Snakes are out again....

[Steve in MO]

Just killed a 3 foot copperhead down my driveway where my daughter and grandson take their walk every day. They were picking flowers and my daughter was reaching to pick one when she spotted it in the grass. She came and got me. A couple rounds of .38 shot shells took care of that.

Just some fair warning. At least here in SW Missouri, they're out and about. Be alert!

[Bill in Oregon]

Just had our second day above 90, so I am sure they are out here in south-central New Mexico.

[GunnyMack]

My grandfather always said the snakes came out after the first thunderstorm of spring. We had that the last week of March. They were out but it hasn't been above 50 since!
Snakes don't bother me, I've had a Burmese python, a couple red tail boa's, a couple rainbow boa's and sand boa and a California King Snake. Out at school id walk up to a rattler and whack it behind the head with a breaker bar when other guys would blast them to pieces scared poopless while doing it.
Now when it comes to spiders, NO MERCY if they are in the house!

[jeepnik]

Pretty much always out here. Down on the canyon side at the rear of my property you have to keep your eyes open. Most folks near me don't even go onto that part of their property. But I put yote traps there so I check those pretty much daily. I usually just shoo them away.

[jeepnik]

My grandfather always said the snakes came out after the first thunderstorm of spring. We had that the last week of March. They were out but it hasn't been above 50 since!
Snakes don't bother me, I've had a Burmese python, a couple red tail boa's, a couple rainbow boa's and sand boa and a California King Snake. Out at school id walk up to a rattler and whack it behind the head with a breaker bar when other guys would blast them to pieces scared poopless while doing it.
Now when it comes to spiders, NO MERCY if they are in the house!

Spiders, except black widows get a pass from me. They eat things that do bite. And every house, no matter how clean , unless it has just been fumigated has insects living in the walls. Most are nocturnal and come out to party at night when you are sleeping. I watched a video, I'll see if I can find it, that shows just how many critters crawl across you when you sleep, and how many stop for a meal along the way.

Oh, in case you are wondering about black widows, I got bit by one as a kid. Never, ever gonna do that again.

[Walt]

My former shooting partner was a retired biologist with the Army Corp of Engineers and he enjoyed making snakeskin hatbands and rattlesnake skins mounted on attractive boards for wall hangings. When he and I would go exploring new territory and run into a rattlesnake, I would use a stick to hold its head down and then open my Leatherman and use the smallest flat-bladed screwdriver to enter from the back of the snake's head and pith it, scrambling up its brain like a frog in biology class so that the skin wouldn't have any marks or visible damage. I never did eat any of the ones we killed but admit I should have. I have eaten rattlesnake before but only professionally prepared.

[GunnyMack]

My grandfather always said the snakes came out after the first thunderstorm of spring. We had that the last week of March. They were out but it hasn't been above 50 since!
Snakes don't bother me, I've had a Burmese python, a couple red tail boa's, a couple rainbow boa's and sand boa and a California King Snake. Out at school id walk up to a rattler and whack it behind the head with a breaker bar when other guys would blast them to pieces scared poopless while doing it.
Now when it comes to spiders, NO MERCY if they are in the house!

Spiders, except black widows get a pass from me. They eat things that do bite. And every house, no matter how clean , unless it has just been fumigated has insects living in the walls. Most are nocturnal and come out to party at night when you are sleeping. I watched a video, I'll see if I can find it, that shows just how many critters crawl across you when you sleep, and how many stop for a meal along the way.

Oh, in case you are wondering about black widows, I got bit by one as a kid. Never, ever gonna do that again.

Black Widow is the reason I kill spiders in the house- kill it before it could hurt me! Spending summers by South Lake Tahoe my grandmother gave no quarter to the spiders. The day my uncle caught a scorpion and fed it to a red ant colony was an eye opener!

[Rockrat]

Think I read somewhere that the average person will eat 8 spiders in their lifetime, while they are asleep

Our snakes came out two weeks ago. some met my "sharpshooter "shovel. Think one might have gotten away.

[Ysabel Kid]

My grandfather always said the snakes came out after the first thunderstorm of spring. We had that the last week of March. They were out but it hasn't been above 50 since!
Snakes don't bother me, I've had a Burmese python, a couple red tail boa's, a couple rainbow boa's and sand boa and a California King Snake. Out at school id walk up to a rattler and whack it behind the head with a breaker bar when other guys would blast them to pieces scared poopless while doing it.
Now when it comes to spiders, NO MERCY if they are in the house!

