What type of precautions do you take for cottonmouths, gators when entering the water. I think I would be concerned every time I stepped into a river, stream, or pool of water.

With snakes you'll have waders on so legs pretty protected. Just don't let them climb in the boots with you.
Keep your eyes peeled and watch where you place your hands.
Gators not common this far north in Arkansas. My only advice on those would be to make sure you're "prayed" up!

When using snares if the snare is under water and you are not able to see whats on it, run your potato rake down the cable so you can control which way the rising animal can go.

Wear hip boots for cottonmouths and watch where you put your hands,, especially on dams. Keep your eyes peeled and especially around dams. We don't have many gators where I am but we are not 100% gatorless either.

Rickey

We don't worry about snakes. If we did we'd never leave the porch.

Like others said, you learn to keep a sharp eye and never put a body part in harms way. Most all of us got the sense to carry a tater rake, garden hoe or peeled stick at a minimum. Those get used, alot.

Gators are a whole 'nother story. Lots of reconnaissance of the water and learning them by name. Seriously gators tend to have prefered hang outs. You learn where to expect one and plan accordingly. An extra set of eyes is always nice.

Only the odd gator here, but the snake population is as high as anywhere in the south since more rivers converge here than anywhere in the U.S....Grew up in a cypress swamp near a major river, with many creeks and sloughs nearby.

Forget leggings, waders, etc. for snake protection, they're not worth the trouble.

Just watch where you step, also watch at eye level because they love to stretch out and sun in above ground brush...You can literally walk through large numbers of snakes and not get bit if you move slow and fluid.

If a nearby snake coils on you, lean your body away from it and begin a fall or tip yourself in the opposite direction, and simultaneously jump to give yourself some fast separation and avoid the strike, then roll to break the fall...Don't laugh, it works, and your not fast enough to flag your movement by moving a leg, then step away from a coiled snake if your in range, and it's determined to strike.

If by chance you fall on another snake while performing the maneuver above, you will be amazed at how good of a dancer you truly are, Lol.

Knock on wood, I've never been bit yet, but most everyone else around here has....Be careful out there.

I would love to see a live demo of this maneuver with a fake snake.

LOL, Come to to Kentucky and we will go on a snake safari you will never forget, and I'll show you firsthand with a real snake ...As far as getting any live demo footage of me looking stupid with a plastic snake ..."Momma didn't raise no fool" Lol.

Go to YouTube and type in "Evan Coppage cottonmouth research".. .This is near my home, and will give you some idea of the snake density....900 caught in 3 weeks if memory serves me correctly.

Walk slow and keep your eyes open. I like to carry my potato rake with me also

Most cottonmouths avoid confrontation and most gators are just curious...just don’t turn your back on either one. Most snakes on the limbs or overhangs are nonvenomous water snakes. About the only gators you need to worry about are those nesting or raising young. Like I tell everyone, if you’ve swam in a lake or river down here then you’ve swam with gators. Just like the beach, if you’ve swam in the ocean, you’ve swam with sharks.

Keep an eye out for these.

Aint a pond here that does not have a gator in it. I tend to ignore them usually. Just the ones that eye up my docks get a tap on the nose with a boat hook and a couple of times doing that teaches them quick to stay away. As far as snakes go, on rare occasion I carry a golf bat stick with me where I have cut of the lump at the end and glued in a paint roller. Makes a pretty good snake hook and it relatively light to carry. Until my left heel started to play up I was mostly in flip flops or barefoot and don't even own wellingtons , let alone hip waders. Thinking about those ..... they would kill you when you take them off after wearing them a few hours in these temps. You would be happy to get bit by a snake to take yer mind of the smell.

A face only a mother can love.

When I was growing up in eastern Arkansas I had to be careful walking in the dark, walking through weeds or stepping over logs. Cottonmouths were OK as long as they were not frightened, cornered, or cut off from the safety of water. I never saw a gator until I went to Louisiana. Here in SE Idaho we have a few rattlers and don't worry about them.

I think I will just stay up here in Wisconsin.

Moosetrot

Used to come across moccasins all the time back when I used to trap in NC. Only snake I've ever seen that would chase you but maybe they just didn't like me. Always wore high top boots when land trapping and good hip boots in the water and always had a long stick with me.

Mostly just Copperheads here in TN and they're everywhere - always in the water cruising along the stream and river banks also.

I’ve decided I’m never going south for anything again.

Copperheads are good eatin! Cottonmouths not so much.

I think i'd rather trap beaver down here with snakes, then trap under ice a freeze my nose off

Ditto, and it blows my mind how people up north get bent out of shape over snakes, but think nothing of trekking around Grizzly Bear country.

I would rather kiss a copperhead than cross paths with a grizz.