1 Topic by deepsix

  • deepsix
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  • Registered: 2011-06-28
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Topic: Hoop Snake Thriller!!!!

After reading some of the Cottonmouth and Rattlesnake stories, I thought I'd throw this one in. A number of years ago I was living in California. A very nice elderly lady (who has passed away now) was facinated with why I would spend so much of my time "messing with dangerous critters". Through the years I heard many times about her one encounter.

It seems that she was walking home from school one day when her and a friend realised that they were being followed by a huge black snake. When they started to run, the snake grabbed its tail with its mouth, came up on its side and came rolling down the hill after them. Her mother had to kill the attacking creature with a shotgun when it followed them to thier home.

Through the years I was told that story many times and as hard as I tried to explain that she had imagined it, she just shook her head and gave me a lecture about young people listening to thier elders.

The reason I was subjected to this story so many times was that I was dating her daughter and eventually married her. Sometimes, if we tell a story long enough, it becomes fact in our minds.

Deepsix

2 Reply by prof.dave (edited by prof.dave 2011-07-18 11:31 am)

  • prof.dave
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  • From: El Dorado (Union County)
  • Registered: 2007-02-23
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Re: Hoop Snake Thriller!!!!

My great aunt (who died in 1997) told me of the 'stinging snake' (mud snake, I'm sure) that a man had killed when she was growing up in South Arkansas. She described how every time the man squeezed the dead snake's tail- a stinger would come out! yikes  The story was 50+ years old by the time she told it to me, and even though she believed her memory was accurate, I'm sure that she must have heard 'stinging snake' stories all her life, and was very frightened when the man showed her the snake's 'stinger'.

"...be as wise as serpents..."  Matthew 10:16
"...I just thought that should be brung out"  ~Goober (on 'The Andy Griffith Show')

3 Reply by huka

  • huka
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  • From: Pea Ridge
  • Registered: 2006-09-22
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Re: Hoop Snake Thriller!!!!

I always heard the stories about all the "puff adders" that lived around here and how dangerous they were! I've often wondered how many Hog Nose have been killed because of a stupid story.

A couple of the kids from across the road were leaving a few years ago when the discovered a "puff adder" crossing our driveway. Naturally, they were going to kill it, until I made them understand that if they harmed the snake I'd be forced to beat then senseless with a 18" hammer handle! Took a stick and messed with him to show them that it wasn't dangerous. It tried be aggressive, and when that didn't work it played dead, and finally did the musk thing when all else failed.  I don't know if it really made an impression on them, but they don't mess with snakes here anymore!

The funny part of it all way the spot where it musk also happened to be the Mutts favorite pee stop first thing every morning. He ran out the next morning, hiked his leg, and proceeded to empty his bladder. It wasn't but a few seconds and his nose started to twitch, then he started to prance and dance around, but it was too late as he had it all over his feet by then. After finishing he tried to wash it off, but that didn't turn out very well, so he got to spend the day outside. I'm just guessing, but it looks like it tastes as bad as it smells!He still avoids that spot to this day! smile