The Snake Boot thread got me to thinking.....

How many of you have ever had encounters with venomous snakes while turkey hunting. I've had three.


I was hunting in a swap in the early 90's. A big storm came through and the temps fell from the mid 70's to the mid 20's overnight. I got up and went anyway and I ran the same trail that I always do to get in there. After not hearing a thing I slipped back out on that trail and lo and behold there was a nice fat cottonmouth sitting right in the middle of the trail. He was so cold he couldn't move, so I pinned his head and picked him up and cut off his head with my pruning shears. He was easier to handle by picking him up than the try and kill him on the ground.


Around 2008 I was hunting in Chambers Co Alabama. I had been fooling with a henned up gobbler all morning and I could not do anything with him. He just wasn't leaving those hens. He was slowly making his way up a logging road that bordered a really thick pine plantation. He was going away from me so I was in a no win situation. I got up and started down the road and I got to a sharp curve and I could hear him drumming right around the bend. With no other option I just decided to bust up in his party and kill him as he bugged out. I started slipping up the road walking as stealthy and quietly as I could. All I could hear was Pffffffttttttt Doooooooooooooooom just around the bend and I was totally focused on that. Then I heard a noise at my feet and I looked down and a hissing Cottonmouth was backpedaling and striking at me because I stepped on him. I just lowered the barrel and turned him into shredded meat. Don't have a clue what happened to the turkeys.

The last one is kind of boring and happened in Perry Co. N2deer and I were walking to a spot to try and just before we got there we walked up on one stretched across the road. It was a 30+ inch Copperhead. One of the biggest I have ever seen. I picked up a big pine log and brought it down on it's head. That thing started flopping around and nearly flopped right under our feet. After we both retreated back a little bit he finally quit squirming and I put the kill shot on him with that pine log.


Other than those three instances I have never had a problem with venomous snakes while turkey hunting in three decades.

The encounters I know about (I've had a couple while bowhunting) aren't the ones that concern me........

not as many as you'd expect for 39 years of hunting turkeys. definitely can count them on one hand, and none of them really close calls. Now creek fishing, a different story...

I will say, a buddy of mine who is responsible for getting me hooked on turkey hunting had a close call a couple yrs ago. he was turkey hunting and walked right up on a rattlesnake. was within a step of it when he realized it. he jumped back and shot it, then started wondering why it never rattled to warn him. upon closer inspection, the snake had been injured on its tail and had no rattles. it likely "rattled" at him but you couldn't hear it.

that's the kind of chit that freaks me out.

Not yet other than a baby copperhead. But, I am usually so focused on the task at hand even when running and gunning there is no telling how many I stepped over. There was one time where I made a blind set up on the edge of a cutover. I eased down on one knee to get under limb getting back to my setup tree. When I looked up I was about 12" from a rattelsnake shed. I backed up in quite the hurry up fashion till I realized it was just the shed.

I have been fishing some remote "back in the woods" ponds and have run across about 6 or 7 cottonmouths. Most met with a 9mm but I always wear snakes boots when back there. Never had a strike yet, knock on wood.

I have had three in about 12 years.

Only one was even somewhat close. And it didn't acknowledge me being there till my buddy cracked that noggin with some number 5s.

The other two were in the road sunning.

It really depends on what part of the country you hunt in, but I wear snake boots. If for nothing else, a tall boot with your pants legs tucked in will reduce tick and red bug issues. I have personally had encounters with snakes in every month of the year as I work in the woods for a living.

One other comes to mind. I had roosted a bird the night before. I got in on him well before daylight, probably within 75-100 yds of his tree. I got set up in the dark and waited on daylight. After about 20 min I heard the leaves rustling to my right, at maybe 6 ft away. That got my attention. Now it was a moonless night and pitch black so I couldn't see what it was. The rustling was slow and methodical, and was moving closer. I didn't want to use my light because I had set up so close to this bird. Well, when it was about arms length I said screw it, because I was convinced it was 8ft long rattleheadedcoppermoccasin. I hit it with the light and it was the one of the biggest beetles I have ever seen. He was promptly dispatched for scaring the crap out of me.

