[Eagles6]

We have copperheads and rattlers here in SW PA. Rattlers are generally bigger, more agressive and inject more venom. Their only good quality is the rattle can warn you.

Copperheads, you generally don't see them until after you're bit.

I'm an EMT and current protocol is "Transport to the hospital" only.

All well and good if it can be done but if you're in the woods and it's going to be a long while I'm going to keep the bite lower than the heart, use a constriction band and use ice or cold water.

That's just me.

I know people that have been bitten by both and it's no picnic.

Probably a good idea to carry a bottle of snakebite medicine, preferably made in Kentucky.

[fr_freak]

We have copperheads and rattlers here in SW PA. Rattlers are generally bigger, more agressive and inject more venom. Their only good quality is the rattle can warn you.

Interesting. I have years of close encounters with rattlesnakes, and I consider them to be fairly non-aggressive, in that they will sound off with the rattle well before they actually bite you, assuming you don't run up on them too quickly (at a walking pace, you should get plenty of warning before getting bit). If you back off, they simply slink off into the grass. But these are southwest rattlers. I wonder if rattlers in PA are a more aggressive breed.

[submarinerswife]

The smell of melons is a good warning sign. (I don’t know why)
My neighbor was working in her back yard when she smelled melons. The sweet smell of melons. She knew she had a copperhead nest with newly hatched snakes.

She killed every last one of them. It surprised us because this is a girl that never steps out without her hair, makeup and nails done. But she’s got grit.

[Polynikes]

” I'm an EMT and current protocol is “Transport to the hospital” only.

All well and good if it can be done but if you're in the woods and it's going to be a long while I'm going to keep the bite lower than the heart, use a constriction band and use ice or cold water.

That's just me.

I know people that have been bitten by both and it's no picnic.

Probably a good idea to carry a bottle of snakebite medicine, preferably made in Kentucky. “

When I was in the service one of my fellow medics told me when he was in the field he had a company cook who reversed the process and took the snakebite medicine first then played “tag” with a copperhead to show how fast he was. The copperhead won. The cook was treated just as you described less the medicine then when he pulled through he got article 32’ed