Can I shoot the snake??
- Thread starter Slateman
- Start date
Ramcharger
New member
Don't belive any of that stuff you see in the National Geographic channel.
All snakes are deadly killers.
When I go hunting in the Mojave desert I run into snakes all the time. Mostly Rattlers, Mojave Greens. So I carry a .357 loaded with snake shot. Well now I'm getting a SAA clone in .45 Colt for snake duty.
I like the non venem snakes and sometimes bag em and taken to my ranch for vermin duty but the others will eat lead if I see em. Too many dogs or horses where I go to take a chance of having someone get bit. And after the heavy rain we had last winter the state is slithering with em.
All snakes are deadly killers.
When I go hunting in the Mojave desert I run into snakes all the time. Mostly Rattlers, Mojave Greens. So I carry a .357 loaded with snake shot. Well now I'm getting a SAA clone in .45 Colt for snake duty.
I like the non venem snakes and sometimes bag em and taken to my ranch for vermin duty but the others will eat lead if I see em. Too many dogs or horses where I go to take a chance of having someone get bit. And after the heavy rain we had last winter the state is slithering with em.
stephen426
New member
Do you know how many rattle snakes there must be in the everglades? What about water moccasins? Florida also has coral snakes. I know I have a phobia but when something hiding in the grass can kill or seriously injure you with a single bite, I'm not taking any chances. When it comes to snakes, kill em all and let God sort them out. Besides, they're easy to make. Didn't you see the farside comic?
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Double Naught Spy
New member
Some of you are funny, maybe not terribly reasonable when it comes to snakes, but funny.
Back in 1990, I took Herpetology from James Dixon at Texas A&M. Dixon is a been-there-done-that herpetologist with the appropriate 'idiot' marks to demonstrate his long history with herps. Most, as he noted, were the result of his ignorance about given animals or not paying enough attention at critical times. Well into his 60s when he taught the class, his injuries were all in the distant past. He had great hints to follow, such as noting that you never run in a straight line when chased by crocs or gaters. They sprint well for short distances, but can't turn very well on land. Right angled turns can get you out of harm's way much better than trying to out spring the animal.
Each class he started off the lecture with 1-2 stories, usually stupid human tricks, backed up by either his own actual photographs, or news stories. My favorites were also the snake stories because people often have unreasonable fears when it comes to snakes and it gets them in trouble. There was the guy who was out hunting quail who stepped on a large snake. Realizing he was about to die from a pending snake bite, he let the snake have it with the first barrel, shredding his foot that was on the snake. In the process of falling, he managed to shoot his other leg above the calf. The snake was non-poisonous.
Then there are the accounts of folks who see a snake and try to kill it with a stick, rake, broom, machete, etc. In many cases, they allow themselves to get too close and end up getting bitten. Since snakes don't have guns, they violate a key rule and endanger themselves by proximity, getting too close to the snake.
Some folks are smart. They know that if bitten by a venomous snake, they need to be able to tell the Dr. what type of snake it was so that the correct anti-venom can be administered. So, either they attempt to capture or kill the snake, such as with a stick, or have a friend do it for them. These events sometimes result in getting additional bites, sometimes the additional bites being what causes problems as the first bite was dry. When they have their friends try, they end up with two people bitten, not just one. It is amazing how a person with a brain greater than 1000 ccs (usually) can be so dumb as to get hurt or hurt multiple times by a snake with a brain smaller than a single bb of 00 Buck.
Should you take the snake to the hospital with you so that the doctors can identify it? Maybe, maybe not. It is a very poor idea to try to hunt down a snake after it has bitten you solely so that it can be identified by a doctor who probably knows less about being outside than you do and certainly doesn't know squat about snakes. Some may know snakes, but chances are, they don't.
The really bad stories were those of people that died because of their stupidity, such as those that attempted to lance the bite and suck out the venom, resulting the in the cutting of an artery and subsequent bleeding to death. In two of the cases he gave us, the snake bites were of non-poisonous snakes. There had been no need for cutting and sucking.
The funny stories were those where folks did harm to themselves when trying to flee from the evil snakes. He had several incidents where folks ran full speed into trees, a guy that ran out into a road and was struck by a vehicle (not killed), and one that ran through a plate glass window because of a "very large" snake in the kitchen that turned out to be a little garter snake.
In North America, all snakes serve beneficial roles. Of course, some are poisonous, but they still do good things like eating rodents that compete with humans for resources and can transmit diseases to humans, directly or indirectly such as hanta virus, plague, and viruses. With the occasional taking of eggs or chicks, snakes really don't compete with humans for food.
