Are non-poisonous snakes on your hunting menu?

[Mr Fluffy Tail]

.. do you shoot them? My dad does, anything that slithers heheh. I let this big guy live he was warming up in my prepared corn spot alittle while ago .. he's at least 6 foot .. i would say his biggest threat is to some chicken eggs if i leave them in there overnight or something ..

[amb5500c]

Not me. I'm of the school of thought that most snakes provide a very benificial service to us just by doing their natural sneaky snakey thing. Even poisonous snakes "usually" get a pass from me. But there ARE some exceptions. Now, on the other hand, to my wife a snake is a snake is a snake and all should die. LOL.
Richard

[shadow]

I give them free run of the yard and garden to keep the rodent's and bugs at bay, slithering yard gaurds. Ed

[clip]

I usually see snakes in my yard in the Spring...the common "garden" snake that is. They're the black with yellow or orange stripes. I always let 'em go. I see other varieties when I'm in the country and let them go as well. Poisonous snakes are a different story however. If I come across a copperhead, cottenmouth, etc. I'll dispatch 'em.

[Hunter45]

A non-poisonous is likely to be my play toy for a few minutes.  I have been known to carry a 4 foot black snake into the house as a youngster to show my mother my trophy whom just about hit the ceiling when she saw I brought a snake in the house, followed by get that @#$% thing out of my house right now!  They do keep the disease spreading vermin at bay.  The poisonous ones would likely get the ax, only because if my girls saw any snakes at all near the house they would never go outside again.  The harmless ones would be relocated, the others would be dispatched. 

[aack73]

nah i let all the non poisonous ones go. unless they insist on coming in the basement or insist on staying on the porch. 3 strike rule.

[Paul68]

That's a nice yellow rat snake. I leave em alone since they keep the rats and mice down. The poisonous ones go the minute I see em since my girls have no idea of the difference between poisonous and non poisonous. I've killed two copperheads in the last few months.

[BlueSteel50]

nah i let all the non poisonous ones go. unless they insist on coming in the basement or insist on staying on the porch. 3 strike rule.

  They will keep the mice and rats out of your basement and won't harm a thing ~~BS50

[CharlieDaTuna]

We have several species of snakes around here and the only poisonous ones are Copperheads. I don't kill any of them including the Copperheads unless they come into the garage. Now Molly, our West Highland White Terrier, does not tolerate any of them in her yard and has no problem dispatching them from her territory. And it's a trip to see.

CDT

[aack73]

We have several species of snakes around here and the only poisonous ones are Copperheads. I don't kill any of them including the Copperheads unless they come into the garage. Now Molly, our West Highland White Terrier, does not tolerate any of them in her yard and has no problem dispatching them from her territory. And it's a trip to see.

CDT

that is one good dog you got. not many will actually kill a snake. mine will only bark like crazy.

[echochap]

I don't kill poisonous snakes either, unless they're around buildings or stock where they'll cause a problem. They are a positive in the environment, other than some people not caring for them, and usually don't cause any problems, they're also no sport to shoot .... I don't get it when people shoot things that don't need to be shot. But if it's legal and they are causing a problem, I won't second guess it.

[lexair]

I shoot the copperheads. I was raking the leaves out of my carport and there was a large one buried in the leaves almost got me.

[bowhunt]

Non-poisonous ones get a pass. As far as poisonous ones go...i just avoid them. If they can't be avoided, and its him or me.....well...let's just say it's not going to be me.

[CaptGeorge]

Like most here, I give all snakes a pass unless it's venomous and presents a threat.

One morning (before dawn), many years back, I encountered SEVEN cottonmouths on the trail to my stand while bow hunting in Aransas Wildlife Refuge here in Texas. Per refuge regulations, they all got passes, but I sure kept my flashlight shining on the trail!

[1377x]

the enemy of my enemy is my friend
non poisonous snakes get a pass by me
rattlers and rodents get dispatched on the spot

[MustangMike]

ya i give them all a pass unless their up by the lake house, other then that they all perform a very vital role in maintaining balance. i think people would be very shocked at what things would be like if snakes just one day disappeared from the face of planet.

i mean for example other then say birds of prey and feral cats what eats all the mice and rats ? snakes perform the same role fish do, a bass in genetically engineered to a dead or dying fish (if not to big for them) weither or not their hungry. the only time ive seen that not apply is during spawning times when you actually have to tick the bass off when their sitting on their beds by dragging a a bait or a fish has to swim into the spawning bed.

at the lake house i run into moccasins sometimes 3 to 5 times a day when fishing the dry lake bed i also give them a pass because 99% of the time they try and get away from me faster then i can get away from them. but there is that .5% that stand their ground, so i walk way far around them and there is the .5% that actually come after me and those guys are easy to deal with. role my lure of to the first eyelet of the pole nice and tight and use the pole to hook then and then bash them on the rocks or drop a rather large rock on their heads

[aack73]

no doubt snakes play a role in the eco system and food chain, But Hawaii gets by fine, and their eco system isn't upside down. just saying

 i have a large resident Black snake. he will be fine so long as he stays out of "her" sight. if not i would have to be rid of him to appease her. with 3 rambunctious children and 3 dogs to boot the poisonous ones will die if caught in the yard. better him than even a simple visit to the ER.  if left to hang around too much, increases the chances of someone stepping on it. plenty of woods around. they are fine if they stay in there.  

[grizzlyadams]

i let them all go as i don't have small kids and all snakes are protected in ny state. secondly, my wife and i keep boas and pythons and i dont think my buddy bubba  would take kindly to me killing one of his kin folk and you dont wanna make bubba mad!lol

[jimmie lee]

I don't kill snakes ever...Mr. No-Shoulders has kept this property free of mice or rats, moles, voles or any of the smaller rodents for decades. I have a huge black snake living under the house that sheds 7 foot skins; the only complaints I get are from contractors who come in to do occasional work in the crawlspace. They are warned to do no harm to my snakes.

[thekid]

Grizzly:
That pick reminds me of my bud Russ, tattoo's and all.
He has some nice snakes. Boa, Burmese python and some grey little snake that tries to attack me everytime I see it.

Not many Poisonous snakes this way, Now if we had poisonous snakes here, would probably get rid of it right fast. Kids and poisonous snakes don't mix.