To Kill Snake or not kill Snake

“I was backpacking this week when I came across a large Copperhead snake in the middle of a grassy trail. I almost stepped on top of it and seen it just in time to jump back as it struck at me. I picked up a stick and killed the snake so that it would not have a chance to bite someone else. After I got back from my trip I told a hiking buddy of mine, and he began to condemn me for this act. He thinks that I should have gone around the snake and that you should never kill any animal on the trail unless it is attacking you. I’m just curious to know how many of you would trip out if we were hiking and you seen me kill a poisonous snake.”

“You should have went around it. You were in its domain, its territory and you threatened it by approaching it. You should not have killed. Now the wilderness you were hiking in is less wild than before as you have destroyed one of the natural creatures. Would you kill a bear if it wandered into your camp?”

“Yeah, instead of killing it maybe next time use the stick to nudge into moving off the trail. It was just warming up and struck in self defense.

sorry man, knee jerk reaction to beat the hell out of it though I bet.”

“I wouldn't trip out, but I kinda agree with your buddy.

We had a Rattlesnake in camp last year, we moved it a few hundred yards away.

If one was near stock or our animals, then I would dispose of it.”

“I have a live & let live attitude but snakes do not fall into that catagory. Dogs that snap & growl at me do not either. I hiked with my daughter & will hike with my grandson. They scramble everywhere. Anything that threatens them is in jeapordy.”

“controversial subject.

u could have been severely hurt or died if it had struck you, yet it still is another living animal and was only defending itself against what IT thought was a predator. i guess it depends on the situation... if it were me, i wouldn't WANT to kill it, but if the situation called for it, i'd do so.”

“"I picked up a stick and killed the snake so that it would not have a chance to bite someone else."

If this is your rational, why not be the bane of all snakes and hunt them to extinction? You made a poor choice. Bad karma, dude.”

“Kill it.”

“If you had done this in a National Park you would go to jail.”

“I'd of killed it. I enter the mosquitoes domain when I'm in the forest and I have no problem killing one of them and they aren't even poisonous.”

“at least a potential fine. I thought jail was only for protected species?”

“Would the snake go to jail if it bit him and he died in a National Park?”

“Don't be silly. It would just slither out between the bars.”

“He'd probably get away with a fine as the max sentence is jail. And why would the snake need to go to jail? He's violating the snakes space. He's the visitor in its territory. It was minding its business being a snake as he careless stumbled along the trail not keeping an eye out for such creatures. He should have went around it or got a stick and moved it.”

“That would be escape, another criminal charge.”

“Escape? Explain please.”

“NVM...the snake from jail, duh.”

“If a lawyer were present the choice would be to kill the lawyer. Having been raised in an area where hunting approaches religious fervor, killing was something you were raised with. Although I no longer hunt I would be able to kill if I needed to. I see no need to kill anything I can safely walk away from.”

“When snakes are outlawed, only outlaws will have snakes”

“I don't have a problem with killing something if you plan on eating it...but you shouldn't poach as it's wrong. And in this case, he escaped the snake, then got a stick and killed it. It was not a threat once he backed away from it.”

“Snakes are evil and must die.”

“What a bunch of fearless killers. Where did you learn about snakes? Sunday School?

Not too bright, guys. I guess you'd rather have the hundreds of mice that snake could've eaten (not to mention their offspring). If you contract Hantavirus from the mouse crap, you'll be just as dead.

If you want to kill something, go kill some mice.”

“Or the frogs that were in such abundance at Hoosier that they were commiting suicide by jumping into the fire.”

“I have killed more mice than snakes.”

“"u could have been severely hurt or died if it had struck you..."

The copperhead the least dangerous of the poisonous snakes in the US. A healthy adult may become ill when bitten by one, but deaths from copperhead bites are almost unheard of, even though they account for most snakebites in this country. I have walked by many copperheads here in the Southeast and not one was coiled and ready to strike, even though I passed within inches of it. I did pick one up with a walking stick once in the Sipsey in order to remove it from the trail, which got it a little excited, but they are generally sluggish and passive snakes.

I'll bet you're just one of those sissies who wets himself at the sight of any snake...”

“Raccoons and squirrels are evil too.”

“I would have went around. I don't really care for snakes but would never go out of my way to kill one either. Its not like he was laying in wait for Humans just waiting to strike or anything he was just going along just like you were.”

“Big Rob,
I'd have chewed your ass out if I'd have seen you kill the snake. Sure they are poisonous but they are not aggressive. You should have just moved it off the trail.
Did you feel like some kinda He-Man saving the world from doom or something.

