Snakes

[Africa Huntress]

I was ask by three different members about snakes, so please, those of you who dont want me posting here, please give it a rest, I am just responding to a request.

Yes, there are dangerous snakes in Namibia---BUT

1. Hippos ( on land ), buffalo, Elephant ( on Musth ), crocodiles, lions and mosquitoes are also dangerous and in almost every case, even more so
2. visit in the winter and you probably will not see a snake
3. avoid macula trees,
4. you will be walking behind the tracker and the P.H., they will see danger before you do
5..leave them alone, dont play with them, they will move away from you
6. my father tells me he has seem more snakes in Texas and Oklahoma than he has in Africa
7. This is not my saying, I am repeating it. hunting Africa is not for weak of heart ( some insert "sissies" for heart)

Best regards

Jamila

 

[truck driver]

Thanks Jamila.
I wish you would turn those cyber snakes over to us that you are dealing with so we can roast them over a slow fire.
If anyone shouldn't be posting here it's them since they provide no knowledge or experience to the forum and only create grief for all.

 

[DrMike]

Snakes and I have a long history. I try to avoid them, and I know they try to avoid me. I'm certain I've choked more than one snake with the dust I kicked up. I just didn't stay to see what effect I might have had on the poor beastie. Seriously, mosquitoes are a major killer throughout much of the world, and that doesn't seem to keep most people from those areas where they carry their pestilence.

 

[hunternyny]

Snakes and I have a long history. I try to avoid them, and I know they try to avoid me. I'm certain I've choked more than one snake with the dust I kicked up. I just didn't stay to see what effect I might have had on the poor beastie. Seriously, mosquitoes are a major killer throughout much of the world, and that doesn't seem to keep most people from those areas where they carry their pestilence.

+ 1 I am with you Dr Mike and also agree with Rodger

Thank you Jamila, I will probably never get there, but it is good information. I had to look up musth.

 

[lefty315]

I HATE, HATE, HATE snakes!!! I am very happy I didn't see any when I hunted South Africa in 2012. I did see 3 small rattle snakes in 2014 when we were Antelope hunting in Wyoming. They met their demise thanks to my little Ruger Mark II.

 

[salmonchaser]

I think Bill Ruger must have hated snakes too. Seems he figures in quite a few of our experience with snakes.

A buddy of mine just completed his 14th safari. I asked him about snakes in Africa. His opinion was you are much more likely to get bit by a rattlesnake in Eastern Oregon Or Wyoming then get bit in Africa on a guided hunt. But, he added, the African snakes will kill you.


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[truck driver]

I think Bill Ruger must have hated snakes too. Seems he figures in quite a few of our experience with snakes.

A buddy of mine just completed his 14th safari. I asked him about snakes in Africa. His opinion was you are much more likely to get bit by a rattlesnake in Eastern Oregon Or Wyoming then get bit in Africa on a guided hunt. But, he added, the African snakes will kill you.


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No experience hunting in Africa but from what I have seen on the history channel there isn't much there that won't kill you.

 

[Europe]

your friend is correct Salmonchaser. my husband and I also visited Africa several times and saw a snake I think only three times and never in a threading scenario. We also took a river boat cruise up the amazon river and never saw a Jaguar and the only anaconda we saw was a dead one being carried by natives along a trail by the river

But when hunting Coues deer in Arizona we were constantly watching and listening for rattlesnakes, and saw a ton of them.

Nice post Jamila, thank you. when you hunted with your Dad in CAR did you see more snake there than you do in Namibia ?

 

[Elkman]

As I am hearing impaired there are many sounds that I cannot hear, primarily in the higher decibel range. Many kinds of birds ( ravens are wonderful), smoke alarms, and many unimportant similar things, like that. So to stay on topic I also cannot, hear rattlesnakes rattle. Even know I live where they are frequent, I have encountered them many, many, times in my years in the outdoors, and while I have numerous close encounters have yet to have been bit. Hopefully my luck will hold

 

[salmonchaser]

I have the same problem Bill. I'm amazed how many snakes didn't rattle until my clients said I heard it from clear over here.


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[Blkram]

Thanks Jamila,

That will calm Susan's fear of snakes for our trip next May!

