Snakes Worse Than Usual This Year?

[Spiveyman]

I don't kill poisonous snakes. I leave them alone, yes, even in my yard, and yes, I've had copperheads in my yard, and in Florida, countless pygmy and cane brakes in the garage. The only inside snakes we've ever had have been black snakes and this one was apprehended and put right out the back door.

HOLY COW! My wife would have had a coronary, then she would have gotten the shotgun out and killed that thing! And I would have been spackling for days. I commend you, seriously, for your stance on snakes, wasps... etc. I'm more in the "I don't care for things that can seriously hurt me" camp. While I'm not freaky about snakes, if I could tell it was poisonous I'd want it dead. Same goes for pretty much every wasp I happen across. I keep cans of wasp/hornet killer all around the barn and fire at will. Spiders.... I'd be happy if I could make this a spider free corner of KY!

 

[3RRL]

HOLY COW! My wife would have had a coronary, then she would have gotten the shotgun out and killed that thing! And I would have been spackling for days.

Hahaha, I was just going to say that.
My hearth would have bullet holes in it after that picture.
Seriously though, I don't kill any of the non poisonous snakes either. I kill the rattlers around the homesite and camp, but not when hiking through the neighboring BLM. The ones on my property are 5 to 6 footers, so they're no Daisies to have around. They have nasty dispositions too.

 

[N80]

Ooops, sorry about that Eddie. But don't worry, he was a very sweet snake and I'm pretty sure he's the very one that got rid of all the rats from under the bird feeders. We were all watching TV when he climbed down. Fortunately my wife and kids aren't scared of snakes either. I put a glove on and took him down.

Spiveyman, don't get me wrong, I'm not a tree hugger or anything. I'm just saying if I'm walking in the woods and happen onto a wasp nest, I don't mess with it. If its in my deer stand, I mess with it.

Snakes, on the other hand, well, there's just no need for me to kill them. Any poisonous snake that I can see isn't going to bother me, espcially if I don't bother him. I spend gobs of time in the woods. See tons of snakes. Had rattlers all in the yard growing up. Never been bit. Never had a close call. But I'm not stupid either. When I lived in west Florida I hunted in places, by myself, a long way from home where there were big, real big diamondbacks. They scare me. Still didn't kill them...but I always wore nice tall snakeboots.

Early this spring I saw the biggest copperhead I've ever seen warming up in the road out in front of my cabin. I think he had just shed because he was truly copper colored. Looked like polished copper in the sun. I knew the next redneck that came by would run over him so I found a nice looong branch and scooted him off the road. He was a beautiful creature and chances are will never hurt anyone.

 

[MississippiMan]

I knew the next redneck that came by would run over him

classless.

 

[txdon]

We have had 4 copperheads in the yard this year which is twice the normal rate. The yard copperheads are the only snakes exterminated.

Wednesday the neighbor down the road got BIT on the hand by a copperhead in her garden. She was transported to the nearest hospital, 40 miles away, and then had to be transported by medical helicopter (Starflight) to Austin. She is back home after a very frightful, painful and swelling experience.

I think the increase in snakes in the yard is because of all the rain we have had this year. It has increased the number of frogs in the yard, any night I can count about 50 frogs in the yard just waiting for me to turn on the outside lights so the bugs will fly.

MississippiMan, you really need someone like Eddie on your tax appraisal board.

 

[jinman]

Wednesday the neighbor down the road got BIT on the hand by a copperhead in her garden. She was transported to the nearest hospital, 40 miles away, and then had to be transported by medical helicopter (Starflight) to Austin. She is back home after a very frightful, painful and swelling experience.

Talk about painful and swelling....Just wait until she gets the bill for the helicopter and stay in the hospitals. I'd bet that's a $20,000 snake bite, maybe more.

 

[Spiveyman]

Spiveyman, don't get me wrong, I'm not a tree hugger or anything. I'm just saying if I'm walking in the woods and happen onto a wasp nest, I don't mess with it. If its in my deer stand, I mess with it.

Snakes, on the other hand, well, there's just no need for me to kill them. Any poisonous snake that I can see isn't going to bother me, espcially if I don't bother him. I spend gobs of time in the woods. See tons of snakes. Had rattlers all in the yard growing up. Never been bit. Never had a close call. But I'm not stupid either. When I lived in west Florida I hunted in places, by myself, a long way from home where there were big, real big diamondbacks. They scare me. Still didn't kill them...but I always wore nice tall snakeboots.

Early this spring I saw the biggest copperhead I've ever seen warming up in the road out in front of my cabin. I think he had just shed because he was truly copper colored. Looked like polished copper in the sun. I knew the next redneck that came by would run over him so I found a nice looong branch and scooted him off the road. He was a beautiful creature and chances are will never hurt anyone.

I probably sounded sarcastic up there, I certainly didn't peg you for the tree hugger type, unless it's while climbing a tree to get to a hunting stand or something. I was actually serious about respecting your stance there. And likewise, I don't go out of my way to kill stuff. Bee hive in the woods, hornets nest in a tree, I'd rather leave them alone, but around the house they are toast. If I see a poisonous snake in the woods and he chooses to leave me alone, I'm not going to hunt him down just because he's there, but I'm not as familiar/comfortable with them as you seem to be. My concern is for my kids (3 year old & 6 month old), when they get old enough to be out there with me much I'll want to make sure the area is as safe as possible for them. Part of that I realize is education, but I also want to educate the snakes so that they know my house isn't a cool spot for snakes to unwind in their down time.

Talk about painful and swelling....Just wait until she gets the bill for the helicopter and stay in the hospitals. I'd bet that's a $20,000 snake bite, maybe more.

No joke! Hadn't thought about it that way.

 

[VABlue]

My wife would still be screaming if that snake had been in our house! Just stand still and scream... That's all she would do.

 

[atgreene]

I'm glad Maine is the only place without poisonous snakes. I don't know how you guys do it. If you grow up with it, I guess you must get used to such stuff, but I'll stick with the snow and ice, you can keep your snakes.

 

[N80]

My concern is for my kids (3 year old & 6 month old), when they get old enough to be out there with me much I'll want to make sure the area is as safe as possible for them.

Now thats a good point and I had not thought about toddlers. My kids are in their teens, but little ones are a whole other matter. I suspect I'd whack copperheads in my yard if I had little ones around.

As far as dogs, I've never had one get bit but I know it happens often. Most survive without intervention. My full bred AKC registered labrador is so ugly, a swollen head would be an improvement! (People point at him and proclaim "he's got some lab blood in him"....sigh. He was a beautiful puppy.)