Snake!!!

[Five-O]

I was getting my trailer ready to get off the campground yesterday and asked my helper, a 16 yr old grandson of a friend to pull the chocks off the left wheels. I heard a loud "SNAKE" coming from him as he quickly jumped back from the wheels.
It was a 12" long baby rattler curled up inside the hollow plastic chock. I grabbed the awning release and stow steel rod and pulled the little critter out. After holding him or her down I slowly chocked it, but not killed it. A large rock sent him to snake heaven.
They don't allow guns on the ranch so I thought, how well would my .38 2" S&W AirWeight do if I could shoot it with shellshots? Or would the shellshots kill an adult? I have the first two rounds loaded with shotshells for home defense, figuring at 15 or so feet I can't miss. It won't kill the perp, but it sure will scare the hell out of him/her as I ready the next shots with HP's. What is the spread of the BB's on a short barrel like my .38? I've shot it at 25 yards and counted only two holes on the target. Good grief! I'm not gonna hit anyone at that distance for sure. And I can't shoot closer than that, at the range anyway, so do you all think I could hit a snake at about 6 feet? I wouldn't want to come any closer than that.
I hate snakes!
Thanks

 

[1KPerDay]

I have the first two rounds loaded with shotshells for home defense, figuring at 15 or so feet I can't miss. It won't kill the perp, but it sure will scare the hell out of him/her as I ready the next shots with HP's.

Really bad idea. BTW the snake didn't do anything to deserve being kilt either, IMO.

 

[JHK94]

^^Seconded.

 

[Mongoose]

Did you eat the snake? No sense in it going to waste

 

[shdwfx]

Just curious, where did you learn to operate with shotshell for the first two rounds in your handgun?

I have a friend who carries this way and until now, he was the only one I know of who did that. Terrible idea, and I've tried talking him out of it.

 

[SwampWolf]

BTW the snake didn't do anything to deserve being kilt either, IMO.

It was a snake wasn't it? The verb "is" has its finest hour when it morphs to the past tense word "was" if it precedes the noun snake. You like 'em? ; keep 'em outta the way of my hoe.

 

[Bill B.]

IMO a good rattlesnake is a dead rattlesnake. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

At our local gun club the land surveyor who did our plat of the property was putting survey pin in the ground and was bit on the back of the hand by a copper head. Some will tell you a copper head won't kill you but it put this fella in intensive care for 7 days and shut his kidneys down. He almost died. I am not going to leave one laying there to bite the next person who stumbles across it even if it doesn't strike at me. Personal feeling!

 

[ricebasher302]

Bill B, Thanks! How many of these posters have stepped on a buzz worm before, or seen the results of a bite. There's plenty of rattlers out there, and there's plenty of desolate wasteland for them to roam without bothering me. I see one, I shoot! (or smash, or beat, or flog, or trample, or run over...)

 

[Deltaboy1984]

I keep a Machet handy for stuff like that I killed 2 copper heads this spring with my weedeater then I moved some rocks to trip around a Tree.

 

[raskolnikov_22]

Aw, thought this thread was going to be about a Colt DA

 

[MCgunner]

I don't use shotshells on snakes when I want to shoot one, let alone humans. When I have shot shakes, a bullet took their heads off just fine, from 10 feet or 20 yards. Learn to shoot. Don't rely on the ammo to make the hits.

I side step a lot of snakes on my place. No since killin' 'em unless I'm hankerin' for fried rattler, which is really good and which I will do. I go hunting for 'em in spring when they come out. Good eatin'.

I've been bit by snakes, but that's why I have snake boots. I don't tolerate 'em around the house, though, where I won't be wearin' snake boots. I've killed a few in the yard over the years. I lost a beagle and had a cat bit, too.

 

[wankerjake]

so do you all think I could hit a snake at about 6 feet

Yeah that should do the trick.

 

[mljdeckard]

I kill all rattlesnakes I come across. Cry me a river.

Your handgun is not a tool to scare, threaten or negotiate. There is no legal grey area that allows you to shoot to wound. In loading with birdshot, this is what you are doing. If you shoot with the intent to wound, OR WITHOUT the intent to kill, you have just committed aggravated assault. If you shoot someone with birdshot, you are saying; "I wasn't sure there was really a reason to justify deadly force, BUT I SHOT HIM ANYWAY." And what if you draw, knowing full well it is absolutely necessary to stop this person's actions RIGHT NOW, without fail, and your first two shots are pretty much guaranteed to do nothing but break his skin, MAYBE take out an eye? You have to get through those first two shots BEFORE you have the means to stop his actions. It's almost as bad of an idea to load your first two shots in the shotgun with birdshot, although it's a lot more effective than a .38 loaded with snakeshot.

