I have an area just as you describe, and I only go into it in the winter. Snakes are either hibernating or are very sluggish at best. Also, no mosquitoes and other biting insects. And, it's cool enuf to wear long pants to avoid briars and any remnants of poison ivy.

Thanks, that makes sense. Guess I have justification for putting it off a few months!

Snakes can be found on warm days any month of the a year in the South but snakes prefer to hibernate in high rocky areas when they are available so your odds of disturbing a hibernating snake in a low-lying area are not too high and as someone else said the snakes will be colder and slower even if you do see one.

Snakes are more cold-tolerant than people think (and less heat tolerant than people think) so the fall and spring are actually when they are most active in the day. I'd wait until at least mid-November if avoiding snakes is the goal.

Thanks Wayne; I was hoping you would see this post and comment. I have read several of your posts and know that you know what you're talking about. Based on what you said about them being more intolerant of heat than we think, I would guess that this time of year when it's so hot is a perfect time to accidentally encounter one that's down under the ivy or under a log trying to stay cool. A major reason to stay out of the tall weeds/ivy/briars or anywhere you can't see where you're stepping. I will definitely wait until after Thanksgiving to do my brush clearing!!

I've only seen adult and juvenile black rat snakes this year, thank goodness(juveniles look so different-had to look them up to figure out what they were); but my neighbor says he's seen copperheads around here. Don't want to step on them! I don't mind the black rat snakes if I can see them a short distance away first and regain my composure before getting too close. I had a juvenile on my two story deck one night last week. He was right by the floor length window and I guess he was after the bugs attracted to our inside lights. I almost stepped on him when I went out at bedtime to take the dog to potty. After I got over my shock, I got my broom and swept him off the deck. Haven't seen him since.

I unearthed a red-bellied snake early last March cleaning up some beds (me, not the snake). Even in early March the snake was way too sluggish to move - poor little thing looked like it was trying to move through thick syrup. I piled some loose leaves back on her. Hope it kept her warm until she was ready to get moving again. So unless it's one hot winter, you should be ok through February.