Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

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GRFox
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Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby GRFox » Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:22 pm

When I was a young kid, 5 or 6 years old I was at a local, lake / park with my mother and some other kids. I was walking around the lake when my nextnext step was about to be on a coiled brown water snake. The snake snapped at me almost catching me in the calf. I ran away back to mom terrified. No biggy, I was just a little kid.

Fast forward 10 years. I was hiking a mountain with my father in southern NY, a spot I now hunt today. As we were coming across the top, which consisted of rock slab, brushy grass and short twisted trees I again walked right up on a snake, a black rat snake about 6 feet long and as thick as my forearm....I turned inside out, attempted to tuurn and run to my left and there was another black rat, tried to turn around and run and sure enough there was one behind me that I walkd right by. I was surrounded by these massive jet black snakes, that up until this point I didn't even know existed.

Those two experiences have just about ruined me with snakes. When and if I walk around the woods in the summer, I am walking on eggshells with a lot of anxiety. If I am with someone, they have to go first and I walk behind in they're footsteps. Now let's be clear, I am not at all afraid of getting bit by a snake, running into a copper head or timber rattler (which are now making a pretty big comeback....great). It is the suprise that a snake gives you when you walk up on one and it and it jets out across the leaves right in front of you. That's it. Its the suprise I am afraid of.

I can hold someones pet snake, no biggy of someone says come sheck out this snake I will go over and look at it and even get close to it ( I still get the heeby jeebys) but I can tolerate it.

Now I am the first to admit this fear is completelt irrational, borderline embarassing considering my lifestyle of living the outdoors, but I can't shake it. I've hunted the mountains of Wyoming, walking around in the dark by myself with grizzlys, wolved, mountain lions, black bears. Doesn't bother me. But I see a gardner snake.....you would get a laugh at my reaction!

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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby BigHunt » Sun Jan 29, 2012 11:24 pm

:? ....no fear
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby Dabowhunter » Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:33 am

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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby dan » Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:36 am

I probably have to much of a lack of fear of them... Maybe an irrational attraction. I always feel the need to catch every snake I see.
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby BigHunt » Mon Jan 30, 2012 12:39 am

dan wrote:I probably have to much of a lack of fear of them... Maybe an irrational attraction. I always feel the need to catch every snake I see.


same here :lol:
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby Zap » Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:32 am

NO, mine is based of the rational fear of getting very ill.

But thats the triangular headed ones.
Plenty of them around here.
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby straitnarrow » Mon Jan 30, 2012 1:48 am

I get suprised when the slither over my foot when I'm mowing the lawn at my cabin. But I instantly want to catch them. I usually try to catch everyone I see even if I'm not sure what it is.....maybe my downfall haha. I got a couple buddies that will hike up there skirts and run away screaming. Even had on in tears last year on 4th of july when he was getting wood from the wood pile and found one coiled up under a log. He even jumped the fire. :lol:
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby Indianahunter » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:39 am

I FREAKIN HATE SNAKES! Always have, just a phobia I guess. When I see a snake it takes everything I have to scream like a man! :)
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby BigHunt » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:44 am

Indianahunter wrote:I FREAKIN HATE SNAKES! Always have, just a phobia I guess. When I see a snake it takes everything I have to scream like a man! :)

:? :lol:
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby JRM6868 » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:45 am

Indianahunter wrote:I FREAKIN HATE SNAKES! Always have, just a phobia I guess. When I see a snake it takes everything I have to scream like a man! :)

X 2 don't like em don't like to see em don't like to be around em don't like hearing them have I said I don't like em?

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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby rack addict » Mon Jan 30, 2012 2:59 am

In summer where I hunt there seems to be a lot of garner snakes. I know there harmless but they still get me everytime. I catch a slither walking along im back peddling and my heart feels like it just dropped to my feet. :lol: :lol:
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby Brad » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:28 am

GRFox wrote:When I was a young kid, 5 or 6 years old I was at a local, lake / park with my mother and some other kids. I was walking around the lake when my nextnext step was about to be on a coiled brown water snake. The snake snapped at me almost catching me in the calf. I ran away back to mom terrified. No biggy, I was just a little kid.

Fast forward 10 years. I was hiking a mountain with my father in southern NY, a spot I now hunt today. As we were coming across the top, which consisted of rock slab, brushy grass and short twisted trees I again walked right up on a snake, a black rat snake about 6 feet long and as thick as my forearm....I turned inside out, attempted to tuurn and run to my left and there was another black rat, tried to turn around and run and sure enough there was one behind me that I walkd right by. I was surrounded by these massive jet black snakes, that up until this point I didn't even know existed.

Those two experiences have just about ruined me with snakes. When and if I walk around the woods in the summer, I am walking on eggshells with a lot of anxiety. If I am with someone, they have to go first and I walk behind in they're footsteps. Now let's be clear, I am not at all afraid of getting bit by a snake, running into a copper head or timber rattler (which are now making a pretty big comeback....great). It is the suprise that a snake gives you when you walk up on one and it and it jets out across the leaves right in front of you. That's it. Its the suprise I am afraid of.

I can hold someones pet snake, no biggy of someone says come sheck out this snake I will go over and look at it and even get close to it ( I still get the heeby jeebys) but I can tolerate it.

Now I am the first to admit this fear is completelt irrational, borderline embarassing considering my lifestyle of living the outdoors, but I can't shake it. I've hunted the mountains of Wyoming, walking around in the dark by myself with grizzlys, wolved, mountain lions, black bears. Doesn't bother me. But I see a gardner snake.....you would get a laugh at my reaction!

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That is exactly 100% how I feel. I despise ALL snakes, wish they would all die.
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby Hodag Hunter » Mon Jan 30, 2012 3:59 am

Snakes suck. I am silly scared of snakes and sharks. Don't have a clue why............

I don't care if it's a grass snake....it's going down. My young son has chased ME around the yard with one in his hands. :lol:

Just about anything else doesn't bother me.
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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby GRFox » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:15 am

Glad to see I am not alone!

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Re: Anyone else have an "irrational" fear of snakes?

Unread postby GRFox » Mon Jan 30, 2012 4:16 am

Anyone else have run ins with huge rat snakes? I know they're harmless but they are big nasty mother*******!

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