That bird never gobbled that morning and I never saw or heard him fly down. He may have moved trees for all I know during the night.

On a side note, I wear a rubber boot or snake boot primarily because they are high. Around where I hunt you will cross water at some point, creek and streams usually. Hiking boots are not an option most of the time, unless you like soggy feet.

I hunt some pretty wet places and see moccasins usually about every other hunt. I've gotten to where they don't really bother me too much.

One morning two years ago I had killed a turkey on the far end of the property and had about a mile walk back to the truck. I finally made it to about the last 100 yard stretch across a pond dam, and my truck was just on the other side. I really wasn't paying much attention and was just enjoying the morning and reliving everything. Next thing I know I hear a hissing at my feet and look down and had just stepped on a moccasin. I jumped back and he slid to the edge of the road and coiled up at me. I slipped around him and went on my way, but that was really the only close encounter I've had. I still wear snake boots everyday though.

I hunt wet areas and I see alot of moccasins and copperheads. The ones I don't see are the ones I'm worried about. I don't go to the woods when they are crawling without wearing snakeboots.

I need knee high snake/waterproof boots.

On my mountain property, i usually kill at least 3-5 timber rattlers a year. This is what i see. Never know how many i walk by. Its worth the peace of mind, if your walking thru a cutover doing some work.

I'm straying a little from the subject but, I never had a problem with a snake, but I had a bat that got after me once. I was walking in on a trail to bow hunt. Right after entering the woods, I see this hideous black rat looking thing right in front of me on the ground. I stepped back and it stretched its wings out and made some kind of noise. I decided to go around it and it kind of crab walked over in front of me. In my mind he was saying " Thou shalt not pass!". I try to go to the right and he crab walks and raises up again. At that point I'm wondering if the thing can fly. At that same time it gets enough air to jump on my snake boot and starts going crazy. I'm sure it would have made an interesting video of me dancing around trying to kick a bat off my foot. Anyhow, I some how got away from it and it mysteriously died right there.

I ain't skeered of no snake.

Out of sight, out of mind is my philosophy when it comes to snakes. I wear snake boots but really don't give them much thought during turkey season. I see them and let them go their way. I can only think of a handful that I've ever killed during turkey season which is pretty strange as I kill every poisonous snake I see the rest of the year. I have never been struck but have been pretty close to some over the years. My closest call came when I was at Auburn. We used to wade fish creeks in the National Forest with light tackle and ultra lite rigs. I stepped up on a log and had a cotton mouth swim between my legs as I was getting onto the log. That will make your rear end draw up.

I haven't run into one while turkey hunting yet but if I let my mind do it I can remember a rattler I killed during warmer weather within a couple hundred yards of just about anywhere I set up.

Not all during turkey season, but I average killing prob 5 a year. Last year I think I killed 3 timbers, 3 copper, and 1 moc. I did kill one of the rattlesnakes at night, in my yard which was pretty scary.

In 20+ years turkey hunting I've only a few encounters and most weren't venomous or close. I did encounter some copperheads one morning on the way to a gobbler. I was easing down a logging road toward a gobbling bird that I had been hunting and it had been very cool the night before. I stopped to listen and get a better location on him and when I did I looked down and noticed a big mess of snakes at my feet. Upon further inspection it was 3 copperheads that had apparently been out sunning the evening before and got cold and couldn't move. I guess they wound themselves together to keep some body heat. Needless to say; I went on my way to the bird. He was henned up and after a couple of hours I decided to back out and give him some time. On my way back out I started looking for the snakes and they had gotten warm enough to separate but not enough that one shot wouldn't still get all of them:). So I did away with them before it got too warm.

Bout stepped on a moccasin down here last weekend.A lot of standing water right now. He was laying up behind a tree, that dark gray color had him hid perfectly. Stepped within about 18" of him but he never struck.
I did have my snake boots on and made me feel better walking back to the truck.

