Close call with western Cottenmouth an hour ago..

[indyk]

Watch where you walk boys, i was fishing at "seceret spot" and almost walked on a Western Cottenmouth!!! Twas a beautifull bastard approx 3.5 to 4 feet long, brown, orangish, black, lighter, highly defined diamond patterens. Before i realized i had my camera phone i only got about 2 seconds of footage while it took off into the water.

The guy down the bank said he had one lock onto his lure as he was bringing it over the grass yesterday...The man told me this kind of cottenmouth was extreamly rare in Indiana.

Should i contact the DNR or something, I seen one there last year, and He had caught on yesterday,and seen one today?


Guess im gonna be wearing the tall boots next time! WOW!

 

[singlestacksig]

what area of the state was this? was it near a major waterway ?

 

[Seancass]

That's crazy. I didn't think there'd been any of those in Indiana in about 100 years. Guess I'll have to be more careful.

They're more afraid of me than i am of them, right? They arn't going to stand there ground when i come stomping through the woods?

 

[patience0830]

link

Catching A Western Cottonmouth (Water moccasin) - MySpaceVideos - Strimoo.com

western cottonmouth - Google Search
hope the link works

 

[Tactical Dave]

Watch where you walk boys, i was fishing at "seceret spot" and almost walked on a Western Cottenmouth!!! Twas a beautifull bastard approx 3.5 to 4 feet long, brown, orangish, black, lighter, highly defined diamond patterens. Before i realized i had my camera phone i only got about 2 seconds of footage while it took off into the water.

The guy down the bank said he had one lock onto his lure as he was bringing it over the grass yesterday...The man told me this kind of cottenmouth was extreamly rare in Indiana.

Should i contact the DNR or something, I seen one there last year, and He had caught on yesterday,and seen one today?


Guess im gonna be wearing the tall boots next time! WOW!

Seems they are state endangerd and rare, known to be in the SW corner of the state, if there is one up this way DNR might like to know.

The Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management

 

[The Meach]

That's crazy. I didn't think there'd been any of those in Indiana in about 100 years. Guess I'll have to be more careful.

They're more afraid of me than i am of them, right? They arn't going to stand there ground when i come stomping through the woods?

Western Cottonmouths are somewhat rare in Indiana but not unheard of.

Cottonmouths are considered aggressive.

ON LAND They WILL stand their ground but only when they are surprised or feel trapped or cornered Or just don't like your face (but on the plus side they won't chase you)((unless you are in the water)). Commonly when threatened they coil up and gape their mouths. Once you see the white mouth you have about 2-3 seconds to kill it or get away. And Don't feel safer if you don't see fang. Cottonmouths usually only erect their fangs as they strike.

IN WATER be VERY careful. Remember you are in it's territory and it can swim faster than you can. Try not to catch too much of its attention. Don't splash towards it or try and swim quickly away. If a Cottonmouth begins to head toward you in the water Its best to start preparing yourself to take the strike. Get a knife ready so you can kill it before you are struck too many times. Know where your local hospitals are.

(you see this either shoot it 20-30 times or back away slowly to a distance of 6-7 feet and then turn and run like hell)

Cottonmouth venom is rarely fatal but it can cause near debilitating pain, swelling, and large scale tissue damage. Without quickly administering the anti-venom you can expect a long recovery at the least amputation at the worst.

Indyk you are one lucky dude. A Cottonmouth running like that is not typical, Which leads me to believe that it was most likely a pregnant female. I would notify DNR that you saw one and where. And then call a couple local hospitals to give them a heads up, this will let them know that they should make sure they have the the anti-venom in stock.

And for the Record. I F-ing HATE snakes. That is why I usually have a snake gun on me when I am walking in the woods or in wetlands.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hQtywZFxDg

 

[djl02]

.

 

[indyk]

Pre

Which leads me to believe that it was most likely a pregnant female. I would notify DNR that you saw one and where. And then call a couple local hospitals to give them a heads up, this will let them know that they should make sure they have the the anti-venom in stock.[/quote]

It did have a big belly like a snake has, when it has eatin. The older guy made the comment "it just ate 2 tennis balls" or its pregnant.

