1 less rattlesnake!

[murf205]

While scouting out some new hunting ground, I found out the answer to how effective a 44 loaded with home made #8 shot capsules. Not a monster but I sure wouldn't want to step on him in the early morning going to the stand.319067

[Grayone]

Good deal. He would have to go. Non poisonous would get a pass.

[murf205]

Yep, that's the way I see it. I never kill a King snake but the other black ones (Moccasins) get the same treatment as the guy above. I was always wondering how effective these shot loads were and believe me, they do the trick at 10'.

[KenH]

My Mama always felt the only good snake was a dead snake. Sadly that also applied to ALL snakes, not just the poisonous snakes.

[Rockindaddy]

We have the Northern Diamondback's in Pennsylvania. Many years ago growing up there were rattlesnake hunts to get as many out of the woods. Since the snake feeds primarily on rodents mainly mice we have had a large increase in Lyme disease. The mouse is the carrier of the Lyme disease. The ticks that are carried by the mice infect them. Farmers, woodsman, gardeners, loggers and people that spend alot of time outdoors are most likely to come in contact with a Lyme tick. My neighbor and his family raised a large flock of sheep. Richard contracted Lyme and it went undetected for a long time. It altered his life as the disease progress until it was finally detected. Yeah Hog snakes, Black and King snakes really reduce the mice population but the mass killing of rattlesnakes has greatly allowed the Lyme disease carrying mice to proliferate this terrible disease. I have had to take a couple two week doses of Doxicycliene after a big red bullseye appeared after getting bitten by a Lyme tick. Yeah I am careful where I walk in the woods not to stumble upon a Timber rattler and always check for a tick that may have hitched a ride on me. But look out for the red bullseye at the bite site! Time to get to the doc and get a scrip for Doxicycliene. Think about that next time you blast a snake!!!

[MrWolf]

Anytime man tries to adjust nature to suit him it seems to backfire as we just can't see the bigger picture nor how other things interact. Just an observation.

[Winger Ed.]

Yeah. Hate to see it go to waste:
I never cared much for eating them. They remind me of chewing on a wet paper towel.
However- Hopefully there's enough left to make a nice hat band or something.

[dale2242]

I used to kill every rattle snake I saw.
I no longer do unless they are around small children or pets.
They eat mice and are very important dealing with the mouse population.
No, I am not a Greenie, I'm a retired logger.

[murf205]

"Think about that next time you blast a snake!!!" I will, right before I blast a venomous snake. I said previously that I never kill King Snakes or any other non poisonous snake. Thanks for the advice.

[elmacgyver0]

I don't bother snakes, and they don't bother me.
Of course, if I were up to my fanny in them, I might see things differently.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Congratulations, Murf--- one more victory in the ages-old animosity between mammals and reptiles! Seems like an increase in venomous snake bites in the news lately.

DG

[TNsailorman]

I live in a semi populated area and I haven't seen a poisonous snake in years. The last one was a dead copperhead that someone had ran over and killed and then threw it up on the bank of my yard. Its head was mashed flat but I threated it with caution anyway. I put it in a bag in the trash. Any poisonous snake that shows up in my neighborhood will die quickly. Too many children around here to take any chances. Out in the boonies is another matter. I have ran into rattlesnakes and copperheads while squirrel hunting and let them be, but that was in the mountainous areas of east Tennessee. james

[WILCO]

Great job Murf!!!!!!!!!

[T-Bird]

I killed a juvenile copperhead, in my yard a couple years ago. I didn't have a safe means to move him to a different location from my neighborhood. Other than that, I don't kill snakes, If I'm in a place that venomous snakes might be, not near pets, children, ( the woods). I watch for them so I don't step on them an surprise them into biting me. They would much rather use their venom on prey that they can eat (which is what it's for) than for defensively biting me for stepping on their tail.

[Texas by God]

I guess that one of the cats killed the foot long little rattlebug that Mama found in the yard last week.
I’ll feed them a bit more meowmix for policing the area….


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[Baltimoreed]

I’ve killed more moccasins than anything else on my property in eastern NC.

[triggerhappy243]

I also make my own 44 mag snake shot loads.

[762 shooter]

Copperhead + Dog = $1800.00
Copperhead + Child = $11,000.00.
Copperhead in yard = dirt nap.

762

[1006]

I kill poisonous snakes whenever they appear if I have the tools-shotgun is preferred. Maybe the non poisonous snakes can thrive in the space left behind by the dead ones.

