Watch your step folks!

[Seanpcola]

Walked into a seldom used barn and back to one of the stalls to get some stuff I had stored in there. Grabbed a box, turned back and there was a rattler coiled up behind the door. He uncoiled and began slithering straight towards me. Had an LCP in my pocket so I pulled it and took three shots. One went 6" to the right of his head, next the same distance to the left and the third directly in front. He finally turned 180° and went out under the door and right past a friend that was running to me to see what was happening. Once we calmed down I noticed a hole in the wall at ground level behind where I was standing when I first saw the snake. We figure I startled him and he was trying to get out of the barn and that's why he headed straight for me.

I was a sucky shot with the LCP. Now I carry .357 snakeshot from JakeC in my pocket and swap out with my usual carry ammo if I think I'm going anywhere those guys might be.

I won't kill snakes as a rule depending on location and what kind they are. I killed a Copperhead in my back yard a couple of years ago. That was the last one. I will pop a Moccasin given the opportunity. Maybe I've been lucky but every rattler I've ever come up on was non aggresive. If I'm in his territory (woods) I see no reason to do him in. I would in my yard.

 

[fishingjean]

We were running dogs on the river at the edge of sawgrass an swamp, tied my boat up an started up a little bank, it was a lot of leaves an I slipped an fell forward at the top, when I look up I was stareing in the face of a big water moccician , his forked tongue was flickering in an out, only reason it didn't strike my in the face I think is because it was 27 degrees, an it was in a sunny spot. My 3-inch mossburg was laying beside me, barrel pointed towards it, I slowly slid the tip of barrel pass my face an with my right hand flicked the safety off an fired, when I opened my eyes there where pieces of snake flying out through the palmettos, almost broke my wrist but not bit in the face!!! Too close, one of many encounters with them!!!Never know when you will see them, try to look where I go but they hide well!! Have a blessed day!! Denny in pace!!

 

[schavey]

I was out squirrel hunting when I was about 15 or 16. Carrying my trusty Browning lever action .22. It was squirrel season but still warm enough for snakes to be out I guess. I heard something in a bush as I walked passed it. I stopped, thinking I'd startled a squirrel, but a six foot long rattler crawled out and came right toward me. I had 15 bullets in the rifle and I started firing from a distance of about six feet. That snake never dodged and I never hit him! He crawled toward me and right between my feet, with me firing as fast as I could until I was leaning over, looking and firing between my legs, upside down! Missed every damn shot! And as he slithered into a bush behind me, he kind of looked back over what would have been his shoulder if he had one, and stuck out his tongue as if to say, "missed me bitch."

Good story--which among other things, points out that old warning by Concealed Carry instructors that most of us will be about 50% LESS effective shooters/tacticians when under "attack". Also, it's always better to have a 410 or 20G with you in snake country, than to have found you need it, but left it home!!

 

[FrankT]

^^^ This! Have missed them myself

 

[Famine]

Guys on our lease killed a good sized Eastern a week ago, a cottonmouth Sat and my son killed a pigmy yesterday riding back from the lease to our camp.

 

[TennJeep1618]

I've posted this picture before, but I killed this guy a couple years ago around this time of year. He was over 5ft long. That day I was carrying an LCR w/ 3 rounds of 357 in case we got into some hogs and 2 rounds of rat shot just for this purpose.

I also killed a small cottonmouth in my garage on Monday. Those little guys seem to be everywhere this year. I've killed 3 in my yard since spring, not counting this last one.

 

[FrankT]

Darn, I loaded up my snake shot, moved shooting houses, cut 5 plots, drove all over and NO snakes, I wanted to get one to post for ya'll!

 

[jakec]

Darn, I loaded up my snake shot, moved shooting houses, cut 5 plots, drove all over and NO snakes, I wanted to get one to post for ya'll!

i know the feeling. i like to get rattlers to eat and skin but none this year yet. i catch all the other ones and let them go.

 

[Viking1204]

2 weekends ago we bush hogged around our pond and found two dead 4-5 foot diamond backs in the field when it the bush hogging was done! The bad part is one was found in a the direct path we take to get from the house to the burn pile, that is how we stumbled on it. We now plan to keep the area behind the house and burn pile mowed short throughout the year, I can't remember how many times we've sent the kids down to throw something in the burn pile.

 

[dead-bird]

Straight black snakes? As opposed to Gay black snakes?


Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Blackeyes]

I've killed 11 mocs in the last 4 weeks out at some land we are clearing out in summerdale that has a creek running through it
2 of them were 3-4 feet from me before I saw them move. I just about pissed myself.
I never go out there without snake boots and my undefeated 870

 

[Deersniper270]

We've killed 2 diamondbacks 2ft and 3ft. I've seen over 20 black, corn, and milk snakes too but they get a pass in my book.

 

[Seanpcola]

I was mowing my yard last evening and ran up on some snake I've never seen before. I'm positive that he wasn't venomous. Light gray with stripes running down the length. I suspect he was a baby so that's why I didn't recognize what it was.

Bet there's a lot of snake killin' where they're clearing the old 4H land on 9 Mile.

 

[Deersniper270]

Garter Snake?

 

[Seanpcola]

Possibly. Pattern looks right. Mine was a lot lighter but was maybe 10" long so I'm thinking baby?

 

[Deersniper270]

They don't get too big I think and color variations are possible with anything. They are good snakes

 

[Seanpcola]

I consider any non-venomous snake as most likely beneficial. This guy last night got a little frightened and started to run UNDER the mower deck. I backed up and smacked the PTO off before he got liquified.

 

[fishingjean]

Up the river this morn, had a water moccisan cross the river bout 35 yards an come straight to my boat , it wrapped around my motor between boat, stuck its head out about 8 in. , bad mistake for him, super commanchee won again!!!!!! Frying bream, its whats for supper!!!!!!! Denny

 

[gendoc]

I consider any non-venomous snake as most likely beneficial. This guy last night got a little frightened and started to run UNDER the mower deck. I backed up and smacked the PTO off before he got liquified.

X2 !!!

they can do great things for the folks that appreciates them.....:rockon:

 

[SAWMAN]

Watch out for ticks also. We found several on us after a night in the woods a couple nights ago. --- SAWMAN