I was in the swamp once and had that "feeling" - stopped - looked all around - listened real carefully - saw/heard nothing.... just when I thought it was ok, glanced overhead and on the tree branch a foot above me was the biggest snake I'd ever seen - gut about 10" thick from the rabbit he'd swallowed. I still have flashbacks from it.

Used to walk 6' deep x 4' wide drainage ditches with underbrush growing from the sides - don't know why I did that except they were there - once came face-to-face with a copperhead and didn't walk drainage ditches any more.

I've had moccasins drop in the canoe while floating down the river - nothing like jumping out of the boat into their domain, flippin' em outta the canoe with a paddle into the water with you and then scrambling back into the canoe.... think it was the only time I could walk on water.

It's also a lot of fun to leave a wooden john boat pulled halfway out of a pond and go back next week to go fishing... as you push the boat back into the water and just about to jump in, there'll often be a moccasin where the boat was - trying to get into the fish well through the holes in the bottom that flood the well - but as now you've moved toward the water (pushing the boat) and the boat moves away you're standing nearly on top of the snake you couldn't see until it's in your face - amazing how quickly you can jump in a boat. Apparently they smell the odor from the fish well and think they can get an easy meal. I've even found them inside the fish well - nasty surprise.... heard of one fellow that just about beat his boat to pieces with the paddle trying to kill a snake. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/baby.gif" alt="" />

Frank