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Like the post above, I keep an old .22 revolver loaded with rat shot on hand at the lease (Robert Lee, TX) as the resident 'snake charmer.' And yes, there are vaccines to protect your pets. However, there's a third option.

Dr. Carl Osborn (pediatrician who brought me into this world more than a half-century ago in Valley View Hospital in Ada, OK) wrote several articles on the use of a stun gun to break the venom in spider (brown recluse) and some snake toxins.

• * Treatment of Venomous Bite by High Voltage Direct Current - January 1990
  * Treatment of Spider Bites by High Voltage Direct Current - June 1991
  * Physician Pulls Stun Gun to Treat Spider Bites - By David Blum, Tulsa World, Sunday, July 28, 1991
  * Multiple HVDC Shocks as First Aid or Therapy for Venomous Bites and Stings - July 1992

A link to the summary of his article is found here: http://www.highway60.com/mark/brs/osborn.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.
A related article is found here: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m ... _20116112/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Does the stun gun method work? Dr. Osborn's son Quin used the method (which is what inspired his dad's research) on one of his bird dogs after being bitten by a copperhead. Within 12 hours of the 'shock therapy' swelling around the bite had diminished and pain seemed to be gone (no more licking, whining, etc.). Within 24 hours the wounds stopped draining altogether. Within 36 hours the wound was healing and the dog good to hunt again.

Controversial method for sure. However, should the unthinkable happen, I've got a 20K volt pocket-size stun device.

Hope I never have to try it out!

Well! I missed a snake at 6 feet with a 12 Ga. shotgun once. Don't know what was loaded. It was my Brother-in-Law's gun. Go figure.

Besides snake shot there is another fool-proof method (IMHO) and that is use a vacuum cleaner wand.

If your wife is as averse to using a gun as mine is you might consider this as "plan B". In use you hold the vacuum cleaner wand in the usual manner with the small open end near the snake's head. The snake will inevetably stick it's head in the open end of the wand. A black hole is a "safe place" for a snake. Now you cram the wand into the ground decapitating the snake. It's my wife's tried and true method she's used on many a back yard snake.

Metal tube wands work best but plastic ones will get the job done but in a slightly messy fashon. Use whatever comes with your vacuum cleaner.

I have lost count of the number of times I have used CCI shotshells to kills snakes. I carried them in .357 and .40 on duty for all of the calls we got for snakes in peoples yards. They always worked for me if I was close enough to the snake. I would guess that about 10 feet is the maximum for those two calibers.

I liked the box of truth report. Makes me want to see if I can get a .44 just for this. I had also not thought about reloading them (or even known the parts were available).

Gyrogearhead wrote:Besides snake shot there is another fool-proof method (IMHO) and that is use a vacuum cleaner wand.

If your wife is as averse to using a gun as mine is you might consider this as "plan B". In use you hold the vacuum cleaner wand in the usual manner with the small open end near the snake's head. The snake will inevetably stick it's head in the open end of the wand. A black hole is a "safe place" for a snake. Now you cram the wand into the ground decapitating the snake. It's my wife's tried and true method she's used on many a back yard snake.

Metal tube wands work best but plastic ones will get the job done but in a slightly messy fashon. Use whatever comes with your vacuum cleaner.

Thank you for the Plan B
I'll let my wifes request this evening stand as my reply....
"What are you doing at lunch tomorrow? .. Umm nothing why?... Come pick me up for lunch ,,,we are going to Academy and Guns galore....Your helping me pick out a shotgun"

We miss our pup............ Tomorrow I go hunting rattle snake..... they may taste like chicken.. but I'll never know... I'm tossing um in the center of the pasture for the ravens to pick apart.....slowly..... for days...

bronco78 wrote: I'll let my wifes request this evening stand as my reply....
"What are you doing at lunch tomorrow? .. Umm nothing why?... Come pick me up for lunch ,,,we are going to Academy and Guns galore....Your helping me pick out a shotgun"

We miss our pup............ Tomorrow I go hunting rattle snake..... they may taste like chicken.. but I'll never know... I'm tossing um in the center of the pasture for the ravens to pick apart.....slowly..... for days...

Yeah, I wish my wife would trade in her vacuum cleaner wand on a nice new shotgun!!

Gerry

Quote: "not for anything much over 8-10 yds "

My experience with the .22 rimfire and CCI shotloads up thru .45ACP is they are effective out to a max of 8 to 10 feet. Beyond that, the spread simply makes the pattern too thin and unpredictable.

Greybeard wrote:Quote: "not for anything much over 8-10 yds "

My experience with the .22 rimfire and CCI shotloads up thru .45ACP is they are effective out to a max of 8 to 10 feet. Beyond that, the spread simply makes the pattern too thin and unpredictable.

I patterned 4 rounds of 38SPC/357 CCI shot shell today. 8ft, 12ft, 15ft & 20ft. At 20 ft.. Id estimate, only moderate effect.

during the "season", I always have the front two rounds in my revolver (currently carry a 3" SP101 .357) while on the job, particularly when in obvious snake territory. Since I recently started loading for the .357, I've been looking at buying the shot cups and a bit of #12 shot and attempt to load my own. I usually don't have to shoot more than 3-4 of the nasties per year in the boonies, so the $10 per box of 10 doesn't really break the bank. With the declining numbers of fireants (finally) the snakes and ticks are again on the rebound. Probably be needing more shot shells than in the past years. I do keep a small .22 (yep, the old RG14) loaded with shot shells for the small coral snakes and copperheads that frequent my neighborhood.

I would say the little .410 Snake Charmer would be a good one to have around, but I just don't like single shot limitations.


surv

My parents lost a dog to a snake bite a year or so ago. Its very sad, the dog was only doing her job...protecting my folks from harm like she was so good at. I have not tried the shot shells and heard they were not great for rifled barrels. A good ole garden hoe/shovel has always done the trick. I might have shot one with a 9mm before. In the end they were all dead when it was all said and done.

Really sorry to hear about your pup, I know that hurts.
I carry shotshells in my 38 ultralight whenever I walk my dog out back.
I also have a Judge and a Bond Arms derringer I carry with 410 #4 shot--death to snakes!