[firefly1957]

It is actually a crime to shoot any snake here in Michigan you can destroy them by other means but not shoot them .
I pretty much leave snakes alone we do have what everyone else calls Pigmy Rattlers my last dog was bitten by one though the ear most of the poison was down his face ,he was still sick for three weeks . The fangs were 1/2" apart the dog only weighed 30 pounds at the time . Several times after that he had a leg swell while chasing chipmunks in a rock pile .

[eastbank]

better to vent your ire at bee,s, they kill more people than snakes in the usa.319297rattle snake i ran into in spring turkey season, i didn,t kill it.319298

[Charlie Horse]

I've never seen a rattlesnake in the wild. Plenty of copperheads and moccasins. Copperheads don't bother me but water moccasins, I don't care for.

[gc45]

Killed every timber/prairie rattler I could using 2x4, shovels, hoe and a 357 Smith with my own loads; Just to many around the farm biting our dogs, cats calves and almost me more than once! Our cattle dogs would bark like crazy whenever they found one so I'd get whatever tool was handy and kill it..Farms have mice and they attract snakes, it's a constant issue pending where one lives. I don't hate snakes and never have I killed a Bull snake or any non poisonous snake but those dang rattlers are just bad!

[TNsailorman]

Plain old garden hoe makes a terrific snake killer. I have never killed a non-poisonous snake but never allowed a poisonous one to live long. too many children around and too many housewives who like to work in their flowers, a favorite habitat for Copperheads. Also the bean patch or in the Potatoe patch. I knew one lady who had been bitten 2 or 3 time while working in her bean patch. The first bite nearly killed her but the succeeding bites cased less problem as her immune system was adapting to her bites. In her old age she moved into town to get away from snakes as much as anything. She was a fine Christian lady and I learned a lot of positive things from her that stood me in good in later years. james

[firefly1957]

As a kid in Arizona we lived in a Trailer outside Luke A.F.B. the trailer park manager bragged he never shot a rattle snake just used his shovel . A widow a few trailers up from us called him saying there was a huge rattler under her trailer and bring a gun . He drove down with his shovel bragged about never shooting a snake . Looking under the trailer he went home and brought back his shotgun the rattler was 8 feet long . After he shot it he skinned it and put the body out in the desert a 1/4 mile away .As that snake rotted it stunk up the entire area for a few days!

[Char-Gar]

In Texas, rattlesnakes are now protected by law. They can't be killed unless they are a threat to you.

[murf205]

In Texas, rattlesnakes are now protected by law. They can't be killed unless they are a threat to you.

Don't confess! Kind of like the wolves in Montana. Shoot-shovel-and shut up.

[Texas by God]

In Texas, rattlesnakes are now protected by law. They can't be killed unless they are a threat to you.

The Eastern Timber Rattler is protected, but I don’t think that the Diamondback is.
I’m like Sgt. Shultz….”I see nothing”…..


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[35 Rem]

I kill any snake I see just like a Hatfield would kill a McCoy. I despise rats and know that snakes eat rats and mice but I'd rather have mice crawling around in my bed at night than to have a snake on the far edge of my property. I've shot green snakes with a 12 gauge. If a snake wants to live it better stay clear of me. They are in the same category as coyotes - never let either species be seen without taking a shot at it.

[jban]

I kind of agree with murf205. Don't advertise, and follow the three "S" routine.

[elmacgyver0]

I kill any snake I see just like a Hatfield would kill a McCoy. I despise rats and know that snakes eat rats and mice but I'd rather have mice crawling around in my bed at night than to have a snake on the far edge of my property. I've shot green snakes with a 12 gauge. If a snake wants to live it better stay clear of me. They are in the same category as coyotes - never let either species be seen without taking a shot at it.

I guess everyone has their phobias, mine are, never mind, I will most likely get banned.

[besk]

In August, I had a copperhead come into my tractor shed while I was there working. He didn't live long. I need to make lighter 410 loads for my sawed off 410. 1/2 oz of #10 was more than needed.

Copperheads and water moccasins don't live. Rattlesnakes, if not close to house or barn, may get a pass.

[lightload]

I regret having killed non venomous snakes in the past. In Texas rattlesnake roundups are popular events resulting in large numbers of rattlesnakes killed. They put gasoline in den areas to make the snakes exit. I'm not sure that these events are a good idea. Yes, I will pop one at my house.

[Three44s]

I kill every rattle snake I can but go to great lengths to save bull snakes! .... even right in my yard

Three44s

[WRideout]

When I was in the TN Army Guard, we used to train at Camp Shelby, MS. One year, as we were setting up the Tactical Operations Center (TOC) the Brigade XO killed a rattler with a stick. Someone thought it would be a good idea to leave it curled up near the TOC entrance just under the camo nets. People entering would jump out of their skin when they saw it. So along came a sergeant who had accumulated a lifetime maximum of redneck points. He knew just what to do with the dead snake, grabbed it and ran off. A short time later he returned with a big pan full of fried rattler, which by the way is not bad at all. Not exactly like chicken though.

