You'd be surprised at what can get up in trees. This tree is a huge old maple at the end of my driveway. Look at the bump about 12 feet up on the right.

That my friends is about a 5 foot long black snake waiting for dinner.

He must be hungry for squirrel meat :)

The Black Snake or Black Runner is OK. For anything else be wary! Never forget out-takes with BILL DANCE when a cotton-mouth dropped in the boat. Talk about lots of snake dance! BE CAREFUL OUT THERE!

The pattern is faint and can only be seen under certain light conditions.

They get darker and the pattern less distinct when they're close to shedding. Maybe he's hoping to surprise something that's coming in to the bird bath.

Hot day last summer I was walking to my 3-D range in the pines behind my house. In the path was a 4 foot or so black snake. I took my walking stick and flipped him over in the weeds and walked on over to my chair. I wasn't shooting my bow that day, was just going to sit and whittle a while. Here he came back across the path. I watched him go up a pine next to the one my chair was against. An hour or so later when I left he was still curled up about 15 ft on a couple of limbs in the pine.

Pretty common Texas. You see ratllesnakes often in Mesquites and Figs.

In Florida that would be a red banded water snake, harmless.

Just in case you are wondering: it is NOT funny to put a rubber snake on the platform of a guy's treestand before he arrives in the pre-dawn darkness.

Funny. We do have LOTS of snakes here in my part of Texas. You see them quite regularly in trees. It is a bit uncanny (freaky as heck,really!) to brush up against one while pushing your way through the underbrush! I don't believe I have every watched one climb up though. Like to see that. God bless.

Yep.

Around here, the darn rattle snakes will climb up, and spread out in the juniper trees after a rain.

I was just showing my Baby Brother this a few days ago when we were exploring a new property he recently bought.

Rick

From a tree stand I watched one "climb" the side of a walnut tree and go into a hole 12-15 ft. off the ground. The tree was vertically plumb and I was so dumbfounded as to how it was inching its way up that I had to look through my binoculars to figure out how it was doing it. You'd see an almost imperceptible "ripple" start and work it's way from tail to head as it apparently flexed it scales and kept a "foothold". Not once did it slip and it disappeared in the hole, in search of eggs or small birds or mammals. This mystery solved, I hated it did not come back out before dark to let me observe it come down, as it's scales aren't reversible and I knew it wasn't going to back down. I can only figure that I've seen a few intentionally drop from some fairly respectable heights and I assume that's what it did. Humans are probably God's only creatures that get in bigger jams than they've got the brains to get out of!

Just a couple of weeks ago I saw a snake skin (probably a Rat Snake)hanging from a hole in a Live Oak tree about 10 feet up. Also, we have Red Cockaded Woodpeckers here in the big mature Pine savannah's that drill nest holes in mature pines at least 30 or 40 (can't remember which) years old. The pine sap runs down the tree trunk from the nest hole and prevents snakes from raiding the nests.

I hate snakes....lived in Central and South America for 7 years while serving in the 7th Special Forces GRP. Don't think I slept 5 minutes. Remember moving through the jungle on patrol, always looking down, not doing my job. Did I mention I hate snakes?

T4 in MICHIGAN (minimal snake state)

They climb my power pole and blow the fuse often enough. When the power goes out first thing I do is walk to the pole and look for a dead snake.

I had one in the duck pen that ate 5 ducklings. He didn't get out either. Last winter had a mouse get thru the 1'4" hardware mesh and eat duck food and got half way out before he froze solid. Had to break him in half to get him out.

