Something I found on drudgereport.com

[Last hard class]

Originally Posted by WCH

The "stick' then sunk it's fangs into her finger. " She then took a rock to it's head!

The BFR. A true and tested snake killing technique.

[1stindoor]

Growing up in North Texas and having spent a good part of my adulthood in the Carolinas...snakes have never bothered me. I've killed a good many of them without losing any sleep over them.

But a spider...ewwww...<shudder>...those little f~&kers don't make any noise. Sneaky bastards.

[Dozer523]

Originally Posted by ZonieDiver

Once upon a time,
only three periods in the life cycle of a Western Diamondback Rattlesnake when it would bite a human being.
All the 2Lt's began to take notes as I stated:
"Immediately before, during, or after you F*#k with it!"

Why I log on twice a day.

[ZonieDiver]

But a spider...ewwww...<shudder>...those little f~&kers don't make any noise. Sneaky bastards.

Like this?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3O-kYwM8qY

[mark46th]

"You know, almost everyone I know personally who has gotten snake bitten, got it while messing with the snake." TR

And the last thing they said before getting bit was," Here, hold my beer..."

Originally Posted by 1stindoor

Growing up in North Texas and having spent a good part of my adulthood in the Carolinas...snakes have never bothered me. I've killed a good many of them without losing any sleep over them.

But a spider...ewwww...<shudder>...those little f~&kers don't make any noise. Sneaky bastards.

My oldest will scream, shreak, etc., (sounding just like his mother), while my youngest came to me saying, "Dad, there is a spider in the bathroom". I said, "Son, follow me, I'll show you this just once."

Upon entering the bathroom, he pointed out a little house spider. I made a fist, thumb extended and smashed the spider, I then rubbed it's guts onto my jeans.

Son said, "Got it".

I how have an offical "Zombie, Spider Hunter-Killer" living with me, he's 9 years old.

T-shirt to prove it.

[mark46th]

E- Sounds like he will be ready for a Plasma Rifle in the 20 watt range soon.

Originally Posted by mark46th

E- Sounds like he will be ready for a Plasma Rifle in the 20 watt range soon.

How many movies has that weapon be used in?

[BoyScout]

Last summer mom killed a baby copperhead with the toe of her shoe, she was told that she should have used her heel. The next kill out there was my step-dad's doing. While weed eating, it (a timber rattler we think) was sunning itself all nice and coiled up in some leaves... until he accidentally chopped it into chunks. He did not know it was there until he killed it. Both could have been bit. Personally I don't want to kill them unless I plan on eating them or using them for bait. I'll kill them and not lose any sleep about it but they eat rats and mice and I am not as happy to kill every critter I see as I once was.

On a side note, I have owned two pygmy rattlers until mom found out. Fed them lizards, small frogs and baby mice. They ended up briefly as a hatband.

Location - Thailand.
Season - Late summer/early fall. (Its still very warm).

We were told in our safety briefing that there are 30 species of snakes in Thailand, 28 which are poisonous, but the other two species can swallow you.

The most common snake seen in Thailand is the Cobra, typically in the 2' to 3' range, and mostly seen dead on roads and highways.

Our mission was to teach the Thai Airbase Ground Defense Forces in jungle skills, surveillance, patrolling, etc. The entire ODA thought, "...too funny - we're teaching the Thais about the jungle, who kidding who, right?"

Seems most Thais soldiers are just like us, raised in cities, small towns, with fewer and fewer being from the more rural areas of the country. They like us, do not like snakes either.

One day after training, we are back in our barracks, I had just showered. I had a towel wrapped around me and was enjoying a comforatable "cool" evening while nursing a very cold Singha Beer wearing shower shoes, dog tags and said towel.

As the sun set in the west, the light dimming quickly, I could see large dark upright sticks waving in the tall grass some 100' away. A stick would move, wave gently in the evening breeze and then fall, only to rise again somewhere else. I thought, "..funny, big sticks that can walk around."