Rattlesnake crawled on my right leg. I will speak no more about it and hope you who do talk about the evil do not jinx yourself into a snakey turkey season

Youth weekend last year.
Took a buddy of mine's son to their place near Hurtsboro. After we finished hunting, my buddy asked me to help him take down his last loc-on. He made the ladder you see to get up to it cause he ran out of sticks I guess, but anyway, he's up taking the stand off the tree and I'm just fooling around under him, just watching. He gets it down so I lean the ladder back and start walking it down. Once I get it low enough I just let it fall. I go to the middle of the ladder and reach down to get the rung to carry it out and this sucker is a foot or so from me under the ladder! I had to change underwear, but I waited til after I killed him. I guess it was just cold enough where he didn't feel like biting because he had plenty of chances!!

I've walked up on more than I can count hanging stands in September, and hunting during turkey season. Had many close calls, but never been struck. I was in Oklahoma last year walking off a mesa an hour before daylight on roosted birds, and my hunting partner stepped on a western diamondback, but it just coiled up and never struck. He shot it's head off a few seconds later. I live in an older subdivision in downtown and we kill more poisonous snakes, mostly copperheads, every year in town than I see in the woods. I think we've killed 6 big copperheads and one rattlesnake in the last 2 years on my street alone, and had 2 dogs bitten by copperheads.

I've had more encounters with them than I want to remember!

One that stands out is a couple years ago my mom and dad were turkey hunting with me and we slipped in on some gobblers roosted in a big open branch and set up before daylight. My mom just goes to be with us and decided to sit beside me that morning. We had been sitting down a few minutes with her on my right side and knowing we had gotten within 100 yards of the turkeys I turned to tell her to be still because I kept hearing her move in the leaves. When I looked down she and I were no more than a foot apart and there was a copperhead coiled up between us. Thank God it was cold that morning and he didn't feel like biting one of us.

I've had several encounters with Cottonmouths and Rattlers over the years. Worst was in 85'er so, I was turkey hunting in near West Greene in Greene Co. I was circling a "walking bird" and walked across a big hardwood flat, very open ground. Something hit my left leg....hard. I looked down and saw a huge rattler...I knew I was in trouble as I had felt the sting of the bite.. I owled to my buddy to come on and showed him the bird. We were over a mile from the truck and so slow walked out. At the truck I pulled off my boot(Lacrosse Grange, and there was a nice fang hole in my calf, but almost no swelling , just a lil rash. We figgered a dry bite....

My question would be, why wouldn't you wear them? I wear a safety harness, but i've never fell out of a tree, before i stated using one. It's a safety device. Designed to prevent a snakebite. Apparently, a lot of ya'll don't do much work outside in the woods during the warmer months. I'm constantly doing habitat work, moving stands, watering newly planted tree's, cutting shooting lanes, and planting and maintaining summer plots. I was watering my yard with a sprinkler about 3 years ago. I went outside to move the sprinkler with shorts and flops. I bent over to get the sprinkler and looked 3' to my left and there was a timber rattler coming toward the sprinkler. Scared the crap out of me. We were in a drought and i guess he was looking for a drink of water.

Only venomous snake I've seen while turkey hunting was two years ago on my way out of the woods. I'm sure there have been others, but I'm glad I didn't notice them.

Ive had enough encounters where it is just plain stupid to not wear snake boots

It all depends on where you hunt. I have places that I see snakes close to every time I go. I've also hunted some land since childhood, that I have never once seen a snake on.

I had a cotton mouth hit the back of my calf one morning, stepped on a copperhead barefoot while frog gigging one night, those didn't scare me that bad.

The one that scared me was being an hour plus back into some public land, manoevering on a hard gobbling bird, and coming within inches of stepping on a timber rattler. No phone reception, by myself. I would have died before I made it back to the truck. That scared me.

I have had one. Never got close to me, just saw it in the road.

I have never seen a poisonous snake in Alabama during turkey season. I used to see them frequently when I lived/hunted in Mississippi.

I wear snake boots and my son wears the gaiters because we often hunt by ourselves in areas with limited vehicle access and limited to zero cell service.

You mean an encounter like this?

I've had a few cottonmouth encounters where I walked up on one, in both FL and NC.

