I don't carry anything for snake bite. I do use a hiking staff which stirs up the ground duff ahead, I keep my eyes open, and I'm clumsy enough that any snake can hear me coming far enough in advance to avoid me...I'm 77 years old, have been messing around in the woods since I was about 8, and have never surprised a snake...mostly haven't even seen any...Hank

Well, I leave tomorrow for a pig hunt near Gonzales Texas. I bet I'll see several rattlebutts before the hunt is done!

Hopefully it will be "Littlebit's" (My Jackie Brown canoegun's) first big game animal.

quote:

Even though they are in leather bags hidden deep in my possibles, I have my cellphone, my personal locator, and a modern first aid kit along. I refuse to die or be permanently crippled for the sake of authenticity.

Amen brother. Most snakes of North America have a hemotoxin, works to damage the cardio-vascular system. The larger the snake and the longer the time from it's last strike or meal = more potentcy, as well as how full a dose a person got (so I have been told). The other snake, the coral snake, has a neurotoxin. Rattlers and copper heads are dangerous when moltin the skin as they can't see so good, or when near a clutch of eggs. Moccasins/Cotton Mouths are just plain mean and agressive.

A transponder is indeed a good idea.

LD

My son is an emergency room physician with about 14 years experience. He is an outdoorsman (modern style) and has practiced emergency medicine from southern Louisiana to Alaska and currently in Missouri. He is a member of the Wilderness Emergency Medicine Association. I posed the question to him last night about what to do if bit a long distance from help. He said that one is basically in serious trouble, there is nothing that can be done. Only option might be a loose tourniquet but that would mean sacrificing the limb to later amputation. Carrying a locator (like a Spot, or whatever) would be your best hope for help. Best cure is prevention.

Rifleman,

Before one goes hacking off limbs, it should probably be states that a reasonable percentage of pit viper bites are dry, i.e. no venom injection. I would not count on that by any means, but I would certainly think about it a bit before I started sawing. This does however remind me of a story I heard from a Norteno (northern New Mexican) who's family emmigrated to NM around 1600 and ranched around the upper Pecos. His granddad got bit on the middle finger while out running cows in what is now the Pecos Wilderness, so he shot it off with his colt peacemaker. Muy hombre....

Sean

quote:

Before one goes hacking off limbs,

LOL

He's not, I don't think, saying he means the person in the field cutting off a body part with a Swiss Army knife [doctor MacGuyver to surgery, Dor MacGuyver to surgery]..., the application of a loose tourniquet will cause damage and contain the toxin in the limb, requiring a surgeon to amputate the limb later.

LD

quote:

Originally posted by Loyalist Dave:

quote:

Before one goes hacking off limbs,

LOL

He's not, I don't think, saying he means the person in the field cutting off a body part with a Swiss Army knife [doctor MacGuyver to surgery, Dor MacGuyver to surgery]..., the application of a loose tourniquet will cause damage and contain the toxin in the limb, requiring a surgeon to amputate the limb later.

LD

Right. My son did launch into a lengthy explanation of degrees of seriousness with depth of injection, amount of invenemation, type of viper, etc. But, bottom line is a days hike away from transportation, one is likely SOL. Prevention is best cure.

...there was this British tourist in central Idaho who was at a bridge and got bit by 'a reptile.' He drives the two miles to the Ranger Station and walks up to the counter and says, "I have been bit by a reptile. The District Ranger (the guy in charge) was out of the office that day, but his able assistant informed the gent, "Sir, you have been bitten by a rattlesnake." The guy thought that was the best thing to happen to him his entire western trip! He was talking about how that was just such a wild west thing as he was transported to the hospital 22 miles away. By the time he was at the hospital, he didn't think it was so cool anymore. I heard this from the District Ranger himself, whom I have known for years. Probably happened about 1996 on the North Fork Ranger District, North Fork, Idaho. North fork of the Salmon (Wild and Scenic) River.

True story!

Sparks
"I thought when you said you chased tornadoes it was just a metaphor."

Lots of variables to think over in any answer!!!!Physical condition of the victim,body area where bitten,leg/arm/finger/face/trunk.Snake species(not guess,exact) antivenom for each snake is spacific.Are they alone or have help,how are they getting to medical help?And was the snake pit viper or not.
I guess the best way to treat snake bite is before it happens,careful where you step or put your body parts.I was told to not step over logs,snakes are ambush hunters and could be laying up under the log same with rocks,walk wide,shaded areas are good for snakes,to avoid brush.
It would be interesting to know how many snake encounter experiances that first hand people have had.I figure firefighters,in forest fires,game wardens,professional guides,trappers must have the greatest oppertunity for snake/human interactions.How many snake bite victims has any medical professional on this site treated,ever poisonious or not?I read more people die from spider bites than snake in the US,could be there are more people where spiders are than snakes!!!!

