advice on critter gitters

[pale horse]

Last weekend I went out shooting at a remote location. We stopped at a store to get some drinks, no boose, all sport and water. Well I got talking to the lady at the counter and told her what we were doing and she asked if we would come by her house and clean up the rattle snakes. I gave her my number and told her to call me.

So here is the question what would be the most vercitile firearm for the task?

I have the following at my disposal;
ruger 10/22, mark II, P97
springfield 1911
mosin nagant (not gonna use this one for snakes)

Maybe I should get a .410 or use cci bird shot for my .22 rifle. What out of the following would you suggest I use for killing snakes with?

I would like to start a critter gitter business here in my town so if any of you have advice or have done it let me know please.

 

[natedog]

If you must buy a new .410, get a Winchester 94 lever action in .410. Otherwise, I would reccomend using your Mark II with CCI bird shot. Or, perhaps your P97 with Glaser safety slugs.

 

[Art Eatman]

1. Sharpen your garden hoe. Best snake killer there is.

2. A .22 rimfire with shot works well, since you can safely hold the muzzle within a foot or so of the snake's head.

3. I made a handy little snake-catcher with a four-foot piece of 1/2" conduit and a 1/8" nylon cord. Drill a 3/16" hole in the side of the conduit about 3" up from one end. Run the cord through the conduit, and loop it back and feed it out of the hole. Tie a knot so it won't slip back. Then, when you find a snake, drop the loop over its head and pull the cord.

, Art

 

[45R]

tranqilizer gun

 

[Sylvilagus Aquaticus]

Art's pipe critter snagger is like one I've used for years on herps. I'd suggest schedule 40 PVC, though; it does not conduct electricity.

Shooting a .410 in close quarters is a questionable practice on many points. Even more so with a .22. Put any offending herps in a 5 gallon pickle bucket or large industrial waste can, depending on their size and attitude. Find a nice, remote place and release them. All he was looking for was a meal and a bed. He'd do the same for you in different circumstances.


Regards,
Rabbit.

 

[TarpleyG]

I agree w/ Rabbit. I used to have to do a yearly round-up on a dock that I used to run a boat rental op. out of. Same drill except I actually bought a critter gitter especially for snakes. It had a squeeze handle on my end and jaws on the snake's end. It was about 4 feet long but you can get longer.

GT

 

[pale horse]

Sniff Sniff looks like yawl are saying no guns. Well I dont think there is a place I could put them without going out of my way. Ideally I would not mind the catch and release program, but there aint too many places you can take a poisioness snake in this town for disposal. That is why I am looking for a firearm to do the job.

So far it looks like the cci bird shot is going to get the nod.

Anymore suggestions are welcome.

Lets open the question up to a broad. What is an all around good pest control firearm?

 

[nemesis]

A stick or broomhandle. Dump them in an empty, plastic garbage can and let them go somewhere where they can practise their worth at eating rodents and small critters.

 

[willyjixx]

whacha do is yah keep the big ones kill em skin em grill em an set up a shish kebob shack. catch the lil ones an raise a snake farm!

 

[Smoke]

but there aint too many places you can take a poisioness snake in this town for disposal.

But there IS a place you can discharge a firearm in town?

Most municipalities frown on shooting inside the city limits.

If you can shoot them, 12ga. for poisonous snakes, catch the non-poisonous ones.

Nothing is too small for rattlebugs (I HATE THOSE THINGS)

I'd suggest schedule 40 PVC, though; it does not conduct electricity.

and schedule 20 does?

 

[JohnDog]

Take Art's snake catcher instructions and replace the nylon cord with braided picture wire. Attach a stick to the end of the wire to make a little T-handle. Now a swift sure pull will result in a headless snake.

I used to work at a facilty that had a lot of rattlers, and this is what the guards had to eliminate snakes. Use tongs or a shovel to handle the head - it can still deliver a lot of venom.

JohnDog

 

[pale horse]

"But there IS a place you can discharge a firearm in town?"

No this gal lives out of town about 9 or 10 miles. So shooting on her land aint a problem. Cooking snake sounds good maybe even a new wallet. They dont want these things period end of story and I dont want to get bit or anything either. So the plan is to kill them not keep them.

 

[Matt G]

Shooting snakes just to shoot them is kinda pointless, and really no challenge.

Catching snakes, on the other hand, is more of a challenge, and provides a relatively safe thrill, if you're careful about what you do. It also gives you a nice righteous feeling when you release the efficient rat-killers back into nature.

2" schedule 40 works well, but pretty much any strong pipe of about 4' long and a 1/4" rope will do.

 

[pale horse]

Well I reckon I can give it a try in the next few weeks with trying to catch them first. Out of curousity since snakes move slower in the winter time/cold weather would throwing ice water on them slow them down or piss them off?

Does anyone have a picture of one of these snake gitters?

 

[redneck]

SHOOT THEM! Its nothing but a daggone rattle snake around her house! Its not going out in the middle of nowhere just to kill them for the killing! Obviously they bother her and she wants to be rid of them.
Don't play with them, or worry about making it sporting. Just do the job and kill them and be done with it. A garden hoe is plenty good, but I'd prefer a gun if they're poisonous and have any size (reach) to them.
The only difference between this and any other varmint/pest control is that rattle snakes are much more capable of sending you to the emergency room than your average varmint.

 

[300NOSLER]

snake-gitter

I, like others here, implore you not to indisciminately kill off vast numbers of rattlers, & if you do kill a few, EAT 'em-they're excellent table fare. Skin,fillet, & cut the fillets in i/2 in. slices, & saute in butter. Did that for 15 years in PA-can't anymore-& that's a good thing-too few left. Oh, senior moment, the gizmo is called a Tilson Stick, & probably available at big pet stores. You're wise to use a Tilson, because you won't stress yourself or the snakes, after you've handled a bunch you can use anything(broomstick,branch, etc.) butplease,NEVER lose respect for them, as that could turn out VERY PAINFUL!.........Wayne

 

[H Romberg]

I"ve never eaten rattlesnake before (they're tough to find in the DC area). Let me know how they cook up.

 

[willyjixx]

fillets hmmmm?

gonna have to got huntin some this year.

 

[AJ Dual]

I'm no bleeding-heart greenie, and I agree that deadly snakes near people need to be removed, one way or another.

But from a purely pragmatic standpoint, one thing to consider is if you remove all the rattlers, they may well be up to thier elbows in rodents eventually, and what comes with them, plauge, fleas, hantavirus/four-corners, and now perhapsmonkeypox...

Perhaps a middle of the road policy, catch and relocate the ones you can catch safely, and shoot the ones you can't. That way you're splitting the difference.