I'm the same way. Snakes have never bothered me. My roommate in college had a big boa. He got bored with it, so I would take it out of it's cage and hold it every day after class. It probably could care less (though it apparently liked my body heat.

But spiders? The only good spider is a dead one. Very dead. Dead then flushed. Or burnt. Or nuked...


The baby copperheads will be out soon here. We had a bit of a reprieve the last several days, but it will be up in the 80's soon again.

[GunnyMack]

I got my Burmese as a hatchling, maybe a foot long. I would take it all over when out and about.
One day I was at the bank drive through. The snake was on the dashboard head towards the driver's window. The teller was trying very hard to watch the snake while doing the transaction. Finally her curiosity got the best of her and she asked if it was a real snake. I said no it's fake just as it stuck it's tongue out and moved. Well she did a high jump over the counter and ran to hide behind the presidents desk chair! Another teller, who knew me then eased around the bullet proof glass to see what was going on, saw me and was confused. I pointed at the snake and she started laughing. The first teller wouldn't come finish the transaction so I had to go park and go inside without the snake to get my money!

[samsi]

I haven't seen any so far this year but it's only a matter of time. A late friend who'd been a BP agent used to stir rattlesnakes into a ball with his baton and bonk 'em on the head, I've never been comfortable enough to try that stunt.

Unless they're around the house, kids or dogs I generally give them a wide berth when I encounter one, though younger me would ventilate them - a lot.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Texas buzzsaw

[Old No7]

Just killed a 3 foot copperhead...
Just some fair warning...
...they're out and about. Be alert!

My wife and I were down at Surfside Beach in SC last week, and one afternoon she wanted to visit the Brookgreen Gardens in Murrells Inlet to see the botanical gardens and statues. (I actually enjoyed it much more than I'd thought I would, as there were lots of wild Woods Ducks and other waterfowl, and a bunch of Gators on the river/canal boat tour, and the pre-/post-Civil War history of the original rice plantation was fascinating.) Anyway... The walking path from the Welcome Center to the on-site Zoo was sorta paved, with signs advising you to "Stay on the path due to alligators and venomous snakes". We're walking along and as she's looking at all the green and colorful stuff, and I quickly pulled her back so she wouldn't step on a 3 foot snake making its way across the path...

...I told her it was likely a Milk Snake, but dollars to donuts, I'm pretty sure it was a Copperhead. We don't get those around here.

And like 'ol Indy Jones said... "I hate snakes!"

Old No7

[AJMD429]

.
Our homestead 'rules' - if it has more than two legs, it isn't allowed to roam free in the house (so no insects, spiders, dogs, or cats - caged snakes and fish are ok). If outside, anything is allowed, although we will catch and relocate venomous snakes to more remote property areas where little kids don't go. I remember starting in about 5th grade having loads of fun catching copperheads and keeping some as pets. I built a partitionable snake cage to allow full cleaning and feeding without danger of a bite.

After many years of having mice ruin books, electrical wiring cabinets, automobile wiring harnesses, and pretty much everything they can chew up or urinate on, I especially detest mice - so anything that might eat mice is looked upon with some degree of favor.

[Ray]

I first make-up the following circa '86-'87 whilst languishing at hard labour as a shipfitter/damage controlman on a floating prison...a.k.a , knox class frigate in uncle ronnie's yacht club. It has been tweaked for relevance somewhat over the decades.

Hoes, Shovels and Rakes and Other Implements of destruction.....

A grange hall with a great, once elaborately painted sign, now much grimed with tobacco smoke hang over the dais that warned "ABSOLUTELY NO DISCUSSION OF RELIGION, POLITICS and GAMES !"..... full of geezers, codgers and curmudgeons and a few sugarfooted knowitalls......the atmosphere was now free of smoke but at least a third or more were spitting brown juice into impromptu, personal cuspidors. The topic was killing serpents. Some argued just to leave them alone. Some allowed that only vipers be accosted. A distinct minority insisted on a thorough and complete herpecide regardless of toxicity.

All agreed that a fowling piece, medium dimensioned shot and adequate intervening distance was safest.

