Watch your step

Prospecting Australia

Help Support Prospecting Australia:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
i was out in the scrub this arvo and that's the first thing i thought about Dug, they'll be around in numbers soon i reckon. Five foot hey? that'd make the hairs stand up on end :lol: :lol:
 
Yep there out and about , soon as I see more than one lizard in a day I know the sliders will be out , mostly their dopey just soaking the sun up to charge their batteries. When gets a bit hotter and its mating time that's when there fired up and come straight at ya. I reckon I come across anywhere from 50 to 150 a year around the farm. You soon get used to them and know which ones want a piece of you and which ones are just trying get past . :/
 
Odd that...after 8 yrs at this hobby, i have only come across 1x personally (it was trying to get out of my way though...about 20' in front of me), a bloke i know has dug 2x younguns late in spring, and a mate had a rude encounter one day that made him about wet himself..... all brownies though, no blacks so far.

Mind you, i'm now in new turf so that may change this season...
 
Just give way to all snakes and they normally go on their way. I seen my fair share and have never had one have ago at me,touch wood, in saying that I hope I have not jinks myself.

Cheers, DD
 
All snakes can be feisty at certain times of year, If you ever walk up to two snakes twirled up breeding I say run for the hills , they do not like being interrupted.
Tiger snakes more times than not will stand there ground or even come at you from my experience, the blacks and browns generally just want to leave.
I am more worried about my dogs than me , if you wear loose jeans they can strike and wont even touch your skin.
Mustering sheep and a mob of a few hundred run over a snake is the way to see a vicious snake I have had them attach the motor bike.
 
Yeah, i've had a tiger snake actually chase me for some distance along the banks of the Howqua river during breeding time. I reckon i came between it and its nest. They're angry bastards.
 
Only ones I'm ever worried about is tigers as they can be super aggressive at times. Blackies are generally so sedate that they want nothing to do with ya. Never had experience with the brown buggers but have heard bit like tigers?
 
Yeah, i've been hit on the waders a couple of times by browns. I hate tigers because they'll happily have a piece of you given half a chance. I've seen more blacks than any other snake but never had a problem with them. They do seem to prefer to move away rather than get aggro thankfully because they do get bloody big.
I remember one year we were trolling for cod in the lower Ovens river and one of the blokes in the boat saw a black swimming across the river and thought he'd have a bit of fun. He was using a short troll rod and wound in the lure and slapped in down onto the snake, which was about 5-6 foot long, trouble is he got it just back from the tip of the tail instead of up nearer the head. The snake was hooked, p...d off and trying to get into the small tinny while all three of us (especially the bloke with the hooked snake) trying to get to the bank and get out. :lol: :lol: Moral to the story is don't antagonize the natives, especially if they're bigger than you :lol:
 
aussiefarmer said:
All snakes can be feisty at certain times of year, If you ever walk up to two snakes twirled up breeding I say run for the hills , they do not like being interrupted.
Tiger snakes more times than not will stand there ground or even come at you from my experience, the blacks and browns generally just want to leave.
I am more worried about my dogs than me , if you wear loose jeans they can strike and wont even touch your skin.
Mustering sheep and a mob of a few hundred run over a snake is the way to see a vicious snake I have had them attach the motor bike.
Click to expand...

Iam not saying that snakes will not have ago at you I am just stating my experiences, I have worked in the bush on cattle stations ect and know of people being chased on horses, motor bikes being beaten, death adders throwing themselves at people and bandybandys coming out of cracks in the ground so yes aussiefarmer you are correct.

Cheers, DD
 
Yeah that time of year to keep an eye out while wandering through the scrub. I stepped on a big Brown snake while going through knee high scrub on a golf course looking for balls. I ran like hell.
 
Yes, more dangerous early in the season when there just coming out of hibernation, they seem sluggish and drowsy, where as later in the season their quick to move out of your way. I personally think its good to use an external speaker this time of the year as they can feel the vibration of you coming well in advance.

Captn
 
Spent 10 minutes yesterday watching a red bellied black snake down by the creek on the farm hunting under boulders and in crevices presumably looking for frogs. It was a beautiful specimen almost as thick as a soft drink can. Interestingly, the temperature could not have been more than 12 degrees.

I let it be, and did my panning a bit further down the creek.
 
Its the ones you don't see that will get you :eek: , I've seen oodles of snakes over the years and as far as im concerned i think it is a load of bull that making noise letting them know you are coming will make them move out of your way (too many close calls while making plenty of noise has proven this to me). I hate the buggers and stay well clear :) .
 
Havinago said:
Its the ones you don't see that will get you :eek: , I've seen oodles of snakes over the years and as far as im concerned i think it is a load of bull that making noise letting them know you are coming will make them move out of your way (too many close calls while making plenty of noise has proven this to me). I hate the buggers and stay well clear :) .
Click to expand...
It's not noise that alerts them, they are like fish, its vibrations they sense. They have no hearing like we do as far as i'm aware. So yelling or firing a gun etc will do nothing to alert them. Walking heavily and hitting the ground or logs with a stick etc will often have them moving away before you even see them. The problem with stomping around from a fishing point of view is that it also frightens the fish which is a no no.
From my experience, most snakes seen are usually sunbaking and trying to warm the blood, and often need to be just given a poke to move away if they're across a track.
 
I anticipate seeing a lot more snakes this year as our detecting style has changed with the 7k.
Slow overlapping sweeps, 2 sweeps per step will not provide much vibration.
 
Metamorphic said:
Noise/sound produces vibrations of which they are ultra-sensitive too!

A loudly croaking frog will attract the attention of a King Brown no problem!
Click to expand...

Apparently they are also ultra sensitive to body heat (IR) which allows them to determine prey size and track prey once bitten.

Next time you see a snake stomp the ground and make a ruckass and see if it moves, 50/50 it will either move or just ignore you until you step on it :eek: , hence why i say its the ones you don't see that will get you :cool:

I've actually tried the above and shown fellow work mates and family that making noise, stamping the ground and what not is a fallacy, and that i wouldnt rely on it.

Best to keep your eyes peeled and wear thick pants and high boots, and keep a snake bite kit and first aid kit with you :)
 

Similar threads

L
How good is this?
Replies
3
Views
764
lostandfound
L
elliott thompson
My Introduction to the love of fossicking
Replies
2
Views
395
silver
silver
R
G'day
Replies
3
Views
474
grubstake
grubstake
X
Where is the Car Now? Game
Replies
0
Views
542
XLOOX
X
kevin
Which goldfield between Gold Coast and Sydney?
Replies
2
Views
827
kevin
kevin

Latest posts

Top