inexpensive improvised rattlesnake and zombie killing weapon.

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Shifty

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Clovis California
Ok so here's my dilemma...... recently moved out of the city and my new property is infested with rattlers. Most of the time I spot them on the large gravel area surrounding the house, or the back patio. I've been dispatching them with a shovel or hoe, but neither are well suited for a clean downward thrust. Especially being used one handed, as I need to use something else to pin the squirmy biting bastard down.

so, my question is there a tool that I could buy at a local hardware store that could do all this in a better, more simple matter? I have a decent machete, but thats a little close for me, and the gravel and concrete where I do most of the executions would mess up the blade. I was thinking something similar to a monks spade, but they dont seem to have any in stock :)

any ideas or recommendations greatly appreciated.
 
Not trying to be a smart a$$, but given the theme of this forum, perhaps a gun would be a better solution? A single-shot, break-open shotgun is simple, light, cheap and would allow you to kill the beasties from a safe distance. If noise is a concern or for some other reason you prefer not to have an actual firearm, there are plenty of air guns that would do the job neatly and quietly, I'd recommend a good break-barrel .22 cal pellet gun with a 4x scope.
 
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Get an electric grinder, and sharpen a shovel you're willing to dedicate to this task. You might also consider a trenching shovel. Grab a hammer and flatten the scoop, then sharpen as mentioned above. You now have a makeshift poleaxe.

That ought to take care of those pesky ...snakes. :barf:
 
Honestly..... This is the first and only time that I will recommend this. Get yourself a Judge or Governor. This is the only application where I have used the gun and it shines in this role.

If you can find one used then they shouldn't be too expensive. It will also last you longer than any tool that you continually thrust into rock.

Aside from that, I just use a shovel with a large handle. It doesn't take a sharp shovel to remove the head of one of the suckers.

Either way, be very careful. Even if you separate the head from the body, it can still bite and inject venom. Once you cut it off, dig a small hole and bury the head immediately.
 
Get an NEF .410 single shot. Use a light field load for snakes and buckshot/slugs for zombies. I would recommend one of those elastic cuffs to hold extra shells on the stock, a standard rifle cuff should work for .410 shells. You could also cut down the barrel to 18 1/2" for a really compact and light package. I did this same thing to a 12 gauge version, it's about the lightest and smallest 12 gauge shotgun you could find/make without any type of stamp, but man it really kicks like a mule with buck or slugs. Birdshot loads are manageable though.

This set up will give you good stand-off distance from the snake and you can find these guns for about 100 bucks at most locations. Much more economical than a judge or governor for what you need it for.
 
In Africa, the most common thing used for this is a stiff whip called a "sjambok" ("shambok"), which can cut a snake in half when you hit it right. Over there, these are made by weaving strips of hide into a cane shape, but Cold Steel makes a synthetic version that will do the same thing for about 15 dollars. Or, you could use one of those fibreglass rods that they use for marking driveways, etc., cut off to a comfortable length and wrap a handle out of tape.
 
Get a fiberglass round light bulb installer, it is a pole that has fingers to grip round bulbs at higher ceilings to twist and remove.
 
I would definitely advocate a .410, but he may NEED to avoid using things that go boom, as he lives in a more- or- less contiguous suburb of Fresno. (Actually, the Taurus Judge et al might be illegal there for all I know- wouldn't surprise me).

And actually, the sharpened lawn edging tool is a great idea.
 
"And in other news, authorities have now determined the the 30,000 acre Fresno County wildfire was started with a Vietnam-era flamethrower by a local man with an apparently pathological fear of snakes. Now, with the rest of the report, here's a midget wearing a bikini."
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Bush axe. Lowes or Home Depot.

Lawn mower? Been there, seen it done. Never want to be there and see it done again. Snake was a Cotton Mouth next to Lake Seminole. Most of it came out the ejector chute, but bits and pieces went everywhere from under the whole perimeter of the mower. Whole work detail scattered like crazy.

-kBob
 
Not trying to be a smart a$$, but given the theme of this forum, perhaps a gun would be a better solution?

Well, it is posted in the "Non-Firearms" section.

I've used a shovel or hoe on several occasions. A machete is a little closer than I want to be with a rattlesnake.
 
A cattle stick snapped in a whip action or a lariat rope doubled over itself and snapped like a whip. It just crushes snakes flat and I mean flat. Smack them hard on top of or behind the head. I have killed dozens of snakes this way and they were all over with very quick.

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bob barker + 1

Hell air e us. Needed a good laugh. Thanks.

Nomination for post of the day.
 
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