[nanetteclaret]

Here in Texas there are coyotes (the animal), feral hogs, bobcats, mountain lions, raccoons and skunks which can be rabid, and of course, copperheads, rattlers, and water moccasins. I have personally had run-ins with copperheads. Luckily, I got to them before my overly curious dog. Copperheads don’t go down easily. The head keeps going even when the body is full of ratshot. 😖

[little jeremiah]

Be prepared is vital in varmint country. I don’t think we have feral hogs here, and only rattlers for poisonous snakes. Got the mountain lions, bobcats, lots of foxes, skunks and raccoons that can be rabid, plus tons of bears. DH is going on a hike in the mountains soon with some friends and they will be prepared. Plus it’s kind of a lawless place around here, always good to keep head on a swivel.

[ponygirl]

re: copperheads don't go down easy... tell me about it! I was once bringing my 3-year-old mare in from the field to put her in her stall. Just as I reached for the latch on her stall door, she bolted backwards, almost pulling my arm out of the socket. "Well what the heck is wrong with you???!" I admonished her. She refused to step forward and started blowing snorts. When I turned back to the stall to see what had spooked her, I realized there was a baby copperhead snake draped across the latch. It totally blended in with the color of the weathered wood. I think I whacked it 60 times with a shovel before it finally died.

My sweet pony saved me! She got extra apple slices that night. But I wish someone could explain how she, who had been born on our farm and as far as I knew had never even seen a snake, knew that it was such bad news?

[OldWarBaby]

Copperheads: Those fangs are deadly even after you blow the head away. Not to be trifled with. I’m a mortal enemy of rattlesnakes. None of that live and let live stuff for me and rattlesnakes.