best choice for rattlesnakes?

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A shovel seems ideal since you can immediately bury the head with your implement of inhumement. Any idea how deep is recommended? How about recipes?
 
Skinner Texas Rattlesnake Chili
taken from The Cook Shack at http://www.geocities.com/Petsburgh/Haven/3515/recipes.html




Ingredients:

2 Tbls. oil
1/2 cup chopped onions
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1 lb. lean ground beef
*1 cup cubed rattlesnake meat (or chicken for the less adventuresome)
2 Tbls. chili powder
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
8 cups fresh tomatoes,chopped,or two 14.5 oz. cans, undrained
2/3 cups (6 ounce can) tomato paste
2 cups water
2 cups of macaroni (or other favorite pasta), uncooked

In 5 qt. saucepan or Dutch oven, heat oil and saute onion, greenpepper, and garlic until tender but not brown. Add ground beef and rattlesnake meat (chicken); saute until done, about 5 minutes. Stir in spices, tomatoes, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil, cover, then reduce heat and simmer about 2 hours. before serving, add water and return chili to a boil. Stir in uncooked pasta; continue boiling, stirring frequently, 10-15 minutes or until pasta is tender.
Makes about 6 servings
 
I got to kill a ratler once with a front end loader that had almost no tread on the tires. He was slithering away from me. I pulled up right behind him and squeezed him right out of his skin. I'm thinkin to myself, this one's for Adam you SOB. :evil:
 
What few rattlers we have around here are in the woods and rarely seen around houses (except those houses built in the woods :D ). Copperheads and cottonmouths are bigger problems.

Ditto to above, try to keep your house area unfriendly to them - especially having items laying on the ground (lumber, buckets, etc.) that they may find attractive. It is usually the reaching in on something like that that will get you bit. I have found that garden tools work best when you have them. Otherwise, like when I'm berry picking, I carry either a .357 or a .45 with shot shells. These things seem to pattern quite well out to about 8-10 ft. Any snake farther out than that is far enough for me to get away from.
 
I use one of these Stoneypoint shooting sticks with the shooting rest on it to hold them down just behind the head and then cut the head off with a pocket knife. I got a 4' rattler this way in Central Pa last year on a canoe trip.
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We exterminated a Mojave Rattler during the fall Quail season here that was as big around as a softball and 5 ft long.

This guy was huge and a buddy of mine almost stepped on him while going into a wash.

The snake had a cottontail rabbit in his gut. Found it while dressing him out for the grill.

Ughh, the smell of that rabbit when we opened the gut was horrid.

Dispatched the snake by the way with a 12 guage field load 7 1/2 shot shell.
 
.410 is plenty but...........
don't kill them unless you must, they keep the rodent population in check,
a large garden hoe works well if one is to close to home.
try spreading ceader chips (one brand name is "ceadercide") from the lawn & garden store frist "they claim it will keep snakes away...
 
Kids Grandmother

By refering to your kids' grandmother and your concern about #1. her not coming to vist because of the rattlers and #2. her safety from the rattlers, she must be your mother. Because if she was your wife's mother, she'd be your mother-in-law...well I think you get the idea.:evil:
 
You need a Ranger. Awesome Anti-Snake Weapon.
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Man I hate snakes....

I have been up close and personal with some really large rattlers

Did I mention I hate snakes????

I also recommend a Hoe...nice and sharp

No...I didn't call anybody a HO!...pay attention people

:cuss:
 
Keep the brush away, scatter camphor under the house and don't worry about it.

A garden hoe or .22 should do just fine, if you really NEED to kill it. Thing about a Hoe is you can PICK UP the snake and RE-SETTLE it elsewhere.

Heck, Steve Irwin uses nothing but a stick he finds on-site.

When I was a kid living in AZ we hunted rattlers with .22 rifle. We used CCI stingers. My cousin Ronnie used a 12 ga shotgun, took the head right off. We'd skin 'em and stretch the hides to sell to tourists. Fun job for a 9 year old!
 