Wayne

[tctender]

Have not saw any rattlers all year till this month. Saw two that are now deceased.

[Adam Helmer]

I am an old farmer who had to spend hundreds of dollars to get 42 quills pulled out of my loyal dog's face by the vet. Next year a rattler nearly killed my Golden, but he survived $260.00 later at the vet. I do not kill much, but every poisonous snake, porky and other threatening vermin gets "smoked."

Greenies can love ALL things, but have they ever lived with the results? If they leave their luxury apartments, walk in the snake infested woods or their nearby flowerbeds, would they ever learn? Yes, after they bury a beloved pet, take a kid to the ER bitten by a rabid animal. I have shot copperheads by the porch and a porky beside my front door. The real world is NOT Disneyland!

Adam

[Skipper]

Amen to that. By the way, if you chop 'em up, roll them in flour, salt, pepper and paprika...a few seconds in a hot frying pan, they taste pretty good.....watch out for bones.
Like my Grand Dad used to say, "God put snakes on earth to make boots out of".

[JimB..]

We have the Northern Diamondback's in Pennsylvania. Many years ago growing up there were rattlesnake hunts to get as many out of the woods. Since the snake feeds primarily on rodents mainly mice we have had a large increase in Lyme disease. The mouse is the carrier of the Lyme disease. The ticks that are carried by the mice infect them. Farmers, woodsman, gardeners, loggers and people that spend alot of time outdoors are most likely to come in contact with a Lyme tick. My neighbor and his family raised a large flock of sheep. Richard contracted Lyme and it went undetected for a long time. It altered his life as the disease progress until it was finally detected. Yeah Hog snakes, Black and King snakes really reduce the mice population but the mass killing of rattlesnakes has greatly allowed the Lyme disease carrying mice to proliferate this terrible disease. I have had to take a couple two week doses of Doxicycliene after a big red bullseye appeared after getting bitten by a Lyme tick. Yeah I am careful where I walk in the woods not to stumble upon a Timber rattler and always check for a tick that may have hitched a ride on me. But look out for the red bullseye at the bite site! Time to get to the doc and get a scrip for Doxicycliene. Think about that next time you blast a snake!!!

Have you been putting out tick tubes? If you haven’t, maybe give it a try. I wouldn’t try to cover 100 acres, but I do 5 around the house.

Tick tubes are toilet paper tubes stuffed with cotton balls that have been sprayed with permethrin and allowed to dry. The mice find and use the cotton as bedding, it kills the ticks in the process.

[TNsailorman]

A Game and Fish Officer told my Dad to put out mothballs around his house and property to keep the skunks away that were a source of problems for him. He told Dad that they would also keep other small pests as well as bugs away. I don't recall that he mentioned snakes or not. I tried it and it does work on bugs around the house foundation. james

[Charlie Horse]

I saw my 80ish land lady pull a skunk out from under a brooder house. The skunk was caught in a foot trap. She grabbed the trap chain and hauled it out. I shot it. It was an exciting evening while it lasted. That was a long time ago.

[pls1911]

The only snake that raises my attention is the snake that surprises me.
Even then, I’ll gather my wits and normally just move em out of my way.

[Jeff Michel]

I'll generally let a snake be unless it's close to the house but there are exceptions. I was hunting in South Africa this past August and my host showed me a skin of a Black Mamba that stretched across the back of a full sized sofa and hung two feet on either side, wide as the length of hand. He found it in his horse stable after it bit his dog. I'd be pretty content to hunt those into extinction. About the same time, he left his kitchen door open and his wife found a six foot spitting cobra on the counter. Blew up the spice rack with a 12 gauge but got the snake. Lots of snakes over there, glad I live in Ohio.

[MostlyLeverGuns]

My Chesapeake Bay Retriever was killed by a rattler, died in less than 10 minutes when we were out walking, all we saw was some puncture marks on the inside of her hind leg, happened in August, we were stunned. I have seen horses and cattle severely injured, near death and in great pain due to rattlers. We kill them when we see them. The rest of the snakes get a pass, though we would kill copperheads and moccasins if they were around. Poisonous snakebites just do too much damage to take the chance of injury to people or other animals.

[Doughty]

"MostlyLeverGuns; Poisonous snakebites just do too much damage to take the chance of injury to people or other animals."

This.

