Snakes!

[Piet-Skiet]

The puff adder population has as far as I could establish been wipped out in my area due to predation from snouted cobras. A 2m snouted cobra is the norm. I shoot between 5 to 15 per year inside my house. Outside the house I leave them be.

 

[Deleted member 43267]

I am jealous of you members who have gotten to see snakes. I saw only one on a two week trip to Botswana. It was non-venomous and small.

Thanks,

Jeff

 

[flat8]

The puff adder population has as far as I could establish been wipped out in my area due to predation from snouted cobras. A 2m snouted cobra is the norm. I shoot between 5 to 15 per year inside my house. Outside the house I leave them be.

I would move!!

 

[WAB]

I am jealous of you members who have gotten to see snakes. I saw only one on a two week trip to Botswana. It was non-venomous and small.

Thanks,

Jeff

I got to see a copperhead up close and personal a couple years back. Reached under the back step and pulled my hand out with a snake attached. 3 days and 4 courses of anti-venom later they let me out of the hospital. Took the step apart and shot that bastard right twixt the eyes.

 

[mark-hunter]

I shoot between 5 to 15 per year inside my house. Outside the house I leave them be.

@Piet-Skiet

How do you solve the problem of bullet and bird-shot holes on upholstery, floors and walls inside the hose? Or do you have to refurbish every time after shooting an in-house snake?

 

[Lee M]

The puff adder population has as far as I could establish been wipped out in my area due to predation from snouted cobras. A 2m snouted cobra is the norm. I shoot between 5 to 15 per year inside my house. Outside the house I leave them be.

My wife, kids and dog would have an issue with cobras in the yard. In the house... they would likely burn it down. Lol.

 

[nztimb]

 

[Piet-Skiet]

@Piet-Skiet

How do you solve the problem of bullet and bird-shot holes on upholstery, floors and walls inside the hose? Or do you have to refurbish every time after shooting an in-house snake?

No i use shotshells in 38/357 9mm or 40. It doesnt even chip my tiles. Thats now the ones that i get to before my dogs do

 

[mark-hunter]

Good to know! Thanks!

 

[observe]

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=265030121102682

 

[Mort Hill]

That just totally creeps me out. Something just wrong about that. But hey, maybe he’s afraid of clowns.

 

[observe]

The Black Mamba...sad to hear that this snake has taken another life. Some secrets one should be aware of. Few people are aware of the hidden dangers when encountering one of Africa's deadliest but yet shy snake.
To start with, Black Mamba's are most likely the only snake in Africa that will attack you to defend himself. In plain simple words...he might be shy but if you surprise him....expect retaliation from a snake that moves quicker than you can think.
The most important aspect to keep in mind and I always follow the Golden Rule....has the snake been provoked or injured. In both cases a Black Mamba will attack...do not even try your luck.
Simple....follow the Golden Rule and do not take any situation for granted. Slowly back of and get out of its way. Safest option.
Black Mamba's attack with one third of their bodies raised of the ground. In most cases they will bite you in the chest area. They bite and bite again injecting you with deadly poison (neurotoxin) and the word says it all, your nervous system is neutralised.
To get to a hospital can be the biggest issue...30 minutes if you are lucky.
My best advice...if somebody was bitten by a Black Mamba....only CPR can give you an extended chance to get to hospital.
Stay clear of them....avoid them....rather go play with a Lion....your chance of survival is better.
Had my fair share of encounters. Have seen them attack my car. If my window was open?
Why did he attack my car. The answer...the guy before me tried to run over him and injured the snake. I was the lucky guy to be next.
Follow the Golden Rule....
Courtesy of Jaco van Deventer

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

I have seen lots of different snakes in the wild but never a Mamba. Once I visited the snake park in Hazyview. In a big cage was a Black Mamba, I was really shocked when I noticed the door was closed however there was no lock. Next to the cage was a bucket with a lid on. I asked at the reception what’s in the bucket. A Black Mamba was the answer. There was nobody around, anybody could have opened the lid out of curiosity.

I know quite a bit about snakes. When working with forestry I handled many pythons, some huge. Mainly farmers brought the snakes to my house, I released them in a certain compartment where cane rats were damaging young trees. I often had to kill Cape Cobras around the house, met some puff adders and other snakes. To make a long story short: I’m quite familiar with snakes. But that day at Hazyview caused me sort of a disturbed sleep...

 

[BRICKBURN]

On that note:

Tributes Pour in for South African Judge Killed By Black Mamba
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Lindiwe Sisulu has sent her condolences to family and friends of the late Cape Town Labour Court Judge Anton Steenkamp, who died after being bitten by a black mamba while on holiday in Zambia.

 

[ThomasBeaham]

In 17 trips to SA and Namibia I've only seen three snakes all in Limpopo. One in July the others in Aug. and Sept. One was a Black mamba and one was a spitting cobra and the other I don't remember what it was but it was poisonous and they killed it.

Boy I'll tell you that's the funny thing about the law of averages.

I know a couple folks who've made multiple trips as well and have yet to see a snake.

I saw 3 different snakes on my very first trip.

 

[ThomasBeaham]

A Marshall's Eagle flew off with the business end of this Cobra

 

[Piet-Skiet]

Boy I'll tell you that's the funny thing about the law of averages.

I know a couple folks who've made multiple trips as well and have yet to see a snake.

I saw 3 different snakes on my very first trip.

Fact. A few years ago while hunting in april in the all days area I made a comment to our groep that we need to be careful as it was still hot and thus that snakes were still very active. I was then "informed" by one our "experienced and trained" party members that I need to relax and that he has never seen a snake in his years of hunting. We caught a small and feisty python in our room and killed a 3m mamba in camp that week. Snakes wil be snakes and humans wil be humans. As a general rule you wil never know they are even there and if you do then leave them be and all will be fine. Mambas are nerves as hell and when they are cornered or feel they can not get away they wil attack. Around four years ago I took a nap under my favorite bush while hunting kudu, when I woke up and reached for my rifle I found a big puff adder lying dead still no more than a meter from me. I left it be and it left me be. Most people don't have "bush eyes" for the lack of a better description. They wil never know they are close and it is also better like that. My Mother in law hates snakes, I have since seeing her reaction to started to enjoy there presence.

 

[observe]

 

[observe]

 

[Mort Hill]

My PH on a safari recounts the the story of riding down a two track on his way to camp. What he thought was just a long stick in the road ended up being a mamba. As he swerved at the last minute to miss, he ran over the back half of the mamba. In a split second the front half swung up and struck the roll bar by his right shoulder. When he stopped and looked at the roll bar, there was still venom droplets running down the post. He told me he knew then it was not his time and he had averted a painful death. Another time I was riding in the back of the cruiser with the trackers. All at once they yelled nyoka. They all jumped to the front almost on top of the bonnet(hood). We had just passed a mamba beside the road and as I looked back he was a good 3 ft up in the air off the ground. I worked on my reflexes the rest of the trip.