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Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by Dadee on August 15, 2005
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This is to inquire with any of our other "hillbillies" as to their recent experiences with any Timbers.
Saturday, I was up on my mothers 200 acres, trimming her lane. This property is known for it's fat rattlers. My grandfather told stories of the enormous (to him) rattlers that would wander down off the mountain that he would encounter. He used to log those hills back in the 50's and told of one encounter that stuck out in his mind. He was on the back of one of those logging trucks that was winding its way up the mountain and came to a stop where they were to do their work for the day. When he leapt from the truck, he almost soiled his pants when his feet were headed straight for a fat rattler.
He never finished that story, but many like it were told over the years. Just 2 years ago, the same time of year, a guy killed one at the same spot I was to trim the lane. This property encompasses an entire valley and half of a mountain (the other half belongs to the government...national forest). I started the job, the Saturday prior (8/6), but the storm kept me from completing the job, hence why I was back up there this Saturday(8/13).
I left my house at 2:30...wound up at the farm at 7:00. Now, since this is in the mountains, the temperature is quite cooler. Upon my arrival at the farm...the mercury was at 68. The day before, the daytime high was in the lower 90's. The same was the case for the weekend before. The area is pretty much left undisturbed...trailers dotting the surrounding areas here and there, but no real development.
When I parked the truck in the lane last Saturday, it was quite a bit later, around 10, I proceeded to "hike" up the logging road that goes up the mountain, just to see what I could find. I found something alright, mosquitoes. Nothing more. No copperheads, no black rats and no timbers. The mountain had quite a bit of hiding places for snakes, so I proceeded to look in rocky openings, etc. Nothing.
This Saturday, I did the same thing, only it was like I said, around 7. I couldn't find a thing. I even went to the abandoned house up on the mountain side (all vine covered, no windows, some of the walls are knocked out), but nothing in there either. On the farm, the house that once stood there, was burnt down, now has weeds higher than the average white tail deer. I figured at the very least, I would find some rat snakes, but came up empty.
I can remember my childhood summers on that farm and the wilderness the surrounded it. Hell, my granddad even had a pet raccoon in the front yard. I remember one of my grandfathers' neighbors bringing over a "den" of rattlers that he had caught on the very same mountain. Can this be why I didn't see anything? It just might be so. But, why would one have been seen 2 years ago and now nothing? I did see plenty of prey items, which beckons the question as to why there's nothing about to eat them.
Has anyone else who might live out there in "Almost Heaven", seen ANY timbers?
Bewildered,
Matt
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by ALA_herp31 on August 15, 2005
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As for WV, I have never had the privilege to Herp that State. But, I have done some Herping in VA. Last year I went to the Southwestern part of VA, in some very good Timber Country and saw only one Timber in 10 Days Time. This made no sense to me, I mean you expect to find Timbers Running Out of Your Ears in those Mountains. To add to the problem, I only saw 2 Copperheads. It just don’t figure, why such a Un-Populated area would have no Snakes. I know this year I have only seen 1 Timber, and 2 Coppers in North AL. The one Venomous Snake I have seen a Lot of, is Cottonmouth “shoot they have been running out of my ears”. None of this makes sense to me, the only thing I can think of being a problem, is the Heat. The Temps here have been averaging 90s, I don’t see anything else that could be a factor. .....................Be safe ya’ll, Happy Herping : Wally
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by cottonmouth on August 15, 2005
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I live in the blue ridge part of Va, and have had several memebers of the SHHS come up or down here and did very well with the timbers, coppers, milks, and a few other goodies.It's all in where you look i guess. I know Levi, from the forum brought a bucket load of timbers down from West Virginia to Virginia to add a little mixture to a certain den site and had mentioned how thick they where in his area of West Va...
