Strange Visitor Watching My Flight

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Ever have someone sneak up on you while you're flying? I was flying my P3S yesterday and was coming in to land when I saw a lump behind and to the side of me. I turned to look, and there was a snapping turtle getting some sun! I say it was watching my flight because as I was landing (far from it), it watched the whole time.

I packed my drone away and it went on it's way crossing the field. Darn things are kinda fast!
 

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I was flying near a lake and paying lots of attention to my drone and my small phone screen. I did not even see the Bald Eagle that landed in the tree to my left and slightly behind me until I flew my drone in for a landing and looked up and saw it. After I got home and while editing the video, I found I had videoed it catching a fish, passing far below the drone and landing in the tree.
 
I was flying near a lake and paying lots of attention to my drone and my small phone screen. I did not even see the Bald Eagle that landed in the tree to my left and slightly behind me until I flew my drone in for a landing and looked up and saw it. After I got home and while editing the video, I found I had videoed it catching a fish, passing far below the drone and landing in the tree.
I'd love to get a shot of that!
 
I wasn’t flying but was fishing while standing in some waist/ chest high reeds and felt a belt across my head. I got a scare because there was no way anyone or anything could sneak through the reeds. Dancing like a fool looking this way then that way thinking must have been a ghost! Happened to look up and there was a barn owl ogling me from above. Must have thought the woolly bunnet could have made a good liner for the nest. No damage to the dome but the breeks needed a good check when I got home. ??
 
Left my Phantom 4 Pro on the Rocks on the lake to get some food and when I came back there was a Huge 60 inch Rat Snake a few feet from the drone, Ruined my meal, Ruined how I feel about siting on the Rocks Flying my drone over the lake,

I guess the City where I live released hundreds of these snakes to solve the Rat Problem, and never told me, UGH No picture needed.

Some fisherman saw my Predictament and my terror and picked it up by its tail and smashed it into the rocks.

Fisherman are fearless.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly your Drone in and out of the storm.
 
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Some fisherman saw my Predictament and my terror and picked it up by its tail and smashed it into the rocks.
Aaaw!! Rat Snakes are harmless and do a lot by way of mice and rat control. <-- This is my Mirkey when he was a pup. He's a Grey Rat Snake, about 6' now and just wants a snuggle every now and then. He even takes hand fed and never so much as given me a nip. Well once he mis-judged a strike and caught my hand but spat me out when he realised I was inedible. No damage. ;)

I understand some peoples phobias but if there is a chance of seeing one on your travels try to understand that they are more afraid of you and not the savage beasts as portrayed in Snakes on a Plane!

Even a 5' Mexican Black Kingsnake can't do much in the way of serious damage, although not for the want of trying. They are called King Snake for a reason. This is Fester being a little over ambitious when peckish. :)

I'm not trying to scare you or act the hero. I'm trying to show that even a fairly large snake can't do much harm unless you are close up to it. Meaning 2 or 3 feet. This obviously applies to non-venomous snakes. Best to learn a little identification and just avoid them. But please, please, don't kill them because of your fear. Believe me they are fascinating creatures and will not hunt you down and eat you.
 
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Aaaw!! Rat Snakes are harmless and do a lot by way of mice and rat control. <-- This is my Mirkey when he was a pup. He's a Grey Rat Snake, about 6' now and just wants a snuggle every now and then. He even takes hand fed and never so much as given me a nip. Well once he mis-judged a strike and caught my hand but spat me out when he realised I was inedible. No damage. ;)

I understand some peoples phobias but if there is a chance of seeing one on your travels try to understand that they are more afraid of you and not the savage beasts as portrayed in Snakes on a Plane!

Even a 5' Mexican Black Kingsnake can't do much in the way of serious damage, although not for the want of trying. They are called King Snake for a reason. This is Fester being a little over ambitious when peckish. :)

I'm not trying to scare you or act the hero. I'm trying to show that even a fairly large snake can't do much harm unless you are close up to it. Meaning 2 or 3 feet. This obviously applies to non-venomous snakes. Best to learn a little identification and just avoid them. But please, please, don't kill them because of your fear. Believe me they are fascinating creatures and will not hunt you down and eat you.

