As I said in previous post I never suspected they climbed trees.I’ve never seen one in a tree but for sure they would be hard to spot in a tree.

My neighbors and friends think I’m crazy but I don’t kill them.I catch them and relocate them about 5 miles away in uninhabited area on the other side of 2 bayous.
I killed them at one time but probably last 11-12 I relocated.
They are surprisingly unaggressive,I’ve only had 2 actually strike when I was catching them.They coil up and rattle like hell but when you try to get ahold of their head they pull it into the coil.Eventually they uncoil and try to get away.

Copperheads I find in my yard I kill as I have found them to readily strike if you mess with them.Beside one killed a goat I had.I found the goat dead and a big Copperhead was laying across a hind leg.He bit the goat twice,once above the right eye and once to the side of same eye.
I suspect he hit an artery and venom went to the brain.
I’ve had a few beagles bitten and they would be over it in a couple days without treatment.

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Posted by Wildman 22

SW Ms

Member since Jun 2023

100 posts

Posted on 10/6/23 at 7:11 am to LSUA 75

I have a buddy that used to be big coon hunter. One night while following the GPS to go to where the dog treed he started hearing rattling so he quit moving and started looking around his feet. He looked over about 5ft and a big rattler was eye level with him coiled up on a limb.

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Posted by VolSquatch

First Coast

Member since Sep 2023

2591 posts

Posted on 10/6/23 at 7:16 am to LSUA 75

quote:
As I said in previous post I never suspected they climbed trees.I’ve never seen one in a tree but for sure they would be hard to spot in a tree.

North American venomous snakes are just really big bodied. Some older, larger ones couldn't climb a tree if they wanted to and the others largely don't want to spend that kind of energy doing it. Obviously it happens occasionally, but not enough for it to be something I actively consider/think about in the woods.

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Posted by 308

the backwoods of Mississippi

Member since Sep 2020

2054 posts

Posted on 10/6/23 at 2:56 pm to LSUA 75

quote:
They were surprisingly unaggressive.

This confirms what I have read in several articles. Normally unaggressive,

When I was a kid, an old-timer warned me about timber rattlers. He told me "they come looking for you". Another man said they could "leap 10 feet to strike".

I think those old guys were prone to some real exaggeration.