I have been rescuing snakes in southern Ohio for as long as I've been able to talk; Mainly to the influence of my father, who is practically a professional at catching and calming wild snakes. He has never used gloves nor hooks, saves every snake he sees from road ways and trails, and has not been bit in over thirty years, and still at it! We have caught Copper Heads, and are hoping to one day rescue an Eastern Rattler. I myself have never been bitten by a venomous snake, but once by a common Water Snake, who a friend had said was a Copper Head in his barn. This is a very common misconception; especially if you see a 'Copper Head' swimming, it is most likely a common Water Snake, as Copper Heads can swim, but are not very water oriented. It is much more likely to see the common Water Snake swimming, and it can be difficult to tell the two apart.