Me not kill me run as I did not know what it was , but fisherman dont like them. lol
 
But I'm a fisherman as well. :)

Don't run, a trip and broken hip can't be blamed on a little wiggler.

No, but seriously. Have a look at one in a vivarium where it won't be able to get near you. There is probably a petshop or maybe a "Petting Zoo" where you could safely get to know them. Even one in the wild. Have a stick to gently steer it if it comes too close. It is more likely to crawl away muttering to itself about those pesky drone vibes disturbing its siesta! :p
 
But I'm a fisherman as well. :)

Don't run, a trip and broken hip can't be blamed on a little wiggler.

No, but seriously. Have a look at one in a vivarium where it won't be able to get near you. There is probably a petshop or maybe a "Petting Zoo" where you could safely get to know them. Even one in the wild. Have a stick to gently steer it if it comes too close. It is more likely to crawl away muttering to itself about those pesky drone vibes disturbing its siesta! :p
But I'm a fisherman as well. :)

Don't run, a trip and broken hip can't be blamed on a little wiggler.

No, but seriously. Have a look at one in a vivarium where it won't be able to get near you. There is probably a petshop or maybe a "Petting Zoo" where you could safely get to know them. Even one in the wild. Have a stick to gently steer it if it comes too close. It is more likely to crawl away muttering to itself about those pesky drone vibes disturbing its siesta! :p

Noted ! this explains why they released hundreds of them out on the rock , as my head was spinning when this guy was telling me this, do they dont have any fangs >
 
No, no fangs. Only venomous snakes have fangs. Rat snakes, corn snakes, even the MBK above suckling on my finger only have very short "teeth". The teeth such as they are are just back slanting grippers to hold whatever prey they catch. Imagine a piece of standard 1/2" wide velcro (hook & loop) doubled and folded over. Or a strip of 400 grit sand-paper. Then using your thumb and forefinger give any part of your hand or arm a good pinch. That is about as close an example of a moderately sized snake nip will feel like. It barely breaks the skin to draw blood and the Warfarin I take means I bruise quite easily. Honestly, a gerbil can tear more lumps out of your hand, bite deeper and really draw blood. :)
 
View attachment 111613
Aaaw!! Rat Snakes are harmless and do a lot by way of mice and rat control. <-- This is my Mirkey when he was a pup. He's a Grey Rat Snake, about 6' now and just wants a snuggle every now and then. He even takes hand fed and never so much as given me a nip. Well once he mis-judged a strike and caught my hand but spat me out when he realised I was inedible. No damage. ;)

I understand some peoples phobias but if there is a chance of seeing one on your travels try to understand that they are more afraid of you and not the savage beasts as portrayed in Snakes on a Plane!

Even a 5' Mexican Black Kingsnake can't do much in the way of serious damage, although not for the want of trying. They are called King Snake for a reason. This is Fester being a little over ambitious when peckish. :)

I'm not trying to scare you or act the hero. I'm trying to show that even a fairly large snake can't do much harm unless you are close up to it. Meaning 2 or 3 feet. This obviously applies to non-venomous snakes. Best to learn a little identification and just avoid them. But please, please, don't kill them because of your fear. Believe me they are fascinating creatures and will not hunt you down and eat you.
Now that's cool,not many snakes here so that freaky to see,,watch those fingers
20190529_111752.jpg
 
But please, please, don't kill them because of your fear.
When I first moved to Arizona we had a guy that took care of the grounds and he used to kill Rattlers. I am pretty close to phobic by couldn't let that go on so i made a little PVC snake stick and started relocating them. I became the snake guy to call even though i was scared of them. Moved 12 Rattlers one year. Mostly Coon-Tails
 

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