Once my young son was about to sit down against a tree as we set up on a gobbling bird, and a copperhead was curled up right where he was about to plop his butt. He has never sat down in the woods again without looking carefully first.

The most interesting encounter was in GA. I was working a the west side of a field in an area where the early spring morning sun shone in nicely, and where there were a several big blowdowns. I thought to myself, I better keep an eye out - it looks like a mighty nice place for snakes. No sooner than I slowed down, I saw a great big king snake lying perfectly still no more than 3 feet in front of me. He was a handsome fellow. I gently poked him with the gun barrel and he never moved. And then the thought occurred to me that he might be hunting something himself. And two steps later, I saw what he was hunting - a big canebrake rattler. Had I not been looking, I'd have stepped right on him. So, I eased up close enough to poke him with the gun barrel. I had to poke harder and harder and move closer to the head before he finally reared up and started rattling at me. Needless to say, I walked very carefully the rest of the morning.

This same type of thing happened to me a couple of years ago. I ran upon a king snake lying motionless on an old roadbed. As I got closer to him, he slithered off to the right side of the road. To the left of where he was there is a small built-up mound - a place I normally stand to listen for gobbling turkeys. As I was headed there, I noticed a slight difference in the patterns of the leaves on it - turned out to be a rattler. No doubt in my mind the king snake was just about to make the move on him when I came strolling down the road and messed it up for him.

I've always wondered what is really the best thing to do if you get bit. If you're let's say a mile or more from your vehicle and an hour from the hospital. Should you call 911 and get to a road and wait, or walk out slow and try to drive to the hospital?
I wear Cabela's snake gaiters every time I hunt in the spring, but it's still an uneasy feeling walking through a swamp before daylight even with them on.

old time friend of mine, David Gaston, was "carrying" a fella from Ms one morning. They were sitting side by side against a big tree. David heard some "swishing" noise coming from the other guy and told him to be quiet as the bird was coming. Again the noise and again the warning. Finally the fella said it ain't me, so David looked and there was a huge rattler maybe 1 foot from the guys leg. David said stay still, and cork yer ears...and laid his shotgun barrel over his leg and blasted the snake....

I roosted a turkey one afternoon and was going in to set up on him before daylight the next morning. One rattled about two feet from me but never struck. I was very happy to have worn my snake leggings. A buddy of mine was hanging stands before the season and one struck him in one of the leggings and the fang broke and was stuck in the guy's leggin.

Is this the same David Gaston that used to manage the Southern Inn restaurant in Camden and also a restaurant in Grove Hill?

the same...

Plenty of cottonmouths........I was crossing a slough one morning, and looked down and one was hissing like a mad cat. A few copperheads.......set up on a field one afternoon and one crawled up right beside my leg while I was almost asleep. I can only remember one rattler that was close. My concern is backing up and sitting down on one while setting up on a gobbler at daylight.

Wow! I have not seen David since we hunting O and R hunting club north of Camden probably 30 years ago. He loved to duck and turkey hunt. How is he doing?

He's married and living in Thomasville, has a resturant with his brother. Last time I was thru there he was out with a bad back. One of my favorite people in the world.....

Thanks for the info. I always enjoyed listening to him tell a story.

David could tell a story for sure...

Never on my club or any land in monroe and conecuh in almost 30 years of hunting,we had a place in Boligee on the river and saw plenty of cottonmouths up there,the first day we hunted there me and my uncle walked up on one in the road and we were just a few feet from him when my uncle saw him,he turned and ran over me like a linebacker and knocked my fiber optic sights off of my gun,they were everywhere in those river swamps,I was always nervous as hell when hunting there

The scariest one to me happened on a cold January morning. It was 27 when I went in and warmed up to around 45. On my way out I crossed a creek. For some reason I turned around and almost stepped forward, but stopped. 2 foot in front of me was a coiled up Rattler. No rattling or moving. Still scared the bejesus out of me.

As for snake boots I don't wear em, find em uncomfortable, But I do wear heavy leather boots and when its warm weather I have snake guards that I can put on going to my stand or sit