Snakes

[hipower]

I know snakes have a very important role to play and I would NOT wanna deal with the rat and mice problem were all snakes to vanish.......but the only good snake is a dead snake. I may not be "scared" of them but I hate the dam things.
One good thing about snakes, they actively avoid humans, noise and high traffic areas. I'm with snakes like I am most other things in life I hate, stay away from me and I'll stay away from you. Peace through defined boundaries.

 

Well said brother. "Peace through defined boundaries."

 

I like that. I may steal it and claim I came up with that line. lol

[BJB]

I was always told they only smell like cucumbers during "dog days"

[Caster]

Well said brother. "Peace through defined boundaries."
 
I like that. I may steal it and claim I came up with that line. lol

I preach that about a great many things....snakes just got added to the list.

[peejman]

Killing snakes is so ignorant. I work with a guy that kills every snake and every hawk he sees because he's afraid they are going to kill his precious chickens. I would love to see him get caught especially for the hawks. How many chicken eggs does one have to sale to cover those legal fees?

I'd love to see him get caught too. If you're certain he's doing it, report him to TWRA or US Fish and Wildlife.

[tercel89]

I love seeing those big Black Racers. I welcome them to my yard as we have lots of mice around here. At work  a few years back I was at a house where there was a huge 8 foot one crawling up a tree. I swear I had never saw a Black Racer that big before. It went into a large hole in the tree and as it went in another one the same size came out. It was as thick as my forearm. Then last year just about 1 mile from the same place I saw the two giant Racers, I saw another one around 6 foot long. Then some MORON in a big truck swerved to miss it , stops , then backs up and runs over it . I was pissed. Those Racers really keep a place mouse free.

[jh225]

I'm glad you took a picture rather than ignorantly shoot them (which btw is illegal). Good for you!

 

 

It is not illegal to kill a native snake IF not taken from the wild. You can not possess, harm, kill a native snake that is taken from the wild. If the OP had killed those snakes, it would not be illegal. Mot saying he should have, just that it wouldn't be illegal.

 

All snakes have free roam of my property, except venomous snakes. They will lose their head.

 

Now the idiot killing hawks on the other hand should be reported.

Edited May 10, 2015 by jh225

[xjsnake]

It is not illegal to kill a native snake IF not taken from the wild. You can not possess, harm, kill a native snake that is taken from the wild. If the OP had killed those snakes, it would not be illegal. Mot saying he should have, just that it wouldn't be illegal.

 

All snakes have free roam of my property, except venomous snakes. They will lose their head.

 

Now the idiot killing hawks on the other hand should be reported.

If you could quote TCA that would be great. As far as I know, (provided the TN legislature hasn't passed something I missed) killing of any non game species is illegal provided it doesn't pose an immediate (emphasis added) threat to ones life

[xjsnake]

If you could quote TCA that would be great. As far as I know, (provided the TN legislature hasn't passed something I missed) killing of any non game species is illegal provided it doesn't pose an immediate (emphasis added) threat to ones life

Looks like they have removed the "immediate threat" clause

 

Tenn, Code Ann. § 70-8-103 (definition of "take)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 70-8-104 (prohibition of "taking")

[jh225]

If you could quote TCA that would be great. As far as I know, (provided the TN legislature hasn't passed something I missed) killing of any non game species is illegal provided it doesn't pose an immediate (emphasis added) threat to ones life

 

 

Looks like they have removed the "immediate threat" clause

 

Tenn, Code Ann. § 70-8-103 (definition of "take)

Tenn. Code Ann. § 70-8-104 (prohibition of "taking")

 

It's definitely OK to kill a native snake if you don't "take" it from the wild (as in, go into the woods looking, trapping, etc.) as far as I know. Again, personally all non-venomous snakes are fine with me, but in the past 6 mths, I have had a Copperhead right near the house and one INSIDE of my shop (as in, WTF is that in the corner?). Too many dogs, cows, people around here to let them be. The one near the house instantly lost his head. The one in the shop was taken outside and given 2 chances to get into a field, but both times it wanted to get right back in the shop and got pissy about it. Didn't end well for the snake.

[Spots]

Non-poisionous normally gets a pass if they aren't in my house. I'll let them all around the house and yard. Poisonous gets a pass unless he is in my yard, shop, or somewhere my nieces or nephews are close by. I'll kill them in the hay field to when we are bailing and throwing hay. I've thrown a bail with a cut in half pisses off copperhead in it and almost got bit. I've also stepped on two in the field while throwing hay. As far as cucumbers, I've heard both ways. Usually if I go to smelling cucumbers in the woods I can find the snake.


Oh and one more thing. You ain't seen nothing till you've dug into a "nest". We dug one up opening an old logging road all the time. I bet we dug 30 copperhead and rattlesnakes out with a backhoe, killed anything that wanted to come towards us and fight. Ever since that I see at least 2 or 3 everytime I'm back that way. I never saw any before we dug that out. So I definitely believe they lay up in big dens or nest, and if you disturb them you will then have a serious snake problem for a good long while. Edited May 10, 2015 by Spots

[john455]

Not a snake lover or hater, I say live and let live, if it's nonvenomous it's welcome in my yard if venomous as long as it's in the woods or not where my grandbabies play I will try to scare it off before resorting to the old shotgun. I hate rats and mice a ton more than any mostly peaceful reptile crawling thru my yard, NOW MY WIFE ON THE OTHER HAND lol

[Ted S.]

I once had a small snake get in the kitchen. I threw a bag of frozen veggies on it for about 15 minutes, then picked it up and let it out.

[dawgdoc]

I have worked at both a science museum and a wildlife center, and I often catch any snake I see. As a result, I have handled dozens of species, most native to the southeast. I never smelled cucumbers. I have been musked several times, and snake feces can be pretty foul when fresh, but I don't remember anything like cucumbers.

[Dolomite`s Breezy]

I never smelled cucumbers either.. maybe a old wifes tale.. would not  surprise me..I   killed a copperhead in my driveway by accident . Did not even notice it was there  ,it was so well camo`ed.I felt bad , but I was glad it did not bite any of my pets or myself. When we had chickens and turkeys ,i found a snake that acted like it was dying, opened its mouth and threw itself on its back.. acted like it was dead and stunk to high heaven. I am very pro snake and wont go out  of my way to kill any.We see less and less here where we live, used to have the really neat long skinny arboreal green snakes all over..Now we maybe see one every 4 years or so run over on our road. Sad...