I had one climb down the tree I was in while bowhunting one day. He went by me and then on to the ground. I don't kill them. Just the poisonous ones

I had one climb down the tree I was in while bowhunting one day. He went by me and then on to the ground. I don't kill them. Just the poisonous ones

Looks like the rat snake I picked up at the 3d in Weatherford, OK. last Sunday. John

A couple years ago the swallows built a nest over our front door. When they started it I told the wife I would remove it and they would built one someplace else. She said no since they had already started it (she doesn't clean up the mess I do). When the little ones hatched she thought it was cute. Then I was in the shop working and heard the swallows raising cane. She came running out screaming that a black snake was eating the little ones. I went to the door and a 6' black snake had crawled up the trim and had 2 big lumps in it now (there were only 4 little ones). I caught the snake and took him between a 1/4 and a half mile to a corn field and turned him loose. I swear he almost beat me back to the house. I know it was the same snake because he had 4 lumps now. She came out screaming again and said " I told you to kill him". Caught him again and told her I will. He was less than happy this time. Took him a mile away this time and he didn't return.

Got a Boone & Crockett sized King Snake that has stakes out the fig bush in the backyard, she'll be tough on birds. Last summer I saw her with a Copperhead tail hanging out of her mouth so she gets a free pass around here.

I was at the Compton shoot a few weeks ago and came across a group of people standing in the driveway between the camping area and the St. Joe river all pointing up in the air. When I stopped to see what was going on I seen a four foot long Black Rat snake sixty feet up a tree raiding a Baltimore Oriels nest.The Oriel was raising cane with the snake but lost the battle in the end.Never seen a snake that high up a tree but I have now.

Dead snakes tell no tales. Lol

In the early 80's at an archery shoot,I saw a black snake climb a tree straight up. He was about 5 foot.

So much for hunting in trees anymore...LOL

You just never know. I was cleaning a road one day and leaned over to grab a stick. My eyes focused on a bush in my face about 2 ft off the ground and it was a rattler about a foot long. I have never moved so fast !!

Have seen a black snake moving over the branches of a bush hanging over a river when I was fishing. I arrive here in the US in January and have seen many snakes, all of them harmless like the black snake. I alway look for snakes, guess it's something I learn in Africa and South America. I don't have phobia but respect.

A long as they are not poisinous I can tolerate them.

I've seen a lot of those around riprap and along the banks of Oneida Lake. Black water snakes - look just like that. I saw five of them sitting in a bush over a cliff down near Cornell U. once. I was reaching for something over the edge when I looked up and they were about a foot from my face. Small ones. My wife would make me chop down that tree. I'm surprised the tree face didn't scare him off! (yeah, right). Yesterday when I went to lift the seat up on the mower to check the battery, a 2 foot garter slid down onto the deck from the battery. Biggest garter I've seen in a while. She wanted to mow yesterday, but I said I'd do it. She'd be very glad I trumped her if she knew about the snake. It lives in the wood pile next to the mower. She'd kill it if she saw it. I don't because it is a good mouser, and even had a fat spot in its belly. BOHO, my mother went to pick up a bungie cord in her boat in Fla. once, and almost grabbed it when she realized it was a coral snake. Yikes!

Last winter had a mouse get thru the 1'4" hardware mesh and eat duck food Ben, that's a pretty decent sized mouse. Sure it's not a beaver caught in a 330 Conibear? :)

Yeah, Trapper that should have been 1/4". LOL

2 things need to happen here. 1. That tree needs to come down. 2. The snake's head stomped on. :o) Regards

Years ago my in laws lived up in the mountains south of Windsor NY on Atwell Hill Road. Right just about on top. So rural that when a car went by I would go to the window to see who it was! I did enjoy going there and hunting and stumping though. At the end of the road towards the Pa. side there were a series of beaver ponds I liked to spin fish with my ultra light outfit.

So one Sat. a.m. I am out on the first pond catching a couple of brookies and rainbows. Decide to cut through the woods to get to the next pond. Easier walking. So there is an old stone wall used I assume as a boundry marker heading up the hill. Only a couple of hundred yards so figure I'd walk it up and around. Just easier than crossing it I figured with all my crap I had for fishing. Now it was pretty warm out too. So I'm walking next to the wall and I am hearing a pretty loud cicada bug, which I'm thinking is kind of weird for this time of year cause it hasn't been hot enough long enough I figured.

