Upgraded snake protexting

[relic nut]

Been caring my Ruger p89 for snakes but it is heavy for metal detecting so today I upgraded to a 357 Bond arms derringer with 38 spl snake shot. Hope I never need it. Thanks for looking.

 

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[Jim in Idaho]

Best thing for snakes is to go around them, and leave them alone. No reason to kill rattlers unless you find them too close to camp, or a danger to your kids or pets.
Jim

 

[gollum]

Should have gotten the .45 Colt/.410 shotgun Bond Derringer.

Actually, the best protection from snakes is a pair of snake gaiters. Bass Pro Shops has a good pair for $39:

SNAKE GAITERS

If you do a lot of horse or ATV riding through heavy brush, you need Snake Chaps:

SNAKE CHAPS

Of all the rattlesnakes I have come across over the years, I have only had to kill a couple. If its early morning (and still cold), you can pick'em up by the tail and toss them aside. Once they warm up, don't try to pick them up. If you use a walking stick, all you have to do is slip the end of your walking stick under the snake and flip it out of the way.

Mike

 

[relic nut]

Been two timber rattlers killed at my honey hole this summer both by land owner, with in site of his house where his young daughter and dog play. I don't hunt snakes, but better to be prepared than sorry. I do own pair of snake gatters. Had a friend bit in foot this year by copper head. He never seen him until he was bit. I'm all for live and let live..... To an extent.

 

[gollum]

All bets are off when it comes to rattlers around kids or pets. I was specifically talking about snakes found while away from home.

Most rattlers can't kill a healthy grown person. A lot of places I go have the Mojave Green Rattler. Except for the Mojave Green, all rattlesnakes have Hemotoxinous Venom, meaning that the poison destroys every red blood cell it comes in contact with. The Mojave Green has both Hemotoxinous and Neurotoxinous Venom. Kids, pets, and people in poor health may be killed with one good bite. While the hemotoxinous venom destroys the blood cells, the neurotoxinous venom depresses the CNS (Central Nervous System), and you die from asphyxiation because the muscles that cause your lungs to draw in and expel air are deadened.

Mike

 

[extractor]

Snake guards and snake boots are a must for me. Those Mohave Greens are most places I Hunt.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

I don't think there's anything any quicker than pushing them along with the detector's coil. When I'm not detecting I usually have a walking stick or the tip of a recurve bow.

If I have time to draw a pistol I have had time to step away.

 

[gunsil]

Good luck hitting a snake with that thing!! Like others say just walking away is a better idea than attempting to shoot them, they will not chase you. The chances of killing one with even two shots from that derringer are slim, and it would be cruel to just injure one with only one or a couple of the tiny pellets actually hitting one. Here in N.Y. state and some other states it is a felony to kill timber rattlers. I come across many of them hiking in deep woods and have never had to defend myself from one, I just go around them, or if I wish I move them out of the way by scaring them off with a stick shaking it in the leaves or grass near them.

 

[relic nut]

You people have misunderstood me. If you read my earlier post you should understand why I'm carrying this. This is a 357 with snake shot. It is a close range weapon and will kill a snake that is close to you. As stated, I am not snake hunting and never bother them if I can avoid them. If you were this land owner and had them that close to your daughter and pets, I dought you would chase them off with a stick. Just saying. To each his own I guess.

 

[gunsil]

I have not misunderstood you, I understand one's wishing to defend one's self against poisonous critters, although I have never had such a problem. But if you really think you are going to do so with that little derringer and .357 "snake shot" I think you will be disappointed and possibly endanger yourself. To actually be deadly to a snake with that little barrel and tiny shot you would need to have your pistol hand well within striking distance of the snake. Try it out, paint a 1" diameter rope so you can see the pellet hits and then take your two shots at it's "head" at say 6-8' and see how many tiny pellets have actually hit it. There will be likely not enough to kill the snake. Like Gollum says, the pistols that carry the .410 shotgun shells are the best minimum caliber or bore size for snake defense, and they are best with a smooth bore. If your derringer is rifled like most are it will just make your mini shot spiral outward and away from your target.

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Here is one for you...

 

[releventchair]

Always important to practice. And test a pattern. Same as working up a turkey load; there comes a point/ distance of diminishing returns.
Don't fondle the rattlers too much though...



Man Bitten While Taking Selfie with Rattlesnake, Gets $153K Hospital Bill

 

[gollum]

Here is one for you...

That is a beautiful Diamondback. Its not THAT big though. Optical Illusion. That snake is hanging on the end of about a six foot long stick, making it much closer to the camera than it appears.

Mike

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I think he is bigger than you think, I count 19 rattles...look how close snake is to toe of his right foot.. Either way it is one big deadly rattlesnake..

 

[gollum]

Its not close to his foot. That's why I say Optical Illusion. Here is a more extreme example:



All it would take is for him to turn a little to his right. If you couldn't see how long the stick was, it would be about impossible to see that snake is maybe 5-6 feet. A big snake all the same, but not 10-12 feet like it looks in the picture.

Mike

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

I know what you mean, same method is used to take pictures of fish caught... I was going more off the number of rattles.

I think the proven world record for eastern diamond back is couple inches over 8 ft....

 

[gollum]

I know what you mean, same method is used to take pictures of fish caught... I was going more off the number of rattles.

I think the proven world record for eastern diamond back is couple inches over 8 ft....

In the late 1980s (when I was stationed there), I was told that another six inches, and it would be a record snake. Some natural museum was going to buy him from me, but the poor baby died after downing a pretty white bunny, and I didn't realize that with the AC in the house blasting, he couldn't digest it as fast as he should have, and the bunny got its revenge from the inside (and I was out about $1000)!

I had named him Bruce after Bruce Lee, after one time when going to feed him, he struck at me faster than I had ever seen a snake strike. HAHAHA He was mean too. He would strike any time that damn aquarium was opened. On the opposite side, at the same time, I had a Copperhead named Mathilda (no real reason). She got to be about 4 feet and never once tried to bite me. She ate nice caught frogs. I let her go deep in the woods when I moved.

Mike

 

[relic nut]

Took your advice gunsil. Made a target out of a peace of white aluminum trim coil. Drew a 1inch wide snake. ( I'm no artist ) Took one shot from 10 ft, I count 12 pellets in the snake and one spot at base of neck were multiple pellets punch a large hole. That would have been a dead snake.

 

[Charlie P. (NY)]

10 ft is far enough away the snake wouldn't have bothered you.

And when you step on one you won't have the time or opportunity to bring it to bear.

Load it with jacketed bullets for real problems - like humans. ;-)

 

[gunsil]

Took your advice gunsil. Made a target out of a peace of white aluminum trim coil. Drew a 1inch wide snake. ( I'm no artist ) Took one shot from 10 ft, I count 12 pellets in the snake and one spot at base of neck were multiple pellets punch a large hole. That would have been a dead snake. View attachment 1193821

Good work!! Those critters are hard to kill though, the multiple pellet shot may have done the job, but I doubt if the others would have stopped it. Is that derringer a smooth bore? I'm surprised you got such a close pattern at 10ft.