Gentlemen: Thanks for the good posts. Ambush Master: Im a country boy Sir and I see snakes every summer yep these were the real thing. I had a pet corn snake as a teen ager so I am familiar with them. SwatSurgeon: Like you said treatment in this area is pretty much the same. In the last snake bite case I saw last month (copperhead) the ED pysician treated the patient with Solu-Medrol and an over night stay for observation as well as I remember.

Not to hi-jack this post on Snake bite kits but It was odd for me to find THREE copperheads less than 20meters apart in less than 30mins in my back yard as the sun was going down! All my copperhead encounters were singular occurences up till now.

The SAWYER extractor kit....I have one but have never used it. It would be interesting to try but not on myself!

IMHO, the best snake bite kit consists of:
footwear so you can make tracks, a firearm if you have excellent aim, a big knife or any other impliment that extends your reach to keep the snake away from you.

ss

I just produced a training video on Venemous snakes of Central America. It was given in Spanish by a subject matter expert and translated into English. He told us the best remedy was to do nothing, but nonetheless he carries a Sawyer Kit on him at all times. The reason for this is in case of a snake bite he can give the impression he is doing something about the bite, if only to keep the victim calm. What are your thoughts on this tactic? As a sidenote if anyone is interested in the video PM me, and I'll see what I can do.

Haztacmedic, I grew up on a state park/wildlife refuge and the only times I can remember seeing copperheads in that close proximity was during breeding season or they were birthing. But childhood epilepsy has screwed up my memory. IIRC copperheads give birth not lay eggs.

I can think of three instances were pigmy rattlers were mistaken for other species of snakes. One, the snake's corpse was taken with him and the doctor made the correct ID, the other two involved Park Rangers giving them a second look. The last was my dad who kept it so one of us boys could skin it for him. I do not know why and I have learned not to ask.



Edited to ad point: make sure you correctly ID the snake if you are either unlucky enough to get bitten or just that dumb. Every case I have heard of growing up belonged in the latter but I know the former happens as well.

BoyScout: Being from the south means a lot of people assume any snake is venomous. And there are probably too many funny stories to tell like tha time my wife encountered a chicken snake! I agree with youon + ID of the snake.
I havent seen any more snakes since the last encounter. I would not be killing these snakes if it were not for my wife and my two curious labs.