New Member From Eastern Oregon

Hi! I've recently escaped the madness of the big city and can devote myself to a large country garden...far from the constant wail of sirens. That I've traded gangs shootings and unchlorinated water for ticks and rattlesnakes is nothing short of pure delight!

 

Good for you. Welcome.

re: Rattlesnakes, always carry a walking stick & a short .410 or 20 ga loaded with #4 or #6 birdshot -- these will suffice. Carry as lightweight a shotgun as is also efficient and pleasing to you. Ticks, apply military strength DEET (over 90%), especially on your socks and pants legs. You can also tie your pants legs. If you get 2-legged interlopers, then also carry slugs for your 2oga. If you are off your own land, always have a hunting license and know which vermin have open hunting seasons -- this way, you will be legal.

Shot loads for handguns shoot doughnut patterns and are inadequate for snakes unless you shoot soft lead bullets down the barrel until the barrel is leaded-up / the rifling made useless.

 

Howdy and welcome to the group. I envy you. That is beautiful country.

I agree, the 90% or higher deet is the only repellent worth having. I have actually had tremendous success with both the 22 lr rat shot and the 38 special snake shot on snakes. I've shot the 38 out of a two shot derringer and never had it fail to turn a snake into swiss cheese. The 22lr rat shot is usually shot from a North American Arms mini revolver and it will make short work of a snake if it is close and I don't shoot them if they aren't. The revolver holds 5 rounds the first two are rat shot them the next three are lr hp. I think that if you shoot the shot loads out of the shortest possible barrels this eliminates the donut patterns. I also have never had much trouble with the leading but then again derringers are not known for much accuracy to start with. Even my snub nosed 38s seem to do well and not lead with the limited use that they have received from snake shot loads.

The nice thing about rattle snakes is that if you don't step almost right on them they will warn you off. Never just step over a log without checking it first and as Mr. Geezer offered a walking stick is a must.

 

From what I've been told, it is water moccasins that are particularly aggressive. Me, I don't want to find out.

 

Cottonmouth Water Moccasins are mean aggressive suckers BUT like the rattlesnake they are pretty good about warning before they bite. You will be eight or ten feet away from it and they will strike at you with their mouths wide open. You can't miss it. They are not actually trying to bite they are just warning. The thing about them is they don't have any backup in their souls. I worked the rice fields when I was young and have had dozens of run ins with them. I also spent a lot of time frog gigging when I was young and cross paths with them many nights. They really are mean and won't back up but if you know how to move and what NOT to do they aren't really all that dangerous. Now a damn copperhead is a snake that loves to sneak up and bite. Fortunately they are not real badly poisonous. I know a lady that has been bitten half a dozen times. She doesn't even go to the Doctor anymore when she gets got. She is a flower gardener and uses chipped mulch that the copperheads love to hide in. Copperheads are the only snakes that I kill on sight. Most of my snake kills are the mean ass water snakes that try to eat my fish and the mean aggressive Texas Rat Snakes that will actually charge you.

I had one jump me one night as I went into my shop. That sucker dropped on me from above and landed on my shoulders. Holy CRAP!!! It got ugly and I killed it really thoroughly!!! It was just rat hunting but I ain't no RAT. It scared the living crud out of me and I grabbed it by the tail and popped it like a whip popping his head nearly off on the side of the door. I really try to live at peace with critters. I even have pet red paper wasps all over my place. My problem with the copperheads is that they bite my dogs and I worry about my Granddaughter so they die.

The only other poisonous snake we have in the US and Texas specifically is the coral snake. They are the most poisonous snake we have but are also the least dangerous poisonous snake because their teeth are in the back of their mouths. The only part of an adult that they CAN bite might be a little finger. They are not aggressive at all and you have to be stupid or a small child to get bit by one.

I love the woods and outdoors to much to spend much time worrying about or fearing the critters that share their world with me. Snakes mostly are only a problem if you make a mistake or do something wrong.