Total burn out in the everglades

[mikeurquia]

nice picture of that awesome looking rattler Ive heard they make good eating and stew....

[flhiker]

I had the opportunity to try it, but I backed out. I'm not that adventurous when it comes to unusual meat. They are protect, although they are of Least Concern on the red list. They are losing there habitat to development. Rabbit population is on the raise due to there decline. They scare me the most for some reason but at the same time I think they are awesome looking! Once you see one you wont take your eyes of the trail or the ground for a long while.

[gixrj18]

Tastes like chicken!

[mikeurquia]

in all my 20 years visiting the glades ive only seen 2,,,,good size diamonds i tried picking one up w/ stick of course only cause i saw the croc hunter doing it so well but since that sting ray took him well lets just say I havent been trying to do that no more what huh am i ok sorry total burn out remember just a little postal going your way lol

[flhiker]

Originally Posted by mikeurquia

in all my 20 years visiting the glades ive only seen 2,,,,good size diamonds i tried picking one up w/ stick of course only cause i saw the croc hunter doing it so well but since that sting ray took him well lets just say I havent been trying to do that no more what huh am i ok sorry total burn out remember just a little postal going your way lol

I was watching a video on some website where a snake handler was saying that most people will kill a poisonous snake with a shovel or machete then go to pick it up and the snake being cold blooded will sometime still be able to bite. If I find it again I post it here. Best advise he gave was. Do not touch ANY snake.

[Learner]

Mike and Hiker. Thank you for your posts and pictures. Over 40 years ago, while a Zoology grad student at the Univ of Miami, we would regularly go into the swamp up to our waists to look for snakes, frogs and birds. Some we collected and most, we just took pictures. A few times we went at night but that got too scary even for we idiots. Our main roaming area was Loop Road off the Tamiami Trail. Also, we prowled the area off Card Sound Road south of Miami. That is where we collected diamondbacks and sold them to the Miami Serpentarium.

I'm sure none of this is allowed now but your posts have brought back a lot of memories. I wish I had been interested in orchids back then. But fish, snakes, dragonflies and girls were higher on my interest scale.

Please keep posting the pics and stories of your hunts.

Jim

[Learner]

Oh, and a follow-up. I never found the rattlesnake that tasted like chicken. The ones we had were stringy and tasted like snake. Maybe we over cooked them.

[susiep]

Learner, I used to hunt snakes on the old Tamiami Trail, too. Back in the early 70's. In the winter they would coil up on the asphalt for warmth. We would drive along real slow and jump out when we spotted one. I got my red rat that way and kept it as a pet for many years before releasing it again. Brings back a flood of memories. We used to rescue orchids from the woods down in south Dade that were being plowed down for developement. However we were young and instead of moving them to the glades, we moved them to parks and private property all over the county (Coconut Grove, Miami Springs, Miami Lakes). We kept them alive but probably confused the hell out of all the botanists and county agents that came across them years later.

[mikeurquia]

just made two trips into the swamps I dont know whats going on no snakes no gators no new ghosts but I know they're there just really not looking for them the water is so high that its a major nightmare walking thru over under when youre fool of water the clothe youre wearing you feel double youre normal body weight but being in there is as close as you can get to heaven without a doubt is that the way you spell doubt??????????????see you guys I'll post snake pics soon the ones I've found in the strand

[Bird Song Farm]

Critters of all kinds know more about the oncoming weather than all of our state-of-art equipment.
The threat of a hurricane (storm) will "tell" them to seek shelter...........each to is own sort.
Might be the reason wild life is not to be seen right now.

Al