Tower Business. (Danger)

[SmokyMose]

Growing up in the country in South Central Indiana, you get used to snakes, but about all I ever saw was Black Snakes, Water Snakes and the occasional Blue Racer (which will come at you and glide by scaring the p**s out of you). Supposedly there are Copperheads and Water Moccasins but I never saw one. Black snakes don't bother me. When we were little a couple of us cousins were playing in Grandpa's barn and found a big one. Of course we tried to catch it! When we told Grandpa about it he got mad and told us to leave that snake alone, that he keeps the mice out.
I've never seen any snake that huge, Bear! I don't think I could have stuck around to take a picture!!!

 

[Bearcarver]

Growing up in the country in South Central Indiana, you get used to snakes, but about all I ever saw was Black Snakes, Water Snakes and the occasional Blue Racer (which will come at you and glide by scaring the p**s out of you). Supposedly there are Copperheads and Water Moccasins but I never saw one. Black snakes don't bother me. When we were little a couple of us cousins were playing in Grandpa's barn and found a big one. Of course we tried to catch it! When we told Grandpa about it he got mad and told us to leave that snake alone, that he keeps the mice out.
I've never seen any snake that huge, Bear! I don't think I could have stuck around to take a picture!!!

LOL----Tower Guys have "Super Zooming Cameras" for taking long range tower Pics, so they come in handy for taking Pics of Snakes ---From a distance!

Bear

 

[Steve H]

I don't mind snakes. And won't kill them unless I have to. As a kid. I would catch them all the time. Occasionally I'll have a Garter or corn snake in the back yard. I'll catch it and release it at a swamp a few miles away.

 

[smokerjim]

Here in pa by law you need a fishing license to kill a rattler and I think your only allowed 1 or 2 a year. I guess this is why some laws are meant to be broken.

 

[chilerelleno]

Bearcarver
Well here I am, your snake lover.
I will just as easily play carefully with one, take pics and then leave him to go on their way, as I will kill skin and eat it, then turn his skin into decorative doodads.

Them Timber rattlers get big, biggest of all rattlers, and thankfully also one of the more docile of them. But not one ya ever want to get hit by, very bad indeed as their idea of just a lil'squirt is like some of the others giving you the full whammy.

Great pics and stories, that is indeed a dangerous job.

 

[Bearcarver]

I don't mind snakes. And won't kill them unless I have to. As a kid. I would catch them all the time. Occasionally I'll have a Garter or corn snake in the back yard. I'll catch it and release it at a swamp a few miles away.

LOL---I like to play with them too.
I like to see if the Big ones can outrun my 12 gage!!
Sometimes we play "Dodge the shovel Blade".
They like to try to outrun my mower deck---Then they lift their heads up to see what the noise is!!
I generally only kill them when I have to, and that would be if they're alive & on my land.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Here in pa by law you need a fishing license to kill a rattler and I think your only allowed 1 or 2 a year. I guess this is why some laws are meant to be broken.

Yup---I know there are only 3 types of venemous snakes in PA, and two of them are Rattlers.
Bear Story from the Old Days:
When I was about 10 years old, I was coming back from Trout Fishing, and taking the shortcut on the Deer trail between Saw Creek & our State Cabin in Pike County. I spotted movement near the trail. It was a big fight between a big Blacksnake and a Rattlesnake. I didn't stick around to find out who won, because I thought I would be stuck with the Winner. They tell me the Blacksnake would generally win that fight, as he is immune to the Rattlesnake's Venom. Don't know if that's true or not.

Bear

 

[smokerjim]

Yup---I know there are only 3 types of venemous snakes in PA, and two of them are Rattlers.
Bear Story from the Old Days:
When I was about 10 years old, I was coming back from Trout Fishing, and taking the shortcut on the Deer trail between Saw Creek & our State Cabin in Pike County. I spotted movement near the trail. It was a big fight between a big Blacksnake and a Rattlesnake. I didn't stick around to find out who won, because I thought I would be stuck with the Winner. They tell me the Blacksnake would generally win that fight, as he is immune to the Rattlesnake's Venom. Don't know if that's true or not.

Bear

Yeah I always heard black snakes will kill them, like you not sure how true I'll have to look it up

 

[BarbarianFoodie]

Nice Telecom box! I spent nearly 10 years building and working on cell and radio tower all over the country but mostly in AL, FL, MS, GA and TN. I never was all that bothered by the strange places we would find snakes you can see and hear them... Now those darn Widows and recluses on the other hand... What ever scientist claims there are no insects over 30 ft off the ground has never been on a cell tower!

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear I am with you. I hate snakes too darn sneaky for me....

John

Yup---Even the Bible says:
“He is to be for ever looked upon as a vile and despicable creature, and a proper object of scorn and contempt: ‘Upon thy belly thou shalt go, no longer upon feet, or half erect, but thou shalt crawl along, thy belly cleaving to the earth,’ an expression of a very abject miserable condition.”


Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

That would scare the crap out of me. I also despise snakes. When we first moved into our place outside of town, the grass was overgrown. My first cutting with the riding mower demolished 18 garden snakes. We even had dens under our deck that we eventually tore down and rebuilt. Was to the point the wife would look out all the Windows to see if the coast was clear before going out.

LOL----Bear Jr keeps shooting "Snapping" Turtles in his pond, because his Chocolate Lab is too friendly. He said if Diesel saw him he'd walk right up to it & try to be friends, and the Snapper would probably take one of his legs off!! He blows them out of the water with his 10 Gage.

