MyFox
 

HopeWoodside's Blog

by HopeWoodside from Salt Lake City

Last Post 2 days, 8 hours Ago


Tonight we did a story about a rattlesnake that killed a dog while the owners were hiking above pleasant grove - the owner shot that snake and another one . This is the wild wild west! Then there was the news that if your pet does get bit.. apparently the wildly expensive vaccine is hard to get..  We had a chat in the newsroom about folks with guns while hiking .. your thoughts??

Hope

10 Comments |  Add a Comment

Member Comments Total Comments: 10
Page 1 of 1
Crossover read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 8:47 AM

Avoiding rattlesnakes comes down to common sense. If you’re in an area known to have snakes wear long pants and good boots, not flip-flops. Stay on the main trail and avoid areas of high grass or thick brush. Use a walking stick. Step on top of logs and rocks rather than over them. Check for snakes before putting your hand in any crevice or hole. The number one rule is to just leave them alone. They would rather retreat than bite and they won’t come after you.

It isn’t necessary to kill a rattlesnake whether it has bitten somebody or not. You aren’t providing a public service since any snakes that you kill will be just a tiny fraction of the population. Snakes eat rodents and other vermin so they have a role to play in the ecosystem that is beneficial to us. Also, pursuing the snake and trying to kill it just puts more people in danger of being bitten. Leaving them alone and practicing common sense around them is the best policy.

akiame read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 9:26 AM

Tattlers... Be care full!


Guns while hiking... Good Idea!

Perpetrators could make easy victims of hikers in the isolated wilderness areas... Robberies, Rape, Murders, Etc...

I think it is unconscionable for society to tell someone that they don't have the right to protect themselves it the wilderness... Thugs can easily take advantage of the isolation... No help for miles away...

Yea, if people carry guns... Thugs will at least think twice!

akiame read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 9:27 AM

Tattlers... L~O~L!!! I meant Rattlers...

spacealien read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 9:44 AM

the only rattlesnakes i worry about (and not much) are the two legged kind. usually most snakes in this area will leave you alone unless they feel threatened. there is one exception to that, though. and that is when they are shedding their skin, also called "being in the blind". then your chances of a rattler striking at you are much increased. as far as your dogs are concerned, it's always wise to keep them under control and close to you. in all my years of living in utah and hiking in some very heavy rattler country, i've never been, or felt, threatened by them at all.

PLASMAMAN read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 7:21 PM

this is Darrin
I am the one who shot both snakes, you negative people need to put yourself in the situation I was in, I was protecting my family, the whole event happened really fast, the 5 foot snake gave very little warning and did not hesitate to strike, Tigger was less than fifteen feet in front of me, my wife and Koa. by the time everything started I was drawing my gun, Tigger was gun shy, so I was trying to get a shot off anywhere so she would run, but by the time I had un-holstered my nine mil she was bit. It took less than a minute for the snake to bite, me to kill it, and then run down trail and jump in the bushes to her. My wife and I are not able to have children of our own, Danielle suffers from endometriosis and poly-cystic ovaries, THESE DOGS ARE OUR CHILDREN! some people dont understand that!
I was not going to wait for the snake to move off the very narrow trail while Tigger was seriously injured, just imagine your kid (a human) gets bit runs away, between you and him or her is an aggressive snake, Would you wait? What about a bear charging you would you wait to see if you didn't taste good to him? and I quote "bears are more afraid of you, than you are of them." does that sound familiar? bear attacks still happen. This snake was not afraid. as for guns while hiking-- thank you Akiame your absolutely right and so is our second amendment rights to keep and bear arms, so all you anti-gun activists find another hobby besides harassing people. And as for you Crossover, I have been in these mountains for twenty some odd years and you cant always avoid

PLASMAMAN read my blog view my photos
May 16, 2008 | 7:26 PM

a rattlesnake no matter how careful you are their camoflauge is very effective thats why they have it, I was looking for snakes and did not see the second one right on the trail until I was already less than 12" away I cannot hear very well due to a large red hot piece of metal that found its way into my ear while welding. I am not trying to nit pick but you weren't there. I will still carry my gun while hiking fourwheeling etc. it may not be me next time that wishes they had a gun after an attack of any kind. and yes I will continue to kill rattlesnakes when I come across them they give birth to approx twelve babies every year so I look at it like I killed 24, 24 people might be grateful to have this not happen to them.

gigglygirl read my blog view my photos
May 17, 2008 | 1:11 PM

Guns while hiking? This can be a good idea if you can properly handle a gun.We live in an area where we coexsist with wildlife and as we encroach on their turf we are bound to have encounters with them.However,I don't think that pulling a gun and taking out anything that moves is the answer. We need to be aware of our surroundings and take precautions that can prevent suprise encounters. Be educated on how to remove yourself from the situation and only fire if you can not avoid it.Remember that there are other people out there that may not want to be accidently shot.

Crossover read my blog view my photos
May 19, 2008 | 12:12 PM

Darrin, if you read my post again you will see that I never directly addressed the situation that you found yourself in during your encounter with the snakes. I was writing in general terms about rattlesnake avoidance and how to handle yourself around rattlers. I never wrote that your actions, or taking a gun on a hike, is inappropriate. I completely agree with you that even those who take precautions can still run into snakes and be forced to kill them. I don’t have a problem with that. The point that I was making is that several bites are reported each year in which somebody is deliberately provoking and pursuing the snakes. I think that people who do that are just asking for trouble. I don’t think that your situation falls into that category.

You took the actions that you took because you felt the snakes were directly threatening you and your family. As you correctly state, I wasn’t there. Therefore I will defer to your judgment since I can’t possibly know all the details of the incident. If I thought that a snake was threatening my family, and there was no obvious path of retreat, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill it.

As for continuing to carry your gun in the backcountry, please do so with my blessing. So long as you are using it for self defense and in a law abiding manner I don’t have a problem with it. Even if you choose to kill the few snakes that you see your impact on their population will be inconsequential. These reptiles have been here a long time and they will probably remain long after we have left. But know this: should you decide to hunt the snakes, rat

Crossover read my blog view my photos
May 19, 2008 | 12:14 PM

Continued-

But know this: should you decide to hunt the snakes, rather than simply defending yourself from them, I will consider any bites you may receive to be karma. That’s the difference between being prepared for trouble and looking for it. The former is prudent, the latter is foolish.

Please accept my sincere condolences on the loss of your dog. I have had dogs in the past and they are truly a part of the family. Please also accept my apologies for any offense that you may have felt at my original remarks. I assure you that wasn’t my intention.

PLASMAMAN read my blog view my photos
May 20, 2008 | 7:01 PM

Thank you Crossover for understanding my point of view. I have recieved some negative response not just from the blog, but I assure you I would rather not encounter a snake by surprise, and I dont try to play with them, I have my concealed weapons permit and dont like to fire it in areas where I could get in trouble or scare other people in the area (trust me the .50 cals roar is pretty scary)my apologies.

Page 1 of 1


Write your comment below:




HopeWoodside

I am the co-anchor of Fox 13 News at Nine and proud to be part of Utah's longest running anchor team.

Member Since: 11/1/2006