Unless they are an immediate threat to ones self, children, livestock, or have taken up residence adjacent or under a cabin or home, IMO, they should be left alone to do their thing. We have no snakes in Alaska, but I have lived where they were, and encountered them (scaring the crap out of me a couple times) and felt the same then.
If it is legal, and they are wanted for meat or hide (not just the rattles) that is a different story.
Killing them otherwise is a wanton act, depriving them of the only thing the poor bastards have - their life. It is not going to make a bit of difference in the population, one way or another, so it is merely a "feel-good" act on the killer's part. No different than killing a deer or other animal "because it is there", or for the rack.
If it is illegal, then the snake killer should be prosecuted, in addition. No wink, wink, ha,ha.
Kind of like coyotes and crows, huh?
