Here's looking at you kid

[CoyoteG]

Is there any state where you aren't allowed to protect yourself or your property from a wild animal? Even one with protected status?

No matter, it’s best to answer the consequences alive either way.

 

[peteg59]

No matter, it’s best to answer the consequences alive either way.

Kind of like the saying: "It's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission"...?

Here in NH all varieties of the rattle snake are considered endangered.
If you were to kill one and if anyone found out and turned you in, you must be able to show the State Fish & Game officer how exactly your life was endangered for it to be a "justified" kill.
Other than that, you're getting a summons.

 

[maki2]

I could use a non poisonous pet snake this week. Too many rats and mice in this area. Oh well, best for me to be the one to depart. I will move to a new campsite on Monday when the 3 day weekend, temporary van dwellers, migrate back to their normal, full amenities, shelters.

 

[user 423]

Is there any state where you aren't allowed to protect yourself or your property from a wild animal? Even one with protected status?

Don't know but in AZ you need a hunting license to kill one if it's not on your own property.

 

[user 22017]

I could use a non poisonous pet snake this week. Too many rats and mice in this area. Oh well, best for me to be the one to depart. I will move to a new campsite on Monday when the 3 day weekend, temporary van dwellers, migrate back to their normal, full amenities, shelters.

Where are you so I can avoid that area

 

[CoyoteG]

Kind of like the saying: "It's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission"...?

Here in NH all varieties of the rattle snake are considered endangered.
If you were to kill one and if anyone found out and turned you in, you must be able to show the State Fish & Game officer how exactly your life was endangered for it to be a "justified" kill.
Other than that, you're getting a summons.

I live in the South West, people are always going on about killing snakes and critters. Personally I don’t like to kill anything if I can help it.
If it is something that is protected, I’d rather answer for the consequences alive, either way.

 

[user 423]

Many years ago I was camping in the George Washington NF in Virginia and saw a rattler. At that time I didn't worry at all that there were rattlers in the area because I assumed that the eastern rattlers weren't poisonous. Or at least were not as poisonous as the big ones out west.

Now, living in the SW, I've been doing some online searches on rattlers and found that the Eastern Diamondback is the largest and most poisonous snake in North America ......yikes!

 

[CoyoteG]

Many years ago I was camping in the George Washington NF in Virginia and saw a rattler. At that time I didn't worry at all that there were rattlers in the area because I assumed that the eastern rattlers weren't poisonous. Or at least were not as poisonous as the big ones out west.

Now, living in the SW, I've been doing some online searches on rattlers and found that the Eastern Diamondback is the largest and most poisonous snake in North America ......yikes!

I was hanging out with the Sonoran coral snake yesterday, most venomous snake of North America. It’s as big as a boot lace and about a foot long. You would have to really want to get bit. I do not consider it an even remote threat.

 

[BelgianPup]

If necessary, SSS.

Shoot, Shovel, Shut up. And don't post photos online, either. If you've got a functioning brain, use it.

 

[user 423]

^Dead snake? What dead snake?

 

[karleesto]

Better to be judged by 12 than carried by 6.

If using a firearm to protect yourself, shoot to kill.

 

[user 423]

^I guess it's possible that by killing a snake a person could end up with serious enough criminal charges that they end up with a trial by jury. I'd bet most of the time that wouldn't be the case. Otherwise, point well taken.

 

[maki2]

Self defense?

 

[Frood]

I was hanging out with the Sonoran coral snake yesterday, most venomous snake of North America. It’s as big as a boot lace and about a foot long. You would have to really want to get bit. I do not consider it an even remote threat.

Coral snake is particularly terrifying because it's venom isn't necrotic but rather a neurotoxin. Oh, and the bite may not even leave a wound!

https://www.acep.org/toxicology/new... is neurotoxic,snakebites may leave no wounds
Fortunately they aren't particularly aggressive.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/are-coral-snakes-poisonous-or-dangerous/

 

[CoyoteG]

It is curious to me that many people are so terrified of snakes they will probably never see but think nothing of getting in a four ton vehicle and drive 75 mph or faster, within three feet from another vehicle, texting or not.
Without looking it up, do you know anyone personally that has been bit by a coral snake?
How about a rattlesnake? Any kind of snake?
Did any of them die? Do they have herpetology cred now? Maybe like Spiderman, we’ll have a Snakeman?
How many people do you know that have died in MVAs? I know of more people that have died in vehicles, more than I wish.
You are more likely to be mauled to death by a pack of Labradors and afterwards be urinated on by a left pawed cat than to be envenomated by any snake, much less die.
I sometimes wonder if people diligently search for, crackbrained, absurd, cockeyed, derisory, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous and imbecilic things to worry about.
How about mosquitoes?
Afraid of them?
They kill many more people than packs of Labradors, left pawed cats or them rotten old snakes that everyone hates.
“Save the environment! Except all the critters I hate.”

Coral snake is particularly terrifying because it's venom isn't necrotic but rather a neurotoxin. Oh, and the bite may not even leave a wound!

https://www.acep.org/toxicology/new... is neurotoxic,snakebites may leave no wounds
Fortunately they aren't particularly aggressive.

