Years ago during the summer I was marking a large track of timber for thinning. It was thick and bordered a swamp. We would start at daylight and knock off once it got too hot. We would leave the truck for our line with a full paint back on our back, wand, and as much paint as you could carry. This prevented you from coming back and forth to the truck as often. I had been doing this job for several months but on the first day of this track it dawned on me that I hadn't seen the first snake. I admit it got in my head a little bit. In an rather open area I saw him just an old tree snake of some kind. I was relieved marked him with paint and went on about my business. I eventually returned to the truck and replenished my paint and moved into a dramatically thicker area. I was forced to squat down and the limbs were hanging on my paint back. My hands were full carrying cans of paint. I pushed through when I noticed deer droppings. My first thought was I had spooked the deer. Then I noticed the large rattler coiling up between my feet. With knees bent and at risk of being bit above my snake chaps I launched myself backwards. When I hit the ground the paint pack hit me in the back of the head dazing me a little. I got a pretty good knot on the back of the head. I came back to my feet and shot it unloading my .22 on it. The other guys started hollering and I did the same. They thought I said I was snake bit. Anyway the first guy reached me sized up the situation. He stepped on the snake's head then cut it off throwing the body at me. I'm sure everyone got a good chuckle. I collected myself and went back to work. Don't know how I didn't get bit. Snake wasn't interested I guess.
