Shooting snakes within city limits

[flintknapper]

The last time I had any dealings with a snake has been a few months ago. I was working in the yard when all of a sudden I noticed a 3 foot snake under my carport...well, after I recovered from the shock & awe, I grabbed the nearest thing to me which was a shovel and went to work on him.
I didn't know I could swing that shovel so fast....wham, wham, wham.

Needless to say, he did not survive, and every time I told someone about it the first thing they would say was what kind was it?? ...it was a'SNAKE! Then I would get the lecture on some are good and some are bad. I'm sorry, I am just not a snake person.

-geo

A friend of mine came into work one Monday morning exclaiming he had killed a snake at his home over the weekend. Of course, I asked the dreaded question: " What kind was it"?

Without so much as looking up, Eddie replied "the crawley kind". I laughed...and then prodded him some more, I said "The CRAWLEY kind!" what does that mean.

Again, without looking up from his computer he says: "There are two kinds of snakes, the CRAWLEY kind and the SWIMMY kind, I kill them both". I just about died laughing, my good friend had reduced all snakes... to the kind that crawl... and the kind that swim (both equally foul).

I let it go at that, but have never forgotten his retort. Too funny..............!

[bryang]

The last time I had any dealings with a snake has been a few months ago. I was working in the yard when all of a sudden I noticed a 3 foot snake under my carport...well, after I recovered from the shock & awe, I grabbed the nearest thing to me which was a shovel and went to work on him.
I didn't know I could swing that shovel so fast....wham, wham, wham.

Needless to say, he did not survive, and every time I told someone about it the first thing they would say was what kind was it?? ...it was a'SNAKE! Then I would get the lecture on some are good and some are bad. I'm sorry, I am just not a snake person.

-geo

A friend of mine came into work one Monday morning exclaiming he had killed a snake at his home over the weekend. Of course, I asked the dreaded question: " What kind was it"?

Without so much as looking up, Eddie replied "the crawley kind". I laughed...and then prodded him some more, I said "The CRAWLEY kind!" what does that mean.

Again, without looking up from his computer he says: "There are two kinds of snakes, the CRAWLEY kind and the SWIMMY kind, I kill them both". I just about died laughing, my good friend had reduced all snakes... to the kind that crawl... and the kind that swim (both equally foul).

I let it go at that, but have never forgotten his retort. Too funny..............!

That's funny!! The crawley kind and the swimmy kind.

-geo

[ghostrider]

>That's funny!! The crawley kind and the swimmy kind.

Guess he's not let one live long enough to go from land to water.

I prefer snakes to rodents, so I try not to kill any snakes, but then I haven't had any rattlers. I have had coral snakes in my yard.

While I discourage those not educated/trained in handling snakes (especially venomous ones), you can obtain snake handling equipment here: http://tongs.com/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; I make no recommendations, I am not a snake expert (or a lawyer), YMMV, buyer beware, etc, etc. We have 2 small, curious dogs and I have equipment primarily to be able to safely separate dogs from snake should that ever be necessary. Plus, I'm in city limits, so a 12ga is probably frowned upon.

[ghostrider]

ps. here's a good site on TX venomous snakes so that you can tell the difference between "the CRAWLEY kind and the SWIMMY kind":

http://www.texas-venomous.com/index.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Smokewagon]

Found a bullsnake of approximately 5ft. in the garage a few weeks ago. My only weapon nearby was a sponge mop. Gave him my best golf swing with that, which ejected him into the driveway. He's still here somewhere, and my garden has been virtually insect free this year, not to mention a scarcity of toads as well.

[ironsights]

You have built your house in the snake’s environment. I am no hippy. I am all into killing that witch needs to be killed. Do not kill a creature that means you no harm. If you are not experienced in dangerous animal transportation call the wild life animal rescue for your county. That is what taxes are for. If you kill a snake for just doing his thing you are a jerk. If you kill anything that you do not intend to eat you are a jerk. The snake is not in your backyard, you built your backyard in the snake’s house. They are much more scared of you than you are of them. If you have to...kill them, but treat them as a living being and a neighbor that does great good.

