Another Copperhead story

[Western]

My neighbor and I where in town and I received the below photo from my daughter. Seems my daughter was going to help out her dad by mowing the yard, when she went to retreve the push mower, this guy was "resting" under the deck of the mower. I got the photo on my cell phone and of course went into survival mode, called the wife and asked her "did you kill it?" She replied What the H@#!! and I supposed to do will a M&^*% F(*&^ Copperhead"?...me "Well a house full of guns and enough tools like rakes, hoes and shovels to build a canal come to mind!!!". So they left it alone until it went under the house:confused3:??????? So lucky me with a bad back, got to go home and crawl under the house armed with a big light and a hoe.

Prior to my assault I ask the girls how big it was and they said "4 feet" so I figured it was maybe 2 feet I carefully went into the darkness and was not able to locate said snake, but I'm sure he is right at home in the cool shade. I may try to spray a couple of gallons of ammonia under there, but may just stay on guard. I ate alone last night, I made the mistake of pointing out that most "country a44' woman would have been all over it with a garden hoe to protect the "homestead", that went over pretty poorly, so I may be outside "bunking" with the snake.:ashamed: I suppose all the rain we've had over the last qeek may have drove the snakes from the creek bottom.

 

[RobertBrown]

I would not go under the house after it. perhaps you could spend that time teaching the wife safe gun operation.
On the other hand, if she gets that mad over little stuff, maybe you should keep the guns locked up.
Anyway, that snake maybe gone but there will be more. It was a good lesson, you can tell people about pit vipers, but when they come across one it really gets the point across.
Do you have any dogs or cats?

 

[Misfire]

I would not go under the house after it. perhaps you could spend that time teaching the wife safe gun operation.
On the other hand, if she gets that mad over little stuff, maybe you should keep the guns locked up.

Now that was funny.

I burst out laughing when I read it. My wife wanted to know what I was laughing at, so I read her the whole thread. For some reason she wasn't amused. :laughing:

 

[xtn]

Bunking with the snake might be the better choice. JUST KIDDING!

 

[lockhaven]

snakes are very timid creatures and it probably has run off by now.

 

[Western]

I used to keep snakes in another life, so going after it was no big deal really, except having a bout of sciatica makes it a bit more "interesting".

A firearm IMO would be the last "tool" needed when there is a hoe around, a copperhead is the only snake I will kill on site, any other gets a free ride, a rattler would get a trip to the back of the property.

I think what PO'd the wife, was my reaction to the fact that she did not kill it when the opportunity existed, she has an "aversion" to killing things, but in my mind a copperhead is a "no-brainer"

As far as the snake leaving, that may be a 50/50 chance, in time it most certainly will, I just would have liked to taken it out of the "property portfolio":laughing: What is weird, I have only seen and killed 2 Copperheads on my place, my neighbor on the other hand (100 yards away) kills 4-5 every year around his front porch.

 

[clemsonfor]

My uncle has killed about 5 copperhead and a few rattlers alone, in the basement of his guest house. This has a concrete floor and bay doors to it where he keeps his mower and tools.

 

[RobertBrown]

Ah...so you have experience with such things. You probably know more about snakes than I do about women :laughing::thumbsup:.

If only for your back.... leave this one and get the next.



I'm betting that your neighbor has rats or mice, probably stores some feed of some kind.... Funny, he keeps killing snakes and is probably overrun with rodents and doesn't know why.
I'm bringing them home and releasing them (snakes...non venomous)

 

[Western]

:laughing: I have ran into a few "venomous lady's" while in my youth, generally because of my own stupidity Haven't been in one of those "places" in nearly 30 years now!!

Yep, this will likely get away, my only concern is for my wife and daughter and my 2 dogs. I taught my daughter at an early age, that may be why after seeing the snake, she commenced to mow the yard, she knew it was poisonous and to avoid close contact. She sent me the photo because she thought I would like it since it was a "big one"

As far as the neighbor, you may be right, although he has some aggressive cats and most of the copperheads he kills are under 14", he does have a wrap around porch attached to his log house that may afford the the hiding place (mice included possibly) an area so short I dont believe the cats venture under there much (width of a 2x4 or so).