Thread: Are snakes @ reelfoot that bad?

I'm planning going down full moon in may.Everyone talks about the snakes being very bad.I guess im asking what are the odds of a cottonmouth falling in my boat?I have no idea what I would do if this actually happened but I guarantee it would be messy!

odds are very slim, cotton mouthsdont hang in trees. they stay in water and low cover,

Originally Posted by john h

odds are very slim, cotton mouthsdont hang in trees. they stay in water and low cover,

Tell that to the cottonmouths here then... apparently they don't know better.

Reelfoot cottomouths these days are rare indeed. The first time I was there was in the late 1960s. There were cottonmouths all over. They are easy to tell from the water snakes. When they open their mouth it is pure bright white.
I'm supprised to hear they don't climb trees. A lot of the ones we seen were 5 to 10' off the water on leaning dead trees.
If you go to Reelfoot, prepare yourself to relax and enjoy the beauty. forget those snakes , you'll worry yourself to death.
Down on the main lake, I'm not sure they could stand the common winds anyway.

Originally Posted by LSUguy

Tell that to the cottonmouths here then... apparently they don't know better.

Uh huh

Originally Posted by Slipped Cork

I'm planning going down full moon in may.Everyone talks about the snakes being very bad.I guess im asking what are the odds of a cottonmouth falling in my boat?I have no idea what I would do if this actually happened but I guarantee it would be messy!

No they are not that bad. You will likely see some water snakes, mostly sunning themselves in the trees. If you get hung up just look the tree over pretty good before going in there after it.

Chris

Originally Posted by Slipped Cork

I'm planning going down full moon in may.Everyone talks about the snakes being very bad.I guess im asking what are the odds of a cottonmouth falling in my boat?I have no idea what I would do if this actually happened but I guarantee it would be messy!

A friend of mine is a game warden on Reelfoot. He told me he had seen less than 5 cottonmouths the entire 4 to 5 years that he worked the lake.

Originally Posted by crappiecrazy

A friend of mine is a game warden on Reelfoot. He told me he had seen less than 5 cottonmouths the entire 4 to 5 years that he worked the lake.

Has he ever left the house?

Originally Posted by brimeater

Has he ever left the house?

When close up you can tell the difference. And believe me, ive seen more than 4 or 5. Maybe I am fishing too close to their stomping grounds.

dont buy into it , cottons do hang in tree's and reelfoot is the most snake populated place in the world ! may is still pretty safe . after that i would bring my machete. keep you eyes peeled , 2 times i had snakes trying to get a free ride in my boat , once we were trying to wack him with the oar and he just kept comming got the motor running and split. be carful dude