I'm probably within 3' of the wall and glance to my right and in the dappled sun light I see the "cicada" which turns out to be about a 6' eastern diamondback. Frankly I didn't know quite what to do. I actually stopped and stared at it for a good few seconds. Wasn't coiled or anything just kind of stretched out and wagging its tail. Well like I said that lasted for a few seconds and then I'm off to the races, yelling like a girl.

So after I calm down I am at the second pond and fishing and checking every thing on the ground. I walk up on a beaver lodge and am fishing from it when out of the corner of my eye I see a nice big creature starting to slither out from just about under my feet. A friggin water snake. Off the top of the beaver lodge I go and in the process impale my leg somewhat on a pointed stick. Nice purple puncture wound. So ended my fishing for the day.

Now on the top of the mountain where my in laws used to live were shale/blue stone cliffs. That place up there had several areas of occupation of the legless creatures. Seemed everyone, and that was a few of everyone cause not that many people lived on the road knew about this but me, but again found out when I was stump shooting. You just had to be careful and watchful is all. Also the berry patches that surrounded the yard had black bear visiting them all the time when the blackberries were ripe. Now I discovered this out when my kid would play in the tunnels that were in the patches themselves. My mother in law had a big old bruin that would visit here patio on occasion and here pond to do a bit of froggin. Ok thats it.

PS once I found out about the tunnels and such my son steered clear as well as I. Now Mr. Wilson my first pit bull that is another story.

monkeyball/Craig: I encountered a black snake, around 6 feet long, with prit-near the exact pattern as the one shown by the OP, and with a distinct pattern as same. This was along a rails to trails in Scottdale, Westmoreland County, last year. It minded its business, I minded mine, and kept going. Marathon Gal screamed like a wounded Alien banshee.....

South east Asia has snakes in trees! And huge spiders. Had a king snake behind my house a week back. Was. Hunting hogs in CA earlier this month-first animal spotteted was a 3 foot rattler. Set the tone-'look down-step-look up-look for pigs-look down-step'

We do not kill snakes

When we moved here 11 years ago, I was told that cotton mouths would fall out of trees, into the river, and try to get in the boat. Never believed it.

About two years later, we were on a family canoe trip (first and last, I think) my wife and daughter crashed into the bank under a brush overhand. I bailed out of the canoe and went over to manhandle their canoe free, and saw a cotton mouth fall out of a tree, swim to their boat, and try to get in.

I got them free and back into mine in about two seconds. I don't remember how I got over the gunnel into my boat in a moving river, but I sure did.

Had a real funny but yet scared the crap out of me experience. When I lived down in Florida, down in Lehigh Acres me and my dad were fishing a canal, well nature called and I'm standing there taking care of business and happened to look down and 2 snakes slithered by my feet, well of course I jumped back and then for some reason looked up in the tree in front of me and there must of been 15 or so snakes in that tree, well needless to say I didn't spend much time there and the whole dang day I was edgy fishing.

Our snakes are little, cept for the two footer garters. Red bellied.

behind the shed.

Over here, in Cambodia, you have to keep a lookout for these guys, if you are around the jungle or edges. Because of how they hunt they are at face or neck height, and that's where most people get bitten. Probably won't kill you, but takes some time to heal. Bamboo Viper.

Here is a rat snake I almost stepped on two weeks ago, this one has been around a while he has bitten me twice. He hangs out in the trees, on top of the door to my shed, in my tractor and under my shed.

I encountered two indigo's since I have been in Fl. both were over 12 feet and when reared up would look me in the eye and I'm over six foot tall.

We have a lot of indigo's around 6 to 8 feet.

Moccasins are aggressive.......

Ron... I do not kill most snakes... non poisoness ... but that snake would have been on a selfbow if it had bitten me twice/once maybe... I do like the color. :)

Bob, He does such a good job with the rats, I can't do him in.

