We bought some land

[Dino82520]

Congrats Oscar. There is nothing better than having your own piece of paradise to do what you love doing.

That pretty much says it all. Way to go.

[txaggie]

Very cool Oscar, so tickled for ya'll - nothing cooler than a couple like you and your bride in agreement on a property and punching the ticket! It will be perfect because the two of you want it. Having been a real estate appraiser for 26 years, I love a great story thank you for sharing!

[PARA45]

Good morning gents and thank you again for the well wishes and words of encouragements.  Much appreciated!!!!!

[PARA45]

Well, yesterday, my wife, my friend Willie, someone we hired to help clear out the area and myself went to the property to clear out some of the overgrown stuff around the buildings. The individual we hired got a little lawn mower and opened up a path so my wife could walk up the trailer without having to walk in waist high grass. She is very short.

While we were doing that my friend Willie showed up with his tractor and bushhog to get some of the bigger stuff taken care of. In the meantime, he wanted to see the buildings and I was showing him the trailer and the surrounding structures. We were walking outside through a covered area towards this covered room between some barrels when I noticed something on the ground. I jumped back and my friend Willie almost had a heart attack. A big old Timber Rattle snake was less than 1 1/2 ft from my left foot, and my right foot was about to step right on it. Fortunately, I always look down when I'm in the woods and saw it before I took the step. Stepping on this big snake would have made it into a painful and interesting day. My wife said that she believes I have a Guardian Angel looking after me. I've had some close calls with snakes, but this one has been the closest I've come to stepping on one and potential getting bit.  I know you Texans have some big Rattle Snakes, but for this area, this is a huge snake. 

My friend Willie (who hates, and it's petrified of them) had reached and had his hand on his Glock and was yelling at me to get out of the way so he could shoot it. Without a word, I reached out and picked up this baby size hoe and used it to hold the snake's head and proceeded to grab it. By this Willie is going bunkers and is yelling at me for grabbing the snake, and my wife had heard all the commotions and came out running just to see me holding the snake. She started yelling at me for holding the snake, and what I was planning on doing with it. When I said I was going to release it in the woods, they both went ballistic, and Willie was telling to drop it so he can shoot it.  So, I laughed and told him that I've had seen how bad of a shot he was, and the snake would probably laugh at both of us. BTW, I'm actually enjoying this fiasco, and after a bit, I decided to kill the snake. I believe a bit of persuasion from my wife, and something along the line of where I was planning on spending the night, probably made me change my mind.  BTW, you all remember from previous posts that I like snakes. I always had snakes as a kid and into my adult life, and I don't like killing them.

So, I killed the snake and proceeded to skinned it, and of course my wife (who is prettified of snakes too) was having a fit over me skinning the snake and what I was planning on doing with the skin, etc, etc. I told her it was the first kill of the property, and we need it to keep it as a good luck charm. I'm not sure she bought my BS, but she shook her head and went back into the safety of trailer.

We trimmed around the trailer, cut some trees, my friend Willie mowed with his Bush Hog, and we did a good dent on clearing out the area. Luckily without any further encounters of this type. My wife cleaned the trailer, and boy what a difference it did. We still have a lot of work ahead of us, but we do not have a timeline and plan on tackling one section at a time.

We met some of the neighbor including the one across the road, and as it turns out, his sister was the listing agent for the property (small world). They seem like a nice couple and hope to build a good friendship with them.

Here are some pictures of the encounter.

[Grouchy]

Good stoy!     You have to wonder what the snake was eating. Look for mouse or rat droppings in the house? 

[txaggie]

boy that's a big timber rattler - we can't kill them here in texas.

We killed a 4 footer black tail rattler on our west texas hunt. My guys said they killed a couple the day before all this water has them on the move

[danno50]

       First exciting adventure on the property and you got a souvenir out of it without having to go to the hospital. Thats a good size rattler even by Texas standers. (about bare minimum  ) From an early age we’re taught not to play with snakes, and we’d rather kill em than catch em. Unless you’re part of the rattle snake round up crazies. I don’t know about calling it a good luck charm, but maybe the first non-Weatherby trophy,  and thats one you can be proud of for sure. Good going Oscar, you’re a brave man  .

