Saved by the Malkoff

JLeephoto

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Aug 29, 2008
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180
Just got my first Malkoff MD2 and was using it to take the dog for a walk tonight when I ran across this guy in my driveway.
I know, any light would have probably worked but the quality Malkoff suddenly felt like money well spent.
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JLeephoto

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Aug 29, 2008
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180
Yep, it's a Copperhead. Very unpleasant bite that would have called for a trip to the ER for either me or the dog had I not spotted early. Tell tale arrowhead shaped head is hard to see in this picture.
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
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Jun 8, 2008
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Location
New England woods.
That's a copperhead for sure. More closely related to a cottonmouth than a rattlesnake (I think) though all three are pit vipers. The other night a Malkoff saved me from a skunk during a night street jog.
 

bigburly912

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Aug 12, 2015
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Virginia
Thats a good one right there! My cat (well, the cat that lives outside my house that I feed we named Boycat) got bit in the face this year, and last year, and the year before. He will never learn. Almost lost his eye this time, bad thing is after the bites he still brought me 2 out of 3 dead copperheads. Hes about like me, nothing normal about him. : D
 

redvalkyrie

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Dec 20, 2005
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495
Where are you located? We get Copperheads, Cottonmouths, and Water Mocassins here. The Water Mocassins tend to group up in the water. A few years back a boy fell into a ball of Water Mocassins and died. I know I would much rather be bitten than have my pet bitten...and I know they feel the exact opposite.
 

Lumen83

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Sep 21, 2017
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The Water Mocassins tend to group up in the water. A few years back a boy fell into a ball of Water Mocassins and died.

This is an urban legend. There is no credible evidence that anyone ever fell into a group of water moccasins and was bitten to death. And, as far as evidence for the contrary goes: Water Moccasins absolutely do not group up or ball up or nest up. This has been debunked:

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/cottonmouth-washed/
 

Woods Walker

The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
Joined
Jun 8, 2008
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5,433
Location
New England woods.
My experience with Pit vipers. They like to stay still however will move out of the way then preform a threat display if they expect an issue. They don't seem to be in a big hurry to leave but will move off. I have never seen a group dynamic though know timbers den up so they get together. Never seen cottonmouths group up but then again never seen lots of things. Still it's low on my list and have walked waist deep for miles though the big cypress. They're active at night so a flashlight or headlamp is useful. It's really the bugs and slips, trips and falls. That or exposure which hurts.

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bigburly912

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Aug 12, 2015
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Virginia
Also "pit vipers" we call 'em rattle snakes out west. Had a bumper crop of them this year[emoji216]

I've never been out on a mountain and had one of my buddies scream Holy crap look at that pit viper. We call them rattlers here too haha. We only have timber rattlers in southwestern Virginia. ImageUploadedByCandlepowerforums1538743704.431707.jpg
 

Crazyeddiethefirst

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Mar 13, 2012
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Southern California
When I was 16 I just had to prove how "brave" I was(now I recognize the word "stupid" is much more applicable) and caught a diamondback with my bare hands. Have since had to treat a few dogs that were bit and count my blessings I did not get bit. Poor dogs really suffer when bit(only lost one dog, and it had been bit the year before also)...Having a Malkoff in hand is always very reassuring-never once had one fail, ever....
 

knucklegary

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Feb 11, 2017
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NorCal, Central Coast
^^ Years ago my black lab got bit in rear leg by a large Diamondback. It didn't take long for the leg/ankle to swell to the size of a mellon. Lucky we got him to vet in time for anti venom shots. I hear veterinarians now offer a rattle snake vaccination for your dogs. But not sure if it works on humans🐵
 

JLeephoto

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Aug 29, 2008
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To answer the question, I'm in coastal S.C. and and the poisonous snakes I know we have here are Cottonmouth water moccasins, diamondback rattlers, copperheads (as seen in the original post) and coral snakes (rare.)
As a boy I remember seeing multiple cottonmouths balled up in a Cyprus tree though I have no idea why they would be grouped together like that but it made an impression. My grandfather had no fear of them and liked to fish under trees that had snakes in them based on some belief that the fish were more likely to bite.
I don't know about that but I was certainly more likely to prostrate myself in the bottom of the boat and pray.
He also liked to rob wasp nest for their larvae by grabbing the nest in his hat while running the boat wide open down river until one day when his motor died and he was left holding a nest of angry wasps.
I really miss that man as we had many adventures.
 

trailhunter

Flashlight Enthusiast
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Jul 2, 2014
Messages
1,095
Just got my first Malkoff MD2 and was using it to take the dog for a walk tonight when I ran across this guy in my driveway.
I know, any light would have probably worked but the quality Malkoff suddenly felt like money well spent.
1cf0949c22ed568151d7f87ff621f197.jpg
You likely would have been okay if you got bit, least venomous out of the pit vipers.
 
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