ADHA Family Deer Day

[firehog]

ADHA Family Deer Day
At Forrest L. Wood
Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center
Jonesboro AR
July 9th, 2005. 9am to 3pm

--Fun for the whole family who enjoys the great outdoors and deer hunting.
--Enjoy the many displays throughout the nature center.
--Free Hot Dogs, Chips, and Drinks will be providing for all visitors.

9:00am-3:00pm
In cooperation with the AGFC, the Genesis Bow Shooting program will be on hand to introduce the youth to the sport of archery. The Air Rifle program will be there to educate the kids about firearms safety as well. The hunting simulator will be set up as well inside the nature building. Also a live SKUNK, descented of course

12:00 pm --Guest Speaker Matt Finley, of the Quality Deer Management Association, will be speaking on Arkansas Deer Management, and how QDM can help you with your private land management practices. Whether you hunt 30 acres or 1000 acres, QDM has a plan for you.

1:00 pm --Guest Speakers Cory Gray, Arkansas Game and Fish Deer Program Coordinator, and Local Region Biologist Lynn Fair will be speaking on the state deer management program, and will be available for questions or comments from the hunters.

Also on Hand
Forestry Commission
Local Wildlife Officer

Lee Lane--This should be a awesome event to listen about our state deer program and management, from Cory Gray as well as Quality Deer Management, Matt Finley on the private side. Got any legal regulation questions, we'll have Game Warden officer representation on hand, got a question on a forestry program or maybe interested in control burning for better native vegetation, the Forestry will be on hand to answer any question, or talk about any programs. Got a question on some local WMA in the NE Ark, Lynn Fair, local area biologist, will on hand.

Fun for the entire family to view the displays and the many things set up for the kids.

They actually have a theater, that tells about the history of the Crowleys Ridge, with lighting, and the seats shake, like a earthquake, and the the mist actually hits you in the face like a rain with a strong actual wind. All this while watching the movie. If you haven't seen this, its a must for all ages.

They have just about every animals represented thats from the ridge, I personally donated a 6'2" Copper head snake that was killed on the ridge. They have many live animals and fish, in the building.

We'll have free food and drinks, so come out and join us for the day, or just a minute either way.

[dspeakes]

I will be there. Looking forward to a great time. :thumb:

[Hill Farm Hunter]

Been passing the word around in Paragould. Plan on hitting the streets with some flyers in the morning. My 4 year old loves the Nature Center, especially the movie about how the ridge was formed. :thumb:

[CDay]

I will be there I think I am supposed to bring something

[deerhunter]

Looking forward to it myself and the nature center is a nice place for kids and adults alike. This should be a great time for all who attend. We are gonna have something for everyone so yall come on over and bring your friends and family......... :thumb:

[Hilltop]

Firehog, You said you donated a 6' 2" Copperhead. Is this a misprint or our Copperheads over here in N.W. Arkansas a lot smaller?

The longest Copperhead I have ever seen was about 4 feet long.

Six feet is one huge Copperhead.

Not doubting you just wondering.

[firehog]

Yes I am 6'2" and it is mounted in a s shape and it is to my head from tail to the floor, in a S shape. Its huge!!!! AGFC confirmed it was a copper head, and when it was killed back 1990 it was the largest they had ever seen. Right now, it is down in the meeting room, waiting to get some Taxidermy work on it, but sooon it will be in display. If you come I can show you the beast. Its bigger than any rattlesnake or water snake I have seen. I kept it at my cabin for years, but felt it desrved a spot in the nature center, and they accepted.

[Hilltop]

You may have a world record! I did a bit of research and the University of Georgia has some info. The biggest Copperhead they are aware of was 53 inches with most adults 36 inches or less. Your snake is a whole lot bigger...20 plus inches longer!

Congratulations, you have a trophy and the best part is the snake is dead!!

[firehog]

Your kidding...I must get my ole trusting tape out this weekend, and get the guys to measure it. I will display it, in the seminar room this weekend at the Family Deer Day. Most that see it are in complete awe of its size. I had to get it out of the cabin, due to my daughter hates being around it.

[WarblerWatcher]

That was a Northern Copperhead that went 53 inches. The record Southern Copperhead is/was only 52 inches! :thumb:

[firehog]

Roger that WW :thumb: I will have to put a tape to it, I have only stood it up to my face to get a measure, and it being mounted in bends, so I'm curious as to see how many inches, it really is. If I remember right, it has 2 to 3 bends, and it comes up to my chin, and I'm 6'2. I will get some pictures for you guys, and measure it. I am sure it has to be some kind of record in the snake world. I have never see a rattlesnake or anything as big as this.

[firehog]

Also the nature center has had it for about a year, and they were supposed to touch up the taxidermy on it, I have had it in the cabin for some years and it took its toll on the skin. So I guess I will have to take it somewhere to get it touched up.

[firehog]

Also we are gonna have a live albino fawn deer for the kids to see. Hope the the skunk likes deer. :thumb:

[reflex1]

Also we are gonna have a live albino fawn deer for the kids to see. Hope the the skunk likes deer. :thumb:

ONLY the kids git ta see it? :frown:

[firehog]

Kids and Reflex. Cause I know your still a kid at heart. :thumb:

No seriously all folks can see. Mr. Reflex you keep me on my toes.

