Tenn River backwaters (nothing to do with Lugers at all)
 

I've been running my mouth for years about hunting, fishing, camping, canoeing, and kayaking in the Tenn River backwaters, aka swamps, so here are a few photos. All are within 10 miles of my home, I go out there several times a week year round.

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282127.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282081.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282083.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282084.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282086.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282088.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282092.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282094.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282074.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282075.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282076.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/28079DSCF0217.JPG

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282107.JPG

Cottonmouth? Nastiest snake in north America.

Yup. Try sneaking up on one to get a photo. Took several times, of course they do get po'd, having your wife along in another kayak who does not like snakes at all isn't helpful either. She got a little animated, made her kayak look like a fat duck trying to take off into the wind.



http://www.hunt101.com/img/282073.JPG

rk

One day I'll have to share some cotton mouth stories with you. Tales from my mis-spent but fun youth, like the time we blew up a beaver dam and had cotton mouths airborne as a result.

Tom A
Who used to hang out in the Georgia river swamps

RK, you've got a knack for that photo stuff. Those are very well composed pics. The worm pic is a very good wildlife photo also.

Thanks Wes, I spend a whole lot of time in the backwaters, I know where the good places are. Just a matter of being there with a camera. Someone asked about a swamp gun, this is mine:

http://www.hunt101.com/img/282164.JPG

Between dopers, drunks, derelicts, and idiots I've long since ceased being subtle. Down here they have started running meth labs out of trucks, cars, and boats. They also see a person in a small boat as vunerable.

rk

RK, one of those bastuurds put me out of commission for two weeks in 1966. Quail hunting in sneakers and shorts!

Those that I encountered seemed to be a lot darker. Is there a wide color variation like there is in Timber Rattlers?

When I was staying at my mother-in-laws house (she had moved ;)), there were water mocassions and copperheads. Both nasty little and not so little beasts. This was close to RK, was in Evans, LA, and they were darker too from what I remember...

A S&W .45 took one out of the window sill before we moved...

Ed

Sure are, thay can be from a light brown to almost black, this one is an odd type in that his head isn't as wide as the classic cottonmouths, is also more slender, more moccasin, he was about 3', I've never been bit but have stepped on several, worst time is getting out of a boat onto the bank. They are going to come straight into the water. I also stay well away from overhanging trees and undercut banks. Surprisingly, for as much time as I'm out I see relatively few. My rule is if it looks snaky then it most likely is and I keep well away. Best weapon is a paddle. I just flip them back.

rk

Once you get exposed to it, you can smell 'em. The have a scent like decaying garbage with a hint of rotten cantaloupe overtone. They emit this scent when they are upset. If you are hanging around the swamps and you pick up that scent, take the safety off your weapon, turn slowly around, inspect your exit path, then get the hell outta there.

Largest one I ever tangled with was 5'4" long but the sucker was 14" around in the middle. Three 22 long rifle hollowpoints in the brain housing group dispatched his smelly self to the nether regions.

Tom A.

Pictures
 

Hello RK,

Your pictures are excellent. You are a true outdoorsman! The backwater is much broader on the Tennessee River where I live. It is on the lower end of Kentucky Lake.

A lot of discussion about the snake. To me it is nothing more than a Tennessee River water snake. It certainly is not a pit viper. I am surprised so many of these luger experts did not know this. I hope they are better at identifying their lugers. But I wonder?

Hers is a true Tennessee River cotton mouth water moccasin. Do you recognize it?
http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/snake.jpg

Regards,

Grew up in the swampy land of South Georgia where water moccasins are common. When we were kids we used to hunt them with slingshots, running through the woods barefoot ! I have seen an 8 foot bush beside a local pond with six (6) moccasins in it, sunning themselves. True story; not a stretch.

Usually they had very thick bodies. I have heard that they are aggressive, but I never saw one attack.

Never knew anyone who was bitten, but lots of interesting close calls.

Luke

Toggle top, definitely a Tennesse river cottonmouth, but what is the thing on the blade end of the paddle?

George Anderson,

I know what you mean about the color variation of the timber rattler.

A lifetime ago, I was quail hunting along a creek bottom and came upon the most beautiful timber rattler, him being silver and black laced.

So I decided that I got to have some of him and reached down to quickly pick him up. My version of quick was not exactly the snake's version of quick.

He bit me.

Arm swole up some and I have never had the desire to pick up a snake since.

Toggletop, you are right. Thanks for the kind words about the photos, there is a basic visceral reaction in most humans to a snake. They really don't bother me as long as I know where they are.

rk

http://forum.lugerforum.com/lfupload/1rattlesnake.jpg


Here is a Texas size rattlesnake. This pic was sent to a friend of mine and I had to have a copy of it. I hunt in this part of Texas but never saw a rattler this big.

SteveM

RK, I am not fond of snakes, just like rappeling, I can deal with it, but doesn't mean I like it...

Ed

I don't like spiders and snakes....here we have some very local rattlers, Mojave Green, and the Paniment Red, both only found in a very few local valleys and both very bad guys and colored as the name implies, along with the Sidewinder the name sake of the air to air missile developed here at China Lake, but the real bugger I hate is a scorpion size cuss without the elongated tail, the vinaggron (sp) one bite from him and and you will taste nothing but vinegar for a year, several bite that my friend recieved and he walked with a limp for the rest of his life....