Ever been chased by a snake?

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Mick Smith
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Ever been chased by a snake?

#1 Post by Mick Smith » Wed Nov 27, 2013 5:32 pm

This topic was discussed on a fishing forum site that I sometimes visit. I found it surprising that about half the people who responded were very sceptical about the possibility of actually being chased by a snake. A common view was that snakes will do anything to avoid a confrontation.

I suppose your views on this subject could possibly depend on where you live and what species of snake you might encounter in your wanderings.

Victorian tiger snakes, in particular, are often reported as being very aggressive at certain times of the year, especially just after they have emerged from their winter 'hibernation' period.

I also know where I stand on this question, as I have been chased on at least 3 occasions by unprovoked tiger snakes. Their aggression has to be seen to be believed. They make weird noises that almost sound a bit like a small dog. There's no doubting their intentions as they weave towards you with their head held very high.

So, what are your views?
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bigbob
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#2 Post by bigbob » Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:38 pm

Spent quite a bit of time in the scrub at various times in my 6 decades plus and have been lucky enough not to have it happen with me, but have heard of Tigers in particular being pro active in confrontations.
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AndyD
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#3 Post by AndyD » Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:21 pm

Never been chased.
Have had a belligerent brown that got all worked up when we pulled up near him \ her.
Hung around the car for a few minutes, circled it and then headed off into the scrub on the side of the driveway.
My Father and I were very glad it didn't go under the car - or worse up into a wheel arch!
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Mick Smith
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#4 Post by Mick Smith » Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:24 pm

Thanks Bob. It's probably just a southern state thing with tigers and then, only at certain times of the year. I think it must be reasonably uncommon though, as I have seen 1000's of snakes, including many tigers, in my lifetime, yet I've only had 3 really nasty and aggressive ones have a go at me. Maybe they were just having a bad day.

I have no doubt my frantic antics of trying to avoid getting bitten, while running away in a blind panic, would look extremely comical for any onlooker. :lol:
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Mick Smith
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#5 Post by Mick Smith » Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:26 pm

AndyD wrote:Never been chased.
Have had a belligerent brown that got all worked up when we pulled up near him \ her.
Hung around the car for a few minutes, circled it and then headed off into the scrub on the side of the driveway.
My Father and I were very glad it didn't go under the car - or worse up into a wheel arch!
Hmmmm ... interesting. Thanks Andy.
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#6 Post by longbow steve » Wed Nov 27, 2013 9:26 pm

All the snakes I have crossed paths with have just been going about their daily chores including one that my partner Erin thought was chasing her that drove her to jump in a river and remain submerged as the snake swam over her :lol: , When she got up I said why did you do that for and let her know that snakes can swim under water too.
The only aggressive ones were the Black snakes that Jeffro revved up for a photo opportunity when out hunting.
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#7 Post by Bent Stick » Thu Nov 28, 2013 8:50 am

Had a Taipan chase me for a hundred metres near Clare in Nth Qld until a tractor bucket fell on him, mate accidently killed it.
Had one tiny little Tiger in WA that got really antsy "think it was little snake syndrome" but he didn't chase.
All the others have moved on; sometimes after standing up defensively until they reckon its better to move on, but only one chase.
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#8 Post by bigbob » Thu Nov 28, 2013 1:30 pm

Do remember once instance where, as we were visiting cemetery, a large brown came out from a hole at the side of a grave and went between the legs of my brother. He promptly shifted through about 6 gears but unfortunately remained just running on the spot! The snake stayed put, just weaving and moving its head about still between brothers legs.Instead of striking [ probably couldn't hit a target doing 150kph even if stationary] it eventually 'let down' and slithered away. This happened many years ago and I often still wonder why it did not strike, apart from my flippant remarks.
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#9 Post by hardgainer » Fri Nov 29, 2013 7:56 am

Worth remembering.....shooting one morning at DVA field course with a couple of follow old timers several years ago almost put foot on the biggest Tiger I have seen in my life laying low in a track. Close to 4ft thick as my wrist. It was supprising he had not scampered straight away. After about a minute he rocketed up the track and down a bunny hole.
Sure watch were I put the footsies now.