[Charlie Horse]

I've never seen a rattlesnake in the wild and I would like to someday.

But I sure wouldn't want to have to deal with venomous snakes on a regular basis. Even the non-venomous ones give me the creeps. Especially the big water snakes we have around here.:eek:
Copperheads don't bother me but water moccasins really do. I hate those things.

[Gtrubicon]

We have lots of rattlers where I live, I find both The Timber and Western Diamond back here on our property. The Timber are usually much more aggressive. This summer our 130lb Great Dane was bit in the face while drinking water at her water bowl. Happened right in front of my son and I. It was a 26” snake, 6 buttons that gave no warning. I grabbed a shovel to end the snake, in doing so the snake struck wildly at me while moving towards me. The round point shovel always prevails. I have no use for them, they are dangerous so I off them whenever or wherever I find them. Our dog survived thankfully, it cost us almost $1200 in vet bills. The funny thing is she refuses to drink out of that water bowl, she barks at it daily. We had to buy a new bowl and move its location so she could drink.

[Duckiller]

Several years ago while coming in from duck blind to club house I encountered a small rattle snake. It was about 10 " long. Two shots from a 20 ga over and under sent him on his way. A son asked why did you shoot it twice? Their sister told them it was because I wanted to make sure it was dead. Don't need to be running into rattle snakes of any size in the predawn hours going to a duck blind.

[Gtrubicon]

Several years ago while coming in from duck blind to club house I encountered a small rattle snake. It was about 10 " long. Two shots from a 20 ga over and under sent him on his way. A son asked why did you shoot it twice? Their sister told them it was because I wanted to make sure it was dead. Don't need to be running into rattle snakes of any size in the predawn hours going to a duck blind.

Several years ago at a duck club in the Central Valley my buddy got in the concrete below ground blind in the dark. He kept feeling the sensation that something was tapping him on his lower calf. He could feel it through his waders. He turned on a flashlight to see a 18-20” rattler striking at his feet! He trampled it to death.

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Now there was a lucky guy! Good thing that he had the waders, and that they were thick enough to defeat the fangs! Multiple bites would probably prove fatal.

DG

[Gtrubicon]

Since that happened we always shine a light into the blind before crawling in!

[Texas by God]

We lost a 500 lb steer to a bite below the eye from a Velvet tail- probably a big one. Fang holes were 2” apart.
We’ve seen a few 6 footers here.


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[wch]

PA copperheads, now that's a different story!

[Dave H]

I was working on a small river reclamation project up in the state of Connecticut and I just dumped a load of rip rap out in the water so Roy could reach it with the excavator when he swung back he hit a tree and a water snake fell in his lap from in that tree he got bit in the prosses of getting rid of the snake his hand swelled up pretty good for a few days. I killed lots of rattlers up at the camping bus and took second place at the Noxen snake hunt with an over 52-inch-long timber rattler.

[TNsailorman]

A 4 foot timer rattler is a large snake and would back a real dose of venom if you are bitten by one. But even non-poisonous snakes can create problems. A fellow who worked with me was bitten by an old common black snake when he stepped on it in some high weeds by the river. After a couple of days his leg started swelling and became painful. He went to the doctor and what he had was an infection caused by germs on the snake's fangs where it had eaten something that had some sort of disease. He had to undergo 2 surgeries on his leg and several shots to get his leg cleared up. He was really felt miserable for awhile. It took about a month to get all the infection cleared out of his leg and body. While I don't kill non-poisonous snakes, I don't take chances with them either. james

[Charlie Horse]

Dirty Jobs did a show up on Lake Erie. They were catching water snakes by hand and getting bit on their forearms multiple times. No way would I grab one of those things.

[Adam Helmer]

When I lived on our farm downstate in PA, we had far too many Copperheads! We had livestock get bit and get ill or die. My dad gave me a 4-inch M10 S&W .38 Special and told me to fix things. We reloaded and I put Unique, a gas check below and above the #7.5 shot. At age 16, I happily ended our snake problem for a few years until dad sold the farm.

I see no need for any poison snake when there are so many harmless ones. Folks what love them should live with them for a while, just saying! We had two rattlers: one was a 3.5 foot and the other was a yellow phase 5-footer that dad hung on the lower rung of the telephone pole step by the cattle barn.

