I decided to be more specific... in my earlier post, I said I was turkey hunting. That is incorrect. I was quail hunting at Three Lakes Wildlife Management Area early that morning, and once we had finished, I removed my hunting clothes and boots and had every intention of taking a nap.
My father decided to scout an area just prior to turkey season, which had just been burned a month or so before. He had only been gone five minutes or so when I heard him yelling in the distance, "Snake!" I thought nothing of it an figured it to be a black racer which we see every day. Then I heard "INDIGO!" I took off through the burnt palmetto in sandals and shorts and when I got to where my father was I saw the snake.
Being a Missouri boy, I had never seen a snake in the wild quite that thick. I hesitated, then I picked it up gently using a stick I had broken off nearby.
I still can't describe my elation, after all of the snakes I have seen, kept, handled, or photographed - the indigo was more impressive to me than any snake I've ever seen or handled. I think about it everyday.
I've attached two more pictures of the encounter, one of my father, and one of the snake alone. You should also note that I dropped the stick and free handled the snake for about 15 minutes, gave it a kiss and then I placed it into the nearest gopher tortoise burrow and walked away...
One week later and about 100 yards from where I found the indigo I found a large eastern diamondback and got great shots of it as well, I'll post those another day.
To this day, after a full year of searching, I have yet to see another indigo. Although, not for a lack of trying - as I go look almost every weekend.
I hope I haven't bored anyone too much, I just love the story and tell it as often as I can in my educational programs and to just about anyone that will listen...
Take care,
Justin

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