Fall Isn't Here (Just Yet)

In the last few posts between Savannah and myself, we’ve referred to a few things common to the leading edge of Fall down here in southeast Georgia. Some of them can be a little bit conflicting - hunting seasons that we generally associate with cooler weather elsewhere are in or approaching, but the squirrels still have young’uns in the nest, for example, and it’s still hot as Hades when dove season opens. (For the record, though you can hunt squirrels starting in August, we don’t for that reason...we usually wait until the first of October or so when the little ones have left the nest and are fair game. Whatever else you might think about us, we do respect squirrel maternity.)

The hot weather is still with us but there’s just a hopeful hint in the breeze that the heat’s on its way out and relief is on the horizon. Some of that may just be wishful thinking at this point but there IS that day you step outside and sniff around and think, “Ahhh, Fall!”.

Another bit of contrariness to this particular time of year is that you end up at times out in the woods working to prepare for the Fall with its cooler weather while the summer critters are still out and in full force. Chiggers, ticks, sand gnats, and mosquitos have no respect whatsoever for the calendar and can’t be convinced to migrate further south (or north). And then, there are the real potential annoyances, such as this evening.

After work, my oldest and I had run back to finish setting up a deer stand for the rapidly approaching bow season, aided by the afore-mentioned heat and blood-suckers, and when we finished up, he suggested we stop and get a drink of water at the old well in the woods. This is an artesian well that’s been flowing out of a pipe in the middle of the woods for I don’t know how long, but I’ve never met anyone here living or now dead that hasn’t drunk from it. Just a simple pipe running 24/7 with nice cold water at your convenience and once dug by I don’t know who or for what original purpose, but a lot of folks appreciate it and it’s a fixture.

At any rate, by the time we pulled up with the truck it was full dark and we had the headlights on the pipe. Which was a good thing as it turns out. As I leaned over and took the first sip, my eye caught a pattern that was both familiar and fortunately just far enough away that we could still get our drink without some sort of Mexican standoff first.  It turned out to be another of those summer fellows.

This is a canebrake (or timber) rattlesnake, and a pretty good-sized one. He was patient enough to allow us to snap a picture or two with the phone.  They are fairly common on the hammock, more common than their cousin, the diamondback, at any rate, and you’re most apt to see them around dusk. Good to remember if you’re bow hunting when the temps are still in the 90’s and you’re walking out of the woods just at dark. If you’re interested in snakes, you can find some general info on this species at http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/snakes/crohor.htm 

We had just run into one of these a few weeks back near the same spot, and we’re thinking that with the dry weather, this was likely the same one and had found a prime spot by the well to ambush small prey that came to get a drink. It also made us wonder if the lab-like dog we lost not long ago might’ve stopped for a drink also and run afoul of this fellow. Generally speaking, these are not an aggressive snake and as such aren’t a real threat to anyone except when surprised or annoyed by being stepped on or some such. This one just wanted us to go on about our business so he could do the same.

Done deal.

Happy hunting,

Bloodhound