 

[oneounceload]

38 shotshells have a very short effective distance. I've loaded my own with #8's, fewer pellets, but more potent......

 

[SaxonPig]

I must confess that I don't understand the "kill it first and ask questions later" mentality.

Rattlesnakes are a part of nature and they serve a purpose. God wanted them here for some reason and I don't kill anything without a very good reason for doing it.

You know how I deal with venomous snakes? I walk away a few yards and let them vacate the area. That's what they want to do once they realize humans are around.

 

[MCgunner]

38 shotshells have a very short effective distance. I've loaded my own with #8's, fewer pellets, but more potent......

A 148 WC over 2.7 grains Bullseye is accurate enough to decapitate with one shot easily from 10-30 feet. Why bother with shot loads? The only snakes I've ever killed with shot loads came out of a shotgun and usually a full choked shotgun. At 10 feet, that will decapitate a snake, too. I've killed quite a few with handguns, too, mostly with .22s, rifle and pistol, shooting at water snakes and out to 30-40 yards at times, great fun. Don't always hit 'em way out there on the tank, but it's fun to try.

 

[claiborne]

Problem is....

walking through tall sagebrush. I used to walk around them until I accidently stepped on one and the snake barely missed me but got my dog. The dog and the snake died. I kill them now when I can. I do not want to step on another one or have another dog killed. Could have been me.......

 

[BonesofGa.]

Moth balls work pretty good around the house. One every three feet, and a handfull under the house every ten feet. Early sring and early fall. Snakes can't stand the smell of moth balls. Got grandbabies, if a snake gets through that and my dog, it goes to snake heaven. Seriously folks, try it, it works. The smell of moth balls will go away in a few days after they dissolve, but the effects will last.

 

[MCgunner]

walking through tall sagebrush. I used to walk around them until I accidently stepped on one and the snake barely missed me but got my dog. The dog and the snake died. I kill them now when I can. I do not want to step on another one or have another dog killed. Could have been me.......

Well, just don't think by killing one snake, you've eliminated every snake in the county. LOL I've had a dog killed, cat survived after 200 bucks in vet bills. My best defense is my snake boots. Cheap leggings can keep you healthy, too. I just don't go out in the brush without 'em. They've saved me a couple of times.

 

[Husaberg Man]

Bill B, Thanks! How many of these posters have stepped on a buzz worm before, or seen the results of a bite.

I have, on both counts. I still don't kill them just for existing. If it's really a threat, then fine, but to kill 'em because I have a general fear (or dislike) of snakes?? No...shortsighted and shows an ignorance of the valuable role they play.

 

[mgregg85]

Did you eat the snake? No sense in it going to waste

I second that, I don't care if you kill them but you should at least eat them. I heard they were pretty tasty. Just cut off about 6 inches behind the head and the rest is edible.

 

[AKElroy]

I must confess that I don't understand the "kill it first and ask questions later" mentality.

Rattlesnakes are a part of nature and they serve a purpose. God wanted them here for some reason and I don't kill anything without a very good reason for doing it.

You know how I deal with venomous snakes? I walk away a few yards and let them vacate the area. That's what they want to do once they realize humans are around.

__________________

Snake WAS in an area freaquented by humans, and it was found by a 16 year old kid that could have been given a debilitating bite. Small rattlers do not regulate thier venom like mature snakes, and they need to be killed when they put human health at risk. It is the only way to condition dangerous wildlife to avoid human contact. As for walking away & letting the snake move along naturally, would a small child do that?

 

[Virginian]

God created rattlesnakes and copperheads. God created man, and he created man with a brain to develop those neat little handgun caliber shotshells to kill copperheads, rattlers, and water moccosins. If man had developed those shotshells sooner we would still be in the Garden of Eden, and wouldn't have a Recession, or Obama !
I have also killed quite a few quail - on the wing - in season - and a couple of woodcock with them. The 44s are a bit more effective, but even the 357/38s are great snake medicine. When I am afield I have the first two loads as snake loads too, but I do it for the real legless snakes.

 

[danweasel]

I wish there were snakes here in Alaska so I could kill them. I hate rattlesnakes. To me killing a rattler is like killing a mosquito, it won't really stop the problem but it sure makes me feel better.

 

[Husaberg Man]

Small rattlers do not regulate thier venom like mature snakes, and they need to be killed when they put human health at risk. It is the only way to condition dangerous wildlife to avoid human contact. As for walking away & letting the snake move along naturally, would a small child do that?

This theory sounds silly to me. Do you have a link to a source that would support it? Keep in mind we're not talking about "conditioning" single higher form animals, such as a bear or coyote.

I'd be interested to read how killing snake "x" helps keep away all of the other snakes of the same species.