonder, but they do have a place. 568 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:23,880 Speaker 1: Be alert when you head to the mailbox. You never 569 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:29,160 Speaker 1: know I might be lurking there. This is Brent Reeves 570 00:31:29,280 --> 00:31:31,640 Speaker 1: signing off. Y'all be careful.