I love snakes and almost always give them a pass, even and perhaps especially the rattlesnakes. I hunted them for years and it would be hard to find a more innocuous creature.I see no sense whatsoever in killing a snake simply because it is a snake.
I was soundly berated here one day by Varmintguy for saying this. By his logic if I didn't kill every one, some day a child might run into that snake and be harmed.....
By that thought process I ought to take it upon myself and pull over every stupid driver I see and head shoot them.....they kill far more children than snakes. And as much as I'd like to do that, I don't have enough ammo.....
I am in your Camp on this also. The "Kill all Snakes" mentality is an old subconscious superstition because of Eve and the Apple that has been preached for so many years.
Out here we have the Mojave Green which is one of the most deadly snakes in the world because of it's venom. Yet they are one of the most Docile Reptiles I have ever handled.
Countless of times I have stood in the Brush taking a leak and looked down to see a Green slowly easing away from my foot without ever coiling or rattling at all. I have even accidently stepped on these many times without any return aggressiveness.
The only people that have been bitten around here were City folks screwing with them using a stick or similar type situations and they were given no choice but to defend themselves from the Human.
I just coax them away from the yard and on their way and unless they decide to Camp under my steps then unfortunately at this point I can't take a chance with the Kids and Animals and they become stew.