[my04heritage]

You have built your house in the snake’s environment. I am no hippy. I am all into killing that witch needs to be killed. Do not kill a creature that means you no harm. If you are not experienced in dangerous animal transportation call the wild life animal rescue for your county. That is what taxes are for. If you kill a snake for just doing his thing you are a jerk. If you kill anything that you do not intend to eat you are a jerk. The snake is not in your backyard, you built your backyard in the snake’s house. They are much more scared of you than you are of them. If you have to...kill them, but treat them as a living being and a neighbor that does great good.

name calling is not nice.

[CompVest]

I would hate to have to lock this thread, so please post only about the subject and not about each other.

Thank you,

[pbwalker]

Wow...I guess I better never kill a Scorpion that finds its way into my house or the Black Widow Spider that finds its way into my garage.

[mr.72]

The difference is that many people advocate killing all snakes on their property, without regard for which are harmless (the vast majority) and which are venomous. Scorpions and black widows are both venomous animals. I have no disagreement with killing venomous animals when they are in an area which threatens people. However, indiscriminate killing of all snakes is counterproductive if what you really want to do is eliminate pests.

Of course, I guess I'm a hypocrite. I have no qualms about killing ants whenever they invade my house, harmless as they may be. Same would go for rats if they ever showed up. Of course I have two cats in the house. They certainly deter rats and snakes alike. We haven't seen a snake in our house or near it a single time since the cats came on the scene.

[txflyer]

The only other venomous snake indigenous to North America is the Coral Snake which has a round pupil, but can not be mistaken for a rattler, because of the obvious color pattern.

Unfortunately, the king snake is often confused for the coral snake. So many king snakes die as a result of mistaken identity.

[Dragonfighter]

Your probably good with the Coral snake as they are traditionally docile with accounts of children even playing with them for quite a while without getting bit. They have small mouths and fixed, short fangs so the target areas are limited. They are chewers, not strikers (typically). If you do manage to get bit by one, immediate treatment is necessary as their venom is chemically similar and identical in efficacy as a cobra.

[txflyer]

Your probably good with the Coral snake as they are traditionally docile with accounts of children even playing with them for quite a while without getting bit. They have small mouths and fixed, short fangs so the target areas are limited. They are chewers, not strikers (typically). If you do manage to get bit by one, immediate treatment is necessary as their venom is chemically similar and identical in efficacy as a cobra.

I was aware of the level of toxicity in the venom, but was not aware of how docile they are. Good to know. Did a little more research and found that they feed on other reptiles (including their own). So if you don't like snakes, leave these guys alone, they'll help control the population.

[flintknapper]

You have built your house in the snake’s environment. I am no hippy. I am all into killing that witch needs to be killed. Do not kill a creature that means you no harm. If you are not experienced in dangerous animal transportation call the wild life animal rescue for your county. That is what taxes are for. If you kill a snake for just doing his thing you are a jerk. If you kill anything that you do not intend to eat you are a jerk. The snake is not in your backyard, you built your backyard in the snake’s house. They are much more scared of you than you are of them. If you have to...kill them, but treat them as a living being and a neighbor that does great good.

Not exactly.

This is to put the "animal" above the "human". IIRC God gave us "dominion" over the animals (Genesis 1:28). However, we are to be good "stewards" of the animals we have been entrusted with.

Like you, I tend to leave the harmless creatures alone...but it is entirely up to each person to decide what is "tolerable" and what is not. Certainly the dispatch of certain creatures under certain conditions is prudent and right. On the other hand, the boyish torture of insects/animals that we sometimes hear about is obvioiusly.... profane.

Personally, I am not "too wild" about spiders... and I routinely kill any that are found in or around my house. Now, I don't know if that makes me a "jerk" in your eyes, but that is what happens 'round here!

[Dragonfighter]

If a spider or other arachnid, or for that matter any insect or other creepy crawly not defined herein enters my domicile, it has committed a capitol offense punishable by immediate death and or dissemination by molecular reduction and hydrodynamic evacuation. IOW, they are killed, squashed, their parts spread about in a tissue and then they are flushed down the toilet.

Wife and daughters are judge and jury and I am the executioner and coroner (verifying their expiration). You have not experienced an adrenal rush until you have a bug phobic daughter find a tarantula in the kitchen while you are asleep.