Walk on the Water

[varmint101]

Crazy.  Those cottonmouths sound like an awful critter!

[Overspined]

Michigan isn't so bad! no snakes w/ poison to speak of!

[RonD]

Jerry, in the Mississippi delta the cottonmouths are quite large and come with lots of attitude. Have had my share of experiences with them. Each encounter has given me a greater and healthier respect for the cottonmouth.

[jerry hill]

Ron, I know what you mean. I've hunted both northern Mississippi as well as in the southern part. I remember hunting with the late Bobby Lofton, of Indianola. We ran into quite a few hunting the national forest for wild hogs.Most snakes will tend to move out of one's way if given a halfway chance. But, the cottonmouth will lay right there still and let you step on them and then bite, or will run you slam out of the swamp. When you see one, they have a differant look about them than other snakes. The way I see them, is get close to me or mess with me and I'm going to get you. They have a business end on them that pays to be respected. Even the young one's when born, come out of the shell with biting something on their mind.Momma cottonmouth snakes are very protected of the young, and when danger approaches she will open her mouth and let the little one's run into her mouth for safey, and on into her belly. There they stay until the danger passes and then she will open up and let them crawl back out.Jerry Hill...............

[RonD]

Jerry, you were truly fortunate to have hunted with Bobby Lofton. He is certainly missed around here. I still have a Choctow Halfbreed that he made for me and intend on keeping it until I am long gone. Where did you guys hunt in Mississippi. If you ever get the chance you should hunt Dahomey NWR just west of Cleveland, Mississippi. That place is now overrun with hogs. I'm concerned that they are going to due some serious damage to the turkey population there. You are absolutely right, the cottonmouth has a totally different look about them. Almost comparable to a line in the Jaws movie where the guy was referring to black lifeless eyes of the Great White shark. Cottonmouths here have a facial expression that gives those dark eyes a sense of foreboding. One of the things I learned real quick here is that people shouldn't rely on snake boots to protect them. These big boys cans hit a person well above the knee. They do not always strike in a straight line forward ankle or calf high. I had one stand similar to a cobra with that white mouth open in the tall grass and fall short of me by about four inches. Fortunately I was carrying the 12 gauge and believe it or not I shot that snake three times with that semi-automatic and it still kept striking. Reloaded and finished it with two more shells. Spring is coming and with it the turkey season at Dahomey. Spring also signals the reemergence of the snake population. It's during this time here in the delta that they are ready to breed and shed their skins which is the double whammy for a very aggressive snake. Don't believe that Animal Planet crap that the cottonmouth is a very misunderstood snake and isn't aggressive at all. Those guys should come here and get next to these snakes. When I hunt now I wear the full length snake leggings since that close call I had. Walking on water is an over simplification. When it comes to these snakes I can fly.

[jerry hill]

Ron, I drove to Indianola and got with Bobby Lofton at his house. The NWR wasn't but an hour away, and I'm trying to remember the name. I do remember reading a sign located at a camp ground on a creek, that stated that this was the location that some good old boys pulled a bear hunting trick on Teddy Roosevelt. Your right,cottonmouth's are nothing to fool around with and anyone that doesn't have experience with them, just don't know what they are talking about. You're subject to run into one most anyplace during the spring, not neccessarly around water, during mating season. Also you better watch wear you drop your draws when mother nature calls. One may be waiting behind a log.Jerry Hill......................

[RonD]

Dahomey NWR is about 30 or so miles northwest of Indianola and came into existence around 1994 or thereabouts. Matthews Brake NWR is east of Indianola, close to Sidon, and about 25 miles. Just south of Matthews Brake is Hillside NWR and that is just north of Yazoo City, probably more than an hour away from Indianola. I have never hunted Matthews or Hillside NWRs, but Dahomey is my second home during hunting season. One day Dahomey is going to be a bow only NWR due to the declining number of deer there. Gun season for the year is only six days. This is one NWR where they have gotten strict on seasons and weapons used. Don't get caught in the woods during gun season with a bow and you can't hunt small game with a bow. Hogs cannot be hunted year round and only during an open season with the weapon specified for that season. I am discussing with the Director of the Northern Regional Complexes about letting us hunt with bow and arrow during small game season so that we can hunt the hogs. It is also illegal to kill anything that is not on listed as game on the hunting schedule. In a way the snake population is protected, but what they don't know won't hurt me. If the hog population continues to explode I expect to see a decline in the snake population as well. If you ever get over this way get in touch and maybe we can chase those hogs around the NWR.