I will be contacting the DNR thursday.

I will attempt to post the "2" second video from my cell phone very soon.
This location is at Pogues Run East side of Indianapolis.

 

[HandK]

Cotton mouth rattlers are mean too they will come after you, so be careful.

 

[boozoo]

Oh God I hate those things with a passion. My grandfather used to own a spread about halfway between OKC and Tulsa. You could pretty much count on encountering them every time you went to the ponds to go fishing.

 

[Woodsman]

A long time ago as a kid I had one of those bast@rds chase me out of lake while swimming. Someone else saw it and shot it with a shotgun. SOB just about got me. And yes, they can swim fast!

Since then I don't really care for snakes or things that jump out and try to bite you.

 

[E5RANGER375]

i load shot shells in my pistol while im in the woods or fishing, just in case. i recomend the same to you all. i wont shoot a snake unless it comes to an imidiate threat to me or my group, but i wont hessitate if needed.

and just a heads up, there are at least about 4 species of poisonous snakes in indiana. if you get bit by a cotton mouth you will suffer tissue damage that might not heal.

 

[indyk]

Here is a pic

This is not the one, but this is exactly what it looked like FYI. It was "Bright" orange ish

 

[shooter521]

Indiana DNR says the Cottonmouth is only found in the extreme SW corner of the state:

The Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management

and from Wikipedia:
Agkistrodon piscivorus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You sure it wasn't the similar (but harmless) Northern Water Snake?

 

[Deadly Z Driver]

Indiana DNR says the Cottonmouth is only found in the extreme SW corner of the state:

The Center for Reptile and Amphibian Conservation and Management

and from Wikipedia:
Agkistrodon piscivorus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


You sure it wasn't the similar (but harmless) Northern Water Snake?

I would bet on this being a case of mistaken Identity... No offense.
Wouldn't mind seeing that video though...

 

[CSK22]

Was the head shaped like an arrow head? That is one way I can typically tell if they have poison

 

[evansvillethompsongunner]

Monty!

 

[rmabrey]

Awesome. I live in the extreme SW corner pf the state and i F*****g hate snakes!!!!

 

[Chondro788]

HIGHLY unlikely this was a cottonmouth. Thats the trouble with snakes, someone sees a snake by the water and its a cottonmouth. Best thing to do if you want to become a snake expert it to study. You may also want to go to snake road in IL as you will more then likely get an up close and personal encounter with a cottonmouth, and understand that what you are seeing 99.9% of the time are harmless watersnakes. If you "stumbled' upon a true cottonmouth, you would have seen this.... They do not run into the water, and they do not try and hide, they show you that mouth to get you the hell away!!! Also most, if not all, cottonmouths loose their "bright orange" coloring by adulthood, so if this animal was 3.5-4' long, you would not have seen the "bright ornage".

 

[Cam]

HIGHLY unlikely this was a cottonmouth. Thats the trouble with snakes, someone sees a snake by the water and its a cottonmouth. Best thing to do if you want to become a snake expert it to study. You may also want to go to snake road in IL as you will more then likely get an up close and personal encounter with a cottonmouth, and understand that what you are seeing 99.9% of the time are harmless watersnakes. If you "stumbled' upon a true cottonmouth, you would have seen this.... They do not run into the water, and they do not try and hide, they show you that mouth to get you the hell away!!! Also most, if not all, cottonmouths loose their "bright orange" coloring by adulthood, so if this animal was 3.5-4' long, you would not have seen the "bright ornage".

This is also what I have learned about them. I fished several years at Reelfoot Lake in TN and there are TONS of those things down there. Another way the locals taught me to identify them is by the way they swim. Cottonmouths tend to swim with their heads and a few inches of body ABOVE the water line (they have been known to climb over the sides of shallow boats down there as well) while other watersnakes swim with their heads at water level. I don't necessarily know this to be 100% factual, but after watching them that's the way I found it to be.