copperhead repellant?

Mar 12, 2006 39 Replies

Saw my first copperhead of the season today. I've seen various repellants advertised. Anyone have any experience with snake repellants? Do they really work as advertised or is it better to simply shoot them? Are copperheads a protected species?



Bob


A copperhead (Florida) will come at you... don't shoot them and be careful in their turf you can surprise them..... Call a local state office if you have serious problems.

You'll amazed at how high I "could jump" that day face to snake with a copperhead.

Oren "My doctor says I have a malformed public-duty gland and a natural deficiency in moral fiber, and that I am therefore excused from saving Universes."

In Tennessee, then entire state is their habitat. If I called the county agent every time I saw a copperhead, the county agent would soon think I was the pest. Most folks around here kill them, but snakes are good for rodent control. I'd prefer find a way to keep them away from the lawn. Rattlesnakes tend to be a problem, too, but not as bad. The lawnmower usually wins when there is a chance encounter while cutting the lawn.

Bob

First of all, if any snake in my yard is a protected species they are going to get one of my protected buckshot rounds !!

I would try the snake repellants and I've also heard that spreading a lot of mothballs helps too.

I keep a sharp shovel on hand in case, but that shotgun is always a backup -- protected or not !

J

The only protection I give a posinous snake is to protect from biting anyone and that is by killing the thing.

Oren wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

I thought that was COTTONMOUTH snakes?

I carry a .357 loaded with snake shot, I dispatch any dangerous snakes that are invading the saftey zone of me or my family (dog included). I carry my gun whenever I go fishing too..

Searcher

In article , snipped-for-privacy@newsgroup.com says... :) Saw my first copperhead of the season today. I've seen various repellants :) advertised. Anyone have any experience with snake repellants? Do they really :) work as advertised or is it better to simply shoot them? Are copperheads a :) protected species? :) :) If placed under a shed or deck they can help for a short term, if placed as barrier so they won't cross, I have never heard of them being effective.

I tried spreading several boxes of mothballs when I lived in Arizona. I think the rattlesnakes eat mothballs. It never kept them away. This ecology thing all sounds nice but I'm inclined to think that humans are also a protected species. The people who make these laws live in fancy penthouses and never encountered a poisonous snake while mowing their lawn. I'll buy some repellant and try it but I'll also have backup.

Bob

YEah, cottonmouths are famous for attacking, I was bitten in the hand trying get away from a CM. It was not fun, remote camping area/ helicopter/ 8 hours in the hospital all for " well, it seems that you should be just fine, snake sometime do not inject everytime they bite" Thank God for that. I must hane gotten something cause I did get nausea and felt very wierd, but nothing like a full blown snake bite. BTW, thats why I carry a .357 now!

Searcher

No offense meant. I'm really curious and you're the first person I could ask.

Would you have time for more than one bullet? If not, what are the odds you could hit a moving snake? What are the odds that you could hit a snake that was lying still? You must mean that you're planning to empty the gun at it, right? Will the noise make it more aggressive?

Arizona is a very big state. I would think you would need thousands of tons.

...

Think shotgun. 12 gauge. 7 shots. From 15 feet.

So that's what I did wrong. I only put mothballs around the outside of my house. Most of the rattlers killed out there were road kill. Then the buzzards cleaned up the mess.

Bob

The previous poster, Searcher, said .357. That means a pistol, right?

I didn't know there was a pistol that shot shot. Until tonight.

I had never heard of a shotgun shell for a pistol before tonight.

Right?

It (the snake) would be dead on the first shot, as far as the noise making it mad, I think not, Probably never even feel the shot that killed it (snakes don't hear).

CCI makes shot shots for many caliber pistols

Searcher

I've used a couple of types of repellamnts and they are not fool proof. They may discourage them but not absolutely repel them. One of the powderted ones is nothing more than glorified moth balls and the liquid has an odor which is somewhat likle a combo of ginger and pepper. I must say that the nonvenomous species seem to be less repelled than the poisonous ones.

mm wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

You can buy shotshells for pistols.I believe they were created specifically for shooting snakes. Loadout would be;1st round is shot,the rest your usual self-defense load. (for both 2 and 4-legged animals)

back in the early 80's i bought some 38 shot. in fact i just found them. i paid 3.95 for 10 38/357 shotshells made by cci-speer. they work i used them for varmets in my garden out in the country. alternated shot then regular in a 38.

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