Fall is here, and the snakes are out.

Two rattlers yesterday.

This one was big enough to get your attention.

copperheads are moving to warmth here.

I found one in church a couple weeks ago.

I thought it ironic for a moment before I crushed his head with my heel.

Which I also thought ironic.

Are you telling us the snakes are returning to D.C. for the winter?

Jim

You should have used your suppressed .25...

Copperheads are out here too. They are the ones I worry about at the ranch. No rattlers there, just copperheads. Some years I kill lots of them here.

Two on the porch. Last one nearly got my dog. It struck, but didn't get a fang in. Buster was jumpy for awhile after that...

It doesn't cycle snake shot well...

Hardball...

good work, keep shooting!!

(I hates snakes)

Here in Missouri, neighbor flagged me down last week as I rode by on the four wheeler with my 2 and 4 year old. Showed me the copperhead he just killed, and said they got one the day before as well. The next day my wife and her two cats got another copperhead. Buddies dad killed 2 copperheads and saw 2 more as he was bushhogging a pasture.

Over in Kansas my aunt killed a large rattlesnake (I've never seen one alive around here, so they're all large, had 6 or 7 rattles on it), and bro in law killed a very young one as well.

I'd rather not see any.

I hear you. I always see a bunch in Topeka though.

Poor ole snake.

I like it.

Here's a list of the commonly encountered venomous snakes where I live-
































Well, that's about it I guess. You boys enjoy your snakes.

Well least we don't have man eating cats and bears.

Saw a BIG slide Sunday while duck hunting and walking a levee... obviously like a big mocassin, but it was THICK...

Think we saw him for a minute while we got into the airboat later but before we could load the shotgun he was gone again...

You have more liberals.


I'll take the snakes...

Point taken. At least it's still legal to shoot snakes.

I was unaware of a restriction on shooting liberals.

Oh please post photos of your kills!

Fireball2:

You need to get out a bit more. We do at least have a few rattlers about.

I hunt the desert in the winter, so no issues...

Did encounter a few in the Owyhees on a deer hunt there, including a 4 footer. Plenty around Mitchell along the water below the rock slides. An occasional one here and there, like on a Sheep Mountain elk hunt. They're around, but easy to avoid if you hunt late in the season.

Was unaware of a difference.

we have most of the 'bad' snakes. Don't have many Copperheads though, just a few out in the panhandle. All the rattlers you could want, and more than our share of moccasins as well as coral snakes. Every now and then, an exotic will be found, like a cobra or something.
I have killed quite a few while hiking and camping, but here lately, if they are not a direct threat, I usually let them go.

Liberals are more stupid, twice as venomous, and smell way worse!

I was snooping around in here yesterday in perfect 80 degree heat...and was nervous about where I was putting my feet...only saw one bull snake though

Went all Summer with no problems, close in to the buildings,...we got a big old rain, and than a drying trend and dammit TWO (Coontail Diamondbacks) in one morning. Gracie started yelling at the first at about 0100,....and I really just wasn't up for chasing it in the dark,....every 1/2 hour forward, she'd light the damned thing up. Finally went out just before first light and shot a little, very pregnant Female under the porch.

All good,....first light, and way to late in the day to crawl back into bed,....coffee and getting azz in gear time.
I go out to check on the orchard irrigation and there's a BIG Male casually making his way across the gate, about 10 feet from Gracie,...she's smiling, wagging tail, fulla' breakfast, and completely oblivious,... go figger.

Anyhoo,....a quick rave review about THIS :



Winchester #12, .22 LR.

....makes that CCI stuff in the blue capsule look like a cheap firework, and PATTERNS well out of a 6" barrel.

Turned up during the "Crunch",....sure hoping it'll turn up again.

GTC

Maybe time to teach Gracie how to use a shovel, hoe or rake - and you can sleep better. Yes - those Win shot .22 deals are very good - I keep some out in the far garage for when unwanted little critters show up.

I only use the .22 near the house,....out around the outbuildings it's a 12 gauge.

That old dog and I have a well rehearsed act, and one oft repeated. She does her job well, and expects the same from me. The rodenticide program I kicked off 'bout three years ago has calmed things down quite a bit, albeit damned expensive, and certainly not an ecologist's delight.