[NightHawk]

don't have cotton mouths here in Indiana, but I do have some good stories about blue racers and skunks

[Don Stokes]

Everyone who frequents the outdoors in MS knows about those badass cottonmouths. Sometimes they avoid you, but just as often they'll stand their ground or even attack, without provocation. Once while shotgunning for early-season teal, I had to shoot a big one to keep it out of my waders. They will also try to get in a boat at times, and most swamp fishermen carry a pistol, just in case.

I was fishing around the bank of Bluff Lake near Starkville when in college, which is a Federal refuge and no guns are allowed on the lake. It was full of big cottonmouths, and you had to be constantly on guard. I killed four that day with my walking stick, and didn't go back.

You can tell them from the harmless water snakes when they're swimming because the heavy body of the cottonmouth sinks. Only the head shows above water. I accidentally hooked one behind the head one day with a fly rod, because I thought it was a frog and there might be a fish behind it. Yes, that was exciting!

[SELFBOW19953]

Don,

Did you give him your flyrod?  When I was growing up many years ago, I was cane pole fishing at Rodman Reservior in Putnam County Florida.  I hooked a pretty good sized moccasin, about 4 foot long.  I had no intention of trying to take him off the hook and he was pretty upset about the hook in his mouth (I was using a frog for bait), so I gave him my cane pole.

[rushlush]

Thanks really enjoyed the story!

[yamaharider]

Great Story,  wish I could have been there just to watch!! LOL!!

[Jerry Wald]

Great story....I could just picture you.....water splashing...heart pounding like it was bustin out of your chest.

All the time thinking it's right behind you.

It's funny how our whole attitude changes when we are hunting something....it feels good, but when the shoe is on the other foot we tend to do what horses do....get the heck outta dodge.

I was chased across a field by a badger when I was young....shot at him while he was digging up gophers.

I creased him with the 22 and he stood up...dropped and came running at me like a little hovercraft across thte prairie.

I dropped the gun and jumped on my bike and high tailed it outta there.

When I went back for the gun he had chewed th stock up some and pissed all over it.

Great story Jerry

jerry

[NorthernCaliforniaHunter]

That was a fantastic read! Thank you for sharing it. Now I've got snakes on my mind... gee, thanks!
(Glad we don't have cottonmouths over here - they sound NASTY)

[Don Stokes]

Selfbow19953, I brought him in and whacked him with my walking stick. He was a big one, and put up a good fight! I wasn't going to let him have my rod, though.

Great story, Jerry. I love the stories from the early days- makes me miss Dan Quillian. He was full of them, and loved to talk about your "Uncle Howard".

Jerry, is Stinson still with us? He taught me how to put on my points so they wouldn't pull off in the targets at the first World Championship that I attended, and I've told that story a couple of times here. Another Hill gentleman.

[wollybear]

THANK YOU.i love thes storys than you for takeing the time butting this down      :cool:    

[lt-m-grow]

Again great story Jerry.  Thanks for writing them up. They are precious.

[jerry hill]

Don, Daddy passed away about seven years ago and mother a year. I pass their grave almost daily here in Wilsonville and usually call to them and tell them where I'm headed for the day. I sure do miss em. How did Daddy tell you to fix your points, its probably the way he and I have fixed thousands over the years. Don you and I have got to go a hunting.Jerry Hill................

[Bowferd]

Jerry, I thoroughly enjoy reading your stories. They remind me of my youth, which was quite some time ago. No running water, the outhouse, scary snakes, been there, done that. I remember the oldest ones got to bathe first, once a week on Saturday night. And the best fishin bait I've ever found is grasshopper, from July thru August and don't care what you're fishing for.

[Claypipe]

Your stories are very enjoyable. Thanks, Travis.