[reflex1]

Thanks Lee for clearing that up! :cool:

[WarblerWatcher]

Firehog, You said you donated a 6' 2" Copperhead. Is this a misprint or our Copperheads over here in N.W. Arkansas a lot smaller?

The longest Copperhead I have ever seen was about 4 feet long.

Six feet is one huge Copperhead.

Not doubting you just wondering.Had a conversation with Kelly Irwin, AG&FC Herpatologists, who said just from looking at the photo's the snake could also possibly be a Diamondback Water Snake. A very very LARGE Diamondback Water Snake!

Even if this snake did turn out to be a Diamondback the record for those snakes is only around 63 inches, I think, so it would still be a record, as long as it wasn't stretched during the mounting process.... which he said is easy to determine.

I'm not any kind of herpatologist or snake expert of any kind but man that snake sure looks like a big ole copperhead to my untrained eyes!

Kelly did say his Diamondback "leaning" from viewing the photos was very preliminary and he would definately make a positive ID on it and let us know.

Anybody else besides me smellin' World Record here? http://www.arkansashunting.net/images/smilies/thumb.gif

[rjet]

I was thinking record also. Not much info but found these 2 lengths, these 2 arent even close.


Record length of copperhead snake
(Question asked on 10/19/2002 5:04:00 PM )

Thank you for your interest in Mississippi animals. The Museum does not keep official records of the lengths of snakes for each county. According to the Peterson Field Guide, the longest copperhead snake on record is 52 inches. The field guide does not state the location of this snake


Copperhead
The five varieties of copperhead snakes have pit viper characteristics and bands or hourglass markings of brown, copper, or red on a tan body. The 20- to 36-inch snakes have regional differences in color and size; the young have a bright-yellow tail tip. An unusually large copperhead was recorded at 56 inches in length

[firehog]

WW- that type of snake your talking about is non venomous. I don't think this snake is non- venomous, by the head shape.. I had one of the AGFC employees who is skilled in snake identification said it was a copper head, and I can't remember the name of that type of copper head he said it was. Its been over a year since he told me.
Also this snake was no where near any water, ditch, pond or lake when it was killed. And also wanted to add I didn't kill it, I got it at a auction from a neighbor who died and they had a estate sale. It was killed in the city limits of Jonesboro just down the road from where I used to live.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/firehog/MVC-584S.jpg

[MountainBuck]

I can't remember the name of that type of copper head he said it was.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v485/firehog/MVC-584S.jpg

Looks like UNO HUMONGOUS COPPERHEAD TO ME!!! Is that what the AGFC guy Called him?

[Trapper]

And also wanted to add I didn't kill it, I got it at a auction from a neighbor who died and they had a estate sale.

Just wondering, what does a snake like this set a guy back? lol

Now as far as it being a copperhead, when I first read about the 6' + length I wasn't too sure but looking at the pictures it sure looks like one to me. The g&f needs to get that herpatologists up there to make a 100% positive identification and then call Guinness. I agree with the other guys, that has got to be a world record. Haven't heard of one even close to this in size.

[WarblerWatcher]

WW- that type of snake your talking about is non venomous. I don't think this snake is non- venomous, by the head shape..
I think it's a Copperhead too firehog, even though I did a little reading on the non venomous Diamondback and learned it has a head shaped like a venomous snake.

I wanna stress that Kelly Irwin didn't categorically say it isn't a Copperhead. He simply said he couldn't say for certain it was a Copperhead by looking at those pictures because it also has the characteristics of a Diamondback Water Snake which gets closer to the size of your snake than does the Copperhead.

But he did say he would make a positive id on it. And whichever one it turns out to be I think it's gonna be a record. And no matter where you got it I think your name should go in the book as owner of a world record snake. http://www.arkansashunting.net/images/smilies/thumb.gif

[firehog]

WW I don't really care about all that stuff. I don't think they got records for snakes do they.

You never guess what it set me back on, take a guess.

And I will tell you the story, I am at the estate sale and I look the stuff over through the house. I go into the basement, and there is this snake on the wall. So I decide I want it, not really knowing what it was and being much more interested in other items. As the day progresses, I am waiting, for them to get into the basement, and something happens I have to go outside, and they sale the snake to a ladie. So after the auction, I am walking to the truck, and this guy comes up to me, and say your the one that wanted that snake, and I say yes, he says the ladie that bought it doesn't want it. So I go back in, and buy the snake. She said she thought her nephew wanted it but he didn't. So I thought hey it would be good to hang up at the cabin, and that is where it stayed for some years. Then the heat of the uninsulated cabin started to take its toll, on it. So I knew I couldn't keep it at home or the cabin, so I thought about the new nature center, and that is where it is today.

There was a ladie at the auction who was friends with the guy, and she said she was there the day this guy killed it, and they took it to the AGFC and they said it was a copper head, and the largest they had ever seen. I never really paid much attention to it, until after I got it, that it wasn't a rattle snake, or a cotton mouth. The nature center guy, who has dealt with many snakes said it was a certain kind of copper head, can't remember what.

It is really fragile now, it needs some attention pretty soon. The nature center said they were gonna get it fixed but they haven't done it yet. I may get it fixed if they are not gonna do it.

Oh I paid $7.00 bucks for it and she made I think $3.00 bucks on it.