And how prolific breeders are they?
I’ve kept my place relatively free of debris and weeds and yet they still hang out here.
If relocate, how far away should I dump them? Plenty of open space here.
Dispatch.
if you move them someone else’s dog or cat or horse could be snakebit.
6 Likes
Dispatch
5 Likes
I assume you would not handle the nope ropes yourself, so it would mean hiring a professional to capture and relocate.
Unless they are relocated to the moon, they become someone else’s problem.
If you had Bull snakes around, they would take care of the rattlers.
Best to dispatch of them. Around here, we chop their heads off with a shovel. Easier said then done though as you have to get close to the them. I’m not snake squeamish about non venomous, but the rattlers freak me out.
Good luck!
5 Likes
Keep in mind many bite victims were attempting to mess with or kill the snake. Additionally, a snake’s head can still envenomate after decapitation - if you do it this way do not handle the head or allow dogs/cats near it, and bury it. if you feel you must dispatch, gunshot or complete crushing of the head is more humane than decapitation, though - for snakes it’s not necessarily an instant death (and as animal people I think we would agree that even animals we don’t like don’t deserve to suffer).
Personally I would call a professional (if they relocate, they’re not going to just dump them in a populated place, but you can always ask to know where they’re taken) - not just to relocate as many as they can find but also to inspect your property and see what is attracting them. It may simply be there’s a good denning site. Without a good property inspection and possible remediation, you can remove or kill as many as you’d like and they’ll still move back in.
Also keep in mind some species are endangered or protected, depending on what state you are in. Timber rattlesnakes and Massassaugua (sp?) come immediately to mind as species that are protected in some places.
10 Likes
Why I shot the one I found in my yard many years ago. I was too scared to get close enough to chop the head off.
The gunshot prompted someone to call the cops (suburban neighborhood), but when the cops saw the body and heard my explanation, they just told me to be careful and left.
5 Likes
How’s your small rodent population? Mice tend to be attracted to barns, sheds and pens or pastures with livestock feed dribbled around or stored. Snakes are attracted to fat rodents like a buffet line, easy pickings. Close the rodent and snake buffets…
The King and Bull snakes are great, rattlers hate them, they feed on baby rattlers as well as the mice. Win win. Barn cats to reduce the mice are also helpful.
Most areas require pro exterminators to dispatch nuisance animals rather then relocate to become somebody else’s problem and there might be local statutes agasnst private citizens dumping their nuisances on private or public property, poisonous or not…
1 Like
How’s your small rodent population? Mice tend to be attracted to barns, sheds and pens or pastures with livestock feed dribbled around or stored. Snakes are attracted to fat rodents like a buffet line, easy pickings. Close the rodent and snake buffets…
The King and Bull snakes are great, rattlers hate them, they feed on baby rattlers as well as the mice. Win win. Barn cats to reduce the mice are also helpful.
Most areas require pro exterminators to dispatch nuisance animals rather then relocate to become somebody else’s problem and there might be local statutes agasnst private citizens dumping their nuisances on private or public property, poisonous or not…
1 Like
I just killed one yesterday; so, you know my vote. We see them all the time. This year seems to have a bumper crop. Our yard is free of underbrush and trash. Few rodents even with horses on the property because of my JRTs. I tend to leave all snakes alone unless it’s a rattler on property. I won’t take chances with having dogs and horses. We used to have a king snake that hung around but she must be gone since we’re seeing an uptick in rattlers. On my other horse property I had a bull snake who was awesome at keeping the rodent and rattler population in check. Unfortunately she died last year.
4 Likes
I just bought a 60" catch pole. The plan was to grab it, lay the pole down and decapitate. That’s what DH did last night sans pole. Which was too much excitement for my blood.
snort “Nope Rope”. Love that.
There’s stretches of land that are uninhabited for miles and acres… I’d probably release in one of those deserted areas next town over. But you guys all make a great point about it becoming someone else’s problem.
I’d love to know where to buy a bull snake to move in. We dont’ seem to have a rat problem… all my grain is quickly cleaned up, then feed pans are put in sealed trash can. Haven’t seen any evidence of rodents, damage or droppings. I think – from what the vet told me – we’re just in the way of the snake’s normal commute. Down off the plateau, across higher fields, then through mine and neighbor’s lots. On their way to what, I have no idea…
I feel horrible about killing them but yeah… I’d feel worse if one of my beloved critters was bitten.
