645 We had a poser here in Australia in WW2. Tall bloke, LOTS of medals, smoked a funny looking pipe! Full of bullshit! John
Snakes in a car deployment seems kinda dangerous. Rather be able to pinpoint deserved target on dash radar, and launch a side rail.
I've heard on at least two occasions blokes running over a snake and it gets whipped up and bites the blokes arm resting on the window opening...going slower than your imagination might imply...I know at least one story is true.
Had something similar happen to me once. If I see snakes out on the road sunning I go out of my way to run over them because they make a cool popping sound. I was in college, had a little straight shift sports car. I was driving up Prentiss Cooper Mountain one day, rounded a curve and there she was, a probably 5 foot long, very thick snake. I swerved into the oncoming lane to run over it, no pop. Looked in the rear view mirror before I went around the next curve, no snake. Looked down and it was starting to come up from the under carriage, transmission through a gap in the shift boot. I grabbed something and started hitting at his head as I swerved back and forth trying to dislodge him. Almost drove off the side of the darned mountain. I finally managed to shake him loose, and it was a long time before I ran over another one.
The procedure in Africa was to reverse and make sure the snake was dead and on the ground and not attached to the vehicle.
I don't waste the bullet, I normally just cut their heads off with a long handled shovel. Got a good sized timber rattler, and a couple Copperheads this past summer.
I walked right past a large black mamba only feet away, on the grass outside my house. When I got to the front door, I was startled to hear shouts and some local boys were killing it with rakes and spades. I bravely slammed the door and locked it. I have no idea why I locked the door!!!
We just put them outside...or call the catcher if its poisonous...real men catch and release, sorry fellas...
I'd say real men eat what they catch. http://www.cooks.com/recipe/3b7o20im/prairie-eel.html http://www.cooks.com/recipe/mn7e81i3/panned-diamond-rattlers.html http://www.rattlesnakerecipe.us/recipes.htm
I don't kill non-poisonous snakes, they're beneficial. If I find a poisonous one I don't want it nesting where it might bite the grandson or one of the dogs. Actually, most of the time when I find one it's because the dogs are screwing with it. Had one actually get bit once, his hock swole up the size of a softball. Took him to the vet and they weren't sure what was going on, they called the old country vet in, the one that is normally out of the office tending cattle and horses. He said, "shave the hair". They did and there were two scratches, parallel and a couple inches apart. "Just like I thought, a pretty big snake struck at him." I asked why no puncture wounds and he explained dogs are pretty quick and if they see the snake they can usually dodge the strike but occasionally when the snake misses it catches them just enough to make shallow lacerations. Have to respectfully disagree, real men kill anything that poses a threat to their loved ones. I for one never kill for the sake of killing, but do eliminate potential threats.
I understand that...the full statement should be never kill something because of your own irrational fear...A Brown snake can kill 20 men...not something you want children of pets mucking around with...in Darwin, you're just a phone call away from a catcher, (most of which are women) - If its behaving itself, just wondered in, then you can get it yourself (if a python for example) - but if you suspect a poisonous snake then the catcher is the go...unless you live really rural, then a quick death is probably the way then... We regularly find big pythons who have eaten the families chook or God forbid, the dog...9 out of 10 times its just a natural wonder and everyone just shakes their heads with a smile...whilst looking at a snake with a big bulge in it looking innocent, "who me?" A rule of thumb is if the snake has "evil" or "angry" eyes...its poisonous.
There's always the self deploying solution. I think I've told this story before but ... A friend of mine was attending grad school down in Texas. One day they were out collecting specimens. At the end of the day they stopped for a beer at a local establishment. When they got back to their vehicle their cooler was gone. Whoever took it likely got a real surprise because as you have probably guessed the cooler was for holding the collected specimens which in this case were rattlesnakes. I think of several species including sidewinders.....