This one got a pass today only because I didn't have my gun with me this morning!

It’s a hefty one! Unless it’s close to home, no reason to kill it,

Some of y’all are squatters...

How about a BIG stick

Back in the late 80s, I had a Herps class at Texas A&M from James Dixon, at the time, a leading Herps expert in Texas. He started off each lecture with some sort of story, often putting up news accounts of incidents with herps, commonly snakes. A pattern emerged over time. A lot of people who got bitten or otherwise hurt with snakes were involved in trying to kill the snake, be it the duck hunter who put the first barrel of shot into his foot under which was a snake he stepped on (non poisonous water snake) and then shot himself with the other barrel in the other knee when he fell, or folks who chose poorly when it came to implements with which to kill snakes. A bunch of the stories were of people bitten by snakes while trying to club them. Snakes don't often attack aside from striking, but when they come after you, they can be much quicker than you realize.

Ruger Blackhawk .357 with shotshell in it, every step I take or drive on the ranch. No moccasins though. (No live water.) I killed a lot of them when I was younger on South Grape Creek in Gillespie county. Man, I hate those things.

I have been fortunate. I have never had a snake enter my house or chase me into the house. So far so good.

Gentlemen I have 2 dogs who are really members of my family and have tremendous value to us emotionally. Not to mention the limited finances for a fixed income retired 72 year old to address a bite,

You all can advocate your live and let live views all day. (I'm not considering non venomous snakes), but for me I'll kill every single pit viper I encounter knowing your views will afford you no protection when you or your family are caught off guard by those you spared.

Guess I'm either good or lucky but I've terminated about 20 of these varmints and you folks haven't persuaded me to the contrary.

That one seems very colorful.

Some red would jazz him up even more.

72 years of wisdom speaks volumes.

man I hate them things

I was about 10 and my older brother would have been about 15 riding a dirt bike down the county road when we saw a snake with what turned out to be 2 baby rats and mama all ball up getting the life squeezed out of em. Like a couple of dipchits we grabbed big sticks and beat that poor snake til it stopped moving, which seemed like an hour. That was the biggest snake I've seen to date down there.

I relocate several snakes a year that I find around my compound, mostly rattlers. I do relocate a rat snake every now and them, don't relocate the coachwhips, I just let them move along, they're to fast and mean to mess with. I have 2 snake catchers, one in my house and one in my barn. Not into killing snakes, unless I just have to. I respect them, and am careful around them, but not afraid of the them.

My sentiments exactly. I generally shoot the cotton mouths when I see them, the non venomous get a pass.

Being from small town America, I roamed the woods and pastures with a 22 rifle. Along the borrow pits and the Mississippi River. I shot red wing blackbirds (allegedly) and I shot Water Moccasins - a lot of them, for years. I was a somewhat feral kid. Later, in south Texas, as an adult, I shot every rattlesnake I saw. Some really big ones. These days, if I see a copperhead, I grab the hoe. I am not a fan of poisonous snakes.

Normally I just look at them, and they run.

We're talking about snakes, not women.

Give them a wide berth and they will leave you alone.....

Same philosophy works with snakes too.....

Ha Ha!!! Yall guys are too funny!!

Snakes Lives Matter........

OP, you talking about snakes and dogs brought back some memories. I had a lab get bit by a moccasin while duck hunting a backwater slough off the trinity river up by Elkhart. It took her about 5 days but she got over it. After that she killed every moccasin she came across. My son was always wanting to go down to the pond fishing when he was small and that old lab always went with him. If he got close to a snake that old dog would kill it and drag it out on the bank. She did get bit two more times but she hated a snake. She died last summer and I still miss that old bitch.


Current dog has been to snakebreakers course twice and he goes the other way if he thinks there is a snake around.

Helluva story and an awesome picture. I'm sure you do miss her. "Good dog!"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^THIS^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Damn skippy……...I'm 100% with you!
Rattlesnakes and cottonmouths get a one-way trip to hell if they are seen by me or anyone in my family.