As for the legality of killing snakes, in Texas they can be hunted as can other animals even though they are not a typical 'game' animal, if one has a license (all in accord with all the other laws such as not hunting protected species)
Back in 1990, I took Herpetology from James Dixon at Texas A&M. Dixon is a been-there-done-that herpetologist with the appropriate 'idiot' marks to demonstrate his long history with herps. Most, as he noted, were the result of his ignorance about given animals or not paying enough attention at critical times. Well into his 60s when he taught the class, his injuries were all in the distant past. He had great hints to follow, such as noting that you never run in a straight line when chased by crocs or gaters. They sprint well for short distances, but can't turn very well on land. Right angled turns can get you out of harm's way much better than trying to out spring the animal.
Each class he started off the lecture with 1-2 stories, usually stupid human tricks, backed up by either his own actual photographs, or news stories. My favorites were also the snake stories because people often have unreasonable fears when it comes to snakes and it gets them in trouble. There was the guy who was out hunting quail who stepped on a large snake. Realizing he was about to die from a pending snake bite, he let the snake have it with the first barrel, shredding his foot that was on the snake. In the process of falling, he managed to shoot his other leg above the calf. The snake was non-poisonous.
Then there are the accounts of folks who see a snake and try to kill it with a stick, rake, broom, machete, etc. In many cases, they allow themselves to get too close and end up getting bitten. Since snakes don't have guns, they violate a key rule and endanger themselves by proximity, getting too close to the snake.
Some folks are smart. They know that if bitten by a venomous snake, they need to be able to tell the Dr. what type of snake it was so that the correct anti-venom can be administered. So, either they attempt to capture or kill the snake, such as with a stick, or have a friend do it for them. These events sometimes result in getting additional bites, sometimes the additional bites being what causes problems as the first bite was dry. When they have their friends try, they end up with two people bitten, not just one. It is amazing how a person with a brain greater than 1000 ccs (usually) can be so dumb as to get hurt or hurt multiple times by a snake with a brain smaller than a single bb of 00 Buck.
Should you take the snake to the hospital with you so that the doctors can identify it? Maybe, maybe not. It is a very poor idea to try to hunt down a snake after it has bitten you solely so that it can be identified by a doctor who probably knows less about being outside than you do and certainly doesn't know squat about snakes. Some may know snakes, but chances are, they don't.
The really bad stories were those of people that died because of their stupidity, such as those that attempted to lance the bite and suck out the venom, resulting the in the cutting of an artery and subsequent bleeding to death. In two of the cases he gave us, the snake bites were of non-poisonous snakes. There had been no need for cutting and sucking.
The funny stories were those where folks did harm to themselves when trying to flee from the evil snakes. He had several incidents where folks ran full speed into trees, a guy that ran out into a road and was struck by a vehicle (not killed), and one that ran through a plate glass window because of a "very large" snake in the kitchen that turned out to be a little garter snake.
In North America, all snakes serve beneficial roles. Of course, some are poisonous, but they still do good things like eating rodents that compete with humans for resources and can transmit diseases to humans, directly or indirectly such as hanta virus, plague, and viruses. With the occasional taking of eggs or chicks, snakes really don't compete with humans for food.
As for the legality of killing snakes, in Texas they can be hunted as can other animals even though they are not a typical 'game' animal, if one has a license (all in accord with all the other laws such as not hunting protected species)
I used to have this terrifying fear of snakes until I got bit by a small red rat snake I had accidentally cornered in a tree stump while looking for carpenter ants.
When I realized that it didn't hurt I let a larger 4 foot racer bite me, the next time I found one.
And so on and so on until I got to a snake that did kinda hurt, a 8 foot coach whip.
In short if you don't go around poking sticks at anything larger than an 8 foot coach whip you'll come home just fine.
If you don't know hoe to ID a red rat, racer , or coach whip don't poke sticks at any of them.
Snakes are not game animals so there is no law against killing non threatened species, except the law of common sense that tells us to leave things we don't understand alone. Especially if we are afraid of them but don't have the sense to avoid them
Leave the thing alone it isn't hurting you and if you go around killing every snake you see you will end up calling me to come straighten out your rodent problem, for a hefty fee.
If a snake is laying out across the road and refuses to move when you approach it on your bike it is most likely in the condition known as dead and you should still leave it alone even though the guy on the bike in front of you probably did not
When I realized that it didn't hurt I let a larger 4 foot racer bite me, the next time I found one.
And so on and so on until I got to a snake that did kinda hurt, a 8 foot coach whip.
In short if you don't go around poking sticks at anything larger than an 8 foot coach whip you'll come home just fine.
If you don't know hoe to ID a red rat, racer , or coach whip don't poke sticks at any of them.