Adam

[Blkpwdrbuff]

Some genius here in Utah got rattlesnakes on the protected list.
If seen I practice SSS.
Having been raised on a cattle ranch I've seen firsthand what they can do.
I will kill every one I see.
Blkpwdrbuff

[Abert Rim]

Here in the Rolling Plains of west-central Texas, diamondbacks are a common feature. The Jaycees here in Sweetwater started the annual Rattlesnake Roundup back in 1958, and it is held the second weekend in March. Our rifle and pistol club holds a gun show in an adjacent building that has proven to be a reliable source of revenue, allowing the club to continue to improve our rifle, pistol and shotgun ranges.
The Nolan County Coliseum is SRO during the roundup, with various arenas dedicated to handling, venom extraction, education and butchering and skinning, then off to the deep fryers!
https://i.postimg.cc/7bVrX4RN/image-50729473.jpg (https://postimg.cc/7bVrX4RN)

https://i.postimg.cc/9rQ5nS5H/image-67217921-2.jpg (https://postimg.cc/9rQ5nS5H)

[phantom22]

Some genius here in Utah got rattlesnakes on the protected list.
If seen I practice SSS.
Having been raised on a cattle ranch I've seen firsthand what they can do.
I will kill every one I see.
Blkpwdrbuff

A lot of problems can be solved with judicious practice of SSS.

[Blkpwdrbuff]

Yep!!!!

[Adam Helmer]

I never advocate breaking the law, but as a retired LEO, I know we have a more harmonious outcome when we lay aside a page or two of the lawbook when common sense makes things better. Have I ever let a first offender go? Yes, because a stupid quick decision should not haunt a kid forever.

SSS is "shoot, shovel and shutup" and that may be a good thing in the scheme of things.
Whacking a "protected rattler" to ensure kids can play safely in their backyard seems prudent to many parents. Would they also remove a hornet's nest on the swingset?

Laws are supposed to reflect the will of the people, per my high school government class. Unfortunately, some "tree huggers" get laws put in place far from their luxury apartments.

I will put some of this in my January 21, 2024 sermon.

Be well.

Adam

[Electrod47]

Here's something interesting, back in the mid-90's I'm working for Cargill in our North Star Steel division building a green field mill out side Kingman AZ at 3,500 ft elevation a desert environment. The main melt shops cavernous structure is about finished with rail tracks in for the for the adjacent scrap yard and crane gantry to feed the melt shop. Finally the deep trench is to be cut for loading the scrap buckets that by scrap car enter that cavernous structure. Giant back hoe comes in and starts to notch it out, third cut and out spills "Hundreds" of full size coon tail rattlers. It was early winter and they were piled atop one another several feet deep hibernating. Thank goodness they were sluggish. I watched 980 rubber tire dozers run over a hundred of them at once. They were every where inside the building for weeks we would stumble over more.
We had archeologist's monitor our work because of artifacts being unearthed (that's another story) Even a year after construction during melting and casting operations were in full swing, I encountered a rattler underneath the caster, next to the red hot billet run out table in broad daylight! Archeologist (however you spell it) said upon looking at the wrecked den when it all first went down. That the snake den was probably been used for a 1000 years.

[Hillbillyhunter]

I know that snakes occupy an important rung on the food chain and keep rodents in check, but I'm of the opinion that the only good snake is a dead snake. And that's especially true with the venomous variety. Good work.

[atfsux]

Living here in Arizona, in a rural area, I have had to deal with buzzworms (that's the old cowboy slang for rattlers). I know how to coexist with them and how to safely remove them to other habitats. But it is my dogs I worry about. Fortunately, there is training available for them to teach them that snakes are painful and to stay away from them. It is an investment I don't mind spending on. A lot cheaper than a vet bill or the misery of losing a loved pet.

I too was raised to kill them wherever encountered, but I have evolved to better understanding.

Y'all might be entertained and educated by a YouTube channel called RattlesnakeSolutions, which is a rattler pest control service based in the Phoenix metro area that does removal of snakes. They often film their encounters and try to educate folks about snakes.

[Skipper]

My Grandfather used to shoot any snake he came across. His saying was "if it doesn't have rattles...it's a Cobra."

[jsizemore]

In the 60's there was a fella south of us that paid $10/foot for rattle snakes. He'd milk them for antivenom. The cattle farmers didn't mind us youngins getting rid of them in their pastures or land they leased. Minimum wage was 95cents/hour. Didn't take long to figure out where the money is. Just got to make sure they's alive when you deliver them! 3 foot snake could pay the rent for a month or you could have a big time from a 6 footer.

[TNsailorman]

One of the Navy guys years ago told us about high school boys earning good money shooting cotton mouth water moccassins in the swamps around the North Carolina and South Carolina borders. The tobacco farmers paid ( I believe he said) $.25 for each dead water moccassin. He said most of the boys used little 410 single barrels which they could buy cheap and also ammo for the 410 was cheap back then also, unlike today. james