Here's strange one

[clovishound]

Went out early this morning to take pictures at a local swamp. After I'd been there an hour or so I suddenly noticed my thumb felt stiff. Incredibly swiftly it became very swollen and black and blue. I thought I'd been bitten by a spider and so packed up and headed for the car. On the way back to town I decided to head by the local doc in the box. Thought better of that and headed to the stand alone ER a couple blocks from my house. Doc thinks I was bitten by a snake. Fortunately, it didn't swell up that badly, and the swelling started going down while I was there under observation. In the end she wondered if I had actually been snakebitten, but there was nothing else she or I could think of that would match the symptoms. I suppose it could have been a nearly dry bite.

Shortly before my thumb started swelling, I was squatting down taking some lower angle pictures. When it was time to stand up, I put my left hand down on the pine needle litter to help my self standing up. That's when I think he got me, if he got me.

Being bitten by a snake makes for a good story. Possibly being bitten by a snake, not so much.

Anyway, managed to get a couple decent pics.

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[Cowboy Gun Fan]

Great pictures.

Good that you went to the ER, just to make sure.

[BigAl52]

Nice pics. Glad you are ok. Postcard quality there love the owl shot

[Sir Henry]

Fantastic photography! Sorry about the bite.

[daytime dave]

Too bad about the snake, but great photographs.

[Hatchdog]

Hey hound, thanks for sacrificing your thumb to provide us with more awesome pictures.

[clovishound]

Nice pics. Glad you are ok. Postcard quality there love the owl shot

When I first showed up, I didn't know if things were going to work out as it was starting to mist rain and light levels were very low. Since I was there I thought I would at least give it a try, and before I was a couple dozen steps from the car the owl fly up and perched. I stopped farther away than I would have liked to get a few insurance shots before moving closer. After a couple shots, I gently picked up the tripod to creep forward, and he took off. After that, I was determined to stick around unless it started to rain heavily. Fortunately, I had a homemade camera raincoat with me that worked quite well.

In other news, swelling is down this morning, and it's just a little stiff, but still black and blue.

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[cooperhawk]

My vote would be a spider got you. I was picking tomatoes a few years ago in Virginia and when I
reached into the vine something got me. I didn't know it at the time but my arm started aching
after I went to work, so I went to see the nurse. She saw the two fang holes and shrieked, "Snake!".
So they sent me to the Emergency Room where a doctor measured the distance between the fang
holes and said it was a small one and wouldn't kill me. So I went home and for 24 hours was really sick
and aching. Not fun. I think it was a small copperhead.
I've had spider bites that reacted similar to what you experienced.

[clovishound]

Well, now I'm in a strange place. This won't keep me out of the woods for either hunting or photography, but I must admit it has me to thinking. My first reaction is to go buy a pair of snake boots and wear them whenever I go places likely to harbor snakes. I know, in my area a trip to the local store or my backyard would likely qualify, but I'm talking more along the lines of woods and swamps. I also think I'll be much more careful about putting my hand on the ground when there is leaf litter, or other hiding places where my hand will be.

All this is probably over reaction. I used to not think twice about hopping in the water where I was close to moccasins and gators, and have had to out swim moccasins more than once. I suppose the old adage, once bitten, twice shy is true.

[fortyshooter]

My trails down to the creek are covered in leaves and I always keep a good look around when walking along or picking something up. You never know what might be lurking in that stuff. Haven't seen any copperheads around there yet and hope I don't even though I know they are around.