It was really hot on Saturday and at the Ancient Lakes, there isn't many places to get away from the heat. After dinner it cooled down quite a bit and the scouts wanted to play Capture the Flag. The adults were exhausted from the heat so we stayed in camp. That was mistake #1.
A couple of years ago, we had seen rattlesnakes in this area. When it cools down, the snakes come out. The boys knew this but they found a field to play on that didn't have many rocks so they thought they wouldn't see many snakes. Half way through the game, one of the boys found a snake. Instead of running away, he decides to use it as armour so he can go get the other guys flag without anyone getting near him. Mistake #2.
Luckily the rest of the boys yelled that it was a bad idea to run with a "diamondback". Unfortunately, another boy decides that this snake must die and pounds it with a stick. Mistake #3.
The snake is stunned and the boys think it is dead. They then pick it up with a stick and decide to bring it back to camp and show the adults. Mistake #4.
About this time, I head over to the field to check up on the guys. They show me the "dead" snake that they "found dead". After taking a couple of pictures, it looks to me like it is alive. They set it on the ground and it tries to slither away. One of the scout masters says it is a bull snake AKA gopher snake which isn't venemous but that doesn't mean it isn't the stupidist stunt that I have seen this troop involved in.