Moth balls are the way to go. I put them on the tree line in the backyard and around the fince where my pull is. Boy there is nothing like pulling the skimmer lid to see a snake looking back at you. I had a problem with cotton mouths and ring snakes getting into my pool (the skimmer basket). You know one would think that with all the chemicals that I have to put in there that it would keep them out.
 
I always tried to relocate them, rattlers are easier to handle than most, got one on my desk now who's just daring me to try. However the wife never fancied toting one around, so she used an old singleshot .410 never had any problem with one returning from the dead.
 
Two that come to mind is a shovel, and my M85UL loaded with shotshells.

Though I've heard of them, I dont think I've ever seen a rattler here. Most of what I see are copperheads, and 9 times out of 10 thats in a JY.
 
Dunno if your property is fenced or not...

But when my Daddy was a boy in Wyoming, whenever they had problems with rattlers on a piece of property, they'd run pigs on the place for a month or so.

Pigs would kill every rattlesnake in the pasture. And you were usually good for several years after that.
 
I'd vote for a sharp shovel or hoe. Ma has two hoes, a garden hoe for weeding and then her snake hoe which is very sharp. She stretches them out, pins the head with the hoe and puts a little weight on the blade. Blade goes through even the biggest ones I've seen just like a carrot. We destroy the buzztails around the house, barn, and corrals. The snakes in the back 40 we just avoid. Cats will irritate the snakes enough that they will leave and are real cheap even if struck.:evil:
 
I have had a great deal of experience working with snakes throughout my life. I have kept, bread, and lectured to kids and medical proffesionals about snakes for a long time.
First, don't kill a snake unless you have to. If it is on or near your property, I would suggest using a long walking stick or garden tool. A richocet could hurt or kill you or your kids, and is definitly overkill. Sometimes snakes need to be killed (when on or near your property), but killing them just because they are snakes is childish, ecologically ignorant, and potentially dangerous. Do not handle poisonous snakes if you are not very experienced (doesn't seem like too many people hear need to be told that BANG! BANG! THUD! SMAKCK!).
Snakes keep the varmint population way down (better than cats).
Mothballs are a very good idea (but not if your kids are young enough to think they are candy).
Cedar is very toxic to snakes! Might I suggest using cedar mulch or chips around the house (outside perimeter only), and around the bases of any trees or bushes on your property.
In that area of Texas Bull snakes are common. They can look like rattlers (even rattle their tail, but don't have a rattle. They rustle the leaves, and brush with their tails and it sounds a lot like a rattle snake). Bull snakes however have been known to eat ratllers. They also are known to be one of the best snakes for keeping rodent, gopher and rabbit populations under control. Some farmers actually release bull snakes into their barns and near their silos for this purpose. There are many other kinds of snakes which can and do eat rattlers: Indigo snakes (which are very endangered and bring a very hefty fine if you kill or even pick one up). Kingsnakes, milksnakes, and even coral snakes can eat rattlers too.
Coral snakes are the also found in the southern parts of Texas. They are red, black, and yellow. Coral snakes are usually not very large, but are quite poisonous (they are related to the cobra family). Corals can look a lot like harmless milksnakes (if the red bands are next to the yellow bands its a coral, if the red bands are next to the black bands if is probably a harmless milk snake; the saying to remember this is "red next to yellow, kill a fellow, red next to black, venom lack").
Copperheads and sometimes cottonmouths can also be found there. They are not likely to kill an adult, but can easily kill a small child, dog or cat.
When your kids are young, teach them to stay away from all snakes to be on the safe side.
If anyone gets bit, go directly to the hospital, and bring the hopefully dead snake with you so the docs can identify it and give the correct antivenom if necessary.
You don't have to be afraid of snakes, just cautious.
I recommend getting a good field guide or two for the native reptiles and other wildlife in your area.
There are also two poisonous lizards that may be found in the southern most parts of Texas, the gila monster, and the mexican bearded lizard. They probably won't kill you, but they hurt like hell (from what I have heard, and can cause a lot of local tissue damage).
Many snakes can strike up to a half or two thirds of their body length. Also, six foot rattlers are becoming more rare. They can be as big as seven or eight feet (possibly more). However, this is VERY unlikly. If you are about ten feet or more away, it is almost impossible to get bitten. If out in the wild, and that far away, just go somewhere else if possible. If you get close enought to hit it with a short stick you could get bitten. I would use a six foot walking stick if I were you. They make snake hooks and tongs for proffesionals, but I don't recommend them for the average person.
A coyote on the other hand responds very well to a 45 ACP or 44 Colt (try not to use the stick on the coyote:) ).
Good luck!
 