Snakes are not game animals so there is no law against killing non threatened species, except the law of common sense that tells us to leave things we don't understand alone. Especially if we are afraid of them but don't have the sense to avoid them
Leave the thing alone it isn't hurting you and if you go around killing every snake you see you will end up calling me to come straighten out your rodent problem, for a hefty fee.
If a snake is laying out across the road and refuses to move when you approach it on your bike it is most likely in the condition known as dead and you should still leave it alone even though the guy on the bike in front of you probably did not
Limeyfellow
New member
That black snake is most likely the Black Rat Snake, especially how it just sat there. If they run off at high speed they are Black Racer Snakes. Both eat poisonous snakes so its best to leave them around. I have one thats on the property and it killed the mouse problem off and helps keep the rabbits under control. If you are worried about it getting in the home use some snakeaway.
ScoutinStAugustine
New member
...Leave it alone
While I understand an irrational fear of snakes there is no point in killing it just because you don't like snakes. Besides, his larger brother from South America will hunt you down.
Seriously, let it go. They eat of lot of much worse things...
I couldn't have said it better...leave it alone. Shoot only targets, food, and the occasional bad guy.
While I understand an irrational fear of snakes there is no point in killing it just because you don't like snakes. Besides, his larger brother from South America will hunt you down.
Seriously, let it go. They eat of lot of much worse things...
I couldn't have said it better...leave it alone. Shoot only targets, food, and the occasional bad guy.
Yea I left it alone. Honestly I was more concerned about others. What if it had been poisonous? Now you have a poisonous snake, on a trail requented by bikers and joggers. And honestly, I didn't realize it was a snake until I was about 6 feet away.
If the snake does bite me, its dead. Sorry, but I'm at the top of the food chain. You bite me, I'll bite back. I can't help it if ihave a Glock 20 for teeth Furthermore, if I think its venemous, I'll kill it and take it to the hospital. Then again, I'm wondering how far I can get on my bike after getting injected with poison
The more I think about it, the more I decided on a more rational action. If I knew it was a venemous snake, I would dismount my bike and find a big enough stick and push it aside. If that wasn't feesible, I'd draw the weapon but stand away from it. Then I'd warn other people off (not with the gun). If it made a move towards me or someone else, bang. If it went it merry way, I would start breathing, change my drawers, and move on.
If the snake does bite me, its dead. Sorry, but I'm at the top of the food chain. You bite me, I'll bite back. I can't help it if ihave a Glock 20 for teeth
Furthermore, if I think its venemous, I'll kill it and take it to the hospital. Then again, I'm wondering how far I can get on my bike after getting injected with poison The more I think about it, the more I decided on a more rational action. If I knew it was a venemous snake, I would dismount my bike and find a big enough stick and push it aside. If that wasn't feesible, I'd draw the weapon but stand away from it. Then I'd warn other people off (not with the gun). If it made a move towards me or someone else, bang. If it went it merry way, I would start breathing, change my drawers, and move on.
What if it wasn't. What if the squirrels you feed or ogle along the way are in the early stages of rabies? what if the hiker you just passed was really an escaped convict?
If you did that in Fla you would be jailed for reckless discharge or the like.
If it's a snake and you are afraid of snakes steer clear.
Unless the snake is over 9 or 10 feet it can't strike you from 6 feet away, the heavier venomous snakes of North America have less range
I myself am terrified of vampires so I do my level best to avoid them.
I'm gonna suggest some extreme therapy. Find someone that can you can be reasonably sure can ID snakes have him get a fairly good sized one say about 4 ft and let it bite you repeatedly.
When you realize that it doesn't hurt you will be over your irrational fear forever and may even get to like them enough to play with them on occasion
Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
Don't know how I missed this post; I usually jump on posts like this!
There are 4 basic groups of venomous snakes in the US. The rattlesnakes, the copperheads (yep, more than one species), the cottonmouth or water moccasin, and the coral snakes (2). The first 3 are all pit vipers, so called because of the heat sensing labial pits located between and below the eyes and nostrils. Along with the "cat's eye" pupil mentioned, this is the easiest way to tell (at a safe distance) a venomous snake. The pits are clearly visible. I'll try to post some close up head shots of both a venomous and a non-venomous snake for comparison in a few days (no time this weekend!). On the average, the pit vipers can strike about 1/3 rd their body length. While the Eastern Diamondback can reach lengths of 9 feet, they are EXTREMELY rare. Figure that a large rattler is 4-6 feet in length. That means the average strike range is 2 feet. In all but the thickest brush, avoiding being bitten simply involves being careful where you step, or where you place your hands. Don't rely on rattlers rattling every time. Sometimes they don't, and sometimes they've lost their rattles to rocks, etc. Another thing is that a defensive bite often means a dry bite. No venom delivered. Venom is a food capture tool and is precious to the snake. It won't use it unless it has to. None of these snakes are aggressive; they just want to be left alone. Best to leave 'em be. I'd rather have snakes around than mice and rats anytime.
