I've come across this twice growing up in the country.To see it is to believe it.
I was around 14 at the time and it was early spring in Southern Ontario.In the early spring we whould go out to spear northern pike in the drainage ditches as it was their spawning time.
The ditches are fed by field run-off and drain eventually in to the Detroit River.The spawn run only lasts a week or so .
This spring was an exceptional cold and very wet one.The fields were mostly flooded and the ditches were really running high at flood level.The morning was cold and foggy and it had rained all night.I decided to go out spearing and give it a shot anyways.I put my chest waders on and water proof parka, grabbed my spear and off I went.
I decided to hike to an area behind our home that was always a good area to spear pike . If all went good we whould have Pike for supper -I hoped.The fields were too flooded to cross so I stayed on a tractor path for about a mile or two. I then reached a small bridge and decided to cut across an area of field that hadn't been plowed in the fall.
The area was higher than most of the surrounding fields and was not flooded out. The field was covered in scrub weeds with open areas of dried out grasses which were lying flat from the winter snow which had melted away.
My boots felt like they weighed a ton each - covered in mud - it made for a very slow walk across this area. I noticed a garter snake in a dry weed, hanging in the branches. The more I walked, the more snakes I began to see. I decided, since I'm not too fond of them - to keep going, and get to my fishing area as soon as possible. I then realized that I was not the only one heading to the high ground. Fox snakes, corn snakes, black water snakes, and hundreds of Eastern garter snakes were heading the same way I was!
They seemed oblivious to my presence as they slithered across my boots. Then I saw something unbelievable! There was a ball the size of a large beach ball, moving slowly about. It was made up entirely of snakes. They were all entwined together, more approaching the ball from all directions!
To this day I guess I was fortunate to witness nature in all her glory! I watched this moving mass for about 5 minutes as it seemed to slowly move back and forth. I then beat a hasty retreat back the way I'd come and decided to pack the fishing in for the day!! The exact number I'll never know, but there had to be hundreds of snakes of all types and sizes!!
When I got home I went to the farmer next door and told my story. He told me due to the flooding and cold the snakes do this to keep warm and dry in early spring.
To see it is to believe it!!
Jim
I was around 14 at the time and it was early spring in Southern Ontario.In the early spring we whould go out to spear northern pike in the drainage ditches as it was their spawning time.
The ditches are fed by field run-off and drain eventually in to the Detroit River.The spawn run only lasts a week or so .
This spring was an exceptional cold and very wet one.The fields were mostly flooded and the ditches were really running high at flood level.The morning was cold and foggy and it had rained all night.I decided to go out spearing and give it a shot anyways.I put my chest waders on and water proof parka, grabbed my spear and off I went.
I decided to hike to an area behind our home that was always a good area to spear pike . If all went good we whould have Pike for supper -I hoped.The fields were too flooded to cross so I stayed on a tractor path for about a mile or two. I then reached a small bridge and decided to cut across an area of field that hadn't been plowed in the fall.
The area was higher than most of the surrounding fields and was not flooded out. The field was covered in scrub weeds with open areas of dried out grasses which were lying flat from the winter snow which had melted away.
My boots felt like they weighed a ton each - covered in mud - it made for a very slow walk across this area. I noticed a garter snake in a dry weed, hanging in the branches. The more I walked, the more snakes I began to see. I decided, since I'm not too fond of them - to keep going, and get to my fishing area as soon as possible. I then realized that I was not the only one heading to the high ground. Fox snakes, corn snakes, black water snakes, and hundreds of Eastern garter snakes were heading the same way I was!
They seemed oblivious to my presence as they slithered across my boots. Then I saw something unbelievable! There was a ball the size of a large beach ball, moving slowly about. It was made up entirely of snakes. They were all entwined together, more approaching the ball from all directions!
To this day I guess I was fortunate to witness nature in all her glory! I watched this moving mass for about 5 minutes as it seemed to slowly move back and forth. I then beat a hasty retreat back the way I'd come and decided to pack the fishing in for the day!! The exact number I'll never know, but there had to be hundreds of snakes of all types and sizes!!
When I got home I went to the farmer next door and told my story. He told me due to the flooding and cold the snakes do this to keep warm and dry in early spring.
To see it is to believe it!!
Jim
I wouldn't worry about it Jimbo......Rob's got your back !
Great post !!
I run from just one! 