I counted no less than 20 such sticks in the distance.

Intent on discivering what was really happening, I ventured out into the grass wearing my towel, shower shoes, dog tags and carrying two more beers just in case.

Ubon, my interpreter, and Thai buddy joins me, (he has experience with such matters. (That's another story).

What was discovered were large Cobra snakes hunting the Tapioca plants growing amongst the tall grass being rich with seeds. The seeds were being harvested by rats, the rats were being hunted by the Cobras and the farmers caught the snakes for their business venture.

Ubon then explained the entire business of rural Thailand farming. I thought, glad there are no Cobras in Wyoming.

Question -

Does anyone know how high a Cobra can lift its own body off the ground without the aid of plant, tree or bush? Let me tell you. The answer is 1/3 its length.

Now quickly do the math. Average grass height in late summer Thailand is aprox. 3' tall. Said walking sticks hovering above plant, another 12" to 18", or arpox. 4' to 4.5' high.

Said snake while in the down rest position, aprox. 12-14 ft long.

"Damn big snakes" were the words used whiling finishing my Thai Farmer 101 class and third beer.





"Hey - Wolfgang Hammersmith, put that in your next book, you 'Jack-Wagon'."

[silentreader]

Anybody ever seen the documentary "Ganges"? They go into one Indian town where people worship snakes and just let cobras slide around town. Apparently, they refuse to treat bites with medecine because they consider them to be a "blessing" and use prayer healing instead. They claim they've never had anybody die from a snake bite in that town.

On a completely unrelated note, 20,000 people per year die in India from snake bites.

[Dozer523]

Wet Dog,
Maybe you should have read the POI before you got there.

[turducken]

Originally Posted by 1stindoor

Growing up in North Texas and having spent a good part of my adulthood in the Carolinas...snakes have never bothered me. I've killed a good many of them without losing any sleep over them.

But a spider...ewwww...<shudder>...those little f~&kers don't make any noise. Sneaky bastards.

There is literally no animal on this Earth I hate more than spiders. Didn't bother me at all until I visited Australia with a friend of mine a few years back. Ricky Gervais can put my feelings into words much better than I can though.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a99vwNn15QA
(NSFW language)

[Defend]

Wet Dog,

I've had several unpleasant run-ins with those nasty creatures in that part of the world. First one I was dumb enough to be curious about - jumped off the back of the truck and got about 10 feet from it. I thought all cobras were black or brown - had no idea what the white bands around it meant - but hey, it makes it stick out so it must not be too bad . After he finished crossing the road (took his time, and was a minimum of 2 meters long), the trucks started moving again. A fraction of a second later he came flying out of the undergrowth like a bolt of lightening and struck the truck tire. Scared the crap out of me. I was with a 75 yr old tribal guy, who is cool as hell. When we reached our destination he got out of the truck and made some comment to me about being killed by king cobras. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I had never even seen a cobra. (Lesson learned: Don't play with the wildlife - especially when you don't know wth you are doing)

Another time I was driving a motorbike with a local guy on the back. Doing about 60kph, popped over a ridge to find the road 2/3 covered by a cobra. Hit the brakes like nobody's business. We both slid off the seat. Stopped about 5 ft shy of it, let it cross, then burnt rubber to get out of there, memories of that KC still fresh. (Lesson learned: Proceed over knolls with caution)

A few other incidents with those nasty little green suckers with the red tail. When the mountain tribes display a healthy respect for the critter, you know it's serious. SE Asia has an incredible plethora of creatures to leave to themselves. So when I see the stick on the porch (or in the grass), I leave it there for the dog to take care of.

-out

[1stindoor]

Originally Posted by wet dog

I made a fist, thumb extended and smashed the spider, I then rubbed it's guts onto my jeans.

I normally use the same "kill" technique. But when no one's looking...I inwardly shudder...sneaky bastards!

My part of Texas, besides being a good place for rattlers, moccasins, and tarantulas...also has nice scorpions that you could see scurrying about in the classroom.