On to the coral snakes. These guys are a whole different ball game. They don't have the elliptical pupils or labial pits, but they're very easy to identify and the rhyme posted below does that nicely. Corals are secretive and shy, and they're not easy to find. I spent an entire week in Florida looking for them and never found a one. They're also small and have difficulty biting anything other than fingers and toes. Usually, it's kids that get bitten when they're attracted by the pretty colors.
Venoms are peculiar and complex things. They're a cocktail of enzymes and proteins that attack various parts of the body. In general, and except for the Mohave Green rattler, N. American pit viper venoms attack skin, muscle, and blood, while the coral and Mohave Green attack the central nervous system. These don't have the gross, nasty visible effects of the pit vipers, but they can shut down breathing and stop the heart.
All in all, snakes (even the venomous ones) are beneficial critters and should be left alone unless they're a direct threat to people or pets. I realize you can't have a rattler in your back yard playing with your kids or dogs, but when you encounter one in the boonies, you're in no danger unless you get really stupid. Leave it be.
By the way, Indigo's have become really rare and to my knowledge, are one of only a few species of snake on the federal endangered species list. Also, catch or kill an Indigo on a farmer's property in Fla., and you risk a 12 ga. round of rock salt!
I caught a 7 footer in a trash pile in Fla. in the 60's and the property owner caught me and threatened to have me arrested for trespass. Needless to say, I let the snake go.
There are 4 basic groups of venomous snakes in the US. The rattlesnakes, the copperheads (yep, more than one species), the cottonmouth or water moccasin, and the coral snakes (2). The first 3 are all pit vipers, so called because of the heat sensing labial pits located between and below the eyes and nostrils. Along with the "cat's eye" pupil mentioned, this is the easiest way to tell (at a safe distance) a venomous snake. The pits are clearly visible. I'll try to post some close up head shots of both a venomous and a non-venomous snake for comparison in a few days (no time this weekend!). On the average, the pit vipers can strike about 1/3 rd their body length. While the Eastern Diamondback can reach lengths of 9 feet, they are EXTREMELY rare. Figure that a large rattler is 4-6 feet in length. That means the average strike range is 2 feet. In all but the thickest brush, avoiding being bitten simply involves being careful where you step, or where you place your hands. Don't rely on rattlers rattling every time. Sometimes they don't, and sometimes they've lost their rattles to rocks, etc. Another thing is that a defensive bite often means a dry bite. No venom delivered. Venom is a food capture tool and is precious to the snake. It won't use it unless it has to. None of these snakes are aggressive; they just want to be left alone. Best to leave 'em be. I'd rather have snakes around than mice and rats anytime.
On to the coral snakes. These guys are a whole different ball game. They don't have the elliptical pupils or labial pits, but they're very easy to identify and the rhyme posted below does that nicely. Corals are secretive and shy, and they're not easy to find. I spent an entire week in Florida looking for them and never found a one. They're also small and have difficulty biting anything other than fingers and toes. Usually, it's kids that get bitten when they're attracted by the pretty colors.
Venoms are peculiar and complex things. They're a cocktail of enzymes and proteins that attack various parts of the body. In general, and except for the Mohave Green rattler, N. American pit viper venoms attack skin, muscle, and blood, while the coral and Mohave Green attack the central nervous system. These don't have the gross, nasty visible effects of the pit vipers, but they can shut down breathing and stop the heart.
All in all, snakes (even the venomous ones) are beneficial critters and should be left alone unless they're a direct threat to people or pets. I realize you can't have a rattler in your back yard playing with your kids or dogs, but when you encounter one in the boonies, you're in no danger unless you get really stupid. Leave it be.
By the way, Indigo's have become really rare and to my knowledge, are one of only a few species of snake on the federal endangered species list. Also, catch or kill an Indigo on a farmer's property in Fla., and you risk a 12 ga. round of rock salt!
