Instead of waisting turkey loads on snakes while hunting....

Thelonegoose

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Sep 13, 2020
Messages
109
Location
Georgetown, TN; Alpharetta, GA
I'm not going to try and hit a snake with my 40 or 45. And I was actually trying to be funny I carry a judge. (Hence the JJE) tag. 😂
I met a realtor to look at a piece of property one time in Alabama, and we happen to see a nice 4ft or so rattle snake going across one of the roads. He insisted on trying out his newly purchased shield to kill it. After 3 missed shots and a jammed bullet, he decided it wasn't worth it anymore.
 

Gravey

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Jul 20, 2005
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39,255
Location
Christiana (Rutherford County)
I wear hiking boots with gaiters from Academy and watch where I step. Don't carry anything to kill a snake with as I let them go. If I run across a rattlesnake or copperhead all bets are off. This one was waiting on me at camp when I got back Saturday. Gave him a little nudge and he went back to the woodpile.
 

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Omega

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Dec 16, 2018
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7,663
Location
Clarksville, TN
I wear hiking boots with gaiters from Academy and watch where I step. Don't carry anything to kill a snake with as I let them go. If I run across a rattlesnake or copperhead all bets are off. This one was waiting on me at camp when I got back Saturday. Gave him a little nudge and he went back to the woodpile.
When I got my hunting land, I found a few of these, this one of the longest. Couldn't tell what left this but I figured as long as they stayed out of my trailer or deer stand all was good. I thought about getting some snake boots or at least a snake stick but ultimately figured I had gone this long without them so decided against it.
I don't carry anything specifically for snakes, but have used what I had handy a couple times. Most have just been unlucky enough to surprise me, one that was just inches from my leg rattled it's tail under the leaves to simulate a rattler, 12guage with #7 (was dove hunting) took him out, turned out to be a hog nose. Another was a cotton mouth that decided it was a good idea to slither across my boots while my my battle buddy was digging a foxhole during a field exercise, kabar to the neck and into my mess kit with that one...1SG chewed me out over that one, after our LT told him the snake I cooked was great. But when they give me the courtesy to let me know they are there so I can take precautions, they are safe from me, specially if they are non poisonous.
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This guy decided my worm looked good enough to eat, took a bit to make him spit it out but after a few minutes he got to swim away.

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This one stayed around almost an entire day while I built my new deer stand. He was close to my toolbox, so had to constantly keep going by him. He too got to slither away, as do most garden snakes that are around the house, unless I accidently get them with the mower.
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Bone Collector

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Joined
Sep 9, 2009
Messages
19,639
Location
Murfreesboro, TN
I try to avoid them. they are to be respected as in don't get up in their space and they will probably leave you alone. The only time I shot one I was scouting during the early part of squirrel season and walked up on a cottonmouth. He immediately coiled back to strike and I was just able to turn my 12 ga with dove loads down and fire. Turned the first half of his body to ground meat.

But if they are just going about their business, I will just let them go on about their business and I will go on about mine. No need to kill a snake, just to kill it.
 

Andy S.

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Joined
Jul 26, 1999
Messages
23,684
Location
Atoka, TN
I pay snakes the same amount of attention as a bluejay bird. I have been hunting west and middle TN for 30 years and never seen a reason to be afraid of the very few snakes I encounter. The highest risk hunts I ever participated in were back in the day when I ran my coon dogs in the Hatchie River bottoms of west TN during the blazing hot summer months. I shined numerous cotton mouths every night back then but they always retreated and swam away, or I waded around them. I have encountered numerous copperheads and a few rattlesnakes over the years, but for the amount of steps I take annually, the encounters have been extremely rare, all things considered. As with most things, it is all relative and all what one makes of it.
 
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RoyalPrudent

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Jun 11, 2020
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2,486
I do think a judge seems like a fun little gun, but I just don't know how practical they would be.
 

Rakkin6

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Dec 1, 2013
Messages
7,095
Location
Clarksville
I hate snakes we do have a black snake that is around the house but I let him be. If I saw a poisonous one around he would get whacked. Don't want to get bit weed eating and don't want the dogs getting tagged either. If I am in the woods hunting or fishing I have my gaiters on and give them a wide berth.
 

bobbuck

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Joined
Apr 6, 2008
Messages
1,248
Location
StThomas, VI
I have killed snakes before, but I cannot remember ever killing one while hunting. The last one I killed was with an axe. It was a huge copperhead, but that was probably 15-20 years ago.
I screwed around with a rattlesnake one day with my dirt bike up on Windrock. Did not hurt it, but I could not do anything right the rest of the day. All my riding buddy's said he cursed me for messing with him.
 

timberghost35

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Joined
Apr 7, 2015
Messages
405
Location
West TN
I pay snakes the same amount of attention as a bluejay bird. I have been hunting west and middle TN for 30 years and never seen a reason to be afraid of the very few snakes I encounter. The highest risk hunts I ever participated in were back in the day when I ran my coon dogs in the Hatchie River bottoms of west TN during the blazing hot summer months. I shined numerous cotton mouths every night back then but they always retreated and swam away, or I waded around them. I have encountered numerous copperheads and a few rattlesnakes over the years, but for the amount of steps I take annually, the encounters have been extremely rare, all things considered. As with most things, it is all relative and all what one makes of it.
I have hunted Tulley for YEARS and I think I can count on one hand how many I have ran across. I know of a couple copperheads and a cottonmouth. Never any rattlesnakes. Only seen 2 rattlers in my whole life. One in Ark in the White River bottoms and 1 in Dickson Co TN.

We brush duck blinds in Sept and Oct in the Hatchie bottoms and hardly ever run across any.

Some people just don't know about those MS and Hatchie Bottoms...
 

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