# Pit viper fights seal



## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Well I was out curing swamp cabbage today and got the cotton mouth at about 21ish feet head shot with 3/8 socket slug.


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## flipgun (Nov 14, 2012)

Any shot that snuffs one of those nasty buggers is a good shot.


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## wll (Oct 4, 2014)

Nice shooting Ghost, great shot !

wll


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Good job. I once stepped on one of those buggers in shallow water while hunting ducks in a swamp. Came close to blowing my foot off, but I did shoot it before it could bite me. So I have NO love for those beasties.

Cheers ...... Charles


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

Charles said:


> Good job. I once stepped on one of those buggers in shallow water while hunting ducks in a swamp. Came close to blowing my foot off, but I did shoot it before it could bite me. So I have NO love for those beasties.
> 
> Cheers ...... Charles


That's some awesome lightning reflexes Charles! 
Nice shot Ghost!


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## oldmiser (Jan 22, 2014)

Great shooting...yup any snake is a dead one IMO....

OM


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## Tag (Jun 11, 2014)

Fantastic shooting!!!!! Especially under those conditions.


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## Toolshed (Aug 4, 2015)

Awesome work there Ghost-man!!!

THIS!!! This is why I LOVE this board!!


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

..and the skin makes a great hatband too...added benefit for eradicating reptillian pests.


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## Njones (Jan 27, 2015)

Good shot ghost. The deal sniper is hard to beat.

Njones


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

Viper010 said:


> Charles said:
> 
> 
> > Good job. I once stepped on one of those buggers in shallow water while hunting ducks in a swamp. Came close to blowing my foot off, but I did shoot it before it could bite me. So I have NO love for those beasties.
> ...


Actually, it seems it does not take lightning reflexes:






Cheers ..... Charles


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## Michael Cravens (Oct 25, 2015)

Thanks for posting that video Charles. I grow weary of exaggerated snake stories and the needless killing of these awesome animals.

Michael


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Charles said:


> Viper010 said:
> 
> 
> > Charles said:
> ...


it's funny watching the video that snake has been handled before by him it's not one he walked up apon in the wild it's the same that you snake rodeos and all snakes don't act the same kind of like people.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Michael Cravens said:


> Thanks for posting that video Charles. I grow weary of exaggerated snake stories and the needless killing of these awesome animals.
> Michael


sorry but if they are where I work live or play or where any of my kids live and play they end up like this only the poisonous ones.


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## Michael Cravens (Oct 25, 2015)

I've been through this far too many times to expect to change any minds. That being said, I've studied and worked with these animals as a career my entire life, not in captivity but in the wild, and all across our country. Not that any of them can be considered aggressive, but I believe all those that really have an understanding of Noth American snakes would agree that the cottonmouth is most likely the most benign of all of the pit vipers found here. Unfortunate that they have the reputation they have. Also, it's funny, and I'm sure the gentleman in the video would agree, that even when provided with obvious evedince, people can still be so willfully ignorant. Kind of like politics or climate change deniers.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

You are right but when you live where I live you don't take the chance and let them go kind of like having a brown bark scorpion in you house do you push it a way and let it be we all live in spots where one would let something go the other would not I don't kill them out of my fear of them because if I let it go and one of my kids or myself ended up being bit buy them then it would really suck the snake in the pic is not poisonous he is in a place where there's 40+ lady's work ing I caught him let him go I have a video that I can't post of a pyigm rattle snake in the road and I helped him off and let go why no danger to my kids or my self if he been by my house or work or where I play I would have kind of like if your a threat to me I am sure one he'll of a threat to you kind of thing


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## Michael Cravens (Oct 25, 2015)

The sting of the FL bark scorpion is no worse than a wasp. I undestand fearing for your kids. Mine are my world and I love them dearly. That being said, my three year old (almost) brought to my attention a western diamond-back rattlesnake under our coach (we live in an Airstream) a while back. We oohed and aahad over it for a bit and them watched it crawl away. We haven't seen it since. I do have to say though, that my kiddo knows very well not to get near any snakes without dads ok. The photos are of the above stated rattlesnake and then a gopher snake that was crossing our drive.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

The rattlesnake would have gotten a marble gopher snake shot with a camera the scorpion I was referring to was the arazona brown bark


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Before pictures


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

After pictures he is a moron he kissed the snake it kissed him back.


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## Michael Cravens (Oct 25, 2015)

Sorry man, a ******* trying to kiss a cottonmouth and getting what he deserves, is not a credible argument.


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

If the snakes in my yard it's history. Not going to take a chance it bites one of my dogs. Then have a $1000 dollar vet bill.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Michael Cravens said:


> Sorry man, a ******* trying to kiss a cottonmouth and getting what he deserves, is not a credible argument.


I agree


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

May be it's just the southern cotten mouth that's so bad because if you were to do what this guy in the video did here were I am at you be in the er if he was not a little worried he would not have on snake boots.