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/are-coral-snakes-poisonous-or-dangerous/

 

[Happy Camper]

I wonder if mice or other rodents can smell a snake and stay away. If so, maybe having a non poisonous snake as a travel companion might be of benefit have them in a cage they can breathe and put them under the vehicle in the evening. Natural deterrent.

 

[Malamute]

It is curious to me that many people are so terrified of snakes they will probably never see but think nothing of getting in a four ton vehicle and drive 75 mph or faster, within three feet from another vehicle, texting or not.
Without looking it up, do you know anyone personally that has been bit by a coral snake?
How about a rattlesnake? Any kind of snake?
Did any of them die? Do they have herpetology cred now? Maybe like Spiderman, we’ll have a Snakeman?
How many people do you know that have died in MVAs? I know of more people that have died in vehicles, more than I wish.
You are more likely to be mauled to death by a pack of Labradors and afterwards be urinated on by a left pawed cat than to be envenomated by any snake, much less die.
I sometimes wonder if people diligently search for, crackbrained, absurd, cockeyed, derisory, laughable, ludicrous, nonsensical, preposterous, ridiculous and imbecilic things to worry about.
How about mosquitoes?
Afraid of them?
They kill many more people than packs of Labradors, left pawed cats or them rotten old snakes that everyone hates.
“Save the environment! Except all the critters I hate.”

I do in fact know someone that was bit by a rattlesnake, it nearly killed him, he was able to get help and get to a hospital fairly soon, and he was pretty messed up for quite a long time.

Ive not been bit but had many close calls. Ive had 2 at different times under my porch steps I heard when i came home in the dark and they rattled under the step as i stepped on it. I stepped over one going into a barn, then saw it on the way back out a few seconds later. Ive stepped off rocks and had then underneath, nearly stepped on or right by them several times out walking, had one dog bit in the face by one in my yard, which very seriously hurt the dog, had dogs almost step on them, had one come out of a bush behind my dogs, they were quite unaware of it as it coiled up and started buzzing when it realized they were there. Had one sitting in the top of a sage bush as we walked by, had one get IN my cabin once (poorly built cabin i didnt built) and start buzzing next to me as I came into the room, I didnt know where he was at first so didnt know which way to go to avoid him.

Ive seen many many dozens, maybe well over a hundred. Ive killed scads of them, with absolutely zero apologies to anyone, most were close to (or in) my home place, yard, driveway, or close to me or my dogs in places we regularly went. I generally leave them alone otherwise. I have bull snakes come around often, I leave them alone mostly, unless one hangs around too long upsetting the dog, shes deathly afraid of them after I conditioned her to be. I pick them up with a rake and walk them away a ways and tell them to move on please. They can be a bit startling to encounter one at close distance when not expecting them. One was once on a table next to a door, I realized it was there about a foot from the doorknob I was reaching for. Makes your heart skip a beat for a second until the shape on the head registers. Thats when you talk to the snake and tell it to STOP doing that.

I had one bull snake show up as i was dog walking around the yard, it saw us and slithered into a small bush, just its head concealed, the rest sticking out in the open, he seemed to think he was hidden, it was hilarious.

My current environs has prairie rattlers (with no restrictions on killing them), the Verde Valley area in Az where I used to spend a lot of time, much of it sleeping on the ground, has both Diamondbacks and Mohaves, which can look like Diamondbacks, but have a more wicked toxin.

I believe dogs can smell rattlesnakes, ive heard of people out with their dogs and they reacted to the scent, they looked, and sure enough, there was a rattlesnake. Their dogs had been conditioned/trained to avoid snakes, its a service available in some places.

 

[BlueMarkOhio]

Chuck Norris was once bitten by a rattlesnake, and after three days of suffering... the rattlesnake died!

 

[KarlH]

It is curious to me that many people are so terrified of snakes they will probably never see...

I worry a fair bit about my husky, since he has no sense about those things.

 

[Malamute]

I worry a fair bit about my husky, since he has no sense about those things.

Id suggest looking into the rattlesnake aversion training thats available from a number of sources. I know several people that have done it and they were pleased with the results. I just did a quick search, the one I looked at showed it cost $120 for a new dog. Refreshers were less. Thats WAY less than the vet bills if the dog is bitten.

I did my own training. I had a training collar, I only needed it a couple times to train my dog not to run when unhooked, not to eat the seatbelts, etc. I happened to see a large bull snake on the edge of my place coming home one time. I quickly got the dog and went for a walk by the snake, letting her find it. She spotted it, rushed in to it, and I buzzed her, saying nothing, to which she responded by yipping in surprise, jumping back and barking furiously at the snake from several feet away, believing it was responsible. I talked to her and told her she was a good dog to bark at the bad snake, and did that snake get you, poor dog, etc. Now every time she sees one she barks and stays back about 5 or 6 feet. I can tell by the bark when she sees one in the yard. Properly used training collars can almost work magic. Poorly used, they should be taken off the dog and used on the ignorant human at max power.