Camping & Critters

[h886]

Originally Posted by wedmiston

h886 - You are correct we are looking out at that area to live, but i suspect camping would take us out further. Reason I ask - Wife is a reluctant camper to begin with; I throw in a few snake sightings or Tarantulas in our tent and camping will be over.....forever. Personally, I am pretty savvy about walking and avoiding snake lairs. It's the creepy crawly nature of the spiders and scorpions that sends shivers up my spine.

In the end, I know much of it comes down to common sense (don't stick you hand in dark crevices or woodpiles, keep your garage clean of webs). What I want to get a handle on is how present these things are in everyday living (ie., if one lives in Spicewood (or anywhere that is a bit more rural) is it not uncommon to walk out into your yard and occassionally encounter a snake? For us that would be a concern as we have two dogs we would like to run around. How often do you find a scorpion scurrying across your kitchen floor?

Ps - thanks to you both for great responses so far!

I haven't seen any in the tent, but when we would hike during the day, we'd definitely come across the snakes on some trips. It depends what time of year, I think. Some trips we see nothing. Another friend who lives west of town does find tarantulas in the house probably 3-4 times a year, but they live in a heavily wooded area. Scorpions--my friend who lives in Spicewood seems to find them regularly in her house (at least from the stories they seem regular--they sneak in there looking for water) and tells of seeing rattlesnakes regularly (one every other month or so) in the yard while out watering or gardening. She's never been bitten by a rattlesnake, though, so as long as you're observant, you should be fine.

So, areas that are more rural may see more in the way of wildlife, but if it makes you feel better, most people can get used to it. Every place has something to contend with, whether it's bears or snakes or earthquakes. You can make sure to have the house thoroughly sealed. You can exterminate thoroughly and regularly. You can wear shoes in the yard and watch where you step. Or, if your wife is really scared, you could also get a place in a neighborhood in town that doesn't back to a greenbelt and you'd likely see almost nothing.

[wedmiston]

We have our sights set on (if we decide to move there) being outside the standard, cookie cutter suburbia. We're a bit older (mid 40's and 50's), and have no kids or school issues, so we are looking at this as a "final stage" move to transition us into retirement without having to move again. She works from home, so I'm the only one commuting. That said, we like the hill country, more privacy, maybe a tad more land than just a yard (half acre would suffice), and ideally, a nice lake we can enjoy - thus explaining why we are focused on the general Lake Travis area and the condition of the lake.

I am actually contemplating a last minute (as in next weekend) trip there again to see for myself how the lake looks and refresh my memory of the area before we pull the trigger one way or another.

[Trainwreck20]

to see for myself how the lake looks

You mean the little puddle that is left during the current drought?

[jdrtx]

Why don't you try California state parks?

[jdrtx]

One year I saw thousands of tarantulas crossing the highway near Gonzales, the road was black , crawling with spiders. But the worst thing to watch out for is coral snakes, small bites but their venom is very toxic.

[chuck_steak]

Originally Posted by cBach

I camp at least a half dozen times a year, mostly in the spring and fall and I had yet to see a scorpion or a snake enter a tent. It is a non-factor.

This year, with the drought, there are zero mosquitoes - I don't even need insect repellant when I camp.

This should not be a concern for you.

Hey, hadn't thought about that! Maybe the mosquitos will go away permanently!

[Trainwreck20]

But the worst thing to watch out for is coral snakes, small bites but their venom is very toxic.

There have been two recorded coral snake caused deaths in the last 45 years. The last was in Florida, and the article about it starts out....

When the coral snake slithered among them a couple hours before dusk Saturday, the men had been sitting around drinking long-neck bottles of Budweiser

The coral snakes that I have seen around here have all been fairly small (not the big ones you see in Fl); also, there is an anti-venom now, and the coral snake venom is very slow acting, so even if you get bit (and actually envenomed), you have potentially several hours to get to treatment.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by wedmiston

h886 - You are correct we are looking out at that area to live, but i suspect camping would take us out further. Reason I ask - Wife is a reluctant camper to begin with; I throw in a few snake sightings or Tarantulas in our tent and camping will be over.....forever. Personally, I am pretty savvy about walking and avoiding snake lairs. It's the creepy crawly nature of the spiders and scorpions that sends shivers up my spine.

In the end, I know much of it comes down to common sense (don't stick you hand in dark crevices or woodpiles, keep your garage clean of webs). What I want to get a handle on is how present these things are in everyday living (ie., if one lives in Spicewood (or anywhere that is a bit more rural) is it not uncommon to walk out into your yard and occassionally encounter a snake? For us that would be a concern as we have two dogs we would like to run around. How often do you find a scorpion scurrying across your kitchen floor?

Ps - thanks to you both for great responses so far!

I live on the greenbelt and have had 3 scorpions in my house over 10 years. 2 were in the first year right after construction. Never seen one outside though. We have seen one tarantula walking across the driveway. Havent seen any snakes ever - would be cool though.

I always keep my tent zipped so the zipper ends up towards the top. Bugs simply cannot get in. Fire ants are the biggest nuisance and they arent scary but they are annoying.

[Jink]

I ran into a rattlesnake on my biking trail ride yesterday. This was in Harker Heights, TX. Scared the bejesus out of me.