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## Michael Cravens (Oct 25, 2015)

Sorry, I don't mean to be argumentative, but that's just not true. Try and shed all those years of bullshit you've heard, go out in te field, find some, poke at them with a stick (safely) and see for yourself. The behavior seen in the video is typical for all subspecies (3) across their entire range. If you'd like to check my credibility and experience, feel free to poke around my Facebook or check out this website I used to keep.

https://www.facebook.com/michaelcravens
http://cryptobranchidae.tripod.com/


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

Sorry you can keep the snakes in your yard or property. But snakes ,rats , mice, spiders etc. are getting shot or sprayed on mine.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

It's ok by me not mad here but I spend 90% of my time in the swamps and I disagree only snake that I haven't mess is the cooper head only one ever messed with was in a fighting hole in north Carolina and only one of us made it out the ones I mess with don't act like the one on the video other than opening it's mouth and shaking it's tail followed with striking at you.


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

Darwin award! ????


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## truthornothing (May 18, 2015)

Is that the poly Seal Sniper? I have been trying to decide if I should add it to my list of acquisitions, and if so the Poly or the G10, The G10 has the angled handle I am pretty certain the poly does not


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

It's the small seal sniper in polymer the seal is straight out think number the picture seal sniper turns down a little


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## truthornothing (May 18, 2015)

ghost0311/8541 said:


> It's the small seal sniper in polymer the seal is straight out think number the picture seal sniper turns down a little


Thanks Ghost, wish i was headed to J'ville next month hope you guys have fun. Eat some good eastern style bbq for me.


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## Charles (Aug 26, 2010)

ghost0311/8541 said:


> Charles said:
> 
> 
> > Cheers ..... Charles
> ...


Well, actually he encountered half a dozen in the video, many of them at night. I doubt that he had handled them all previously.

Now, I do not mean to be contentious here. I have no frogs to fry in this fracas. Maybe the one I stepped on was a wimp ... it quickly became a dead wimp in any case. I really like and admire snakes. But if I encounter a poisonous snake where I live or where I hunt, then I just kill it ... I never want to run the risk that I will get bitten later if I let it go. If the snake is out in an area that I rarely go, then I do not bother it even if it is poisonous. Thank goodness there are no poisonous snakes on Vancouver Island.

Cheers ..... Charles


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

I won't be a Morgan with the wolves if you know what I mean.


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## shew97 (Feb 13, 2014)

While frog hunting friends and I have been chaced by moccasins.


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## Michael Cravens (Oct 25, 2015)

I'll bet you have.


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## truthornothing (May 18, 2015)

Michael Cravens said:


> I'll bet you have.


According to wiki territorial males can be aggressive "_*Agkistrodon piscivorus*_ is a venomous snake, a species of pit viper, found in the southeastern United States. Adults are large and capable of delivering a painful and potentially fatal bite. When antagonized, they will stand their ground by coiling their bodies and displaying their fangs.[3] Although their aggression has been exaggerated, on rare occasions territorial males will approach intruders in an aggressive manner.[4] This is the world's only semiaquatic viper, usually found in or near water, particularly in slow-moving and shallow lakes, streams, and marshes. The snake is a strong swimmer and will even enter the sea. It has successfully colonized islands off both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts."


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Male and a female mad max bayed up out side my house where my 4 year old plays only reason I know they are male and female is they were mated together I shot the female not seeing the make when I went to get the snake out it move I shot it again tryed to get it out again reached down to get it out and that's when the male tyres to bite only thing that stoped him was saw palmettos I shot him then got them out that's when I seen they were mated gotten mouth ding a ling is spiked


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## Michael Cravens (Oct 25, 2015)

I know I'm out numbered here so I'm just going to throw in the towel. That being said, I find it seriously disappointing that a fella can't be into bushcraft, knives, and (now) slingshots without being surrounded by snake killing, extreme survival, everything in nature is trying to kill me types.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Got this bad boy by the house also


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## shew97 (Feb 13, 2014)

Good shooting


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

Michael Cravens said:


> I know I'm out numbered here so I'm just going to throw in the towel. That being said, I find it seriously disappointing that a fella can't be into bushcraft, knives, and (now) slingshots without being surrounded by snake killing, extreme survival, everything in nature is trying to kill me types.


we can all get a long we just don't share the same believes that's all.


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## Cjw (Nov 1, 2012)

That's why we live in houses with window seals and door seals to protect us from nature or we'd still be living in caves. Snakes bite,rats bite, bees sting, wasps sting, spiders bite, poison ivy,poison oak . Bats have rabies. It is trying to kill everyone.


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## Sr.Miss Alot (Jul 3, 2015)

The water snakes are the only ones I mess with because I don't like them in my ponds eating all the bull frogs.


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## truthornothing (May 18, 2015)

The reason I posted the wiki article is because you were dismissive of Shew's comment about being chased by water moccasins. I was just pointing out the possibility. To me leaving a venomous snake alive in your living area (yard, barn, patio) is like leaving a rake tines up in the yard. I know to look before I step or not to place my hands where they do not belong without looking first. Children the elderly and city slickers(lol) may not. My uncle Steve(my only rich uncle) almost lost his hand to a Copperhead that he had shooed off his Chris Craft once. The next day he reached over the edge of the boat to get a lashing rope and it nailed him. I am not advocating the wholesale slaughter of venomous snakes they keep the rodent populations in check. In my living space I will eliminate them as a threat....I will also eat their flesh afterwards...waste not want not. Snake is dry but not bad. I mix in in with other meats.....Here in Illinois I haven't even seen a snake


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