Snakes

RCW

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FWIW, relocating wildlife, whether a snake or a woodchuck or a raccoon, is illegal in most states. Dispatching nuisance pests generally isn't illegal unless you live in one of the more "progressive" states.
i can see that, havent even looked in to laws but thanks.
This is true. My statement earlier was incorrect. I will edit to make note of that.

It is often done around here for woodchucks, but doesn't make it legal.

The ones I trapped 30 years ago were taken by a person that raised and sold them for some type of medical research purposes.

Thanks for correcting my error.
 
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Ridelght

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This is true. My statement earlier was incorrect. I will edit to make note of that.

It is often done around here for woodchucks, but doesn't make it legal.

The ones I trapped 30 years ago were taken by a person that raised and sold them for some type of medical research purposes.

Thanks for correcting my error.
I researched a little, as long as you have permission its fine. These woodchucks go where they want on thier own. Doubt any you moved are talking.
Myself and neighbors get blessed with dogs and cat's like this.
 

Henro

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Not sure why, but I have a good feeling towards snakes. I appreciate them and would never harm them.

Ground hogs, neutral, as long as they dig their burrows where I don't care. They are welcome to eat my short weeds and grass, as long as they go back to rest where they don't bother me.

Years ago I felt differently. I think I was influenced by the thinking of others. Don't have that 22 cal rifle anymore.
 
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jyoutz

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I was walking up to the house from the barn this afternoon. I saw a small 2’ prairie rattler stretched out straight across the road. I ran to get my shovel and the snake was headless soon after. First sighting of the year and I hope the last.
 
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jyoutz

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Not sure why, but I have a good feeling towards snakes. I appreciate them and would never harm them.

Ground hogs, neutral, as long as they dig their burrows where I don't care. They are welcome to eat my short weeds and grass, as long as they go back to rest where they don't bother me.

Years ago I felt differently. I think I was influenced by the thinking of others. Don't have that 22 cal rifle anymore.
I appreciate and enjoy any non-venomous snake. I won’t permit venomous snakes on the property around buildings.
 
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Flintknapper

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Dachshund would keep them out of the yard preemptively. 👍👍👍👍👍

Our mini dachshund ran a tight ship out there in the yard. No critters were allowed. Although he had a hate hate relationship with the squirrels 😂🤣😂🤣🤣 And a crawdad would keep him entertained for hours. 🤣😂🤣😂😂
Same here. We have two Dachshunds and also live out in the county. We have NO unwanted critters around the house. Plus they are just a hoot! So entertaining.
 
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Old_Paint

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I appreciate and enjoy any non-venomous snake. I won’t permit venomous snakes on the property around buildings.
Same here. I'll even tolerate venomous snakes away from the 'occupied' areas as long as they're helping control rodents and vermin that the smaller non-venomous snakes can't deal with (squirrels/chipmunks). For the most part, if you let it, a snake will try to avoid anything that it knows it cannot eat. Rarely are they actually aggressive, copperheads being the exclusion to that rule, unless they're close to or have recently molted. Then they're pretty pissed off for a few hours. I don't mind a snake that I get to see first that poses no danger to my grandkids. The missus is a lot less tolerant of 'nope ropes'.
 
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jyoutz

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Same here. I'll even tolerate venomous snakes away from the 'occupied' areas as long as they're helping control rodents and vermin that the smaller non-venomous snakes can't deal with (squirrels/chipmunks). For the most part, if you let it, a snake will try to avoid anything that it knows it cannot eat. Rarely are they actually aggressive, copperheads being the exclusion to that rule, unless they're close to or have recently molted. Then they're pretty pissed off for a few hours. I don't mind a snake that I get to see first that poses no danger to my grandkids. The missus is a lot less tolerant of 'nope ropes'.
Where I live the bull snakes are larger and better at rodent control than the prairie rattlers. The rattlers are the only venomous snakes we have.
 

Flintknapper

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Where I live the bull snakes are larger and better at rodent control than the prairie rattlers. The rattlers are the only venomous snakes we have.
Yes, Bull-snakes eat many more times the rodents a rattlesnake will kill and consume yearly.
 

jyoutz

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Yes, Bull-snakes eat many more times the rodents a rattlesnake will kill and consume yearly.
I’ve also found them in the chicken house eating eggs. I picked them up and relocated them a distance away from the barn.
 

ehenry

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Those Cotton Head Rattle Mouth Copper Backs will make a good man holler like a girl ! ! !

We have all three down here along with Coral Snakes that can be easily mistaken for a Kind snake.
 
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PoTreeBoy

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I’ve also found them in the chicken house eating eggs. I picked them up and relocated them a distance away from the barn.
One of my mother's childhood stories involved a chicken snake in the hen house. Her mother had sent her out to gather the eggs. The top boxes were too high for her to see into, so she would just reach over her head to get them. That day, the snake beat her to the eggs in one box and she reached in and patted the snake! When I was a teenager she got her revenge on an innocent garner snake. She encountered it around some flowers in the yard. When I got there she had chopped it into a dozen pieces with her hoe.
 

lugbolt

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Spotted last weekend in 54 degree water. It was crossing the river which is roughly 150 yards wide at that point. I spotted it getting into the water, watched it cross, and motor'd over to it to see what it was...sure enough...Copperhead. By time it got to the other bank it was VERY slow, swimming in that cold water.
 

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Flintknapper

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Spotted last weekend in 54 degree water. It was crossing the river which is roughly 150 yards wide at that point. I spotted it getting into the water, watched it cross, and motor'd over to it to see what it was...sure enough...Copperhead. By time it got to the other bank it was VERY slow, swimming in that cold water.
Yep, Copperhead. They are very much at home in the water.
 

Botamon

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I have nests all over my barn. This nest was at the top of a post, 13' off the ground and full of baby birds. I walked in the barn one day to hear the birds all in an uproar...and saw this. Bull snake just had breakfast. I still have no idea how he managed to get to the top of that post! (The post is at the back wall, up against metal siding, so he couldn't wrap around the post to climb.)
bull snake & bird nest.jpg
 

Botamon

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Oh crap, I have never seen a Bull snake, and had to use Google to find out a bit about them.
Don't know if you ever watch Matt's Off-Road Recovery channel...check this video at 2:00 minutes to see the bull snake they moved off the road.
 

DustyRusty

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Last night I encountered a 3' snake of unknown heritage in the garage. I grabbed a stiff bristle broom and pushed it outside. I looked up what type of snake it was in my snake identification book, and it said it was a venomous snake, but I might have misidentified it. I don't care, as long as I don't see it again. I respect snakes living in the wild, but not living in my garage.
 

RCW

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Little garter snake is getting a little bigger. Shed is maybe 18”. Seen it several times this spring.

439D72A9-ED7C-494F-9958-ECDC0616811F.jpeg