I'll second all that dockwithglock said. Also be aware that in some areas (Arizona included) it's illegal to kill or even relocate rattlers. YMMV. Of course if there's a problem snake, here in Tucson they won't even send anybody out anymore to take care of it, and even when they did, all they'd do is pick up the snake, move it about 1/2 mile, and dump it, sometimes in other people's yards (OK the easement in front of their property). Although I'd never advocate breaking the law :rolleyes: shoot, shovel (or grill :D ) and shut up may be in order :evil:.
 
I have shot exactly one 4 foot rattler. The body contorted around for maybe an hour after the head was removed. They aren't worth eating - too bony, and the meat is like crab in texture.

I will make an unusual suggestion - if it rattles, LEAVE IT ALONE, don't kill it, unless people are in immediate danger. Many rattlesnakes in the wild no longer rattle (including mine) because of (un)natural selection - the ones that rattled when people walked around have been shot the past hundred years or so. The ones that didn't rattle often escaped notice, and as a result survived, bred, and passed on their inclination to not rattle.

They do help control pests, and if it does you the courtesy of rattling, try to let it go.:)
 
I second what LD said about handling the head... DON'T. The first one I killed by holding it down with a stick & chopping off the head with about 3/4 inch of neck left. About 2 hours later, when I went to pickup the head from behind, at the cut part of the neck-stub, the d**n thing twisted on that 3/4 inch & tried to get me. I've killed 2 others & I've smashed the head, & scooped it with a shovel to bury it.
 
Cpileri

Some suggestions from a Wyoming/Montana guy who has had live experience.

Hogs, yes they do the job, but unless you can borrow them, they bring their own problems with them. Do you really want to try to raise them yourself? Even when you can borrow them, there are still problems.

August is when the snakes tend to go blind. When they grow large enough to molt their skin, the clear horny plate over the eye gets cloudy just before they shed. When that happens, they will strike without rattle, at anything & everything. There are other theorys I see.

I've had to give first aid for rattlesnake bite in the field, it's no fun. If it's in the area of your house, kill it. I don't know how much property you plan on owning, but I've seen them start a den in the middle of a ranch yard. The 'they are always shy & will slither away from you' story is just that in my experience. They are a confidant predator & not afraid of much. Cautious yes, fearful no.

Mothballs & cedar do tend to work.

If you determine that a shovel or hoe isn't going to always be at hand & don't want to carry a long gun, then a snake shot loaded revolver in .38 or .44 is good. There are a coupla things to keep in mind when using snake shot though. The lands & grooves will spiral the shot load just like a solid bullet, it tends to spread pretty rapidly from a 4" barrel. Do some testing to determine what's a safe effective distance for the gun & load you intend to use. If you load your own snake shot, & yes it's possible to do that, keep the velocity down. Too much propellant gas tends to 'blow holes' in your shot pattern. You can get more of a halo than a pattern. One of the older Speer manuals has some excellent information on loading shot capsules.

You know, I just got to thinking. I wonder what one would do if it struck at an electric cattle prod? Bet that'd ruin it's day.

:D 900F
 
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