Loaded chamber/safety off

[Mobuck]

First off, I don't want to upset the nature lovers but this involves a venomous snake.
I'm draining a pond for needed repairs and spending considerable time and effort in the process. Couple of days back, Son commented "There's a snake" as the serpent slithered away. Next day while moving through some cattails in the now dry edge above waterline, I encountered a much larger and far more aggressive snake which I pegged as a Cotton Mouth . The first strike hit the edge of my boot sole w/o any real damage but that was more than enough. I stepped back one long stride, drew the SR22, and fired one shot--all of this before the snake had fully reset for another try.
I'm not Marshall Dillon and I'm not faster than a striking snake but I ain't that bad for a Geezer.

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

Any snake that tries that, deserves what it gets.

 

[blume357]

Right at dark last week.. neighbor walking her dog rang the door bell saying their was a small copperhead out at the edge of the road across from our house and could I come kill it. Me being the ever present macho man I am figured I'd just stomp the thing on the head with my boot... until I actually saw the 2&1/2 foot long 'little' snake... I went and got a shovel and removed its head....

 

[Selena]

You are lucky Mobuck, here most of the poisonous snakes are either on the county council or the drainage board and it's illegal to shoot them even if they are trying to bite you. j/k

 

[noahmercy]

First off, I don't want to upset the nature lovers but this involves a venomous snake.
I'm draining a pond for needed repairs and spending considerable time and effort in the process. Couple of days back, Son commented "There's a snake" as the serpent slithered away. Next day while moving through some cattails in the now dry edge above waterline, I encountered a much larger and far more aggressive snake which I pegged as a Cotton Mouth . The first strike hit the edge of my boot sole w/o any real damage but that was more than enough. I stepped back one long stride, drew the SR22, and fired one shot--all of this before the snake had fully reset for another try.
I'm not Marshall Dillon and I'm not faster than a striking snake but I ain't that bad for a Geezer.

I'm a nature lover and a fan of snakes, but if a venomous one is close to the house or acts aggressively (I've had several moccasins actively pursue me), it will be dispatched post-haste. When I'm bumming around in areas where I may come across one, I carry a 22 revolver with CCI shotshells...best snake medicine I have used, and I had to shoot a bunch when I lived at the edge of a swamp in Florida. Out in the wilds, if a snake doesn't act aggressively, it is treated with respect...I once had a rattler climb up on the rock where I was lunching, and coil himself about two feet away. I offered him some of my sandwich, but he declined, and after a few minutes of sunning and one-sided conversation, he meandered off.

 

[Jeepnik]

I'm a nature lover and a fan of snakes, but if a venomous one is close to the house or acts aggressively (I've had several moccasins actively pursue me), it will be dispatched post-haste. When I'm bumming around in areas where I may come across one, I carry a 22 revolver with CCI shotshells...best snake medicine I have used, and I had to shoot a bunch when I lived at the edge of a swamp in Florida. Out in the wilds, if a snake doesn't act aggressively, it is treated with respect...I once had a rattler climb up on the rock where I was lunching, and coil himself about two feet away. I offered him some of my sandwich, but he declined, and after a few minutes of sunning and one-sided conversation, he meandered off.

There was a fellow named Tim that felt the same was about bears.

 

[Mobuck]

Mom was a true 'snake hater' and dealt with them in short order using either a garden hoe or long handle shovel. She didn't differentiate between 'good and bad' snakes. I tend to leave 'good' snakes alone but have no leeway with venomous species--too many opportunities for them to cause trouble later.

 

[noahmercy]

There was a fellow named Tim that felt the same was about bears.

But I don't go into the wilds to try to live among venomous snakes and interact with them...pretty big distinction. I just recognize that they perform a vital role in keeping down the rodent populations which damage crops and equipment and spread disease, and don't go out of my way to kill them.

 

[Snake Pleskin]

I am not a snake Fan Boy! I recognize that they have a place in nature, and help maintain rodents etc, but they do not just stick to rodents! If the snake goes on about its business, I leave it alone. If it is near my home, in my yard etc and , I if I can not induce it to find a better habitat, then it needs to go! In my limited experience with these fellows, they will usually leave you alone, if given the chance. Most people who are bit(IMHO) when they have stumbles upon the snake & surprised it etc. The the snake dos what snakes do, it strikes. I lived in Scottsdale, AZ for 13 yrs and we had rattlers, good size ones! Sometimes they would move on, sometimes they wouldn't. We had to always use a "pole" to poke the bushes, ratttle the shrubbery etc anytime we were doing yard work etc, because you never knew what was taking a nap underneath them! I have know many people who were bit by snakes & some dogs. If the local hospital/vet does not have anti venom, and many do not, you are in deep do do! also, anti venom is extremely expensive!