[Maigrey]

Within a week, I saw a gorgeous specimen of copperhead across the trail I was hiking (next to a river so understandable and all) and a week later, a nasty attitude cottonmouth that was entirely too close for comfort (within 10 feet). I stopped and was trying to figure a way past the bugger and he cocked that head up at me and I stepped back another 5 feet. (This one was very well-fed.) That bugger shook that tale at me like a rattlesnake before turning and going just a hair off of the trail.

I did my best Carl Lewis impersonation and jumped the divider and ran 30 feet past where the blighter was.

Another hiker saw another water moccasin a week later on a trail 1/2 mile further north from the river.

so yeah, I'm guessing the spring flooding along the Mississippi river region was doing a number on them.

[BipolarBob]

I have those kinds too but the really large hybrids are the ones I fear. The rattleheaded copper moccasin reigns supreme among snakes. I use my fully auto 12 guage shotgun and my pack of trained wolverines to track them to their den.