1 Like
I don’t know…I’d leave the nope ropes alone.
I agree with findeight above about trapping all the mice and rats you can to have less prey around and only shoot what is a direct threat. If they are going through fields, they might be after field mice. I don’t like the catch pole idea at all. That means you and Mr. Danger Noodle are attached to each other and that is a bad idea. Better to shoot from a distance or let be.
My husband grew up fishing and boating around gators and remembers vividly when a friend thought he’d bait a hot dog on a giant hook and throw it out to a gator that was cruising around. The friend was all excited when the gator snatched up the bait and hook and my husband looked at him and said, “Well, now what are you going to do with him?”
No matter how neatly the catch goes, there are far too many things that can go wrong in the transfer and release portion, or even getting close enough to decapitate (it’s harder than it looks, but that is another story). There just isn’t a good way to handle a dangerous animal when they are in a stressed, pi**ed off, strike-at-everything, mode .
1 Like
I get what you’re saying. However, last night’s ‘Danger Noodle’ (you guys are killing me btw) was curled up in a tight little ball directly next to the lids for my sprinkler system at the house’s foundation. I actually had my hand about 2" from his body. So wedged in was he, that the tip of the shovel couldn’t lay between the 2 lids without bridging and giving him a way out. So DH scooped, tossed, then sliced him. I thought if I had a catch pole with clamping jaws, I could at least remove him from a safe distance and not worry about him slithering away before I could squash him.
This whole this is just disgusting, and I cannot believe I’m dealing with it. 
2 Likes
Burn everything to the ground and move far, far away.
16 Likes
:lol::winkgrin::yes:
encouragement:
1 Like
Just make sure that you know which rattlers may be protected where you live. If it’s a protected species, then a wildlife expert will catch, and remove it for release far away from people. A man on Lone Star Law killed a Timber rattler, and when the Wardens found out, he received a visit with tickets, and a hearing, and paid a lot of money in fines.
2 Likes
This is why the SSS method is best!
5 Likes
Yes, the Lone Star Law person posted a photo on social media. He only did one of SSS (he shot).
1 Like
I may be in the minority, but I don’t kill them. Numerous reasons, not the least of which being that they are an important part of the ecosystem and excellent pest control. If you’re not seeing pests, it may just be that Mr Snake has been doing some effective extermination for you.
As others have said, make your barn/house/property inhospitable for rodents, lizards, and the like. Clear brush, seal off animal food, fortify the chicken coop, etc. The snake will not stick around without a food source.
Where there is one, there likely are more. Unless your plan is to attempt to eradicate the entire population, killing one (or a few) snakes is not going to guarantee safety for your pets or livestock. Also realize that there are likely many around that you don’t see, so don’t be lulled into a false sense of security for having dispatched the one.
A spray from a hose is an excellent deterrent for snakes. Easily done at a safe distance and they are likely to move off quickly. The most I have ever had to do this is twice before the snake decides it’s too much trouble.
Finally- and I don’t mean this to the OP or anyone in particular- be sure that you are correct in your ID! I live in Florida and I am a part of an online snake identification group. There are tons of people (born and raised here, around these animals) who will swear up and down that a snake is a cottonmouth or Pygmy rattler, when it is actually a water snake or a juvenile black racer. There are lots of excellent snake ID groups on Facebook, either the added benefit that many of them include enthusiasts who are happy to help relocate a venemous snake safely and responsibly.
8 Likes
I can’t imagine ever killing an animal that is providing a service to me.
I move them if I have to, or leave them alone if I can. I have a ton of experience relocating rattlesnakes so I can see how inexperienced people would rather kill them.
I work outside in the desert and have stumbled (literally stumbled, a couple times) upon hundreds of rattlesnakes. Some rattle, some don’t. Some run and some try to hide. But I’ve never even had one attempt to bite me, because that’s literally their last defensive action. They would much rather be ignored.
4 Likes
I just wanted to share my recent story! I had someone send me a photo of a clearly dead snake, asking me to ID the snake and whether it was “poisonous.” It was quite obviously a rat snake, one of the most common snakes in the area these people lived in (and very, very harmless). And they killed it because they had kids and were afraid it would murder their children or something. It drives me nuts.
7 Likes