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by snakehunter on August 15, 2005
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I have been hunting in west virginia this year and did very well.I was hunting on saturday july 24,left the house around 10:00 a.m and got to the hunting spot around 11:45 a.m.It was already 92 outside.Me and a long time friend looked for some good places to check.I thought it was to hot.The first flat rock i checked there were 3 black timbers and 1 yellow timber.All of them were between 42" and 48".And only seen 1 copperhead he was 33".I guess it all depends on where you hunt and when.If anyone wants to go hunting let me know via e-mail.
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by surucucu on August 15, 2005
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hey Matt, what part of WV are you looking in? I've done quite well this year in WV. Chris
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by tenneseejed on August 15, 2005
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Hey also do some (hunting) in WV, am from the fairmont area do most of my herpin around seneca rocks area(well national forest) and have caught a few very nice snakes and seen a whole bunch 30"-50". Always interested in learning some new areas. Just a thought but, if you cant find them one day look again the next, them suckers definetly travel!!!But i can honestly say i have never went looking and not found one! So what part of the state are you loooking in?
Also i have been looking for years for a copperhead but cant find one, the only one i have ever seen was dead in the road. After 27 years and 5 years of looking for one if anyone near WV has one or knows where i can find one let me know as i am desperatly trying to find one.
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by PIGMAN on August 16, 2005
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It s all where you look . Timbers are not as common to find in larg dens or groups in southern VA and WV below the glaciated sections that rise up just a little farther to the north. The hills or Mountains below Roanoke are less rocky and are suffering more from succesion or lack of fire. Many den areas in the south eastern mountains are being shaded over and then are abandonded and this is more so for suitable rookeries than for dens where the gravid females choose to bring their young to term. For the most part C horridus is doing well on park and forest lands throughout West Virginia and Virginia. There are many dens on private land but many of those are usually smaller due to people killing, disturbing or collecting snakes around those spots. Once you understand horridus, one rarly ever goes looking without seeing atleast one. Snakes that live in areas with lots of human encounters hardley ever rattle. Snakes that are deep in the forest and don't see people rattle a long time before you get close to them.
Zach Orr
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by surucucu on August 18, 2005
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I am in the morgantown area. If anyone wants to get together and go out looking, please let me know at crotalus1976@hotmail.com chris
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by emtnurse on August 19, 2005
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Hey Chris, if you ever want to make a trip to Northeast Tn or Southwest, Va just give me an email. I have seen and caught lots of copperheads and black timbers in those mountains. That mountain region crosses between the 2 states. Bryan
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RE: Timbers absent in West Virginia Mountains
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by Dadee on August 19, 2005
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Gang,
Oops...guess I forgot to mention, this is just south of Elkins. I've seen many snakes along the way...going from Moorefield to Petersburg, then on Cheat Mountain, coming down into Huttonsville, just not on my family's mountain of late.
Now if you are familiar with Seneca Rocks, I'll be the first to testify against some climbers that were dumb enough to have misplaced a chock (an anchor point used in climbing) and wound up in a den. Mind you, I'm not one of those climbers and if you ask the Park Service, they'll swear there are no rattlers in around Seneca Rocks, but I know first hand of these climbers and the bites they received.
If you come up to 33/250 intersection at the Seneca Rocks, take a left and it'll take you up the Allegheny and the Cheat Mountains...where you'll wind up in Randolph County. Just past Huttonsville, is Mill Creek. Ask anyone in town who Elza (pronounced Els-EE) Lambert is or was and they'll point you up into a holler where the land is. This property backs right up to the George Washington National Forest, so the ability to find such vens is enormous, but yet scarce on our land. This is not right. I realize there are some here who have had no problems finding any, but I'm looking in PRIME areas where they should be in large quantities. Den sites litter the mountains around the farm and still, nothing.
I'll be more than happy to take someone with me the next time I venture up there, but be warned, the property has struck up a real Hatfield and McCoy episode, so I have to go packing more than just my hook. Anyone willing to ride up (I have to leave my house at like 3 am to get up to the farm anywhere near 7:30) or meet somewhere along the way for what is truly a wilderness expedition, you're more than welcome.
Send email: mattjsr@yahoo.com
Cheers,
MJ
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