Bear

 

[Brokenhandle]

LOL----Bear Jr keeps shooting "Snapping" Turtles in his pond, because his Chocolate Lab is too friendly. He said if Diesel saw him he'd walk right up to it & try to be friends, and the Snapper would probably take one of his legs off!! He blows them out of the water with his 10 Gage.

Bear

Bear, you should get him to change guns...then you could have turtle. Good eating! Just a pain to clean

Ryan

 

[Bearcarver]

Bear, you should get him to change guns...then you could have turtle. Good eating! Just a pain to clean

Ryan

He doesn't use that one for much else, except High Flying Geese.
Yeah, I looked up how to clean them one time.
It was too much then, so way too much for me now.
When I was Young I used to catch them & sell them to restaurants. Got good $$ for them in the 60s & 70s!!

Bear

 

[noboundaries]

I hope he carries an extra set of pants and shorts. I'd sure need them after opening that box.

 

[Bearcarver]

I hope he carries an extra set of pants and shorts. I'd sure need them after opening that box.

LOL---Yeah, I used to hate working for him, because I'd see the things he was doing.
How'd you like to see your only Son tie a rope to an Air Conditioner, on a roof. Then Rappel down the side of an 18 story building on that rope, change the Azimuth of the antennas, then rappel down to the ground.
I learned it was better not to look, and focus on something else!
I was a nervous wreck when it was any one of the other climbers, too.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

That would scare the crap out of me. I also despise snakes. When we first moved into our place outside of town, the grass was overgrown. My first cutting with the riding mower demolished 18 garden snakes. We even had dens under our deck that we eventually tore down and rebuilt. Was to the point the wife would look out all the Windows to see if the coast was clear before going out.

I had a Buddy I worked with @ Bethlehem Steel, who liked snakes.
He told me when we were Archery hunting that one time he was climbing a tree, and he reached up to the Crotch of the tree, and put his hand right on a Big Black Snake.
I asked him what he did---He said he climbed a different tree.
I told him if that would have happened to me, that snake would have been a very well equipped Archer, because I'd have dropped everything, while spinning my wheels to get away from there!!!

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Good grief Bear, those snakes are huge! I'd have filled that cabinet with so much lead no one would have had phone for years. Almost sat on one once when hog hunting on a cold morning, I had on heavy sweats and carpenters overalls, don't know if it tried to bite me or not, just heard the rattle go off when I plopped my butt down, about had a heart attack. I disintegrated it from about five feet away with a shot from a Weatherby 270 Mag, let other folks save them for later, not me! RAY

I know what you mean about "almost a Heart Attack"---I know the feeling, and Snakes can cause it. I have felt my heart beating "in my throat"
Up here we never see snakes while carrying a Rifle. Too cold for snakes at that time.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

What in the what!!! How the heck did those beasts even get in there... Snakes don't bother me, but damn that would make me second guess my career choice.

My Son said there's a plug that goes in the bottom if there's no cable there.
Somebody from another outfit must have left it out, and the snakes fit through the hole.
He said the hole is around 3" or 4" in Diameter.
Yup, I quit Trout fishing in a couple places for that same reason. I could still name those favorite places.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

We did a job in AZ putting a bunch of commercial AC units on a big box store, the units sat in the crane yard for almost 2 months before we put them on the roof, long story short snakes apparently liked those units because one of our guys pulled 14 of them out of the 20 units we installed....... found the first one about 6” from my hand setting it on the roof curb, we were setting them at night.

That Sucks!!
We used to do most of our work at night. We had to shut the Cell Site down after 10 PM, and we had to have it back up before 6 AM, when the traffic gets heavy. Except for the ones in the Boonies with the Snakes. That's day-time work.
No problem during the Winter though. My Son says if you see a snake in the Winter around here, you can pick him up & use him for a walking stick!! LOL---No Thanks!!

Bear

I am glad I am not the only person that hates damn snakes! My family thinks I am crazy but if I see one I am going the other way. There was a 4 ft black snack in my garage a couple weeks ago that slithered under my beer fridge. I keep shoes on at all times out there now!

I'm with you, John!!
One time I was netting minnows, and I pushed my 4 X 4 Net under a bush, chasing a school of Killie Minnows. When I pulled it back there was about a 3' snake in it. I flipped it out onto the bare bank. Then I killed it with a rock. When I went to the Sporting good store, I told the guy about it. He asked what kind of snake it was. I said it was a live snake, and now it's a Dead Snake. He asked if I saw any young ones around there. I said no. He said now is when they're having young, and they might not ba able to fend for themselves. I smiled, and said, isn't that a shame----I guess that's life! It told him I'd show him where it was, in case he wanted to go bottle feed them.

Bear

 

[Bearcarver]

Here in pa by law you need a fishing license to kill a rattler and I think your only allowed 1 or 2 a year. I guess this is why some laws are meant to be broken.

LOL---I remember years ago, I was Trout fishing at Pine Flats, which is part of the Little Bushkill, right near Pickerel Inn, on Rt 402, Pike County. There was a big snake right in front of me, at the edge of the water, and every time I reeled my line in I'd make sure it didn't go near him.
Then a Guy & his kid walked by me, and the guy said, "Doing Any Good?" I replied that I couldn't concentrate with this Big-ass Snake right in front of me. He stopped & looked at it, and says, "Do you like snakes?---Do you want me to shoot it?" I replied, "If you knew me, you wouldn't ask such a dumb question---Be My Guest!!" He reached in his jacket & pulled out a nice 357 Magnum-----Boom---Boom!!! Two shots!! LOL, One shot would have been plenty, but it was obvious he liked snakes as much as I did. I said "Thanks", and shook his hand, and he walked away. We fellow Snake-Lovers have to stick together!!

Bear