Can't say as that she's ever had to deal with a pair like that,....I should have taken a picture of the thing with her in the foreground.

Have you seen the Win. #12 crimped stuff available anywhere ?

GTC

Good Shootin, Barry! Ran over a 3.5 footer on the CR that leads to the Ranch, a few days ago. Ran over that bastard 4 times.
Didn't want to take a chance on being cited for discharging a firearm from a public road. If the snake would have been on our property, then I use this:

There is a neighbor kid (actually young man) that is in the hospital as we speak from a cottonmouth bite. His Grandfather told me yesterday that his leg had burst and it was draining. Prognosis is good, but right now he is going through lots of pain. He was bitten while working on a fish farm, but I know little details. miles

Against the law to kill a rattle snake here, although I know of no charges ever being filed for it. miles

Florida's loaded with diamond backs and cotton mouths.

Miles, is that a local law, or statewide? Guessin' I've been out west too long - well - it has been a long time. I am really surprised that folks in AR - or any sensible place - would make it illegal to kill a rattlesnake.

Unless things have changed recently, it is illegal to shoot anything in Arkansas for which there is not an open season.

That said, I've never known anyone to be charged either. Having known a couple of their game wardens, it's not something I'd go out talking about if I had.

I've got 2 prairie rattlers (~ 3' each) in the last 2 weeks, and had another escape in tall weeds.
My 38 shotshells, handloaded with #12 shot work well.

State wide.



Para-phrasing Jerry Clowers, "Our Game and Fish Department is run by people that are educated way beyond their intelligence." miles

This would be the correct way to do that. I have a good friend that was a Game Warden until an accident forced Him to retire. He said that the official policy was, If it is close to being illegal, write a ticket. They might not show up in court to contest the ticket, but instead forfeit the bond. Sad, but that is what he was told when He got the job. I made friends with Him long before he was a Warden. miles

Texas and other states have laws against killing certain rattlers too.

http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/timberrattlesnake/

Had our little farm for 12 years now and have never seen one. We are in big rattlesnake country. A momma cat had 5 little ones about 6weeks back. One showed up on the door step w/two fang marks on her little shoulder. I'm sure it was a diamondback. powdr

Damn, liberals and snakes have even more in common than I thought, at least in AR. My condolences.

I'll see if in can get the pic son sent me and I deleted. One of the maintenance supervisors killed a 41" copperhead in their yard last Thursday morning! Biggest damn copperhead I'd ever see !

Got a 48 inch Copperhead in my youth Bob...biggest one Ive ever seen....

Glad we have no snakes in this part of Wy..

I dunno how many of these bastids I've killed on my little spread here over the years. But more than any other snake that's been on the place!

Poob! That's too big!!!!

Damn Bob! I hunted venemous snakes for 25 years and never got a coral!

I've killed dozens here! All of them at least 2' long!!! Killed one, one morning with my shower shoe!!! Beat the schidt out of him!!! Hate those bastids. Got grandkids that live on the place. I showed em that last one and emphasized they will kill the hell out of you!!!! Usually when I'm done beating on the snakes there little left of a skin to skin! LOL!

Here's that 41 incher Postoak sent me!

I hate the darn things........



[img:left][/img]

The copperhead above was killed by contract workers clearing brush in Burleson County Texas. I have seen many in the 2 ft range, but this one was 41 inches long. Biggest one have seen. Had a head like a good size rattlesnake.

Yeah! Don't you just love em JG !!!!

Nice "baby" Ya holding there!!!

Bob, I have never seen a Coral snake here in Arkansas, although they say that we have them. miles

What is up with the tail? Looks like the start of a rattle. miles

The SOB that bit my dog, a little over 2', about 'right' for a copperhead.

range pole.

The colored sections are 12"

Of all these snakes, its them damn rats snakes that make me hurt myself!

I thought the same thing. Not really sure but the tail was almost totally black. Like a velvet tail.

Over 40" seem like a very BIG copperhead.

Interesting comment about protected timber rattlers - feeling certain that I've seen one (or two) out here but we don't have any protection law or reg as far as I know. Bettter check.

