Timber Rattlesnake - listed endangered?

[BruceWard]

Any threat to my family will cease to be a threat. No need to tell anyone and I would delete this thread.

 

[MMagis]

Any threat to my family will cease to be a threat. No need to tell anyone and I would delete this thread.

You're being a bit over-dramatic. He's asking a good question.

 

[clemsonfor]

I'm not talking about non posinous sankes, i either walk by/ over them or pick them up and throw um out of the road, or look at them and put them down, in my book they dont count, they cant hurt you or your pets unless you have free range mice or chickens maybe but not likely they would kill a chicken (adult). As far as them being endangered i have not heard that? But then again they just delisted the Bald eagle. I see more bald eagles than i see copperheads, i see at leat a dozen or more eagle sightings a year, saw one just last week as a matter of fact sitting in a tree on the side of the road after crossing a bridge over the lake. Like i said i see fare more bald eagles than poisonous snakes each year and my job is in the woods. Maybe they are threatened?

-NAte

 

[RTII]

I'm not talking about non posinous sankes, i either walk by/ over them or pick them up and throw um out of the road, or look at them and put them down, in my book they dont count, they cant hurt you or your pets unless you have free range mice or chickens maybe but not likely they would kill a chicken (adult). As far as them being endangered i have not heard that? But then again they just delisted the Bald eagle. I see more bald eagles than i see copperheads, i see at leat a dozen or more eagle sightings a year, saw one just last week as a matter of fact sitting in a tree on the side of the road after crossing a bridge over the lake. Like i said i see fare more bald eagles than poisonous snakes each year and my job is in the woods. Maybe they are threatened?

-NAte

Nate,

I'm with you on non-poisonous snakes. I either walk by them and let them hang out on the property if it's just me that sees 'em or if my wife sees them I'm obligated to re-locate them. Typically a bucket and a short ride down the street to a wildlife area. Astonishingly, we seem to see more copperheads than any other snakes although less frequent sightings lately (maybe due to or response efforts). But probably 10-12 over the last year. Then the three rattlers. Non-posonous are the grass snakes, a few rat snakes, and a couple of different kinds of king snakes. And we only have 4 acres!! Very wooded in the back 3 acres though.

I noticed I've been using the term "endangered" for the timber rattler. Actually the TP&W used the term threatened. Don't know if there is a difference but the legal issue is as stated in my first post.

Reily

 

[2manyrocks]

There was a recent thread on here about a guy who died (in TX, I think), after a rattler bit him on the hand and wouldn't let go. So I'm not in the group that says, "relocate" because that sounds like a recipe to get snake bitten (unless of course, you want to relocate it to the Mexican border with Arizona).

 

[kosby]

You answered the problem with the same solution I would apply.:thumbsup:

 

[RadarTech]

Guys,
Simply put I am in the Shovel group...
If it can harm me, I will harm it..

Now, I spent alot o years in the Corps of Marines...
and I have always said, you pull a gun, your fair game...
you pull a fang, your a dead snake...

I can't remember the thread but in SC your car is your property, and you can shoot to defend it..

If I am protecting my property, and my hind end is my property, that snake can be defended against..

I am sure I'll be flamed for this... but that's okay....


Later,
Jeremy....

 

[merlintractor]

It's a dilemma. .....

LOL...Not really! Rattlers, copperheads and cottonmouths are good for one thing...buzzard food. If you don't kill 'em when you see 'em, they could kill you when you don't!

 

[vsumoski]

What would the law do if you accidently ran over the viper with your tractor?

 

[dave1949]

LOL...Not really! Rattlers, copperheads and cottonmouths are good for one thing...buzzard food. If you don't kill 'em when you see 'em, they could kill you when you don't!

For me it is a delimma. We reached the same conclusion by the way, if you read my post through. The logical outcome of killing everything that gets in our way is - there won't be much left. So many, myself included, have moved into areas which used to be just fields, woods, etc. We displace lots of wildlife and ruin habitat just by doing that - let alone overtly eliminating the the more dangerous and obnoxious types.

I gathered the OP was asking for ideas to avoid killing them, or asking is it justifiable? That's a reasonable and thoughtful question in my mind. I am sure if we had poisonous snakes and I saw one around the house, I would get rid of it. I would also think about how that may be avoidable in the future. The answer may be, it isn't avoidable, but it doesn't cost anything to think about it.
Dave.