But most, on compromise of portability, seemed to prefer those excellent handgun shot-shells from near the confluence of the snake (irony) and clearwater rivers, admitting and accepting the short range handicap and poor shot pattern.

The elder midwesterners and southrons in overalls dissented....if you have to get that close, a hoe or shovel should suffice.

The fat blowhard with a big hat was adamant that at such a close range, you might as well use a heavy sixgun and real slugs. He was of a good size and looked like a cross between slim pickens and jack elam but he just couldn't pull-off the act, being of great plains scandinavian stock, sounding much like lawrence welk....(" a one a two a.....")

A real texican who had the hat and correct voice but lacked the size admitted to once preferring bullets to fine shot for killing snakes but the fact that the chihuahuan desert will shoot back at you quite dangerously (ricochet), he recommended it no longer....as he pulled-up the cuff of his jeans enough to show the .45 sized puckered scar on a shin and the surgical grade stainless steel studs still remaining exposed where the splint once attached.

Then there were some from all over our great land who had had home invasions of the scaley beasts. Again, the consensus leaned toward very fine shot of the crimped and plastic capsuled .22 specialty rounds to minimize danger and damage in areas too confined for gardening implements.

Finally the grange master gavelled the meeting to a close, whispering to the historian to add snake killing to the conventional conversational prohibitions of religion and politics and sports.

[AJMD429]

.
"...Finally the grange master gavelled the meeting to a close, whispering to the historian to add snake killing to the conventional conversational prohibitions of religion and politics and sports..."

LOL that's the usual outcome around these parts, too...

I kept copperheads a few years ago in a cage, just to the tenants next door (we were landlords then) could be educated as to what they look like - otherwise they killed every other kind of harmless snake we have (garter snakes, ribbon snakes, ring-neck snakes, green snakes, milk snakes, blue racers, black racers, black rat snakes, etc) saying "looked like it might have been a copperhead"

Our new neighbors (my daughter bought the house tend to like snakes, and just catch and relocate the nasty ones, so all is fairly calm now).

[Scott Tschirhart]

I figure that killing snakes is a Biblical duty as a son of Adam.

[Grizz]

I figure that killing snakes is a Biblical duty as a son of Adam.

That brings a smile. I would like to kill some rattlers for the hide. And if someone has Eve's snake meat recipe i'm interested . . . :)

beyond that i heard that the venom is still venomous and harmful, and not a good embellishment to the back straps. Does anyone have any info about this?

[Paladin]

Yes, they are. This one was at 5000 ft elevation in North Central AZ, an AZ Black Rattlesnake 10 feet from my back steps.

Night surprise.jpg

I only kill the Mojaves

Mohave Green 3 July.jpg

[jeepnik]

I only kill the Mojaves
Mohave Green 3 July.jpg

Well I wouldn't admit that on a public forum. They are a protected species. I know they are onery and have both hemo and neuro toxins but like all rattle snakes they do a great job at vermin control. If you need advice on capturing and relocating the Mojaves I can offer advice.

[Paladin]

Sorry, Not in AZ


Arizona State and Federally Protected Species
Snakes

Crotalus lepidus (Rock Rattlesnake)
Crotalus pricei (Twin-spotted Rattlesnake)
Crotalus willardi (Ridge-nosed Rattlesnake; includes C. w. obscurus and C. w. willardi)
Lampropeltis triangulum (Milksnake; Cochise County only)
Sistrurus catenatus (Massasauga)
Thamnophis eques (Mexican Gartersnake)
Thamnophis rufipunctatus (Narrow-headed Gartersnake)

[Crazy Horse]

Killing a snake brings great joy to me. I hateum

[Bill in Oregon]

Señor Mojave is a malign actor to be given a wide berth and a dose of No. 12.

[ollogger]

I figure that killing snakes is a Biblical duty as a son of Adam.

That nearly bucked me out of the chair, Yep i kill every rattle snake i see, we had dogs bit
friends that nearly lost their life from bites, i could write for 10 minutes on my go rounds with snakes
but wont bore ya with that, put 2 snake shot in my 357 last week, now i will put 1 snake shot
in the 44 today & the rest will be loaded with 300 gr. cast as the bull that charged me last year is back on the place


ollogger