snake zapper for my partner?

[kthompson]

My wife grew up in a house of shotguns and rifles but not handguns. She did try to kill one a few years back and proud to tell you a 22 hollow point will blow a good size water hose into (well about 95%).

Just wondering here, how loud does she scream if she does not like snakes? If she is screaming loud enough then most any gun shot noise may not be noticed. I understand, she does not like them but does not scream as they do on tv.

Problem to me with a hoe is the angle of the head. It is not really designed to chop straight down. If you go with a hoe unbend the angle some.

If you ever find a snake where shooting or most anything else is not safe, a CO2 fire extinguisher can freeze them.

If she is not comfortable with a handgun and you think that is best option, have her take a concealed weapons class or such class.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Problem to me with a hoe is the angle of the head. It is not really designed to chop straight down. If you go with a hoe unbend the angle some.

If you ever find a snake where shooting or most anything else is not safe, a CO2 fire extinguisher can freeze them.

I agree with the first point and that's why I have a straight bladed edger, not the half moon type. Even with a 5' handle on the edger, coming in at an angle gets you as close to the snake as I want to be. I certainly don't want to be beating on it with any walking stick.

I'd never though of using a CO2 fire extinguisher although I did kill a small rattler once with a can of Wasp and Hornet spray. That was quiet, no recoil and had a range of 20 feet.

 

[Soundguy]

. I certainly don't want to be beating on it with any walking stick.

ditto that 100%!

soundguy

 

[wushaw]

My wife grew up in a house of shotguns and rifles but not handguns. She did try to kill one a few years back and proud to tell you a 22 hollow point will blow a good size water hose into (well about 95%).

Just wondering here, how loud does she scream if she does not like snakes? If she is screaming loud enough then most any gun shot noise may not be noticed. I understand, she does not like them but does not scream as they do on tv.

Problem to me with a hoe is the angle of the head. It is not really designed to chop straight down. If you go with a hoe unbend the angle some.

If you ever find a snake where shooting or most anything else is not safe, a CO2 fire extinguisher can freeze them.

If she is not comfortable with a handgun and you think that is best option, have her take a concealed weapons class or such class.

I took a conceled weapons class, there were no instruction on how to shoot, you had to already prove you could before you showed up.

I still say use a hoe for dispatching a snake if you need to.

Snake tongs for handling snakes are 50" and less.

 

[Soundguy]

I took a conceled weapons class, there were no instruction on how to shoot, you had to already prove you could before you showed up.

different states have different regs concerning training or range tests.. or proficiency tests.

soundguy

 

[MODiesel]

My wife loves her Taurus Judge. She normally loads up 3 rounds of birdshot for snakes and two rounds of 45 Colt, "just in case." She'll leave most of the snakes alone, save fo the Cottonmouths. Oh, and she just hates the armadillos. The .45 comes in handy for those.

 

[RedRocker]

I've got the 410/45 model of this.
H&R Survivor Shotgun

 

[cisco]

Thanks for the generous advice. I'm not getting into home defense, shooting ranges or such, just dispatching snakes. Today I checked out prices for single shot shotguns, and I can get a Rossi 20 gauge, single shot, hammer cocked, with a relatively short barrel for $95 (list $117), so it won't hurt too much if she drops it into the mud fleeing a snake or whatever. Ammunition for 410's is hard to locate locally, and expensive.
And, my wife dislikes guns, but went hunting with me last year when my usual buddies were not available and she didn't want me wandering around by myself........whatever. Gave her my son's old 243 (he's a 308 now), and had her practice on a target at 50 yards. Thought she'd totally missed, but went to the target to check - bull's eye. OK, luck. So we went hunting and I placed her on a simple climber stand (no gun rest), and came back when I heard the 243 go off a few hours later. Dead deer, about 100 yards, in chest ---- now she questions how come I could have EVER missed a deer (I did, about a decade ago and my son never lets me forget it). Sometimes, life's hard------she doesn't like guns, and hates pistols, but I think she has fairly steady hands and nerves. But, she hates snakes - if I get her a shotgun, the snakes better clear out of the county.
Signing off.

 

[EddieWalker]

I've killed a few snakes and think I've gone about it just about every way possible. I would guess that a shovel have been used more then anything else just because it's was the closest thing around when the snake was found. A shotgun is always going to be my first choice, but the last couple of snakes that I shot, I did so with my 30-06 rifle. The problem with a shovel or a hoe is that it's very hard to kill them quickly this way. I had one pinned down with a shovel, but the ground was too soft to kill it and there was a hole in the ground right in front of it. I was worried that if I took off the pressure, it would just go down into that hole. I was out in the front yard at a house I used to own, with a snake held in place with the shovel, and clueless what to do next. Fortunately a neighbor got curious as to why I was just standing there with the shovel and came over to see what I was doing. When he saw the snake, he ran away!!! He did come back with an ax, but he wouldn't come close enough to hand it to me. He tossed it. It took a few tries with the shovel in one hand holding it in place, but after a few tries, I took it's head off. I sure wish I had a shotgun handy for that snake!!! After my shotgun, my dozer is pretty good for snake killing. Especially when I can cut them in half with the blade. I got a nice copper head coming out of a rotting stump that way.

Here's a picture of one my Mother In Law killed on my driveway with her car. She ran it over, then backed up and ran it over again, and again and again. She says she just panicked when she say it and didn't want her grandkids to come across it. Steph was with her, and she says her mom ran it over at least six times!!!!!

The other copperhead was one that I shot with my rifle.

The black snake turned out to be a rat snake.

Eddie

 

[alchemysa]

The problem with a shovel or a hoe is that it's very hard to kill them quickly this way. I had one pinned down with a shovel, but the ground was too soft to kill it

That's exactly right. I've had the same experience a couple of times on soft or litter covered ground. You hit the snakes with a spade and it just makes them awfully angry. Then you are left standing there worried that if you release pressure for a second it'll get away.

Thats why I prefer the 4 prong fishing spear I mentioned earlier. It doesn't require any great skill or force to use. One swift poke behind the head nails them and you can finish them off without much stress.

I actually feel sorry for the poor critters. They are just trying to survive, and the local brown snakes have pretty faces in a way. Deadly as **** though.