We have been coming to Arizona since 1970, at least four times a year for two weeks, while living in CA. Four years ago, we retired, and moved to cottonwood. We frequent the State and National Parks all the time, have a Senior Pass to National parks, and Yearly pass to State Parks. We have done a lot of walking in the parks, live in Verde Valley Thousand Trails campground. Walk the paths down to the Verde River a few times a month. We have seen deer tracks, bobcat, and cougar tracks, but no snake tracks.
In all this time we have seen only ONE snake, it was a rattlesnake. It was in the Ruins in a National Forest, Secret Mountain Wilderness area, near Sedona, it took a 26 mile drive over dirt roads to get to Loys Butte. He was sunning on a Rock last fall.
He lives in the Ruins, the Ranger has nicknamed him "Oscar" and he evidently has never caused anyone any problems or would have been removed. When hiking, we make noise, never try to be quiet, so imagine if we have passed any snakes, they slithered off. Most of the trails in National or State Parks are "groomed" so there is always activity. Volunteer cleaning, picking up trash, etc. Snakes may stay away from trails where there is a lot of activity, which may be the reason we never see them.
Just because we do not see them, does not mean we are careless. We wear cowboy boots when walking the trails and blue jeans. We watch out for them, especially around rocks that have spaces under them where they could hide. An ounce of prevention, is worth pounds of cure.
Bob & Nadine 1984 Allegro, always at home!
Living Life With a "Golden Age Passport"
and Thousand Trails VIP Membership, Priceless!
Home Park: Verde Valley. Korean Veteran - 5th Regimental Combat Team
.....Every Mission assigned, Accomplished.....
A lot of conceptions about snakes some true. Snakes will chase you or at least some of them will. I have had a corn snake, a coral snake, blue racers, black snakes, and copperheads chase me or try to. Like many creatures they chase figuring it will make you turn and run.
I had a really long black snake, coach whip, chase me down to the creek. We killed several small snakes in the yard that came at us when we tried to keep them from going to the foundation and perhaps finding a tiny opening to get in. I mean they raised up an lunged almost their body length. No time to tell what they were.
I have talked with many that offered first hand accounts of coach whips chasing them. "Hoop Snakes" don't know if I ever saw one but I have seen a yard full of snakes hooping. They were Garter snakes.
Not too many years ago I went trout fishing in Mid Tn. I head a loup plop. On the opposite bank, which was rock wall with a narrow shelf at the water lever there was a huge black colored snake. It was larger than m forearm or possibly leg and a good ten ft long or longer. It had fallen off the ledge to the shelf at water level. It crawled under a shelf of rocks that you would not know there was an opening there.
Don't take for granted that a snake of other wild animal will not chase you. I bet that huge snake would have if it felt threatned and cornered
She needs a couple good pairs of leather snake boots.
Two pairs of footwear is better than one.
Dogs, I don't know. We used to have an Irish Terrier who killed snakes.
I have a camp knife I take with me. Yes, I have killed snakes with it.
If it has a pointed head, I kill it.
wynn144 wrote: My poor wife has not been able to spend much time outside of the state of Indiana and no time west of the Mississippi. She is worried about snakes for both her and our two small dogs. I have told her that snakes will leave her alone as long as she leaves them alone. Has anyone out there have had any big problem with snakes
The other aspect of this is I am living proof that snake bites don't always kill. Not so sure the cottonmouth was as lucky. It is painful and not my favorite thing to have gone thru, but hardly worth mising great life adventures because someone is afraid of a snake. IMO.
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