Snakes?

[Monkeynono]

Had a run in with a Copperhead today while clearing some of the yard. No pictures but it was 2 maybe 3 feet long and 1.25 +/- thick. What is the general consensus on dealing with them?

 

[CasterTroy]

 

[Monkeynono]

I already have one forest fire under my belt... A second wouldn't hurt

 

[ponykilr]

Had a run in with a Copperhead today while clearing some of the yard. No pictures but it was 2 maybe 3 feet long and 1.25 +/- thick. What is the general consensus on dealing with them?

Are you sure? A copperhead 24-36” would be probably 2.5-3” thick.

This one was 24”

 

[Monkeynono]

Are you sure? A copperhead 24-36” would be probably 2.5-3” thick.

This one was 24”

View attachment 348582

No, not 100% sure I didn't get a picture. The coloring was a dusty brown? With that pattern and it started to recoil and sit up when I moved the rake. I could be off on my size estimate. I don't know my snakes very well. Is there another that looks really similar?

 

[jeepinmatt]

Are you sure? A copperhead 24-36” would be probably 2.5-3” thick.

This one was 24”

View attachment 348582

Scrolled down to post exactly that. Even 2" would be pretty skinny for a copperhead that big, but I imagine it's hard to tell when you are jumping back and running away like most people would

 

[XJsavage]

I'm starting to think the rattlesnake population now isn't what it used to be. I saw a lot of Eastern and Canebrake as a kid 30 years ago. Now not so much.
Down here in the swamp lands there's plenty of Cottonmouths though. Seeing that flash of white will make a believer out of anybody.
This is 15 minutes away from my house, if anybody was wondering. Congaree National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

 

[ponykilr]

another that looks really similar

Well none with the hourglass pattern exactly but plenty of people mistake other species for CH. It is RARE for a CH to get over 30”.

@XJsavage the Canebrake/Timber up here is a rare thing anymore. I saw one periodically around JoCo but definitely not regularly.

We have an almost 5’ blacksnake that hangs around the shop. I have picked him up and put him in the woods several times. Today my wife hollered at me that he was in the garden. I went out and escorted him into the woods so my JRT didn’t get him. He’s almost friendly to me now

 

[XJsavage]

My next door neighbor has a 5-6' black rat snake that sneaks into his house quite often to try and eat his pet house wrens. There's a few dozen house wrens that nest in his living room every year and fly in and out of a broken window at will. Just a few days ago I hear the old man out on his front porch cussing and throws the snake out into the yard yellin, "Don't be f*n with my damn birds!!" Vietnam vets don't mess around.
I just sat right there on my carport sippin a beer laughing about it. It's completely normal.

 

[awheelterd]

Well none with the hourglass pattern exactly but plenty of people mistake other species for CH. It is RARE for a CH to get over 30”.

@XJsavage the Canebrake/Timber up here is a rare thing anymore. I saw one periodically around JoCo but definitely not regularly.

We have an almost 5’ blacksnake that hangs around the shop. I have picked him up and put him in the woods several times. Today my wife hollered at me that he was in the garden. I went out and escorted him into the woods so my JRT didn’t get him. He’s almost friendly to me now

Really? Where? I have never heard of one being seen around here. Sandhills are the closest I've heard of.

 

[CLRracer]

I've never seen a rattler in JoCo either.

Duane

 

[ponykilr]

Really? Where? I have never heard of one being seen around here. Sandhills are the closest I've heard of.

I've never seen a rattler in JoCo either.

Duane

Hunted a lot down between Brogden and Wayne County line. There’s some Timber Rattlers in the sandy fields along the river. Timbers and Canebrakes are the same snake but vary in color depending on where they’re from.

 

[mommucked]

I've seen Timber and Diamondback rattlesnakes southeast of Salemburg N.C. around Bearskin swamp and I'm sure they can be found from there to the coast. I saw a huge rattler on hwy 17 east of Windsor. It was 5' plus and its head was big as my fist. I wanted to catch it but my coworker talked me out of it.

 

[ponykilr]

@mommucked my older sister lives between Newton Grove and Clinton, she killed a Canebrake a few years ago that was in her horse pasture.

I posted it before but my friend Joe left NC and moved to Alabama. He killed 2 Canebrakes and 1 Eastern already this year.

 

[JSJJ388]

We've got about a 5' black snake around the house. Found him the first summer we lived here, up in the barn. Told him as long as he stays out of the house, he can hang around.

I've killed 1 copperhead since we've been here. Haven't seen a rattler in a while. Used to see a few up on stars peak.

 

[ponykilr]

My shop buddy I referenced above is a Black Racer. He’s a pretty boy.

 

[trailhugger]

Doesn't look like native habitat but they're all protected and NC Wildlife Resources Commission newsletter today says they want photos of any that are spotted.

https://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Learning/documents/Profiles/Reptile/RattlesnakeSightingsWanted.pdf?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nc-wildlife-update&utm_content=Copy+of+June+2021+Enewsletter

As for copperhead ID, this was timely...

https://www.ncwildlife.org/Portals/0/Learning/documents/WINC/May-Jun-2021-Copperhead.pdf?utm_source=iContact&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nc-wildlife-update&utm_content=Copy+of+June+2021+Enewsletter

 

[Jody Treadway]

Callie was barking her head off just now. Went outside on the porch and there was a copperhead a couple feet from the front door.
He dead.

 

[Tacoma747]

Killed this one Sunday night. Had taken the trash up to the road and walking back down the driveway he had come out. Ran and got a shovel and detached his head. Honestly hate to kill them but with 3 dogs (one of which has been bitten before) and 4 kids, we have no spare room for copperheads.

 

[Jody Treadway]

Killed this one Sunday night. Had taken the trash up to the road and walking back down the driveway he had come out. Ran and got a shovel and detached his head. Honestly hate to kill them but with 3 dogs (one of which has been bitten before) and 4 kids, we have no spare room for copperheads.

Same here. Jaspers been bitten. I ain't playing when they're on the property

 

[LT1JEEP]

Last year I caught 21 copperheads and 1 rattle snake and took them up in the mountains and let them loose. I caught 12 in 3 hours in the road coming to my house. 4 were with 30 feet of my house. I have several black snake running around here also i don't bother them. I live in the mountain's so I live with them and the bears and mountain lions and other critters. The only critters i go off on are the 2 leg ones.

 

[XJsavage]

This one almost let me pick it up and hold it. Mid morning sunning on the cold Saluda river. Harmless water snake.

 

[ghost]

Killed one Monday.

killed another tonight. At the base of the same tree. Gawd I hate snakes. Especially these.

 

[ghost]

The one from tonight.