I hate snakes.If that had been me I would have had to went to the house to change my shorts.Not sure why im that way but have been my hole life.When I come across one I feel like electricity is going through my body.

 

I hate snakes.If that had been me I would have had to went to the house to change my shorts.

:ditto: and everytime I go into a "pet store" I think why? :fing20:

 

:ditto: I would have used a shovel and pulled it off, then chop its head off and toss it into the weeds.

 

I bet he does that to people that he finds setting on his tractor to. :Stop:

 

Dang, I am in my shop typing this and I did a quick check around under the bench where I am sitting. I have Rattlers that like to come in the sheds once and a while. :Stop:

 

I was cleaning out the wood box at the fire pit the other day & there was a lil fella in there, years ago, i would have chopped him up with the shovel i had in hand, had my gloves on so i picked him up & introduced him to the field.
I'm 53 & that's the first time i ever handled a live snake, didn't even try to bite me:trink40:
I just hope i don't ever have to grab another one.

Ronnie

 

I can't believe in this day and age people still kill harmless varieties of snakes. They do so much good around any homestead... Educate yourselves about the types in your neighborhood and just shoo out the good ones. Kill and eat the rattlers!

 

I do not kill them.Unless they get under my mower deck and that happens often.:fing20:

 

I let the non venomous snakes go. Like a coach whip. However 2 months ago, I had to
kill a snake that happened to be a Corral Snake. You know red and yellow kill a fellow
and this one had the red and yellow together.:Stop:

 

They serve a purpose. I usually take them by shovel and toss them into the woods. I used to kill them but then I thought, "Why am I killing them, they eat the rodents I don't want in my house?"

 

those snakes are harmless now the ones that will kill you can all die

 

I must say, I have never killed a snake I had the chance too, Yesterday I was mowing and a little Rattler was sitting in the yard, I stopped the mower and just waited for him to move, it only took him 5 min, and I had some time to get close enough to study his markings. The only creatures I will kill are Rabies carriers, and occasionally a mean stray cat will taste some lead...

 

I am a snake collector. I currently have 4 snakes a pets. I have a resident garter snake that lives next to my koi pond behind the house. I even teach a course on snakes and other reptiles at my school. It is safe to say that I am comfortable around snakes. Even so, when if comes to venomous snakes I get parochial. I often ponder what I would do if I came upon a member of our two highly endangered species of venomous snakes in the yard or neighborhood. I've never seen one in my life, but there are so many kids, dogs, etc. around here I question if it would be safe to leave the snake in this area.

 

After the photo shoot, I grabbed the little garter snake and introduced it to the rough area that I don't mow.

I commend you for having a humane and intelligent attitude.

We all have various primitive urges and instincts. It doesn't mean it's okay to indulge them.

 

I'll have to say i was a little disappointed when i mowed the 35 acres off recently & didn't see the first snake. I released that little fella in the wood pile in the field.
Fortunately, there are no poisonous snakes in my vicinity, none that i've seen anyways, i can travel 20 miutes in either direction & there are copperheads & rattlers galore.
I think they're neat, i just prefer to observe them from a distance:trink39:

Ronnie

 

I dont like snakes. Memorial day weekend my 4YO gets bitten by a copperhead.

He made a full recovery with no after effects.

 

Glad to hear he's okay. Pretty little guy for a snake bite. (Bites?)

 

I have actually brought home quite a few snakes, some of the black snakes over 6' long. Usually find them on job sites, crossing roads and sometimes just sunning themselves in the spring. I release them around my cargo container or one of the sheds, to help keep down the field mouse population.

If handled correctly, a giant black snake can be pretty tame, once he knows you're not a threat. I've been bitten quite a few times too, always pushing the limits too early on, but they're pretty much harmless

My wife on the other hand, well, she found one resting in her apple shaped bird house, with just his head sticking out the hole which was mounted 8' up on one of the pine trees. She freaked out and made me get it out.

After opening up the apple, I grabbed the snake, he was only about 4-5' long, but I was able to count all 3 of the eggs or chicks he had eaten. I let him loose right there at the base of the tree, the look on her face was priceless hehehe Good to be at the top of the food chain:thThumbsU

 

This is a repeat photo but here is a snakeskin hanging out of the side panel on my JD 317. He/She was doing the job of removing mice from the tractor.

 

catch and release.

 

We have some rubber Boa's on our place. One in particular i see a lot, but I let him be. He likes to sun himself next to the driveway and I usually see him when I am mowing brush with my Yanmar so I just steer clear and let him go on his way. My mother saw him a few weeks ago, he is about 4-5' long as they described but all snakes are bigger when your scared of them. :biglaugh:

 

Last weekend I almost ran over a 2 foot garter snake. I saw him just in time to stop and back up the mower. The little dude started chasing the mower as I was backing up! Must have some brass ones on him.

I'd be happy to have more snakes in the storage barn to cut down on the mice and the damage they do to the equipment.

 

I have a yellow racer that lives in/around my garden boxes and I'm happy to see him. Helps keep down the pests so he's welcome to live there and invite his friends. I watch to make sure I don't mow him.

Bunch of years ago I found about a 4 foot snake and heard a rattle. Turns out it was a gopher snake and he was rattling his tail in dry leaves. Made me jump back though. A knowledgable friend of the family came over to the house, took a look and scooped him up - explaining it was actually a harmless snake.

Wish I had a snake living in my garage, I've got mice and they leave mice poop on my tractor engine.

 

I heard some bluejays making some crazy noise this morning so I opened the front door and saw a rat snake near the end of porch. It must have swallowed an egg or baby bird because it had a bulge near its intestines. It saw me and immediately ran into my gutter drain pipe. I noticed that it rattled but found that this is a defense mechanism only and not to be confused with a rattle snake. I hate to see them kill birds but that is nature and is part of it.

 

that looks more like a gopher, or rat snake. Either way, they are more beneficial to us than harmful.

 

My wife had a Mojave Rattlesnake in the back yard at our place in Sierra Vista (I was not home at the time) one day. My German Short Hair was going nuts and they called a hotline and a guy came out and removed it. We killed several rattlers when doing dog training in New Mexico but normally we tried to just leave them alone. They serve a purpose and we're actually the intruders! I remember my old Special Forces Sergeant when I was a cadet giving the following safety briefing: Remember Cadets that God has told the wildlife to defend in place! If you run into wildlife you go away!

 

My wife had a Mojave Rattlesnake in the back yard at our place in Sierra Vista (I was not home at the time) one day.

My first and only encounter with a Rattlesnake was when I was stationed at FT. Huachauca in the early 80's. (don't have a clue what kind I know Hauachuca has several different kinds)

I was out hiking had started to sit down to take a rest. At least he did let me know I needed to find my own shady spot out of the sun before I sat down!!! this place was already occupied. I would guesstimate he was maybe 2-3 feet in length. I also heard they don't always rattle so I appreciated him introducing himself up front.

Startled me at first , But after initial shock , just backed off and watched him for a few minutes from a safe distance then and pushed on up the trail to find my own spot to rest.

 

Coldone, sorry to hear your boy got bit by a copperhead, those are some bad bites!

 

PAGuy talking about Sierra Vista reminded me of when we were working at Fort Huachuca doing tests we were told by the crew that ran the ranges, that in no uncertain terms, we could not and would not kill any snakes. We were there in the spring and during the heat of the day the rattlers would find a sunny spot and sun themselves. Freaked most of us out (me included), but one on our crew had no problem with them and would just move them if they were in our way.