Snakes, The Good, The Bad, and the ugly

[LSmith]

Talking with a neighbor last week. The discussion came round to snakes. My neighbor is of the opinion the only good snake is a dead snake. When I used to hike I always felt that even if a snake is dangerous as long as he wasn't a threat to me I would leave him alone. Now that I am a land owner I will try to leave the "good" snakes alone, but will kill the rattlers and copperheads because I feel that if I don't deal with them now I will have to deal with them and their offspring later. How do you feel? I guess that this is an informal TBN poll.

Lane Smith

 

[Junkman]

I have handled a lot of snakes in my life, but I have never had any poisonous snakes in my hands. I feel that if they aren't anywhere near the areas that are inhabited by humans, that they are not a threat. We don't have many poisonous snakes in this area of CT or to the best of my knowledge, we don't. All I ever see around here are snakes that control the mice population and I don't bother with them. We did have a black racer get into the house last summer, and after a 1/2 hour chase, I finally caught it and set it outside. Even if you kill all the poisonous snakes that you see, there are plenty more that you won't see to take their place. Personally, I avoid anything that can harm me that isn't trying to harm me. One thing to keep in mind, even when you think that the snake is dead, it can still bite you. I was told that it is a reflex action. Never cared to find out how true that is. Here is a site that will help you with more information.

Wildlife Nuisance Information

Google search page results.....

 

[wroughtn_harv]

I'm with junkman on this one. The last poisonous snake I killed was about twenty years ago. It was a black timber rattler. We had us a right of way issue.

I was with my son and father backpacking in northern Arizona. We'd spent a couple of days back in this big canyon. As we were coming out we had to climb a trail that switchbacked up a mountain.

Near the top while I was bent over almost face into the trail I heard a noise. Instinctively I drew a twenty two pistol as I straightened up. It was trying to coil.

Never have been much of a pistol shooter. But I didn't miss that one.

If it hadn't happened so fast I would have probably let it move out of our way.

Looking back I think that's the last snake I killed. Last year I thought we had a copperhead in some tarps up near the Red River. I made the mistake of expressing my fears. A bud killed a bullsnake when it came out. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif He saw a snake and made two of them. A common reaction for some people.

 

[DAP]

So glad your neighbor is so fond of rodents. Nasty lil snakes! /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

Unless they are consistently present in 'human spaces', absolutely no good can come of dispensing any type of snake.

They eat a lotta things we like even less and there's plenty of things that will eat them.

 

[DAP]

Junk ... I've read that New York state (and probably CT too) is home to 3 species of venom dispensers:

1. Eastern Diamondback
2. Timber Rattlesnake (near extinction and protected)
3. Mississuga Rattlesnake.

One day a few years back, I walked about 200 yards into the wood line ... I heard one, didn't see him and didn't stay to look either.

Figuring CT may have the same possibilities.
/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Poppa]

I understand how beneficial they are. I understand how important they are to the ecosystem. However, I would kill them all. Don't care if they are protected. Don't care what they eat. My problem is that in my mind every snake is poisonous. What I do know is that the sound of a rattle will make me wet myself and that is bothersome. A mouse has never made me do that. So, If I should ever stop running and screaming like a small girl I will kill the snake that made me pee.

Then again, you have to figure that if I ever did stop running I sure as heck wouldn't be stupid enough to go BACK there.

Just writing this has me looking under the desk.

Mike

 

[KubotaSteve]

I hate to say it but I kill snakes as well. I guess it's more out of ignorance of snake types, but I don't know one from the other so they all have to die. I don't mind them so much if they are away from me when I see them.
When I was an Assistant manager at McDonald's back in the college days, 84 Lumber Company was beside us and they were clearing out this field to expand their business. Well the mice took off to the playground outside our store and the snakes followed them. I killed one snake crossing the drive thru headed to the ball pit (co-worker said it was a copperhead because it had flat thick head). I couldn't imagine a child getting bit in playground equipment.

 

[RonL]

Lane

Last Fall I had the cellar door open when I noticed a garter snake slither down the steps into the cellar. I located him, pinned him, and picked him up and carried him back out into the garden. Then I noticed a God awful stink on my hand. Apparently garter snakes release a musk when handled. After scrubbing my hands for twenty minutes I came back outside to see the snake slithering back down the cellar stairs. I cornered him into a box, carried him outside, and dumped him in the garden again. Then I shut the cellar door. The little fellow was looking for a place to Winter over I suspect.

RonL

 

[Corm]

I'm more tolerant of snakes than I used to be, but they still scare the heck out of me whenever I see one. 2 years ago I was picking berries alongside my driveway. I reached into a berry bush to pick a couple of nice juicy berries, and a garter snake crawled across my hand /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. I about peed myself, and my Jockeys gained a racing stripe!! I had never seen or heard of a snake up in a berry bush. You better believe I'm a lot more careful picking berries than I used to be /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Corm

 

[BobReeves]

When I lived in California snakes didn't really bother me. The only one you really had to worry about was the rattler and he will tell you he is going to bite before he does. Here in Oklahoma I am a bit more leery because these snakes don't warn you.