He hangs out in places you can't see and when I reach over the top of my shed door to unhook the latch, I usually accidently grab him and he reacts accordingly, and getting on my tractor I look real good first, the rats love to make nests in the darn thing.

Obviously it took two bites and two almost heart attacks before I realized to be more careful........Ha!Ha!

I used to have an indigo that took care of the varmints, but came home one day and a large hawk was carrying him off, I tried everything to get that bird to drop him, then I realized it was too late anyway.....That snake had young'ins so we have a couple five foot indigos to keep the poisonous ones out.

I need to mention why we have rats, we have geese and they are after the grain.

I'm waiting for one of those Pythons or anacondas then the snake skin will hit the fan.

We have three, sometimes four, black rat snakes that overwinter in the pile of shredded leaf mulch we make each fall. Not uncommon at all to see one climbing straight up the side of 3'+ diameter sugar maple trees we have in the "yard".

Several years ago I was cruising pine timber on the upper coastal plain and was tying flagging tape up high to mark transect lines. I reached up, grabbed a pine branch and pulled it down to eye level to tie a flag, and a greensnake slithered down the branch, down my arm, across my shoulder and the back of my neck and dropped off the other shoulder. Pretty neat but it did surprise me.

Back in the early 70's, A friend of mine took me out offroading in his new Ford 4x4 extended length van. It had a 429 cu in V8 with some kind of factory engine options and exhaust. So he drives right off the street in the town we lived in, down into a swamp! I asked him if we we're gonna die, because the Van sunk down right away in the muck. He told me to relax and watch. Well, we drove around like it was nothing that swampy muck shooting mud, muck, and cattails all over the place. Just when I thought we were going to get out alive, he heads for an open section of brown water. I just shut my eyes and he said HEY, watch this. The van went over a hump of mud a we we're in the drink, not moving forward, stuck it seemed, and the water started coming in under the doors. He dropped the trans in low low(?) hit the gas and the van lurched forward and stopped, lurched forward another few ft, stopped again. Did that about 5 times and then crawled out on to the other side of the water on to dry land, well a lot of swamp foliage. I opened my door and went to jump out and at the same time saw the biggest garter snake and I had to spread my legs so as not to land on him. I never saw the head, but what I did see looked like a black and yellow hardball bat. Garters are all I've ever seen in Illinois by Chicago. That said, In almost 18 years, I've never seen one snake at the Chicago Bow Hunters 32 acres of pristine woods.

I know it's hard to see it's feathers, but a chicken snake caught last Friday. Returned to woods around my house unharmed.

This one didn't get a pass. Going on a selfbow sometime.

RonG, any way to repost that photo? Mine says 'RonGs embedded photo' and will not show up. I would like to see that indigo snake. Thanks.

I haven't seen one in a tree in a while, but I do see coachwhips swimming across the river once in a while...

Some one was asking earlier if snakes fell out of the tree or could climb down. Just watched this five footer climb down about fifteen feet. AND before anyone says it, the picture is right side up!

That snake is cheating, lol! That tree has rough bark and knots to use for toeholds..oh, that's right , they have no toes. It was incredible though, the one I watched went up straight as a ruler, just "flexing".

longbow1, there are no eastern diamondback rattlesnakes in New York. What you saw was undoubtedly the timber rattlesnake.

A blacksnake on the side of a tree is difficult to pull off, they flex their belly scales and grab the bark.

I bet I would get a lot better at stalking game if I was worried about stepping on poisonous snakes every other step Only have black racers, milk snakes and garter snakes. Not much worry in Rhode Island, but I have hunted dutches county New York for turkey before and I never thought about eastern diamondbacks being around there, I used to sit up against stone walls there never even crossed my mind

The snake pictured above is no more!

When the wife saw it on the front door step where kids play, she said "not happening" and it now resides in the beyond.

I know snakes are beneficial, but so are wives.

I've seen them crawl down the down spout on the house. They just squeeze it and work their way down.

Nope. I hate snakes.

No step on snek

lol

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