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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#10 Post by longbowinfected » Fri Nov 29, 2013 11:56 am

it is worse when crawling in the roof or subfloor coming around an L corner and you come face to face. I would not have won that race. Each time the snake flared up then settled. Hard to crawl backwards. Gets your attention real quick. I remember hearing one lady talking to her husband on the phone whilst crawling under the floor say: "No I didn't tell him about the two brown snakes under the house, I thought he wouldn't do the inspection if I did." I thumped the floorboard under her feet with a heavy ball pein hammer..........apparently she freaked out.

Some people put big pythons in their roof for rats, move on, you do an inspection and find them three, four times a year.

Chased a couple of times by snakes......each time hunting bunnies and did not see mating brown snakes west of Tamworth up in the hills in granite dust country......almost walked on them in amongst wire grass whilst they were getting friendly....they were pretty aggro....I moved away pretty smartly for forty/fifty metres.....one only followed for 15 metres. Happy to leave them to it.

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erron
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#11 Post by erron » Fri Nov 29, 2013 5:49 pm

Remember my dad breaking my one and only cane fishing rod killing a tiger that chased him, me and my brother up an embankment from where we were peacefully fishing. It swam past, saw us and just did a 90 degree turn and came straight for us, striking all the way up the embankment till dad finally despatched it. Early Spring, worst time for them...

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Mick Smith
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#12 Post by Mick Smith » Fri Nov 29, 2013 8:12 pm

Hmmm .... I seem to recall a bloke called erron from somewhere in the long deep past. :biggrin:

It's good to hear from you again.

I can remember reading somewhere that most tiger snakes prefer to eat frogs and that's probably the reason why they're so often found near rivers and swamps, etc. I think that nearly all Victorian freshwater fishermen would have encountered an ill tempered tiger snake at sometime or another.

Many years ago, when I was a boy of about 14, I was hunting rabbits along a swampy creek when I saw a movement out of the corner of my eye. It was a very fired up tiger snake. It was spitting and making weird noises that sounded a bit like a barking of a small demented dog. It came at me very fast indeed. I turned to run, but the terrain wasn't the best for running. After losing ground, I turned to face my pursuer. Unfortunately for the snake, I was hunting with a shotgun that day and the poor old snake ended up coming off second best. I didn't want to kill it, but I didn't have many options.

On another occasion, I was camped on the coast in western South Australia. It was starting to get dark and I needed some firewood to cook the few salmon that I had just caught. Firewood was scarce around the sand dunes, so I had to travel quite some distance picking up small sticks along the way. As I bent down to pick up one stick, it suddenly came to life and it wasn't happy at all. I couldn't make out what sort of snake it was, because it was too dark. That bloody snake chased me for well over a hundred yards before I lost it.

Are you still shooting your very nice 43# longbow these days erron?
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#13 Post by rodlonq » Fri Nov 29, 2013 9:22 pm

I had an experience with a Taipan similar to Bent Stick at Rollingstone on a small farm in the foothills. I was only a lad back then, but I recall this Taipan coming out of a stack of pallets that we were using next to the zucchini patch. It seemed very aggressive (enough to chase us well down the track for further than I would have liked). At one stage I didn't think we were going to out-run it. We later found a lot of very small snakes in the pallet stack. I don't know if they hang around to protect their young but it was scary at the time and we thought it was mum protecting the nest. The only other time, I was chased by an eastern brown snake it was in front of the slasher and heading up the back of the tractor (IH Farmall tricycle) and when it got close to the seat I threw it out of gear and jumped ship like a rat. I am not sure it was hunting me though. Wot a circus…. :lol: As per most experiences, snakes want to get out of your way like the big ol' carpet below, but not always…...

Cheers….. Rod
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#14 Post by Gringa Bows » Fri Nov 29, 2013 9:52 pm

I've never been chased by a snake but I had a Mulga snake raise itself up in a strike position a couple of yards in front of me but I just changed direction and it went on its way,and I've almost stood on a couple of red bellys cause they just lay there until you almost stand on them,dont know how many other times I've been close to them cause I'm looking for pigs not joey's :biggrin:

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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#15 Post by Mick Smith » Sat Nov 30, 2013 9:24 am

rodlonq wrote: The only other time, I was chased by an eastern brown snake it was in front of the slasher and heading up the back of the tractor (IH Farmall tricycle) and when it got close to the seat I threw it out of gear and jumped ship like a rat. I am not sure it was hunting me though. Wot a circus…. :lol: As per most experiences, snakes want to get out of your way like the big ol' carpet below, but not always…...