Mark - would 24" be about the normal mature size for prairie rattlers in your area? We have some nearby, but have only seen one long/fat one - maybe 3 ft. or more - and it was hanging around in a big heap of junk metal where there also were plenty of rodents. The owner of the machine shop and I were walking around on the metal pile looking for a certain size piece of steel and saw him/her (could only see a part of the body here and there between the pieces of scrap) and decided to get it. Not an easy task - finally pinned part of it to the ground and tossed away enough stuff to grab it behind the head and drag it out. That snake was angry. Do your prairie rattlers usually have bad attitudes?

I think that is a king snake and not a coral snake.

Maybe I am wrong, but I thought the jingle went "black touch red make you dead, black touch yellow friend to fellow"


Clyde

Wrong. Red and yellow, kill a fellow. Red and black, friendly jack.

optionally, black, yellow and red, kill that f'er dead.

I stand corrected. Found these jingles on line.
4
Learn rhymes to tell the difference between the two snakes. People who live in regions where coral and scarlet king snakes are common have made up these easy-to-remember rhymes to help figure out which is which:
Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. Red touches black, friend of Jack.
Red touches yellow, kills a fellow. Red touches black, venom lack.
Red touches yellow, death says hello. Black touches red, keep your head.
Yellow touches red, you'll be dead. Red touches black, eat Cracker Jacks.
Red touches yellow, you're a dead fellow. Red touches black you're all right Jack.


Clyde

I was reading an news paper out of the area just northeast of where I live and a good size western diamondback was kill while a guy was out walking in the town. He killed it with a walking stick. From the photo this snake was a good 3 1/2 t 4 ft. The area that the snake was killed in is predominately timber rattler country but you never know what you may find sometime.

Quick math: You're 6'2 (or used to be)
That's a big mf'ing snake!

It is illegal to kill any rattler in Utah, and last I heard it is in the West and not known for being liberal.
Seriously, there must be a reason for such a blanket protection, but damifIknow what it is.

Paul (the other one)

Here's another I kilt several years ago. Kilt it with my shower shoe flip flop! Hell ever stick I picked up was rotten!!!

kaywoodie, sounds like a "whip flop" to me! Nice work.

LOL. Pretty much it!

Bob, you need to throw away those flip flops and buy you a pair of "Crocs"
They are more comfortable and make better snake killers

:)Bob cant' find no Crocs for 99cents.

And any self respect you might have had flows right out the holes in them Crocs.

And

I got me a pair of them leather mocassin house shoes from Academy I wear of feeding forays now!

Im not sure on state to state laws, but I know its illegal to kill certain species of rattlers in a lot of states.
Reason being ( mind you, I'm the snake lover...) is the overwhelming urge people have to kill a snake just because it is a snake has actually put many species on the threatened or endangered list.
Yes, Ive hunted and killed bunches of them, but in so doing I found there is hardly anything more innocuous than a rattlesnake.
They are grossly misunderstood.

No desire to keep snakes, let alone venomous ones, but I thought this sidewinder was an interesting critter

Hell, I didn't even see the snake, I was too busy looking at his beautiful lawn!
I haven't had a lawn in over a year, sure miss lounging about with my dogs...

That's sig line material right there.

Maybe it is just me, but shower shoes would just never come to mind in that kind of situation. How long a handle do you have on those shower shoes? You do know those will kill you grave yard dead. My 6th Great Grandfather was killed by a rattlesnake and the feelings towards venomous snakes has not changed much in my family over the generations. I feel very confident when I say that none of us has ever used a shower shoe.

matches mine exactly! and I love it.
had my fill growing up.

I have 2 boxes of those that I clutch to my bosom and bite any one that tries to take them. hate the cci's

Killed a decent size moccasin today. Really liking this little Ruger SR22 for an around-the-farm nuisance pistol.

Patrick, long time ago we could find these in the desert east of Yuma, AZ by following the consecutive "J" shaped tracks they would leave in the sand overnight. They are not very big and have a little 'horn" over each eye. Darn things would sometimes bury themselves almost completely in the sand and once found a tangled ball of little baby sidewinders at the opening of a small hole under a creosote bush. Odd rattlesnake.

Yeah, they are out...and biting... Came in from riding yesterday evening and our heeler/aus shepard mix's head was all swollen up. Gave her benadryl last night and this morning, checked to make sure her collar was loose enough that it wouldn't be a problem. It ain't her first rodeo but she's getting older now so it might be tougher on her.