More backyard snakes

These 2 were in the chicken coop. killed the chicken snake as it exited the laying box and the copperhead right after it crawled out of the coop. I saw it in the coop less than a foot from my foot for my first view of it. 33.5 inches is a big copperhead to me especially about 8 inches from the foot.

I can now strike "chicken farmer" off my list of things to try in my retirement. I've only killed one copperhead, and it was a baby compared to that.

Big copperhead. I remember years ago reaching in to get eggs and saw movement. 5 foot chicken snake. A buddy of mine got bit by one and he said it hurt like hell.

I can make you a hat band out of that copperhead if you still have it

Big copperhead!

That is what we always found around our chicken coop

Makes me wanna think twice about running chickens in the panhandle. Do rattlers eat eggs?

Good job getting rid of both!

Dead snake is good snake.

Big copperhead! I would tan that one for sure.

Snake haters are typically uneducated on them.

Dog got rattlesnake bit last Thursday and just went alert on a copperhead an hour ago. Not sure he got bit this time. I'm good with the non-venomous snakes, had a high drama hognose for entertainment a week and half ago.

Yeah, I had a Chocolate Lab that just could NOT leave a snake alone. Got bit 3 different times by copperheads.

Hognose snakes are so funny. Man will they put on a show........!

You know guys like you piss me off. I do not "hate" snakes. If I see one in the wild (which I have many many times) I let them go.

On the other hand if they are at my door step, on my back deck, in my barn, etc. where my wife and my family walk around (not to mention my dog) then I am taking them out - pretty brazen of you to tell people they are "uneducated" -

I don't think @Reloder28 meant to disparage anyone. Rather was just pointing out that not EVERY snake is venomous or a threat to anyone and that many folks are indeed 'ignorant' (perhaps a better word) or lack the ability to tell the difference between venomous and harmless. Certainly there are situations where it is proper to dispatch a snake rather than ignore or relocate it.

Some folks summarily kill every snake in close proximity to a dwelling, supposing it to be a threat.

I can appreciate that certain people have a phobia about snakes. I can say that with all honesty because while I am not afraid of snakes in the least.....SPIDERS give me the heebie-jebbies and I kill ALL that are anywhere around my house.

It could be rightfully said I am uneducated/ignorant of the role they play in the ecosystem and my unwillingness to accept that could be viewed as an unreasonable fear.

It simply is what it is... with me, but I would take no offense if anyone were to claim I was uneducated about them. I am. All I know about SPIDERS is that they are creepy. I admit it.

So instead of saying "uneducated" you think "ignorant" is more appropriate - you go "snake rangle" all the snakes you want - if that turns you on then go for it - but most folks with common sense are not going to let snakes of any kind be where they live - carry on

If it were not for the chickens and eggs one of those snakes would have been sage in our back yard. We like eggs not feeding snakes our food and scaring our chickens. The copperheads do not get a pass close to the house though might get one from me in the woods. The king snakes we have are welcome as are the garden and black racers. The one snake may very well be one that hung around the back before we got the chickens a short time a couple years ago, no harm no foul. Having 2 small dogs, enjoying our back yard at night and small kids next door well the poisonous ones do not get a pass.

end of the day it is up to each individual what to do with snakes around their home - so calling people ignorant or uneducated because they choose to not deal with them is ignorant in itself - you do with them what you want and I will do with them what I want - period

Quite reasonable. Same rule at my house. Venomous snakes around the house or close outbuildings are not tolerated. ALL non-venomous snakes get a pass regardless where they are found.

No...its two separate issues. No one is contesting one's 'right' to do as they wish with snakes around their house or elsewhere, provided the species is not protected (or not an immediate threat if they are protected).

The 'ignorance' issue is a valid conversation IMO....in that making informed decisions is generally a good thing in life and being 'educated' not altogether a bad thing either.

Some folks have simply been raised to think that 'Snake=Bad' and kill any and all encountered. A person more familiar with snakes and their place in the ecosystem is less likely to do so.

This doesn't mean that people who summarily kill snakes are stupid/unintelligent (different from ignorant). But sadly... many take offense when someone suggests they might be better informed.

Then you have those who genuinely possess a phobia or unreasonable fear of ALL snakes. These I understand....as I personally really, really don't like spiders despite knowing they too play a part in nature and for the most part are harmless.

So again....I submit one's 'right' to do something doesn't mean it is always the most appropriate thing to do. We see this in life over and over.

Flint Knapper,
You are correct.

Agree with Flintknapper. Snakes are part of the ecosystem. They neither bother or scare me. I learned a long time ago to watch where I go in the outdoors. Unless it’s a poisonous snake around the house I leave them alone. And, even then, I usually relocate poisonous ones.

More than once I’ve stopped and forced a rattler to get on across the road.

However, my wife and I hold opposing viewpoints. She was raised in the city.

One of the reasons to look up once in a while!!! 5.5 foot bull snake, in one of our BLM campgrounds.

If the copperhead is in the yard he dies, they scare my wife and bite my dog. If a rat snake is in the yard and my wife has not seen it I shoo it to the woods to eat rats. If one gets in the chicken coop and/or eats eggs or scares my wife I kill it.

