How do u deal with them when detecting my biggest concern is digging a hole a snake could be in, how would i get it to come out.
I always hesitate to click on "snakes" topics here because I usually don't find things as positive as this thread has been, so that's a nice surprise. My wife and I are both former zookeepers and I specialized in all things creepy and crawly that nobody else wanted to work with: snakes, lizards, turtles, scorpions, tarantulas, alligators, etc. On top of that, we're snake breeders in addition to our regular jobs. As I type this, I'm sitting in our snake room feeding this year's clutch of babies.
I agree with lots of people here...with one additional point. Definitely aren't likely to find snakes "in a hole"...if anything, you're more likely to find them in rocky crevices or out in the open, or underneath cover debris (discarded boards, car parts, and occasional big rocks). Don't bother them and they won't bother you, and the ones that could actually do you harm (and there aren't that many in your neck of the woods) will give you fair warning the fast majority of the time.
The additional point I wanted to raise is this: if you find a snake while you're detecting, hiking, or whatever, take the time to appreciate what you've come across!!! They really are fascinating creatures, especially when you take the time to really study them and see how different they are from us and every other mammal we come across on a daily basis. Most snakes have cool patterns, unique adaptations, or just an interesting look about them if you really want to stay superficial, so take the time to get to know it before running the other way or shooing it out of your way (if that's the case, just walk around it, because if you poke it with a stick it's probably going to shoot off in another direction...if you're not comfortable around them, wouldn't you rather know where it is instead of wondering where it went?).
Okay I have an additional additional point... I am out of the reptile business, professionally anyway, but I still get calls from people almost weekly during the summer about "venomous snakes" in their yard, house, etc. I have yet to actually see one at one of these calls.... misidentification can make a huge deal out of something that doesn't need to be. You'd only need to be careful around about half a dozen snakes in your state (and I'd bet money they're not all in your particular area of the state anyway). If you're taking the time to really look at a snake if you find it (notice "look at" does not mean "handle or harass"), take a look at the eyes.... all of the venomous snakes in your state have vertical pupils like a cat EXCEPT for the coral snake, which is pretty recognizable without getting that close....it's also not super common that far north). All other snakes in your state have round pupils and are harmless to people!
Enjoy it!
