And another copperhead just now. In the same place as the last one. Dang.

And another one. Same size. Same place. Do I have a nest of them? Creepy!

Gave him a massive chop with the hoe and broke the handle. Dang it!

Doubt you have a 'nest' of them, but you certainly have something attractive to them (food source, shelter, water source)?

They are there for a reason. And I don't think because its 'Poker Night'.

I suppose they are there for a reason, but I wonder what. They (4 so far) are slithering past the north end of the house and going consistently in a NW direction, toward the woods. The pond is not in that direction. Do snakes have a specific mating season? If so, when? Now?

The wife is constantly on the porch at night, looking for more copperheads. She yells, and I wander out, grab the hoe (new one now) and chop away. She's the spotter and I'm the 'snake-hoer', so to speak...

I read somewhere recently that this was snake mating season ... not sure of the validity

I dated a 'hoer' once.

I think that's huer.

Well....snakes have 'preferred' mating seasons/times, I'll put it that way. Doesn't mean that a particular species couldn't or wouldn't mate outside of that time frame.

For the Southern Copperhead (in Texas)...the bulk of mating activity occurs in Feb-May and again in the Fall: http://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/southerncopperhead/

Do you have lights nearby the area you are seeing the snakes? The reason I ask...is the snakes might be attracted to insects that gather around outside lights or frogs/toads that come for the insects.

I have a security light near my shop that attracts hoards of insects each night. The ground underneath it is littered with all manner of flying insects. There are also toads and frogs down there every night. I find Copperheads there (all Summer) at night.

Perhaps you have a similar circumstance and are not aware?

Definitely something attracting them.

Flintnapper, the security lights are on the other end of the main house and barn. The snakes are on the dark side. Only thing over there is the outside A/C unit. The wife spots them from the porch, using my spotlight, which she rarely recharges.

I killed several copperheads out back of the house earlier this month. Then we had 3 roadrunners move into the woods in front of the house and now we don't any snakes at all.

Copperheads tend to travel the same paths. I think this is your situation

When I drove at night in prime territory I would say September was the prime mating time

5th copperhead, same place and going in the same direction. Same size as the others. I wonder if maybe they are returning to a den from a night out on the prowl.

I have seen a couple that will get on the aluminum threshold of my back door lately...I assume for the warmth

I know your pain

they might be under your ac comp., perfect place to hide during the heat of the day.

You know there's a guy on this forum that'll pay $100 for a live copperhead over 18" to train dogs. If I could get that price for a few of them I'd consider it. ..
Also I'm sure the video How to Properly Kill a Rattlesnake will work for copperheads too!

Wasn't a copperhead but I had a grass snake in my house a few days ago. Right inside the door. I have killed a copperhead close by though recently. I've seen a lot of snake activity lately.

I prefer the broadbanded copperheads. they don't taste as greasy.

Read recently that Copperheads congregate around trees that have cicadas emerging at dusk. Guess they are easy prey as slow as they are when they emerge. Don't know why it's just copperheads vs. other snakes, but the article mentioned over 20 CHs around a tree with cicadas emerging.

JR

I have seen several including two nights ago crossing the road. Three nights ago I moved an adult Timber Rattlesnake off the road in NC. The timber was docile and big, the copperhead was striking like he had terrets. I do not kill them.

This might explain why some see so many at one place. I never knew this.
http://www.chron.com/news/article/Copperhead-engage-in-nightly-summertime-feeding-8399696.php

Killed another one last night. He was sitting on top of the wood pile. Makes 6 so far.

Killed one about 8" long on Friday night and one about 24" long Saturday morning.

The wife and I go riding the backroads at night and we usually see a few copperheads around 9-10pm. Most don't successfully make it across the road.