PLASMAMAN's Blog

THIS IS A HIKING STORY FROM GROVE CREEK CANYON NEAR PLEASANT GROVE UTAH, A SERIOUS WARNING FOR ANYONE OUTDOORS THESE SNAKES WERE RIGHT ON THE TRAIL! THIS DOG WAS LIKE ONE OF OUR KIDS.

MAY 11 TH 2008

I CANT BELIEVE THIS JUST HAPPENED I DID EVERYTHING I COULD TO SAVE HER BUT WE WERE TWO MILES UP GROVE CREEK CANYON WITH A FIVE FOOT RATTLESNAKE I YELLED AND YELLED BUT SHE WONDERED WHAT IT WAS AND BEFORE I COULD EVEN DRAW MY GUN THE SECOND BITE WAS THERE: THE FIRST ONE JUST TOOK SOME FUR OFF HER SNOUT BUT DID NOT PENETRATE I PACKED HER AS FAST AS I COULD ALL EIGHTY POUNDS OF HER STOPPED TO CHECK ON HER AND IN UNDER FIVE MINUTES SHE WAS GONE I TRIED CPR IT WAS ALREADY TO LATE, HER LUNGS HAD SHUT DOWN. I THINK THE BITE RIGHT ON THE NOSE SHE INHALED SOME VENOM BY THE TIME I HAD SHOT THE SNAKE WITH FIVE ROUNDS AND RAN DOWN TRAIL TO HER ( 30 SECONDS) SHE WAS STARTING TO GO IN TO A COMA I HAD MY WIFE CALL 911 TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO UNTIL WE GOT DOWN AS FAST AS I COULD PACK HER BUT IT WAS ALREADY TO LATE I KNEW SHE WAS GONE, BUT I HAD TO BRING HER DOWN TO BURY HER SO I PACKED HER FOR ABOUT TWO MILES I JUST CANT LEAVE HER UP THERE, IT JUST WASN'T RIGHT. ABOUT A HALF A MILE DOWN THE TRAIL MY WIFE YELLED SNAKE! SNAKE! I STOPPED TURNED AROUND AND SAID WHERE! I DIDN'T EVEN SEE IT IN SHOCK FROM THE INCEDENT THEN SHE SAID ITS BEHIND YOU COILED UP I KNEW I WAS IN TROUBLE SO I SLOWLY SET TIGGER DOWN TURNED BACK AROUND AND DREW MY NINE MIL THERE IT WAS A THREE FOOT RATTLER I SHOT FIVE ROUNDS AND THE NINE WAS EMPTY I CHUCKED IT ON THE GROUND, MY ADRENALINE WAS PUMPING SO FAST (I CAN USUALLY PUT A PATTERN OUT 50 TO SEVENTY FIVE YARDS WITH ANY PISTOL ) I THEN DREW MY DESERT EAGLE .50 CAL AND SHOT THREE ROUNDS FINALLY DECAPITATING IT LIKE THE OTHER ONE UP TRAIL. I HAVE HIKED THESE MOUNTAINS FOR 25 YEARS AND ONLY RAN INTO ONE 13" RATTLESNAKE NOW IN ONE DAY RAN INTO A FIVE FOOTER AND A THREE FOOTER WAS UNBELIEVABLE EVERY THING HAPPENED SO FAST I DIDNT EVEN KNOW A TIME FRAME; MY WIFE HAD TOLD ME THE TIME FRAME I HONESTLY DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY ROUNDS I HAD SHOT AT THE FIRST SNAKE UNTIL THE GUN WAS EMPTY ON THE SECOND SNAKE OR HOW LONG IT WAS UNTIL I HAD GOT DOWN TO TIGGER I JUST KNEW I WAS'NT LETTING THOSE SNAKES GO TO MEET UP WITH SOMEONE ELSE I WAS SO IN DISBELIFE I FELT LIKE IT WAS ALL A DREAM UNTIL I AND MY WIFE WAS DIGGING A HOLE IN THE BACK YARD TO PUT HER IN, IT SUCKED SO BAD!. SHE WAS THE MOST BEHAVED AND OBEDIENT DOG I HAVE EVER OWNED, WE STILL HAVE KOA THE ONE FROM BRENDA AND HE KNOWS SOMEHOW, WHAT HAPPENED, HE IS SAD AS WE ARE; BUT HE ALWAYS HAD TIGGER TO PLAY WITH. WHAT WAS MOST AMAZING TO ME IS THE 911 OPERATER WAS TRYING TO HELP US THE BEST SHE COULD, BUT WHEN WE GOT TRANSFERRED TO THE EMERGENCY VET CLINIC (I'LL OMIT THEIR NAME TO SPARE THEM THE SHAME AND HUMILITY) THEY ACTED LIKE THEY DIDN'T EVEN CARE OR KNOW HOW TO HELP, ALL THEY SAID IS "YOU NEED TO GET HER TO A VET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND THE ONLY PLACE THAT HAS THE ANTI-VENOM IS THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH" JUST THINK IF THIS WAS YOUR DAUGHTER OR SON THERE IS NO ANTI-VENOM IN UTAH COUNTY HOW FAST THIS HAPPENED IF I HAD GOT BIT FROM THE SECOND SNAKE A HELICOPTER WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO GET TO ME THEN MY WIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN WITHOUT ME AND OUR DAUGHTER(TIGGER)< I AM GREATFUL HOWEVER TO HAVE MET A GUY NAMED HEATH UP TRAIL BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED, HE HAD HIS 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND EVEN YOUNGER SON WITH HIM, I MAY HAVE SAVED ONE OF THEIR LIVES BY BEING THE FIRST ONES DOWN THE TRAIL AND ELIMINATING THE TWO SNAKES, BUT A SNAKE THAT BIG HAS BEEN UP THERE FOR YEARS ITS BODY WAS AS BIG AS MY WRIST OR MORE. DON'T THINK THIS CAN'T HAPPEN TO YOU! MY FRIENDS WOULD ALWAYS THINK I WAS WEIRD FOR ALWAYS NEEDING TO HAVE MY GUN WITH ME, MAYBE THEY WILL UNDERSTAND NOW.
THANKS
DARRIN AND DANIELLE NIELSON
NIELSONBROSPLASMA@HOTMAIL.COM