Where not to build.

[Redoverfarm]

I have always admired Mother Nature and the ability of it's creatures to build unique and durable housing.  But I think the architech in this species missed on the location.     This was over the side door of the house.  The wife kept hearing bees as she walked in the door but thought it may have just been a stray.  I found it when I climbed on the roof to lay stone on the chimney. Maybe this is a sign of how dry it has been here un until this week.

[MushCreek]

Maybe the queen is a realtor who plans to sell it as waterfront after the next rain?

[Don_P]

Don't you know they'd be irritable in a downpour. I was happy to see 3 excavated ground bee nests when I finally got down in the bottom to mow last weekend.

Our critter of the week was hiding in plain sight. There's a broken striped bungee cord laying on the ground (nobody has bent over to pick it up, myself included ). So as we all walked by multiple times the other morning, I can only assume we didn't see this guy because we already subconsciously expected something striped in that area.


This is another kind of rattler from what I remember pics of here, a canebrake or eastern timber rattler. This one was small, only 2 buttons. They don't get as big as a diamondback but can still get to 6 or 7 feet. We've been wondering where mama is.

[Redoverfarm]

Yep where there is one you can bet he is not a loner.  I cringe everytime I move lumber.  I can imagine how you feel around a mill. These guest are not bothering anything so I will let mother nature take care of them.

[rick91351]

There is a rattlesnake story on Ellen and my blog---

http://rickandellenrussell.blogspot.com/

It should still be first out however will be posting a new article about the cattle auction in the next day or so.....

[Don_P]

Rick, I understand the local perception. When 911 came to town they wanted to name every road and lane. I had known what people thought since I bought our place and have never felt a need to dispel the rumor. They sent me a letter asking if it would be ok to name our road Rattlesnake Lane.

Our mason had a bit of a time with this guy. He didn't want to kill it, we've had a time with deer mice there, but it didn't want to leave. He flung it, it reached out and wrapped around a tree. He picked it off and flung it again, to the next tree  . Ed don't quit. He got it again and gave it the olympic flexible javelin throw. I figured it stood a sporting chance as it cleared the septic field at altitude. Myself, it would have been against my nature not to kill a poisonous snake, the homeowner said about the same thing but she said "well it is a working animal". For me, I hate having to pay that much attention, they usually come back. I did have the bobcat stir up the rock pile just to clear it. Jody, the operator, was working with me a few years ago. He was in the trackhoe popping stumps and moving logs and I was cutting and bucking on the ground. He throttled hard a few times and I looked up. He was motioning me to come quick. I hopped up in the cab with him, there was a racer on my tail.
On our place Michelle has killed one copperhead and I've sat down on a ringneck, which only dazed him. At the mill I have an agreement with the BIG ratsnakes. They're ornery and if they feel crossed you will have to kill them, They'll thump the shovel once, maybe twice, and then they pick up on your heat. We each give the other space. I was unstacking stickered lumber a few years ago. It was under the shed roof and I was up near the rafters rolling boards off. I was down to a couple of boards on one layer when I uncovered a snake that really didn't want to be found out. We both recoiled, he raired up and flopped over the far side of the stack and I... used my head to make the tin ring  .

[rick91351]

Rick, I understand the local perception. When 911 came to town they wanted to name every road and lane. I had known what people thought since I bought our place and have never felt a need to dispel the rumor. They sent me a letter asking if it would be ok to name our road Rattlesnake Lane.

Rattlesnake Mountain and Drainage -  About 15 years ago the 'Foothills Fire' made a insane run.  Forty some miles and kept on keeping on.  Huge fir stumpage and brush.  Burned so hot the soil cook and occurred massive erosion.  When I was a young'n my ten year older brother if he wanted to loose me for the day, all he had to say he was going fishing over in Rattlesnake.  Just the name was enough to keep me away.   

 

One thing about it - so it seems our Western Diamondbacks are not so much attracted to people habitat.  Yet our friends from down south and eastern US all have stories like yours of finding or killing some huge Timber Rattler or Cottonmouth.  Son In Laws Mom just had her cat killed by a rattlesnake down in Georgia or Alabama just the other day.

It is a huge stretch for me not exterminating all of them I see, just something at comes natural.  Plus now the Federal Fish and Wildlife protects them - Yep now it is the law....... most likely wont matter however.      

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