When does a follow up shot really matter?
When mr cotton mouth gets pissed you just blew his turtle friends head off.
I was taking my daughter(10 years old) up to the pond and as soon as I got my head above the water line, I could see the dam turtle I have been hunting for a week. Well, I noticed another head swimming behind him and just figured he had another turtle following him. My edgun was still in the case and i knew he would son go back into hiding so i was rushed but Got one good shot off on him (at about 40 yards) and noticed the other head turned and starting swimming at me.shooting off hand, I took one and missed a little behind him. He kept coming. 30 yards now. Next shot hit right to my right of him. Still coming, 25 yards now. I told my daughter to get behind me and took another shot. The water right in front of his head exploded. A this point he decided to duck under the water and I grabbed my daughter at headed around to the other side of the pond to be sure he wasn’t going for a sneak attach. Now, I’m a city boy and don’t know shit about snakes. I honestly didn’t think he was coming for me, I just figured he was headed home or didnt know where the attack was coming from. It wasn’t till later that I decided that he was now my prey and looked up water snakes that I discovered that cotton mouths are aggressive and that they tend to charge when threatened. Well, I had been keeping about 50-60 yards uphill from the pond trying to wait for the turtle so that’s where my scope was zeroed and i dont have much experience shooting that close. I couldn’t tell u if I needed to aim higher or lower at that range. now I’m rezeroing at 35 yards and also keeping at 22 cal with ratshot at my hip. Also, I haven’t seen that turtle since. In addition, since my target is so small and I’m not about to lay in the tall grass in the middle of snake/tick acres, I’m taking my dead shot field tripod with me. So of anyone wants to watch a moron hunt a snake with an Airgun, let me know and I’ll send u my address. :rofl: :fishing:
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Little known facts about venomous snakes that swim:
The “Cottonmouth” is a pit viper, and is related to the Rattlesnake. It’s venom is dangerous, but not as bad as the rattlesnake. Both have heat sensing pits just above their snout.
Both the Cottonmouth and Rattlesnake “float”. That means that when either of them is in the water, their entire body WILL float on the surface. They are buoyant because they don’t usually go after fish for their diet. Their diet is in the critters on, or close to shore.
If the snake you see in the pond has only it’s head showing, like a periscope, it is a harmless water snake. They must be negatively buoyant because they must swim underwater to chase fish, and other aquatic critters within the pond, that comprise their diet. Thus, their body is heavier than water, and they swim with only their head showing on the surface. This is odd, because both the Rattlesnake and Cottonmouth generally have thick, heavy bodies, whereas most harmless water snakes are very long and slender. Go figure!
Beware any snake in the water that has it’s entire body visible on the surface as it swims.
I’ve never encountered a Cottonmouth that “charged”. They are, however, not prone to run away, and will stand their ground and open their mouth, showing the very white interior, thus getting the name “Cottonmouth”. They also are excellent tree climbers, so be careful when sitting in the shade next to a body of water. I’ve had them drop into the boat. It’s pretty easy to use a net or oar to toss them over the side. Not so if one drops on your head!
Hoot:
I I was going to pick up some snake shot for my Astra a100 9mm but I can’t find any. Ironically, all my shotgun shells are slugs. I was hoping to avoid carrying two long guns but that may be what I end up doing. 22cal shot shells don’t do enough to realistically be used as self defense.
I can’t keep the grass short cause its a hay field and its several weeks away from bailing time. As far as the kids go, they won’t be going back up that way with me until I’ve taken care of the problem or determined that its just a water snake. If it wasn’t for the kids wanting to go up there and fish, I probably wouldn’t care too much. The pond belongs to my father-in-law and he has asked me to kill. Off the turtles to keep them from eating his fishes.
It seems like you have some mean pets, if I was you I would keep my grass very short and have a Rem 870 handy with some 4 shot shells in my pocket . keep your children safe , :fishinghole:
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Thanks for the information. I may be looking at two snakes diffrent snakes then cause the first one I saw was periscoping so its not a Cotten mouth. Th second Time I went back a snake zipped across the water and into the swamp like corner whee the trees and bushes grow into the water line. I’ve been hunting around 4-6pm hoping to get him sunning but I haven’t seen anything at all in almost a week now. Two weeks ago it looked like a fryer going off with all the little fish jumping and eating bugs at the water surface. No there’s nothing. There is a 18-24″ koy in there somehwere. If its gone, I’m not looking for the snake that ate it. There is also a large hawke set up with baby’s about 125 yards north. I kow this cause she gets very territorial when I set up my feild pod anywhere within 75 yards of her tree. I guess she could have taken the fish, but this hawke is more likely to eat other baby birds than fish or field animals. Lat year she knocked out just about every baby bird for 1/2 mile and some of the neighbors wanted us to try to kill it or shoo it away(like I can make a hawke move away). I guess they watched her take out a nest of birds on there property. Such is life
:5:
The “Cottonmouth” is a pit viper, and is related to the Rattlesnake. It’s venom is dangerous, but not as bad as the rattlesnake. Both have heat sensing pits just above their snout.
Both the Cottonmouth and Rattlesnake “float”. That means that when either of them is in the water, their entire body WILL float on the surface. They are buoyant because they don’t usually go after fish for their diet. Their diet is in the critters on, or close to shore.
If the snake you see in the pond has only it’s head showing, like a periscope, it is a harmless water snake. They must be negatively buoyant because they must swim underwater to chase fish, and other aquatic critters within the pond, that comprise their diet. Thus, their body is heavier than water, and they swim with only their head showing on the surface. This is odd, because both the Rattlesnake and Cottonmouth generally have thick, heavy bodies, whereas most harmless water snakes are very long and slender. Go figure!
Beware any snake in the water that has it’s entire body visible on the surface as it swims.
I’ve never encountered a Cottonmouth that “charged”. They are, however, not prone to run away, and will stand their ground and open their mouth, showing the very white interior, thus getting the name “Cottonmouth”. They also are excellent tree climbers, so be careful when sitting in the shade next to a body of water. I’ve had them drop into the boat. It’s pretty easy to use a net or oar to toss them over the side. Not so if one drops on your head!
Hoot: