A bit of excitement here at the estate..

Yesterday my son and I took a little trip to the local Cabela's in Hamburg, Pa.
Bought a couple things nothing remarkable or noteworthy.
At any rate, when we returned my wife invited him to stay for dinner.
When she went out on the deck to fire up the gas grill, she found a coiled up 4ft black snake.
Our deck is off the dining room, 11 ft off the ground.
Pretty much the last place I expected to come across a snake.
I grabbed a hoe and pushed it off the deck onto the ground below where my son dispatched it with a single shot from his 10mm carry gun.
Generally speaking I have no problem with non poisonous snakes but I don't want them on my deck where the French doors may well be open for an extended period of time.
I can report that a 10mm hollow point is quite adequate for protection from snakes.
My son nearly completely removed the snakes head with a single shot at about 15ft.
I suspect this is the same black snake that the Labs and my wife encountered the day before along side the house.
That one disappeared before I arrived at the scene.

As a kid growing up in NYS dad had a black snake in the garden of one of the two houses I lived in as a kid growing up. He would not let us do anything to that snake, see it kept the bugs, insects, mice out of our garden. Dad was an Ag Engineer and knew a lot more about snakes then I will ever and he said that it was a good snake to have around. Don't know if yours was that kind of snake or not. But I do know that all snakes are not bad, the challenge for us humans is to know the difference

Yeah some snakes are good and others to be avoided but they all will scare the beejeezes out of my wife. Insuring no further yard work will she perform in that area. EVER!

Then there are the snakes that go into politics, not legal to dispatch them with 10mm but I can certainly see knocking them off the porch or deck with a garden implement as kosher. Hoe, shovel, rake or whatever you have handy. A pitchfork would seem highly appropriate.

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Originally Posted by shdwlkr

As a kid growing up in NYS dad had a black snake in the garden of one of the two houses I lived in as a kid growing up. He would not let us do anything to that snake, see it kept the bugs, insects, mice out of our garden. Dad was an Ag Engineer and knew a lot more about snakes then I will ever and he said that it was a good snake to have around. Don't know if yours was that kind of snake or not. But I do know that all snakes are not bad, the challenge for us humans is to know the difference

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Hi...
Well aware of the benefits of black snakes as regards controlling other vermin.
However, I don't need snakes on my deck when there is a door open regularly.
As I stated, I believe this was his second incursion and my wife wants NO part of any snakes...period.

Just a few days ago my little darling called me to come home and dispose of the snake she had just shot before she let the girls back out . A 3 ft or so cotton mouth was curled up without a head and she was holding a 45 with the safety on . It took her 3 rounds of 45 shot shells to do it , your son did a good job .

It’s not easy as one would think to head shot a snake with a pistol, even close. Good shooting

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Originally Posted by wulfman92

It’s not easy as one would think to head shot a snake with a pistol, even close. Good shooting

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Hi...
My son is 24 yrs old and had been shooting since he was about 8 years old.
He is a very good shot...perhaps better than myself with a handgun. I used to shoot in a couple of pistol leagues locally years ago and won a few matches.
Currently I wouldn't be competitive but he shoots both revolvers and semi automatic handguns better than I could when I was competitive.

This is why my S&W Governor is the most popular handgun in our house during the summer months.

some snakes help with head shots. They line up their head with whatever is closest to them when in coiled strike position. The extended arm and pistol will generally be that closest point so a snake that can strike will often self align with the pistol barrel in preparation for the threat moving closer and needing to be struck in self defense.

Not taking anything away from good shots made but if you have ever seen a "snake charmer" playing his flute and weaving back and forth being followed by the snakes head you will get the idea. Snake can't hear the music but will stay lined up with the flute end without striking if the flute stays the right distance back but close enough to warrant being watched. Well and cobras fall strike not coil strike so from in a basket cobra's have no reach.

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Originally Posted by RogerDat

Yeah some snakes are good and others to be avoided but they all will scare the beejeezes out of my wife. Insuring no further yard work will she perform in that area. EVER!

Then there are the snakes that go into politics, not legal to dispatch them with 10mm but I can certainly see knocking them off the porch or deck with a garden implement as kosher. Hoe, shovel, rake or whatever you have handy. A pitchfork would seem highly appropriate.

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Please don't give snakes a bad name as they have enough problems already. What you are talking about is lower than a snake.

Just the other day, my wife was reading me a story off of the "net" where a man and his wife had encountered a rattlesnake in their yard (I think) and they "de-headed" it with a shovel. While disposing of it, the snake head actually bit him with the result of him having to go through the anti-venom shots - I don't remember how many shots he had to have but it was a higher than normal number. Just goes to show that even though technically "dead" - such things can happen.

Fortunately, I've never run across a large rattler while out in AZ but it is said that smaller ones - i.e. young snakes - can't control the venom they squirt so oftentimes they can be more dangerous as far as bites than a mature one - either way - I don't want to find out!

Your son is a good shot! Imagine what that 40 would have done if it went lengthwise of the snake!

I have seen black snakes climb trees and saw one climb up an old log cabin with an exterior field stone chimney by pushing itself against the V of the chimney and the logs. Moved pretty quickly, too. I would imagine your deck was childs play for one.

I never have nor would I kill a black snake, black racer, corn snake, hog nose snake, or non-poisonous water snake. If you are close enough to kill it you are close enough to see if it has a triangular head or a round one. Kill the triangular head, not the round head.

When I was a teenager we had a black snake living under the porch. She would let me pick her up and carry her around. Mom got a little upset when she had babies, though.

we have a old farm house the shakes find their way in they go up through the walls to the attic. some tines they come into the living area. the cats think they are play things.