I'm just curious

[weldingisfun]

Help me out here folks. There must be two or three active threads discussing the use of a gun to dispatch Ol' Mr. Noshoulders. Does anyone ever use the plentiful and inexpensive BFR (Big Fat Rock) anymore? The next best snakecharmer is the good old shovel. Both are inexpensive, easy to operate, require little to no maintenance, and require no training before use. Oh yes, and the government has yet to find a reason requiring us to have an operator's license to use them.
Please satisfy my curiosity. Why is it that so many see the need to use a gun?

 

[jinman]

BFRs and HOEs are a lot quieter than GUNs.

My momma used to say."Snake! Get a hoe!" The "get a hoe" always followed her seeing a snake. Never, ever, did she call for a gun.

 

[Bird]

Why is it that so many see the need to use a gun?

Probably not that they see a "need" to use a gun; just that it's more fun. Of course, I've done both but probably used the garden hoe more than anything else.

 

[MicroPilot]

Hmmm...

I say "Snake! Catch it!"

 

[jdbower]

I figure there are two options with snakes:

1. It's dangerous and I'd rather kill it from a safe distance.
2. It's harmless and I've got no business dispatching it since it'll be eating stuff that bothers me like mice or insects.

Luckily I haven't run into something fitting category #1 yet.

 

[MossRoad]

The next best snakecharmer is the good old shovel. Both are inexpensive, easy to operate, require little to no maintenance, and require no training before use. Oh yes, and the government has yet to find a reason requiring us to have an operator's license to use them.
Please satisfy my curiosity. Why is it that so many see the need to use a gun?

Better check this link...
OSHA SAFETY VIDEO - SHOVELING SAFETY (5:00 min) - Louisiana and Mississippi Safety Council

 

[kossetx]

If I actually find that I have to disptch a snake, a stick works fine for me. I rarely kill one nowdays, even poisonous ones. If I find poisonous snakes under the house I get a box and move them out while I'm there. Most of mine are just copperheads anyway. To me, I'd rather have the snake than the mice they eat. I have a weiner dog that's been bit twice in the last year by copperheads.

I'm still waiting for her to learn.

 

[jinman]

Better check this link...
OSHA SAFETY VIDEO - SHOVELING SAFETY (5:00 min) - Louisiana and Mississippi Safety Council

Shovels can be dangerous; I never use them. I let my wife do it.

 

[Soundguy]

Your post is skewed to reflect negatively on gun use.. dispite that issue.. I'll post my opinion.

1, If it's a poisonus snake I'm dispatching.. I'm ( my legs ) are likely within striking distance if I am using a shovel to kill it.. No danger to me to stand 10' away and hit it with a light scattergun load.. or other available or appropriate choice, observing proper shooting safety.. etc... vs standing 4'? away and have ? some? chance of it striking me.. Hmm.. 'some'.. or 'none'.. hard decision there.

Availability comes to mind. I almost always have a gun on myperson.. I almost never am just 'carrying' a shovel with me. I keep a shovel up by the hose back door to shoo away anyting block egress.. i keep a shovel int he back of my truck, and one at the barn... anywhere inbetween.. and I've got no shovel with me.... seems like another 'clear' choice.

Rocks? I've long ago removed any sizeable rock from my pasture that could be used as a blunt force .... I own equines.. and vet bills for damaged hoofs are quite huge and extremely difficult on the animal.. so no.. I don't keep horse-maming snake-killing rock-weapons litteirng my pasture.

On the flip side.. I'f I'm out in the pasture and I notice a non poisonus variety.. I will only kill it if it is near the chix pens.. And then.. if I have a shovel handy.. that's usually what I use.

soundguy

Help me out here folks. There must be two or three active threads discussing the use of a gun to dispatch Ol' Mr. Noshoulders. Does anyone ever use the plentiful and inexpensive BFR (Big Fat Rock) anymore? The next best snakecharmer is the good old shovel. Both are inexpensive, easy to operate, require little to no maintenance, and require no training before use. Oh yes, and the government has yet to find a reason requiring us to have an operator's license to use them.
Please satisfy my curiosity. Why is it that so many see the need to use a gun?

 

[N80]

I don't kill snakes. Can't think of any reason to (I don't own any livestock that a snake might eat). I'm not afraid of non-poisonous ones. Actual poisonous ones, i.e. not the brown water snakes that everyone calls water moccasins and not the corn snakes that everyone calls copperheads, a rare compared to non-poisonous ones. And most any snake will leave you alone, and flee in fact, if you leave it alone...the exception being water moccasins.

I'll never understand why people feel the need to kill them, but I don't judge anyone who kills a poisonous snake if it is in their 'space'. I don't do it, but its understandable. I think killing non-poisonous snakes of any type is wrong and not really any different from killing a blue bird or a chipmunk or a box turtle.