A buddy of mine got bit by a baby western diamondback in NM about 2 years ago. He was medivac-ed to the hospital in El Paso. Those babies don't mess around and generally dump all of their venom into the victim. He was in ICU for a week and they put 23 vials of anti-venin into him. At one point his hand was so swollen that they thought it might burst and were considering making longitudinal incisions in it to keep that from happening. When he got bit he was trying to remove the snake from his laundry room with a mop to keep his dog from getting bit (it did anyway and fared better than him). When he was released from the hospital, several of us chipped in and bought him a pair of snake tongs.

Sean

SacMtnman as was pointed out in the posting,the dog might have made out better cause the snake was fresh out of venom.Your buddy took the most of it.See picture of the results of snake bites,far from nice and after its all over the residual problems are many I hear.We dont have poison snakes in this part of Maine not that Iam complaining.

I have had several encounters with vipers. Rattlers I found (at Camp Pendelton) did not sound the same as they did on TV. They have a much quicker, much shorter duration, rattle. I found them rather neighborly, as they told me where they were, so that I could avoid them. I was still cautious, as I did not want to find out that I had surprized one, and get bit by the one that didn't rattle, or by a young one that might not have grown a rattle.

The copperheads that I have encountered were generally not interested in me, and only wanted to sun themselves and be left alone. I had no trouble fishing about 4 feet from one for several hours.

I don't think snakes are particularly fond of shade, as they do need some sunlight, especially in the morning, so avoiding shade by staying in the light is not always a good tactic. I have seen them in the middle of a sunny spot on a hiking path.

Water moccasins are just plain mean, and will try to fang you simply because they see you. I used to carry a .45 shot cartridge in my 1911A1 while in the woods with my Marines, just in case the dang things tried to chomp on somebody. As a general rule, Marines do not like snakes of any sort. I caught a king snake once in the field, and saw some of the scariest infantry Marines nearly jump out of their socks when they saw me holding it. I explained that the snake ate other snakes, and so was "on our side", and most of them calmed down and became quite interested.

LD

My best satisfaction would be to kill and eat the bugger, that will teach em' to bite me.

quote:

Originally posted by Colonial Riflesmith:
My best satisfaction would be to kill and eat the bugger, that will teach em' to bite me.

Rattlesnake stew is good doin's. Had me some once, at a restaurant in NJ that specialized in serving game.

Colonial Riflesmith..
A friend of mine lives in a old adobe house built in the 1870s.
It is built in the shape of a hollow square, with a porched central courtyard. You go from room to room by "going outside" into the courtyard.
His 13 year old daughter stepped into the courtyard barefoot one morning on her way to the bathroom, and got bit by a 5' diamondback!
She killed it, told her folks what happened, and was rushed to the hospital where she received antivenem shots.
That evening, SHE cooked and ate the snake. It's skin is on the wall of her room. Tough little lady!

Deercop, I love that story. I've eaten rattlesnake, and it was pretty good. If one bit me though, it would most likly die of food poisoning.

LostRifle, I ate my snake out west, that's intersting that you could find a place in NJ that sells it. I get through NJ every so often, and I'd like to try some of thier's. What's the name of the place and where is it located?

While living out in Arizona a buddy of mine decided I needed a couple of his dogs to keep me company at my shack out in the desert. There were a pot load of rattle snakes out around there and every so often I'd run into one. The dogs watched in utter facination as I confronted and killed one with my forked stick and chopping axe one afternoon. They caught onto the idea and about every few days they would bay a snake up. I suspect they learned that the snakes were slower in the cool of the morning and would go snooping around for them then. Anyhow when they found one they would bay it and demand that I come and dispatch it, which sometimes I would, then skin, fillet and fry them.

While the dogs loved to have me kill them, they wanted nothing to do with them after that. I tried to get them eat some of it raw and they acted, well, like I just handed them a snake. I fried some up and threw them a chunk. They greedily snatched it up, took a couple of chews, made a weird face, spat it out and then looked at me with scorn for tricking them into eating poison. Don't know how they knew it was snake, but they did and didn't want any part of it. As far as I know neither of them was ever bitten by a snake, but they certainly acted as if they knew darn good and well they were deadly.

quote:

Originally posted by Colonial Riflesmith:
LostRifle, I ate my snake out west, that's intersting that you could find a place in NJ that sells it. I get through NJ every so often, and I'd like to try some of thier's. What's the name of the place and where is it located?

CR, it was called the Lillie Langtry(a/k/a Jersey Lillie), located off Rt 9 north in Sayreville. Unfortunately, it ain't there no more. Long about '88(1988, that is!), so I bin told, a fire started in the kitchen,destroying it before they could get it under control. The front of the house wasn't damaged, but it cost too much to rebuild so the owner took the insurance money and wen on to other things.
Dang shame. They made one h=ll of a buffler burger, and they served bear when they could get it.

LostRifle, that's bad news. Thanks for replying though.