Comments on: THE GOOD LORD TAKES CARE OF OLD MEN, CHILDREN, FOOLS AND WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHERS

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 01:33:43 +0000

Dear Sir,
After reading several of your blog articles I have concluded that there are still a few crazies out there running around. Aren’t you being somewhat presumptous placing yourself in danger like this? I mean, it is risky enough being a wildlife photographer but you have worked the big cats, handled poisonous snakes, etc. WHat is wrong with you, are you nuts? I always thought that Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter was a nut and then there was that crazy idiot, Tim Treadwell that liked to get close to grizzly bears and ended up getting himself and his lady friend turned into bear poop! What possesses you guys?
Smarter than you

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:46:59 +0000

One thing that I discovered is that Florida’s hurricane weather can have some peculiar affects, not only disrupting man but nature as well.
We were fishing some ten miles offshore in the gulf of mexico when we were quite surprised to discover an unexpected traveler. Obviously blown off shore by a recent storm, a diamondback rattlesnake between four and five feet long was lazily swimming along. Unlike most snakes it was floating high, the bulk of its body above the surface. We watched the snake for awhile but then motored away to continue our fishing. A couple of the guys wanted to kill the snake but they were outvoted. The way we considered it was any creature that could survive the storm and the dangers that snake faced deserved to be allowed every chance at survival. I imagine sharks would eat old buzztail as well as other fish.
I have always wondered where that snake ended up?
Cutbait

By: Krazy Kat

Krazy Kat — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 16:36:00 +0000

Chaz,
O.K., I like Go Fish’s tail but i’ve got one that will beat it.
I am of the mind that snakes and practical jokes don’t mix and when I am finished with my story you will understand why.
It was sometime in the seventies when a buddy and I were fishing on Lake Ishtapoga. We had been having incredible luck fishing with them big old shiners about eight and ten inches long. We had each caught and released several fish in the eight to ten lb. range and Larry had caught one that would go close to fourteen lbs. This didn’t bother me too much. The thing that did bother me was the fact that Larry kept bragging about his “BIGGER THAN YOUR” fish. If there is anything I hate in a man is a braggart.
Not only that but he kept his fish so he could have it mounted. I tried to throw it overboard several times but Larry kept hitting me with an oar. Poor sport that Larry.
Well, the day grew long as tempers grew short and we decided to go to a motel and come back the next day.
The next morning, up early and hit the lake and motor to a likely spot, of which there are a lot of on Lake Ishtapoga
I asked Larry to hand me a shiner from the bait well. He lifted the lid and screamed and darned near jumped out of the boat as a big brown snake came swarming out almost into his lap! “COTTONMOUTH!” Larry screamed.
It was pretty darned exciting there for awhile what with Larry dancing around that way. The snake finally got tired of dodging flying objects and crawled over the side of the boat and swam away, obviously happy to be away from Larry’s sharp and flying screams and curses. Those screams were sharp enough to decapitate a man, dangerous, very dangerous.
There was a lot more screaming when larry discovered that his big sixteen lb. bass was gone. The only thing we could figure out was that snake must have eaten it. By the time we got home Larry’s bass had grown to eighteen lbs. and the snake, the deadly cottonmouth water moccasin, was eight feet long and nearly killed him.
Oh well, alls well that ends well.
We went back a week later and I caught a bass that weighd nearly eighteen lbs. But, being the sportsman that I am I released it.
I hate practical jokers. I would never put a poisonous snake in the live well that way but Larry never could tell the difference between a cottonmouth and a brown water snake and I had to put something in there to replace Larry’s piddling little fourteen lb. bass that accidentally flopped back into the lake as I was admiring it.
Krazy Kat

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 14:49:28 +0000

Chaz,
Your story brings back memories.
Many years ago when I was just a kid my dad and I were fiishing on a lake near Oviedo, Florida.
We were having a great time. We had hit a big school of bream and had caught about fifty of the nice panfish. We had put about fifteen or twenty on a stringer over the side of the boat and were having a great time when suddenly the boat started moving sideways! I looked over the side of the boat and there, no more than three feet from me was one of the biggest alligators I have ever seen and he had our stringer of fish in his mouth trying to swallow the whole thing. Well, about as fast as you can think dad had cut that stringer and let the gator have the fish. He said, “When a gator bigger than your boat wants your fish don’t argue, just let him have them!” Well, we were pretty excited over that but decided to fish awhile longer but this time we would put the fish in a five gallon bucket we had in the boat. We had caught another nice mess of bream and dad was reeling in another fish when he cursed and his line just went crazy! It turned out that a big old hungry cottonmouth decided that fish was too good to pass up and dad had hooked the snake on the same hook as the fish! Dad cut the line and we packed up and never went back to that lake. We were of the mind that we just supposed to feed the critters that day. Thanks for reminding me.
Go Fish

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 04:01:31 +0000

I have handled more than a few snakes in my time…and never have I had the desire to get up close and personal with a poisonous one!
My father taught me a lot about animals…and I treasure those many lessons…as now I realize few boys, let alone GIRLS have the privelege to get friendly with the natural world! I am so glad the snake saw better than to try to eat you…how else would we be able to read your next story…please keep writing!
keep safe!
mh