[Dino82520]

It's your land and you decide who to share it with.

[PARA45]

       First exciting adventure on the property and you got a souvenir out of it without having to go to the hospital. Thats a good size rattler even by Texas standers. (about bare minimum  ) From an early age we’re taught not to play with snakes, and we’d rather kill em than catch em. Unless you’re part of the rattle snake round up crazies. I don’t know about calling it a good luck charm, but maybe the first non-Weatherby trophy,  and thats one you can be proud of for sure. Good going Oscar, you’re a brave man  .

Danno, thank you!

I've been handling snakes since I can remember.  When I was a kid I wanted to study Herpetology when I grew up. When I lived in Nicaragua, I had every snake from the region I was from.  My grandpa was very supportive, my grandma, not so much.    I love snakes, I believe they are fascinating and usually do not kill them.  I believe they serve a purpose, but Mrs. PARA45 was not having any of it, so I had to obey the Commander in Chief.   

[BB340]

You will be amazed at what critters will turn up on your land Oscar. When I bought these 44 acres I live on, I wasn't expecting there to be too much. Just some rabbits and foxes. But I now have pigs and a herd of red deer coming on my place to feed. I have started putting corn out to keep them around and try to entice them out of the really thick scrub they live in. My mate and I have shot over 30 foxes since being here to. So you will have heaps more encounters with YOUR wildlife to come.

[PARA45]

You will be amazed at what critters will turn up on your land Oscar. When I bought these 44 acres I live on, I wasn't expecting there to be too much. Just some rabbits and foxes. But I now have pigs and a herd of red deer coming on my place to feed. I have started putting corn out to keep them around and try to entice them out of the really thick scrub they live in. My mate and I have shot over 30 foxes since being here to. So you will have heaps more encounters with YOUR wildlife to come.

BB, you are correct!  I've seen deer every time we've been on the property, and we have not venture into the woods because of the potential of encountering venomous snakes.  But we need to so we can set up stands and feeders.  Right now, the focus is to clear the area around the trailer and other building to mama can be happy and not afraid of bumping into any other snakes.  I'm sure there are turkey in the area, and from what I've heard no hogs, which is a good thing.  Not sure if bears come this far south, but will have to keep an eye for them.  Hopefully they do, and i can get a shot at one.   

[danno50]

  This time of year going into the woods calls for snake boots to reduce the chances of venomous snake bites. If you still have privileges at the Post Exchange you can probably get a good pair there. Cabela’s and Bass Pro also carry good boots. Also bring along some type of hiking stick to probe brush and wood piles while scouting your new woods property.     

[Grouchy]

100% agree on the boots!   

[PARA45]

  This time of year going into the woods calls for snake boots to reduce the chances of venomous snake bites. If you still have privileges at the Post Exchange you can probably get a good pair there. Cabela’s and Bass Pro also carry good boots. Also bring along some type of hiking stick to probe brush and wood piles while scouting your new woods property.   

Danno, my wife jumped all over this and told me (more like ordered me) to get a pair of snake boots.  Truthfully, I've had close encounters with snakes, but man, this one has been the closest.  Luckily, I can see well, when I released her on the ground, I couldn't hear the rattler which is scary.  But, then again, I can't hear jack from all the shooting.   

Unfortunately, the BX doesn't have boots, but I am looking at a pair of Rocky boots.  May go to Bass Pro to see what they have in stock. 

Wear them while we continue to clear the area.  I'm sure we'll have more encounters and hope they scatter when they hear the tractor or lawn mower.   

[Grouchy]

I've had too many close encounters and you can't always see them. I worked around chicken houses that attrack rats for the chicken feed and  that attracts snakes. I opened a phone box and warned the guy working with me about a possible snake. He stepped back when there was one and right into a three foot deep ditch. I think even the snake was laughing too! It was a copperhead.  I ran into one in a crawl space,eyeball to eyeball. Wasp spray runs them off.  I got my snake proof boots at Midway.    BTW, I have the first round in my carry gun loaded with CCI shot after the encounter with the 7' python at my neighbors.