Had to be done

W

WVHILLS

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While moving a wood pile today to make way for a tree house for my two younger brothers I came across this Copperhead. I am not trained to handle venomous snakes so capturing it and relocating it away from our house really wasn't an option. Just to be clear I DO NOT kill Black snakes, Water snakes, Garter snakes, Green snakes.

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Which? Killing the snake or chopping it's already dead head off with a mega chopper 3000 and posting pics on line?
 
You need to spend some time in arizona and deal with some 4 foot mojave rattlers. This looks like a baby, wheres the rattle?
 
runningboar said:
Which? Killing the snake or chopping it's already dead head off with a mega chopper 3000 and posting pics on line?
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Chopped the head off for good measure, you can never be too careful:thumbup: It's actually a mega chopper 5000:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:
 
Would have been simpler-and cleaner-just to leave it alone, or shoo it into a pillow case and take it into the woods. At least eat it.
 
It is usually best to leave snakes alone. His home was probably dismantled and it would have left eventually. I used to guide hiking and mountain biking trips in the Sonoran desert and I came across dozens of rattlers and gila monsters also. I left them alone, they left me alone. You have to respect them. 9 times out of 10 those that get bit by snakes are messing with them. That being said, if something bites me, i'll bite back.
 
ilbruche said:
It is usually best to leave snakes alone. His home was probably dismantled and it would have left eventually. I used to guide hiking and mountain biking trips in the Sonoran desert and I came across dozens of rattlers and gila monsters also. I left them alone, they left me alone. You have to respect them. 9 times out of 10 those that get bit by snakes are messing with them. That being said, if something bites me, i'll bite back.
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I lived in AZ for 6 years, my wife used to think I was crazy for stopping to move rattlesnakes out of the road. I have no love for snakes but I like rats less. I ate quite a few too, a nice keen, limber, switch was perfect to dispatch them with and they were free on every bush. Chris
 
I've killed plenty of rattlers in my yard. In the wild I leave them be, but your backyard is different. nice pics too.
 
I guess it boils down to what you see as a threat to you. Most snakes know that if they bite you and inject venom they can't eat until they produce more venom. Usually only immature snakes will envenomate, or pissed off snakes. The only reptilians I have a problem with are those that consider me food, but since I live in the US I don't have to worry about anacondas and saltwater crocodiles. Snakes kill lots of pests, but people naturally fear them, it's been that way since Adam and Eve.

This is from the California Poison Control System.
"The majority of rattlesnake bites occur when people (usually intoxicated young men in their 20s) tease or play with their "pet" rattlesnake."
 
I saw my first rattler on the 4th in South Dakota. Almost stepped on him I saw him right before he started to rattle. I must have jumped 30 feet ( O.K. 10) I almost went back to get a better look but just left hem alone. It really made me think every time I went off trail after that. On the plus side I found 2 nice used Victorinox classics's for .25$ and I gave my son his first Knife A low end Buck for his birthday. He was 9 on the 4th.
 
Does anyone have any long skins ( around 60" or so)? I want to put one on a bow I have. If so let me know and we can see if we can work something out.
 
WVHILLS, it's a lot better for you to have found that copperhead than for your two younger brothers to have run into it. That was a good use for your chopper, too. Nice hide on it, but maybe it wasn't worth skinning. Long ago I skinned a couple of big rattlers to make hatbands, etc., but I vowed to never do that again because the damn things stunk so bad. My wife and I got so we could smell them sometimes in the nearby woods around our house back then. You really have to watch out for them!
 
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