The only person I’ve ever known who’s been bitten by a rattlesnake was holding my hand when it happened.

About noon on Labor Day, my daughter Haley and I were checking on my evil mother-in-law’s dog to make sure he had enough food and water for the day. As we walked hand-in-hand along the driveway, Haley suddenly jumped into the air and kicked one of her legs — which didn’t seem that unusual a move for a high-energy 8-year-old kid.

But as she landed, she said something quite unusual. “Daddy, a snake just hit my leg.” I looked at where she was pointing and knew she had been kissed by the business end of a snake, as I watched a bead of blood appear on her ankle, then another puncture wound an inch or so from the first. The rattler, by this time, was slithering out of sight — and while I wanted to go after it, my job was to tend to Haley’s wounds.

I knew that pain and swelling usually occur almost immediately after a rattlesnake bite, but occasionally the effects are delayed. So after washing the wound and applying some antibiotic cream, we decided to get her checked out by a doctor despite her lack of symptoms.

After an exam and some observation time, the medical team determined that she had received a “dry bite” — meaning that little or no venom had been delivered. Maybe it was because of her karate-like reaction, or perhaps the snake was just trying to get away while it still had its rattles intact.

What kept bothering me was that I had walked right up on a rattlesnake without seeing it. I’m supposed to be better than that. The snake was in short grass with a few leaves and twigs, so spotting it should have been easy. It wasn’t like we were walking through fallen timber or waist-high brush.

But the fact is that rattlesnakes are well-camouflaged, and they’re especially hard to see if you’re not actually looking for them. I’ve seen more snakes than most people have had birthdays, and I’ve come too close more times than I’d like to remember.

Throughout the whole ordeal, Haley never panicked, didn’t cry, and she hasn’t been bothered by it since. In fact, she’s enjoying her new nickname. She understands, though, how fortunate she is to have gotten through a rattlesnake bite with less pain and suffering than if she had stepped into a fire ant mound.

Venomous snakes are serious business, and as more hunters go into the fields this fall, it’s inevitable that people will encounter them. Check out the Centex Outdoors website for information about what to do if a viper sinks its fangs into you.

Fairfield loses 1.2M fish

Texas Parks & Wildlife biologist Richard Ott reported that a major fish kill occurred late last month at Lake Fairfield that involved more than 1.2 million fish, according to TPWD estimates.

The majority of the fish by number were shad and tilapia, but also included sunfish and carp. A substantial number of game fish were also killed in this event, including roughly 28,000 red drum; 50,000 largemouth bass; 1,500 channel catfish and 300 flathead catfish.

Fish kills also occurred on Fairfield in 2008 and 2009.

www.centexoutdoors.com

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