Snakes poisonious or not have no interest in Humans unless provoked, or surprised. If given the chance to escape they will. They simply operate on instinct and are interested in only basic functions to survive, find food and mate. I've caught Copperheads in my yard mainly in the hedges and relocate them to the nearby creek, same with the non venomous. I've dealt with Rattlesnakes in South and West Tx and killed several until I discovered they would retreat out of site quickly if you have a long enough stick to prod them with and allow them to escape. The dead snake pictured earlier in this thread looks like a Checkered King and is harmless it would have quickly moved away if given the chance. I suppose growing older has mellowed me out towards widlife, I would rather watch and see how they operate rather than inflicting harm. I do have my limits, fire ants, fleas, scorpions, mosquitos, hornets or any kind of flying insect that bites or stings will get taken out if possible.

Relocating them from around one's home is fine until you open your garage or back door and step on one. Or you dog finds one in your front yard, gets bit, and dies.

In the wild? Let them go

Haven't seen anything down here in Pine Tree country except pit vipers, coachwhips and a couple "Red on Yellow" coral snakes. The Copperheads run about 4+ feet and are thick as my forearm are common even in the mowed grass in my back yard....'cause the neighbor to my east refuse's to clear the last couple acres of her 5+? acre yard & leaves it in a natural state with 100'+ pine tree's & 40'+ tall bamboo so thick you cannot walk thru that part of her yard, in a "feud" with the guy behind us who groom's his 8+ acres every week, rain or shine.

The neighbor to my west built a 6' tall wood fence but set it back from the chain link fence by about 4-5 feet, leaving a brushy corridor between the fences ....and a perfect place for copperheads. Even the City Animal Control guy refused to pick up the last copperhead that came out of the No Man's land area between the fences, it was so big...until I stoned it to death with broken bricks left over from a yard project....said NO Firearms could be discharged with him on site either.

Have not seen any live rattlesnakes yet this year except the ones down in the more heavily treed areas or run over in the street at the foot of the steep hill to my east, only copperheads so far. The coachwhips are a lot more aggressive than I expected too but the drought has not allowed the heavy weedy areas to develop from the City zoned tree line to the curb so far this year ...and the one last year just barely missed me the last time the dog wanted to "go see" the devil.

I'll probably start open carrying again in the fall when the dog and I can take our morning daily walks again past all the unimproved acre + sized unimproved property's up & down the east end of the street, once I am past my health issues.
Ron

Back yard at the old ranch. Excellent snakes to have around.

That Indigo looks unhappy.

LOL, was actually really mild tempered. That's been my experience with all of them, but yes they don't look happy.

If I could run across one snake in the wild that I haven’t yet, it would be an indigo.

They are my favorite native snakes. Always sucks to hit one with a shredder on a tractor, chunks of snake flying everywhere.

Same here. Never seen one in the wild.

Indigo's are loved by folks in South Texas, they eat rattlesnakes (among other things) and while they can grow quite large and may look menacing. Are one of the most docile snakes you'll ever handle.

One year I took my youngest son down to the lease turkey hunting in Three Rivers. He was riding around with my buddy, when he stopped and pointed to a long black Indigo stretched all the way across the road. When my son asked what the black "hose" was and was told a snake, he locked the truck door!! Said later he wouldn't have got out of that truck right then, even if it caught fire!!!!!!!!

I ran across an Indigo on our lease a few years back. He was in the road and had a rattler wrapped up - it was a cool fight but you know who won! To this day I hate I did not have my phone to video the fight. Very cool snakes that will scare the crud out of you if you stumble up on one

that will take care of your rattle bugs

Which snake is it the usually if you see one there is another nearby?

that's a dadgum cobra er sumthin.

Texas spreadin adder….

Yeah, that one was really trying to act mean. I put my hand down there and tapped him on the head a couple of times to see if he would bite (knew he wouldn't) and that was too much for him.

Immediately rolled over on his back and played dead. I righted him one time and he flipped right back over. Left him alone after that to go on his way. Funny snakes.

Obviously a high fence protein fed copperhead....

Only snake I ever truly enjoy seeing

Copperhead is a pregnant female.....I believe they normally give birth to live young in August/Sept.

Good catch!

Yes

They are exceptionally pretty in the sunlight. They are absolutely deadly for a rattler.

A couple of days ago in South Texas. Be careful out there!

I’ve posted this before. At one time my place was loaded with snakes; mostly rattlers, copperheads and cottonmouths. They were everywhere. And then the pigs moved in. I think I’ve seen one snake, a grass snake, on the property in the last twenty years.

I preferred the snakes.

@ least they b using good grammar.

Friend @ the foundry (an ex pro boxer) wanted me ta go on a rattle snake round up.
Admit not good @ identifiying different types, tis one of the ones that gets he-b- ge- zees
around snakes. Would have liked ta gone on a round up, but with someone that knew what they doing.
Like ol Wolf ( the person @ foundry, his nick name).

would haveta put on some depends though.

Curious ? @ these snake round ups, they put on shows, how ta handle them & think they extract Venium.
But what they do with them after words ?

edit : tis thinking, O Pster is educated enough he didn't want copper head around yard it venomous.
& chicken snake eats the eggs & also effects the hens from laying.
& i got D- in grammar.