Cheers….. Rod
This story reminds me of what happened to one of my farmer mates many years ago. This particular bloke was paranoid about snakes. He hated them. One day, he was driving his tractor through a paddock of long grass when the grooves in the front tyre of the tractor somehow picked up a snake and flipped it back towards my mate. The snake ended up wrapping itself around his neck like a scarf. Well, this was too much for him. He freaked out completely. He ripped the snake off his neck and at the same time, he bailed off the back of the tractor while it was still going along. He didn't get bitten, but the tractor went through 3 fences and it didn't stop until it finished up in a dam. :lol:
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#16 Post by Axe » Sat Nov 30, 2013 9:59 am

I have been fascinated by and actively involved with many snakes over many years... I have had snakes come towards me about a metre or so to strike (until I backed off) when impinging on their comfort zone, this is not being chased in my opinion

At other times I have aggravated a snake to a point where it was necessary to give the snake it's space until it settled or it moved on before it attempted a strike, conversely I have picked up tiger snakes and copper heads that could be described (albeit loosely) as very calm

Although all snakes, just like humans and dogs etc. have inherent traits, obviously individuals of all species have different temperaments and therefore may act/react to each situation in a completely different manner to that of others of the same species, as it is with differing actions/reactions it is with opinions and what one would consider a chase may be vastly different to the opinion of others

Sorry for the ramble and to answer the question...no I have never been chased by a snake...but I have been bitten
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#17 Post by bigbob » Sat Nov 30, 2013 11:28 am

Remembered another anecdote re snakes. About 12 year ago when I was still working, I did shut downs at mine sites and one day we were descending over 2000ft down a vertical shaft in a kibble bucket attached to a operator manned winder . These buckets had a bell shaped 'roof' over the top to deflect rocks etc which may come from drives etc. When we were about 1500 feet down and black as the inside of a goat apart from our helmet lamps, there was a big bang on the roof and several guys shone their lamps down into the bucket and let out a chorus of yells, screams etc and promptly climbed up on to the edge of bucket. When I managed to see through the mayhem and flashing lamps, what provoked this response I could then see a large brown in the bottom of our suddenly very small and crowded bucket. It had some how found its way down one of the drives and fell into the shaft. Fortunately it turned out to be stone dead from the fall, but I don't know which would have been worse , braving a snake in the bucket or balancing on the edge of a bucket still 500 feet from the bottom of the shaft.
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#18 Post by Roadie » Tue Dec 03, 2013 7:01 pm

Evening Mick, to your snake problem, no I haven't been chased by any. But I have Been Bitten by 2.
No 1, was a DEATH ADDER when I was out in the Tanami Desert a couple of years ago, I posted a story about it some time ago'.
No 2, 3 years ago setting up Targets for a Shoot here, I was bitten by a Copper Head, spent 24 plus Hrs in hospital over that one.
So NO I have never been chased, the Buggers just Attack me and Bite me. Must be my lovely Personality they Object to. Cheers Roadie.

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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#19 Post by Mick Smith » Tue Dec 03, 2013 7:57 pm

Hi Roadie. I thought you might chime in on this topic. I was aware of your snake related history. You're the only person that I know personally that's ever been bitten by a snake and you got bitten twice! The closest I've come to being bitten was when a copperhead struck at my legs as I walked by. Luckily for me, it only made contact with the loose folds on my trouser leg. It was enough for me though. I promptly turned around and walked back to the car and called it quits for the day. :smile:
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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#20 Post by RobHunter » Thu Dec 05, 2013 1:07 pm

Never been chased, but I was wandering around French Island and stood on one. Luckily
its head was down its burrow and couldn't bite me. We had a debate of how far it was down its hole:
could I run away??.

Finally we decided that the safe thing was to break its back and then remove my foot, turned out it was only about a foot into its
burrow. The local ranger had a rule for killing snakes, If you were bitten he wouldn;t fine you ! I figured this was close enough.

Rgds Rob

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Re: Ever been chased by a snake?

#21 Post by longbow steve » Tue Dec 17, 2013 5:42 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=myeXMuGJAB8
No wonder you get bitten alot Roadie :lol:

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