 

[AFG270]

Thanks Jamila.
I wish you would turn those cyber snakes over to us that you are dealing with so we can roast them over a slow fire.
If anyone shouldn't be posting here it's them since they provide no knowledge or experience to the forum and only create grief for all.

+1

Thanks for posting, Jamila. This came at the perfect time as I ran into a 40" rattlesnake on the firebreak by my house yesterday. Luckily I was able to keep my dogs behind me and add another notch to my Ruger.

 

[salmonchaser]

Bill Ruger again. I'm telling you, he must have hated snakes.


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[Africa Huntress]

Rodger, Allen, John, Dr Mike, Fotis, Gil, Guy, Charles ( and others ) --thank you. but my mum has decided we will not "out' them, as "outing them" made matters even worse on a different forum as some here are well aware of, when my mum posted a few of the nasty p.m.s on the open forum. I believe she even did so on this forum in the past and was crucified for doing so. We have many friends on this forum and some of the folks here we know personally and if the stars line up correctly we will meet a couple more real soon. ( for the record Jim and Fotis deleted the account of a couple of people here who were giving mum a hard time--believe me Jim and Fotis will not tolerate any harassment of the ladies on the forum, so even though we are not "outing' you a this time does not mean that we might not choose to notify Jim and Fotis in the future---fair warning )

Yes, I did post a response and then took it down for the same reason, as supposedly my response was not "hunting" related, which I disagree and upon reflection I am going to repost now and add to it about the cheetah, which I have been ask about--

Yes, there are more visible snakes in CAR. I also mentioned that if you google news about U.N. peacekeepers and the Central Africa Republic, you will read that over 100 underage girls have been raped by the people who were sent there to protect them. some were forced to perform in ways you will have to read about as I am not going to go into it here.

Also, because of the continued unrest in CAR, I had suggested to Gil, that him and his wife should not hunt Bongo in that country at this time .

Thank's to everyone who posted on this thread for their contribution to this thread.

Now to answer the question about Cheetah's

Cheetah's can still be hunted in Namibia under certain circumstance. They are a tough hunt, and citizens from the United States will not be allowed to take any part of the Cheetah, back home with them.

Gil, there have been some taken with a bow. One way is to "blind" hunt them at a water hole. Another is to find or produce a fresh kill and then blind hunt close to it. They are not scavengers but will come to a fresh kill. Yes, I have hunted with a bow, but never for Cheetahs and to be honest I was not very good at it ( or with a spear ) so decided at an early age I was a rifle hunter HA

Best Regards

Jamila

p.s. Dr Mike is correct. mosquitoes are to blame for more deaths of children in Namibia each year than anything else.

 

[Guy Miner]

A little taxpayer-sponsored adventure in Central America years ago taught me more about snakes than I ever cared to know!

Here in Washington we've got plenty of rattlers. Dang. I surely don't like 'em, but at least they usually are polite enough to let you know that they're around, and not happy.

Back east I learned about copperheads. Didn't like them at all. Aggressive rascals!

Haven't spent a lot of time in the southeastern states, but it looked like the farther south one went, the more snakes might be found.

Ya, Central America was chock full of snakes! As were some of the Pacific Islands I've been on...

Not all that fond of snakes. No sir.

You ladies keep right on posting here. I enjoy your points of view.

Guy

 

[truck driver]

Guy when you said Washington I thought you meant DC Yeah we have a lot of dangerous snakes in DC probably the most dangerous in the world next to north korea.

 

[5shot]

Thanks for the info, although I doubt I will ever need it. I have never understood some people's response to good information on Forums. That is one of the reasons I still visit here, and rarely visit other forums.

Lived and hunted in Eastern WA (Spokane) my whole life, and I have yet to see a Rattle Snake. Central WA on the other hand...

 

[salmonchaser]

Had a good snake hunt today. I was doing some chores when the dogs started going nuts in the kennel. Walked over and heard the buzz worm. Grabbed the poop shovel and made quick work of him. 1/2 hour later I was getting some lumber out of the scrap pile, heard another. Grabbed the pistol out of the pick up and started moving boards. Killed two more. Turned out to be a good hunt.


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[salmonchaser]

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[DrMike]

My, that's quite the collection you're starting there. :shock: A good day's work, I'd say.

I'm all for the rattle snakes keeping the mouse and rat populations under control, but I'm less enthusiastic when they want to keep them under control near human habitation.