Snake Guns
- Thread starter imp
- Start date
Actually, Coral snakes, while being very shy and rather small with small fixed forward fangs, are extremely venomous being in the same family as cobras.
They also are similar looking to non-venomous King snakes. "Red Touch Yellow, Kills a Fellow. Red Touch Black, Friend of Jack."
Regardless, as already stated, most snakes will flee unless threatened. And serve as great rodent WMDs.
berettaprofessor
New member
As a Kansas guy I see plenty of my share of snakes. I'm so desensitized I don't even jump anymore when I see a snake and I take the time to identify them. Common or Prairie garters, kingsnakes, and rat snakes get a pass because I want their help in killing pack rats. Rattlers and Copperheads get whacked with whatever's at hand; don't want them breeding around home in all the tall grass. Gun, hoe, heck I'd even climb a tree, howl, and throw feces at them if I thought it would help.
To get away from snake stories and back to snake guns:
I got my wife a Judege to carry when she's horse back riding, works for her.
I carry a 642 in my pocket and switched out between bird shot and my regular loads when I'm home, lots of rattlers here.
Problem is switching loads is a pain in the butt, I keep forgetting. The only snakes I've killed with my 642 was with my normal SWC loads, so I said screw it, I dont use the bird shot any more. SWCs kill them just as dead.
It may be my imagination, but the idiots seem to stir at the laser sight. Anyway I gave up the ideal of switching ammo to meet the target. Except for heavy practice, I just stick to my SWC defense loads.
I got my wife a Judege to carry when she's horse back riding, works for her.
I carry a 642 in my pocket and switched out between bird shot and my regular loads when I'm home, lots of rattlers here.
Problem is switching loads is a pain in the butt, I keep forgetting. The only snakes I've killed with my 642 was with my normal SWC loads, so I said screw it, I dont use the bird shot any more. SWCs kill them just as dead.
It may be my imagination, but the idiots seem to stir at the laser sight. Anyway I gave up the ideal of switching ammo to meet the target. Except for heavy practice, I just stick to my SWC defense loads.
QUOTE: I got lucky today.....I was out hunting brass to reload and walked past a 5 gal bucket that was on its side. Did not hear anything or see him until I felt the hit....I got hit on my right leg about 3 inches above the ankle...the lucky part is no fang marks or bite. I don't know if he hit me with closed mouth(will they do that) or what but I was wearing baggy overalls heavy weight ones....sorry to say he died. It scared me a lot and my advise is:::: NO MATTER HOW YA FEEL ABOUT SNAKES BE CAREFULthey are there and don't always rattle.........just watch where ya walk...... __________________Rick in Kingman AZ
Rick, you were very lucky, especially if it was a Mohave rattler--which you have up there--the deadliest (effectively) of all venomous snakes in the states to my knowledge. Diamondbacks--eastern and western--other rattlers and the other venomous types infesting the southeast are bad enough. Mohaves can be another matter altogether. Most strains of Mohaves have both hemotoxin, common to most if not all other pit vipers, but also carry the cobra-like neurotoxin. A friend who worked on the old Southern Pacific RR line got bitten by one and, largely because of time/distance to help, almost died. Bitten in the little finger, ended up six months in critical care and it ultimately killed the main nerve down his right leg.
I don't go out of my way to hunt venomous snakes--but when the kids or other loved ones are around especially, they come first as someone also opined. Speaking of loved ones, nothing like losing a good gundog to a legless critter either. Even when a dog is "rattler trained" (which lots of folks do here in Arizona), it happens. To the rodent argument, want to control rodents? -- Don't need venomous types around for that: import a King (not the coral-looking one but the California or eastern variety) or Bull snake, or even some racers--which are all also good venomous snake control around the homestead as well. Otherwise, .38 shotshell out of a revolver at the aforementioned six to eight feet is pretty good medicine.
Rick, you were very lucky, especially if it was a Mohave rattler--which you have up there--the deadliest (effectively) of all venomous snakes in the states to my knowledge. Diamondbacks--eastern and western--other rattlers and the other venomous types infesting the southeast are bad enough. Mohaves can be another matter altogether. Most strains of Mohaves have both hemotoxin, common to most if not all other pit vipers, but also carry the cobra-like neurotoxin. A friend who worked on the old Southern Pacific RR line got bitten by one and, largely because of time/distance to help, almost died. Bitten in the little finger, ended up six months in critical care and it ultimately killed the main nerve down his right leg.
I don't go out of my way to hunt venomous snakes--but when the kids or other loved ones are around especially, they come first as someone also opined. Speaking of loved ones, nothing like losing a good gundog to a legless critter either. Even when a dog is "rattler trained" (which lots of folks do here in Arizona), it happens. To the rodent argument, want to control rodents? -- Don't need venomous types around for that: import a King (not the coral-looking one but the California or eastern variety) or Bull snake, or even some racers--which are all also good venomous snake control around the homestead as well. Otherwise, .38 shotshell out of a revolver at the aforementioned six to eight feet is pretty good medicine.
