Just a heads up to watch where your children play this season. My daughter had softball tournament at buck thomas park this past weekend and between games they had a picnic right by the parking lot and the gravel parking lot, during the picnic one of the parents rushed over to kill a copperhead that was close to the the girls. The snake problem is getting bad already this year, Im just glad the snake was killed before it could have bit on of the 6-7 year old girls. Just want everyone to be careful

While I'm not trying to diminish the issue of poisonous snakes, we should teach our kids how to act when the see a snake, poisonous or not.

If you are far away when you see a snake, move around it, leave it alone and it will leave you alone.

If you are really close to it, it's time to play statue. If you stand really still, the snake will not be able to tell the difference between you and a fence post and will move along on its own way when it no longer feels in danger. Jumping up and down flailing your arms around is going to make the snake feel as if it is in danger of being hurt.

If someone happens to get bit, have them remain calm, that's the biggest key. Minimize their movement...don't let them walk around and such. If you have water, you may gently wash the area. Do NOT cut or suck the bite area. Do NOT apply a constricting band or cold to the bite. (This information is good for snakes here in Oklahoma) These are current wilderness first aid guidelines from the Red Cross.

And of course, anyone who gets snake bit should be evaluated by a health care provider.

somewhere in buck thomas park, mice are partying and older mice are regaling youngsters with the tale of the great furless savior who swooped in and smote the evil slither demon before he could come around and eat them in their sleep.

all snarkiness aside though, the only good copperhead is in fact a dead copperhead.

Speaking of snakes I think I'll go to this in a couple weeks http://www.rattlesnakehunt.com/

hrdware had the right info of what to do if you see one. This is from the Mayo Clinic

Most North American snakes aren't poisonous. Some exceptions include the rattlesnake, coral snake, water moccasin and copperhead. Their bite can be life-threatening.

Of the poisonous snakes found in North America, all but the coral snake have slit-like eyes. Their heads are triangular, with a depression, or pit, midway between the eyes and nostrils.

Other characteristics are unique to certain poisonous snakes:

Rattlesnakes rattle by shaking the rings at the end of their tails.
Water moccasins' mouths have a white, cottony lining.
Coral snakes have red, yellow and black rings along the length of their bodies.

To reduce your risk of snakebite, avoid touching any snake. Instead, back away slowly. Most snakes avoid people if possible and bite only when threatened or surprised.

If a snake bites you:

Remain calm
Immobilize the bitten arm or leg and stay as quiet as possible to keep the poison from spreading through your body
Remove jewelry before you start to swell
Position yourself, if possible, so that the bite is at or below the level of your heart
Cleanse the wound, but don't flush it with water, and cover it with a clean, dry dressing
Apply a splint to reduce movement of the affected area, but keep it loose enough so as not to restrict blood flow
Don't use a tourniquet or apply ice
Don't cut the wound or attempt to remove the venom
Don't drink caffeine or alcohol
Don't try to capture the snake, but try to remember its color and shape so you can describe it, which will help in your treatment

Call 911 or seek immediate medical attention, especially if the area changes color, begins to swell or is painful.

I've was the victim of a copperhead bite when I was 10. Not fun at all! Be careful!

Snakes are so rare in Oklahoma that most of us don't really think about snakes possibly being nearby. I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with hrdware. Snakes are capable of seeing heat patterns. Even if you stand like a statue, they can pick up on the body heat and the scent. So, your body will not resemble a fence post. If you happen to come across a snake within several feet or inches, run like hell! That split second decision will determine whatever you live or die. Don't scream...but run the opposite direction quickly. Snakes are not likely to follow.

