Do you know what to do if you get bitten by a snake? Do you know how to survive a snake bite when hunting in the woods? There are many dangers when hunting in the woods, hiking, fishing, climbing, camping, or just engaging in outdoor activities.
There are many poisonous snakes in the United States and worldwide whose bite can be fatal. Knowing what to do when bitten by a poisonous snake can be the difference between life and death. In this article, we discuss some of the tips to help you survive a snake bite.
- Sit Down
If you get bitten by a snake, the first thing to do is to move backward with your eyes on the snake and find a safe spot to sit down. Sit down to try and relax yourself as this will slow down the circulation of the venom in your body.
If you get bitten by a snake, the normal reaction is to panic and get stressed. Try to calm yourself down as what you do in the next 30 – 45 minutes can be very crucial to your survival.
As much as possible, try to remember the color of the snake and its shape. This information will help the medical team identify the snake and apply the right anti-venom to treat you. This information can save your life. - Circle the Area
After you have found a safe spot to sit down, find something to circle the spot where the snake bit you. Use a pen, marker, or even a dull stone to circle the area. Additionally, write down the time you got bitten by the snake.
Try to estimate the time if you don’t have a watch or cell phone. But this information is also very important as it helps the medical team determine how far the venom has circulated into your body. - Remove Jewelry
Quickly remove any jewelry from your fingers, neck or other parts of your body. Watches, rings, bracelets, chains and other jewelry can easily get stuck on your body as it starts to swell up. With your body swelling up, jewelry on your body can start to serve as tourniquet which is not a good thing. They can also become very difficult to remove as your body gets swollen up. Try to remove jewelry as soon as possible - Call For Medical Help
Things will start to develop fast after a snake bite and you need to call for medical help as soon as possible. After securing a safe spot to sit and relax, immediately call for medical help if you have your cell phone if you are part of a team, someone in the team can call for medical help while you remove jewelry, circle the spot and try to calm down. How soon you call for medical help and how soon you get treatment is crucial to a full recovery.
Don’t Take Any Medication
This may surprise you, but don’t take any medication. No pain killers or any medication to relax you. Even if you have a medical condition that may be worsen by the snake bite, do not take any medication.
If you have others with you and they are suggesting that you take some medication to ease the pain or relax, don’t do it. You never know what complications can arise from taking any medication after a snake bite.
It will be easier for the medics to treat you for a complete recovery with the information they can gather from you then if it is complicated by you taking some medication. The color of the snake, the time of the bite and other information can help to quickly treat you. Most medics know the poisonous snakes that are in an area or can quickly get that information by one call to their headquarters.
Conclusion
The danger of getting bitten by a poisonous snake when hunting, camping, hiking, climbing, fishing, or engaging in other outdoor activities is very high.
There are some things that you can do if you are bitten by a snake which can help to get you treatment for a complete recovery. In this article, we shared tips to help you survive a snake bite. You can get more information on surviving snake bites from the hunting terrain.