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Tucker 1371
New member
I usually have a strict Don't Kill policy for snakes around our house. If I can do so safely I usually try to relocate them to the barn to clear out the rodents. Caught a 7-8ft long black and white king snake one day, don't think I saw a mouse in the barn for a month 
, that joker probably could have eaten a small possum if he had wanted to.
Poisonous snakes are bad but usually they can be removed safely without killing them, just make sure you have at least a 6ft long stick or rod, preferably two, and something like a cooler to keep them in for a short time. But I agree, if there are small children around it's probably best to eliminate them, don't want them finding their way back, ever. If I ever had to kill one I'd use my 20ga with 7 or 8 shot, that'd be more than enough.
, that joker probably could have eaten a small possum if he had wanted to.Poisonous snakes are bad but usually they can be removed safely without killing them, just make sure you have at least a 6ft long stick or rod, preferably two, and something like a cooler to keep them in for a short time. But I agree, if there are small children around it's probably best to eliminate them, don't want them finding their way back, ever. If I ever had to kill one I'd use my 20ga with 7 or 8 shot, that'd be more than enough.
oneounceload
Moderator
sulfur works well also for keeping them away
Down here, cottonmouths will drop from overhanging trees into canoes and kayaks, have been known to swim towards small boats and try to climb in -in short, they are VERY aggressive towards humans. I'm not a fan of venomous snakes, have no problem with the black racers, etc. that are also numerous here.
If it's not one thing, it's another
A friend in So Cal (Moron Valley) had more big rattlers around his property than he cared for, worried about his dogs. He made a point of dusting them with a 20 ga SKB.
He now has more gophers, rats, and mice than he knows what to do with.
At least the snakes did not destroy the wiring under the hood of his car.
A friend in So Cal (Moron Valley) had more big rattlers around his property than he cared for, worried about his dogs. He made a point of dusting them with a 20 ga SKB.
He now has more gophers, rats, and mice than he knows what to do with.
At least the snakes did not destroy the wiring under the hood of his car.
So far, the posts here are pretty responsible--leave even the venomous snakes alone if at all possible.
There are strains of rattlers that don't buzz. If all the "rattling rattlers" are killed off, "just because", guess what's left?
Dak; yes, rattlers will "bluff" and either hit closed-mouth, or won't inject venom. They want to save that for chow or last resort. Fact is, most snakes are more scared of us than we are of them. When they rattle, they are simply trying to say, in effect, "Here I am, leave me alone, please." Rattlers "in the blind"; ie shedding their skin are in a different situation. They can't tell what's going on, so they strike out of fear.
Of course, the mocs are something else...
There are strains of rattlers that don't buzz. If all the "rattling rattlers" are killed off, "just because", guess what's left?
Dak; yes, rattlers will "bluff" and either hit closed-mouth, or won't inject venom. They want to save that for chow or last resort. Fact is, most snakes are more scared of us than we are of them. When they rattle, they are simply trying to say, in effect, "Here I am, leave me alone, please." Rattlers "in the blind"; ie shedding their skin are in a different situation. They can't tell what's going on, so they strike out of fear.
Of course, the mocs are something else...
RG Stewart
New member
20+ years as a surveyor in Ga, I've seen my share of snakes; mostly non-venomous. Don't seem to be a real threat, though, since many times more people die each year from bee stings, which, with me, usually outpace snake sightings by 10:1 or more. Nobody makes yellowjacket loads...
Carry every day though, since one encounter with a bad coyote.
Carry every day though, since one encounter with a bad coyote.
BIG mistake.
Like HKg3, I also live in northern AZ and starting a few years ago, anytime I saw a bull snake, gopher snake or a California king crossing the road, I would stop and grab it. (They would probably have gotten run over anyway.)
When I got home, I would release them on my property and, Lo and Behold!, not only do I not have a gopher, mouse or rat problem anymore, but I haven't had a rattler problem either for several years. (And you know what a gopher hole can do to a horse's leg.)
Bottom line: Learn which snakes are going to harm you and which ones aren't. Senseless killing of any creature based on its looks or how Hollywood has twisted our perceptions of same just doesn't make any sense.
If HKg3 has lived in AZ long enough, I think he will agree with me about tarantulas as well.
"Most snakes are more afraid of us than we are of them"
Nope. They scare the bejeezus out of me.
But I don't usually kill non-poisonous snakes. I did, however, have to kill a family of Garter snakes in my backyard. They kept coming back to the exact spot where my 2 year old likes to play!
I felt awful about it!!!
Nope. They scare the bejeezus out of me.
But I don't usually kill non-poisonous snakes. I did, however, have to kill a family of Garter snakes in my backyard. They kept coming back to the exact spot where my 2 year old likes to play!
I felt awful about it!!!insman1132
New member
If you are going to try to kill a snake with a pistol, you'd better get some rat shot cartridges! Saw a FL County Sheriff's Deputy kill a 10' Eastern Diamond Back Rattler one day. Told me after that Rat Shot was the only way to go. Remember also that snake is moving and not moving in a straight line!
More likely an exaggeration. 6 footers are common here in Arizona, and I have had a couple of interactions with some (with pics to prove it), and I think 8 footers show up in Texas every so often.
I lived in Florida for nearly 40 years and actually never saw a rattler, but plenty of water moccasins.
