Sunday, May 3, 2015

{Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Re: SNP - Wildlife and safety

Despite NPS using the term "poisonous" to describe what are actually venomous snakes, I think they've done a good job providing a very brief warning on their website:

http://www.nps.gov/shen/planyourvisit/your-safety.htm

Black bears are generally fairly shy and avoid people -- carrying bear spray (capsaicin is an EPA registered pesticide by the way) is really not necessary.  

Snakes, including the pit viper species native to this region, are equally shy and are not inclined to strike things that they're incapable of eating.  Venom serves several functions, one of which is actually to 'sanitize' the nasty gut flora of rodents (at least for the local pit vipers, which generally eat warm-blooded prey at some point in their lives).  

When you finish reading this thread, consider how much more likely you are to be killed driving on I-495 or 66 or simply waiting for a scrapple sandwich or half-smoke anywhere in NE, and don't worry about fishing in SNP.  

Gene

On Saturday, May 2, 2015 at 10:18:02 PM UTC-4, Gadsden Merrill wrote:
I second the copperhead warning.  Those things have scared me so bad that I've fallen backwards off a rock and landed head first (didn't break the rod though!).

When you go to step over a log or rock, definitely step close to the near side then step way past the far side cause you never know what's behind it.

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