^^^^^
Same here.
ALL non-venomous snakes get a pass, whether up around the house, my shop area or elsewhere.
Venomous snakes...in my yard or around the house have got to go. Venomous snakes around my shop might get relocated. Mostly Copperheads where I am. We have Timber Rattlers here too....but I've yet to see one.
Yours would have been an Eastern Diamondback or Timber Rattler. Wouldn't want to take a bite from either of those.
Definitely Timber rattler. We called 'em Saddlebacks because their markings are shaped like a saddle. Eastern diamondbacks don't get but about half the size of a Timber/Saddleback. Been around 'em all my life. Buried more than one dog that got too close to one, and more than one rattler that erred and showed themselves in our yard. A pair of rubber boots probably saved my life once. Just noticing a different coloration in some leaves did twice, in one afternoon.
When I was a kid, I lived out in the sticks, and if I had on a shirt or shoes, I was probably on my way to church. But 10 times out of 9, I had a .22 rifle with me on any given day. We kept hunting dogs, and in the summers, we'd let 'em roam during the day, but we always put 'em up at night to keep them from getting into trouble. I'd go out in the woods plinking around with the .22, and the dogs would come to me, and I'd take 'em home to feed 'em and put 'em up for the night. I happened to notice a pile of leaves that looked odd, and then saw the rattles, 5.5 footer was sleeping with his head under his body, so I popped him, reloaded and then split his head with the next round. 16 rattles and a button. I grabbed that one by the tail, and walked about 20 yards and found his missus, but she wasn't sleeping. She was 6 feet, and was coiled about to strike if I took one more step. But I saw her first, and won. Split her head with the .22 as well. 2 new rattles, no sound. Figured I'd take both home to show my mom and step-dad. I walked another 20 yards, and common sense kicked in and made me realize that EITHER of those snakes could have killed me, and I got physically ill, because there I was, shorts, no shirt, no shoes, and 2 miles away from home. I finally got it back together, and started dragging the snakes home. I had to cross a small stream that ran cold all summer, and when the business ends of those snakes hit that cold water, both convulsed and hit me in the back of the legs. I was slapping my knees out of my face trying to get away from them, yet knowing full well BOTH were quite dead. I NEVER went in the woods with shorts nor bare footed again.
Timber rattler males take care of their rattles, and give a very distinct warning. Even if you've never heard it, there's no mistaking that sound of pure evil. The females, though, do NOT take care of their rattles, and break them off, so you may or you may not get a warning from a female rattler. Worse yet, the females blend in with fallen leaves better too, because they tend to be more brownish than grey, and typically are larger than the males and have more venom. They're bad business when disturbed. The largest timber rattler I've seen was more than 7 feet. Hard to measure them when dead because they stretch a bit. Seemed like our front yard was some sort of crossing for them. I don't know how many we killed in the yard.
I'll give king snakes and rat snakes a pass because they catch a lotta critters I don't want around, including venomous snakes in the case of the king snakes. I had a 5-foot king in my yard last year that was very docile and would let me pick it up. It got used to me being around, and me it, but the Missus don't like Nope Ropes at all, of any kind. But I brought the big king snake up on the deck and let her touch him a few times and all was good. Next day, we found him out in the yard swallowing a copperhead. She named him SSSSSSSStephen.