Copperheads are very shy and will avoid people.
Rattle Snakes are nice enough to give you a warning to stay back. Cottonmouth would prefer to stay away from people but they are the least tolerent ones. Best to avoid them.
I caught a small Garder snake today when I was cutting the grass and relocated him to the creek behind the house so he wouldn't get mangled under the lawn mower.”

“Kill the snake lovers!”

“i can't believe you posted that. i personally wouldn't have killed the snake, but im not gonna jump your a@@ about it. that could be the snake that would have bit me the next time im wherever you were. besides, you provided an easy meal for some starving, helpless animal.
and father goose; i, too am one of those sissies who almost pisses myself at the sight of an unexpected snake. watcha gonna do about it, huh?jk i just thought that was funny.”

“Live, let live.”

“out on the trail, i wouldn't do it, unless he actually bit me or it was to stop him from biting someone.....around my house, however, i have declared an all out snake jihad. no snakes(only poison ones of course), means no kids getting snakebit.”

“I can't believe ol' Snacpac would harm a snake.

Could be a long lost relative.”

“Have you seen me in the shower?”

“Jeez. How lucky we are that only humans have the power to think.

Imagine what kind of a world it would be if animals were to kill either just because they could or because humans were a threat to their existance.”

“Uh, animals do kill humans who are a threat to their existence. Are you sure you have the power to think?”

“LMAO!!!!”

“Well everybody is entitled to their opinion but again living in an urban area is different from a rural one. I have been bitten numerous times by these non-aggresive/non-poisinous snakes in the Louisiana bayou's. Killed a non-aggresive (yea, right)poisonous cotton mouth moccasin that was trying to make friends with me & the inside of their mouths are actually cotton white. Got nailed in the knee by a rattler while locking the hubs on my old jeep on the NJ/NY border. The catskills & the gunks have a lot. The Adirondacks are mostly limited to the hudson (lake george)& champlain valley. Rarely seen elsewhere. Usually below 70 degrees, I'll leave them alone. Above 70 degrees & they start moving around. When it gets really hot they ALL become very aggresive around here.”

“BigRob, maybe you weren't thinking clearly at the time, but at least you are reconsidering your actions now. I think you will behave differently in the future, which means something will have come of the snake's death. Educate yourself about snakes and other creatures you are likely to encounter when hiking in your area (and any area you intend to hike in the future). If there are species which you find particularly unsettling (snakes, spiders, etc.) some desensitizing may be required to address the bias/phobia. Find someone who is knowledgeable of and comfortable with the creature in question (a good nature center may have staff who would help) to help you interact with the creature in a controlled situation. A clearer understanding of the creature's behavior may allay fear and overreaction in the future -- or may even help you be appropriately cautious/defensive in the right circumstances.”

“Watch the Crocodile Hunter when he's playing with snakes. That will show you first hand the tolerence they have.”

“why not just use your walking stick to kinda pick it up and set it aside from the trail...ive done that before with snakes...”

“Aunt Bessie! Long time no see!

HEY..... Nice Fangs!”

“I don't see any point in killing snakes unless they set up shop under your porch.

It's good to be alert and realize that on sunny spring day's they are out sunning themselves, catching rays.

That said, the fact that it struck at you, while understandable, was probably unnerving enough to make you decide to kill it. I doubt the world will miss one copperhead. They're always making more.

It's easy enough to pass judgment, not so easy to deal with when a copperhead is striking at you.

But as a matter of course, no point in killing snakes unless they are a direct threat, and usually they are acting in defense rather than trying to take on a critter 50 times larger than they are.”

“I have been around snakes long enough to know if you handle them like the Crocodile Hunter you will get bit.

The snakes he handles are zoo snakes that are raised by humans.”

“"I have been around snakes long enough to know if you handle them like the Crocodile Hunter you will get bit.

The snakes he handles are zoo snakes that are raised by humans."
Miss Anne Thrope
07:48:55 PM
03/28/04
ignore this user
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ok whatever..dont go grabbing it by the tail and tying him around your waist likea belt or nothing.,....just extend your trekking poles out and use it to pick him up to set or sling him off the trail if you dont want to go around him...remember it only hurts until you die so no worries right??”

“Well, that's one thing those zoo snakes have on you, Annie baby.”

“What does that mean? I don't bite.”

“I broke a tooth eating a rattler full of rocks ,so I cook um now.”

“I broke a tooth eating a rattler full of rocks ,so I cook um now.”