Charlotte dad and son have close encounter with copperhead. How to stay safe:

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) — Zeke Phillips and his dad, Joseph, play disc golf all the time. In fact, Joseph co-owns Another Round Disc Golf in NoDa.

“We were finishing up doing a few things, and right where my son was standing, there was a big copperhead that was just right in the exact spot that he was standing,” Joseph said.

Zeke almost stepped on a copperhead just a few weeks ago near hole 9 at Kilborne Park.

“So I was just shocked to see it, but then also, you know, pretty nervous because it was going right in the area where my son had just been standing,” Joseph said.

Morgan Rafael is the executive director of the Carolina Wildlife Conservation Center. She said that although its bites are venomous, a copperhead is not going to attack you unless you step on or near it.

“They don’t want to cause you harm, but give them space, and even if you see a copperhead, there’s nothing to do about it. Let them go on their way,” Rafael said.

Rafael said its “Hershey Kiss” pattern makes it stand out. But copperheads help control the rodent population. In turn, black snakes and possums keep copperheads in check.

“There’s a purpose for every single native wild species on our Earth, so yeah, they definitely serve a benefit,” Rafael said.

Rafael said to avoid going outside at night without your feet and ankles being protected, especially as many babies are born this time of year.

“It’s good to be mindful, but you don’t have to live in fear either,” Rafael said.

Joseph and Zeke said they will be more careful where they step next match.

“The likelihood of getting poison ivy versus getting bitten by a snake is, you know, a lot more likely,” Joseph said.

If you do get bitten by a copperhead, be sure to seek medical attention. Copperhead bites are normally not deadly, but the venom causes swelling, intense pain, and tissue damage.