I caught a 7 footer in a trash pile in Fla. in the 60's and the property owner caught me and threatened to have me arrested for trespass. Needless to say, I let the snake go.CarbineCaleb
New member
The Captain can correct me if I'm wrong (wouldn't be the first time 
), but I think that in the US, any snake that snakes that have a wide triangular head (2-3x as wide as neck) are poisonous, while all the rest, except for the coral snake, are harmless. If that's correct anyway, you don't even have to try to recognize markings, just look at the size and shape of the head - if it's small and about same size as neck or smaller - no problaymo, otherwise, give him wide birth. That's what I always used as a rule of thumb when growing up, and I caught lots of snakes by hand for sport in those carefree days. Most of them are so passive that they won't even bite you when you catch them by hand - only one that bit me was the "Green Snake". Just learn the coral snake alone as the exception to the rule. Did I do okay, Capt?
), but I think that in the US, any snake that snakes that have a wide triangular head (2-3x as wide as neck) are poisonous, while all the rest, except for the coral snake, are harmless. If that's correct anyway, you don't even have to try to recognize markings, just look at the size and shape of the head - if it's small and about same size as neck or smaller - no problaymo, otherwise, give him wide birth. That's what I always used as a rule of thumb when growing up, and I caught lots of snakes by hand for sport in those carefree days. Most of them are so passive that they won't even bite you when you catch them by hand - only one that bit me was the "Green Snake". Just learn the coral snake alone as the exception to the rule. Did I do okay, Capt?Capt. Charlie
Moderator Emeritus
Ya done good, Cal! 
Those venom glands really affect the shape of the head. The only reason I didn't mention that was that a number of non-venomous snakes (most notably the water snakes) can flatten out their heads when they're P.O.'d. You can tell the difference, but to those that don't know snakes, it makes them look like a venomous snake (intentional mimicry or another reason? Who knows? 
) Anyhow, I've found that when I teach that as an identifier of hot snakes, a lot of water snakes, rat snakes, and even garter snakes get mis-identified and usually killed.
By the way, I have been bitten by a copperhead, and trust me, it hurts like hell!! Picture someone driving two twenty-penny nails into your hand and then pouring battery acid into the holes. That's what it feels like. My bite was my own fault; my own stupidity. We had a Southern Broad Banded Copperhead (beautiful snake!) that wasn't eating, which left the only recourse of force feeding. We used a 50cc syringe with a length of oxygen tubing connected. The concoction was a mixture of raw egg, vitamin supplements, and calcium supplements. The tube is slipped down the throat and the mixture injected. This is usually a 2-man operation (for safety's sake), but I was working alone. The snake regurgitated some of the egg. That made the bugger slippery and I lost my grip, and got nailed. While the results were painful and a little nasty to look at (not nearly as bad as some), I did not receive antivenin and was fine in a few days.
Those venom glands really affect the shape of the head. The only reason I didn't mention that was that a number of non-venomous snakes (most notably the water snakes) can flatten out their heads when they're P.O.'d. You can tell the difference, but to those that don't know snakes, it makes them look like a venomous snake (intentional mimicry or another reason? Who knows? ) Anyhow, I've found that when I teach that as an identifier of hot snakes, a lot of water snakes, rat snakes, and even garter snakes get mis-identified and usually killed.By the way, I have been bitten by a copperhead, and trust me, it hurts like hell!!
Picture someone driving two twenty-penny nails into your hand and then pouring battery acid into the holes. That's what it feels like. My bite was my own fault; my own stupidity. We had a Southern Broad Banded Copperhead (beautiful snake!) that wasn't eating, which left the only recourse of force feeding. We used a 50cc syringe with a length of oxygen tubing connected. The concoction was a mixture of raw egg, vitamin supplements, and calcium supplements. The tube is slipped down the throat and the mixture injected. This is usually a 2-man operation (for safety's sake), but I was working alone. The snake regurgitated some of the egg. That made the bugger slippery and I lost my grip, and got nailed. While the results were painful and a little nasty to look at (not nearly as bad as some), I did not receive antivenin and was fine in a few days.I agree with the majority of posters here. Leave it alone. If you really feel threatened use your cell phone and call animal control.
We had a black snake 6-7 feet in our parking lot. A lot of smokers adopted it as a pet. It just kinda crawled around and went back and forth between the creek and the parking lot. No harm done.
I personally am not a fan of snakes. Animal control is a better solution than blasting away - the bigger danger is you accidentally hitting someone in a large population area and well travelled trail. (I go on the WO&D some myself...)
We had a black snake 6-7 feet in our parking lot. A lot of smokers adopted it as a pet. It just kinda crawled around and went back and forth between the creek and the parking lot. No harm done.
I personally am not a fan of snakes. Animal control is a better solution than blasting away - the bigger danger is you accidentally hitting someone in a large population area and well travelled trail. (I go on the WO&D some myself...)
AttackTurtle
New member
Im fairly sure thats bogus. Even if its true, do you really want to get up that close to find out?? After all, that is the dangerous end.