He was probably around 5ft...was just off a county road on the way into our property a week ago in Dimmit County, so he got a hall pass.

If he was 1 inch on our side of the fenceline, he would have been dinner and a new belt!

I always give 'em a pass....or move them if necessary.....

He looks a little PO'd.

well played

Dang his head looks to be the size of my fist!

SHOOT!

he'd been a little dead if i had come across him!

Yep I would have gave him a pass into several pieces with a 12 gauge

Looks damn fat

I am always surprised to see the number of folks who regard snakes as a Shoot On Sight reptile, regardless the setting.

Whether venomous or not...snakes play an important part in the ecosystem.

I certainly understand dispatching venomous snakes when they are found around a dwelling or outbuildings...where they might pose a threat to humans, pets or livestock.

But...'in the wild', they are generally beneficial and IF left alone, you will probably never see it again.

Nothing wrong with the occasional harvest of a snake for its meat or skin, but some folks will kill EVERY snake they see anywhere it exists. I suppose I don't see the need or logic in that?

Ditto....

I totally understand where you are coming from. I have given a lot of snakes hall passes...never even killed a non venomous one. And I think they do play a very important part in our ecosystem.
However, I've got kiddos and I do not want any venomous snake anywhere near our ranch house, or my home for that matter. If I see them close to where my kids may be playing, they die. End of story. I harvest the meat and the skin, and make sure I use what I kill.

nice to let him be

Have had friends that have lost dogs and livestock and two friends bitten by rattle snakes and it wasn't a pretty picture. Let the bull snakes,rat snakes etc take care if the rodents.I suppose you wouldn't kill a black widow or scorpion in your house. A woman west of Rotan nearly lost a leg to a big rattler in her flower bed and the friends were working on ranches so I'll continue to kill all rattlers and copperheads I see

Thank You for doing your part to be a good steward of ALL the animals. I submit you have a better understanding of things and have shown more restraint than some folks. I applaud you.




^^^^^^ This is well reasoned and appropriate. You have weighed the potential risks and acted accordingly. I believe most folks (myself included) would support controlling any dangerous snake in those areas or any that present a significant 'threat' under any circumstance.

That is FAR removed from summarily killing EVERY snake encountered (regardless the circumstance), a practice I would ask folks to evaluate before doing. Nothing more or less.

Again, Thank You for thoughtfully preserving those snakes that you can.

Flint.

That's a good'un!