Good small snake gun?

PaulR | PaulR

[Paul R.]

Unlike many Freepers, while I'm pro 2nd Amendment, I'm no expert on guns, so I'm, going to turn to those of you who are more knowledgeable, for some advice. See further "setup" to my questions regarding a good "snake gun" below.

[Squantos]

Yeah king snakes were suggested and do work as ya know but trying to use hawks, geese etc... Someone suggested guineas so we have put a dozen of those on the property....great watchdogs btw.....loud little goobers.

They are doing a pretty good job thus far...

[BCR #226]

You state... "Uh, some of these copperheads we have around here will attempt to drive a human off of what they apparently consider their territory, or away from what they consider “their” food. (Say, those 6-8” bluegills on my stringer, that the snake can’t possibly swallow, but he’s determined to try, anyway.)"

False. Copperheads are not territorial. You'd be surprised what a snake can swallow. But, given that, you're probably seeing a banded water snake which in some instances can look vaguely like a copperhead if you squint or don't know snakes at all. What you're seeing is the snake seeing a meal, going in to investigate, a person seeing the snake, getting close to "rescue" the catch and the snake preparing to defend itself because there is this hulking moron standing over it.

I've seen people call all sorts of snake behavior aggressive when it isn't. People will also call everything in the world a copperhead or a water moccasin. Most of the time, it's not.

Just as an example, this is a Crotalus Horridus or Eastern Timber Rattler. I spent 30 minutes taking photos of it in the wild. No need to kill it, I went my way, it went it's way after it let me take dozens of shots.

The point is, people kill snakes out of fear and because of the horror stories that ignorant people tell about these animals. There really isn't a need to kill them and there is ample reason not to.

[Squantos]

Oh my .....:o)

[hawkaw]

Well said.

[Ditter]

Excellent advice. I have killed dozens and dozens of snakes with a shovel. Not a hoe, a shovel.

[ladyjane]

What about people with dogs or cats who see the snake as something interesting. Aren’t you endangering them by allowing snakes near your home? I’m talking about poisonous snakes.

[BCR #226]

Poisonous or venomous? There are both and they are very different. Poisonous is when you bite it and you get sick. Venomous is when it bites you and you get sick.

dogs and cats for the most part are more resistant to venom in general than we are. But unless you have a weakened immune system or are frail or in bad health, for the most part, it’s rare for a north American venomous snake to be lethal. Dogs and cats will get sick but will usually survive most bites. In the US, you have quite a few species of rattle snake, you have water mocassins, copperheads and coral snakes for the potentially dangerous species of venomous snake. There are many others out there though. Garter snakes and ring neck snakes are both venomous AND poisonous. But their venom is designed specifically for invertebrates and is extremely weak. Hognose snakes are venomous but they rarely bite and at most, unless you are allergic, you’ll get mild swelling at the bite for a couple of hours and that’s it.

If you have venomous snakes around your house, let nature do the work. King snakes are a prolific hunter of other snakes. They LOVE venomous snakes for lunch. King snakes are immune to venom and are harmless to people and pets. Remember, when you’re out in the wild with your animals, you’re in the home of these snakes. You’re the invader. Would you want some monster coming to where you live and killing you because it had a misplaced fear of you?

I’ve free handled a lot of wild snakes including a hypo coral snake. They’re not out to get you, they just want to be left alone. If you don’t screw with them, they’re not going to mess with you.

[Pelham]

http://www.theboxotruth.com/the-box-o-truth-41-the-taurus-judge-vs-the-box-o-truth/

[ErnBatavia]

We're in rattler country, and also within city limits - so gunfire is a no-no....I use my BB rifle; you can actually get quite close and a head shot will do the trick - they'll squirm a bit, but a BB penetrating will do the trick.

If you decide to use a pistol with birdshot, be certain to get a revolver -- I learned the hard way that an ejecting .22 birdshot cartridge will jam in a semi-auto.

[mad_as_he$$]

Out here in the West the only good rattler is a dead one. Variants of the Mohave will CHASE humans and attack for no reason. They go after dogs and cats as if they are prey.

[OneLoyalAmerican]

Greetings Know et al:

Taurus.

Cheers,
OLA

[IMR 4350]

Personally I wouldn’t want to take on an aggressive copperhead, much less an aggressive cottonmouth because if they are aggressive there is generally more than one, with .22 shot cap.

For snakes I wouldn’t use anything less than a .38 if I’m using shot caps.

.22 shot caps are meant for mice and rats mainly.

I shot a timber rattler with a .22 shot cap and came close to having 6 feet of rattler latching onto my face.

No more .22 shot caps for snakes, I learned my lesson.

[OKSooner]

Your business and your decision(s) and all that, but it sounds like you might be trying (planning?) to do too much with one handgun.

Lots of good ideas to be found here, but the best snake gun I ever saw was one of those little NEF .410s, called a snakeslayer or something like that. Wanna stay with a handgun? And it's gotta be a .22, nothing else?

Kinda limiting yourself IMO... If I'm dealing with a poisonous snake I want something that will kill his ass for sure...

I'd treat myself to a cheap .38 of some kind, cheap enough that if I lost it somehow it wouldn't take too much of my money with it. Or, a Charter Bulldog... that would work even better.

Too loud? Maybe one of those hoe-type implements from the box store that has the blade turned out longways to be used for scraping etc, (sharpen it up real good) and a bowie knife on your hip? Cut him in half, or pin him down with your hoe, bash him up good with a stone and decapitate him. It would be silent...

OTOH I used to hang out with some good ol' boys out in western Oklahoma who had these things that I'd describe as a small lasso on the end of a pole... they used them to go out and collect rattlers in the fall as they were going torpid. Not for me...

I know it's not what you axed for but I just had to share... :)

[BCR #226]

I’ve NEVER seen a mojave chase a person. EVER. I’ve seen quite a few of them too. I’d love to see that though... just once.

[ladyjane]

Poisonous or venomous? There are both and they are very different. Poisonous is when you bite it and you get sick. Venomous is when it bites you and you get sick.

Thank you! That is so interesting and makes a lot of sense.

FR is a good source of information.

[BCR #226]

You're very welcome.

My daughter with one of her boas...

[mad_as_he$$]

I don’t have video but one looked at me and headed straight for me from about 20 feet. There is some video on Utube of Sheriff’s Deputies being pursued by one. Don’t have time to look for it but it was there last time I looked.

[IMR 4350]

“The myth of snakes chasing humans is an old, die hard one.”

I take it you’ve never walked up on cottonmouths laying eggs have you.

Try your little snake tongs on 2-3 at the same time.

[BCR #226]

Cottonmouths are oviviparous. If you’re seeing a snake laying eggs, it’s not a cottonmouth.

Cottonmouth snakes are known for a very special defensive measure. They will coil up, take a defensive posture and open their mouths wide in a threat display to ward off threats. They don’t chase...

[SgtHooper]

Agreed! Get the Judge—a pistol shooting 410 shells.