Now, would someone be so kind to help me out here? I'm curious to know if I came very close to death years ago. It was back in '03 or '04, I was out fishing at Lake Eufaula with my grandpa (now dead), abusive father (location unknown) and cousin (currently in jail). It was a very painful time in my life, because I had to murder minnows by inserting hooks into their bellies. Anyway, I was actually knee-deep in the water for a while with no luck catching a fish. To get away from the distractions, I walked over to a more secluded (right word?) location and found a nice rock at the edge of the lake and sat there with my comfty blue chair and drink. I was enjoying and relaxing with my fishing pole, line out in the water and looking around throughout the scenery. Moments later, I turned my head and looked down to find a black snake coming out of the water onto the rock about three feet away looking at me. I screamed and threw away the fishing pole running for safety toward the truck. Ever since that frightening encounter, I remained inside the truck until everyone was done fishing. So, what kind of snake was it and was it a deadly kind?

Thunder,
Supposedly, we only have copperhead and rattle snakes in Oklahoma. But don't kid yourself, rattle snakes are not as you said "rare". That's one of the reason for the rattle snake hunts we have around the state, to cut the population down as much as possible. I have heard (strictly hearsay) that we have cottonmouth water moccasins in South Eastern Oklahoma but since they are not native to the state and really like the warmer climates, I doubt it. The snake you encountered was probably just a water snake, and possibly a water moccasin, not a pit viper (or, not poisonous) like the cottonmouth.
C. T.

Thunder,
I am sorry you had a bad experience when you are younger, but running is the worst thing you can do. Yes, snakes can detect heat heat, so I may be a metal fence post instead of a wooden one. The scent, yeah they can smell that, but the snake knows I'm bigger than it and it isn't going to eat me. Snakes strike at humans because they are afraid that the big giant thing will hurt them. Making sudden movements to dash away when near a snake is the very wrong thing to do. That's why when camping, if you get a snake in your bag, you ease out slowly, not quickly.

ctchandler,
We do have all 3 pit vipers here in OK, water moccasins may not be native, but they are here now, especially in southern Oklahoma. Your last sentence confuses me because a water moccasin and a cottonmouth are the exact same snake.

the great furless savior who swooped in and smote the evil slither demon

Learn Something New Everyday Dept:

The past tense of smite isn't "smitten", lol...

I'm reminded of the regrettable foot in mouth moments I sometimes inflict on myself. Several years back I was helping at a Girl Scouts weekend camp event. A leader, one fairly new to camping as it turned out, approached me to mention she was uncertain about the cabin her troop was assigned. She thought she had seen a mouse near its door. Probably because I had just been joshing with some friends after a long day setting up for our campers, but before I caught myself and stopped me, I told her not to worry about seeing a mouse because hey, the snakes need something to eat.

I wanted to take it back the instant I said it, but of course, too late. One additional lesson learned that day. A person really does appear to turn white as snow when the color rapidly leaves the facial area.

That's why when camping, if you get a snake in your bag,

Thanks for that. Now I can't wait to go camping. "snake in your bag," still has the hairs on my arms standing up. I suppose it happens. UGH.

It ain't the snakes in the bag that'll ruin yer night ... just like at home, it's dem danged spiders that you only discover after you're all stripped and relaxed.

Sweet dreams.

I love camping and hiking, but the thing on my mind is always on the lookout for snakes. I have to really keep my eyes on high alert since I can't hear them.

hrdware,
Growing up I had heard of a water moccasin that was not a pit viper. A little research shows that they don't exist. The cotton mouth is in mainly Eastern and South Eastern Oklahoma. We do have copperheads and rattlers in the OKC area but you seldom hear about them. Rattlers are more to the Western side of the state. When I was young and a Boy Scout, copperheads and rattlers were all we knew about in Oklahoma. I hunted rattlers in my younger days, and one of my favorite places was Roman Nose state park. We would catch them, drop them in a gunny sack, and take them to OKC to Bob Jenni when he was the curator of the reptile section of the OKC zoo.
C. T.
QUOTE=hrdware;528853]
ctchandler,
We do have all 3 pit vipers here in OK, water moccasins may not be native, but they are here now, especially in southern Oklahoma. Your last sentence confuses me because a water moccasin and a cottonmouth are the exact same snake.[/QUOTE]