Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management A Snake Story, By Todd3138

So I'm posting this in Wildlife Management because, well, I managed this wildlife pretty effectively if not necessarily humanely.

In July, I decided to relocate a wood pile so it wasn't right next to our new pavilion blocking the view of the pond. We had seen some snakes in/around it before, so I was paying attention but not too concerned.

My son with with me, helping load logs in the FEL on our tractor so we could move the log pile elsewhere. As we got down to the bottom of the first section, I lifted a log at ground level and saw the tip of a snake tail slither under the remainder of the pile. Of course, my senses went into high alert mode and I was no longer just casually moving a woodpile.

As we progressed, we kept having the same experience repeat until things changed a bit probably the fourth time we saw the tail slither under the pile. As I lifted the bottom log - cautiously as I had taken to doing! - I saw not just the tail, but a curved section of body that was, big, girthy, and deadly looking with what I believed to be a copperhead pattern.

I had AJ jump up on the tractor and stay there in case it charged us. Yes, laugh if you will, but charging behavior is well documented even though no "herpetologist" will be intellectually honest enough to admit it.

The pile got smaller and smaller till I was down to just a few logs left, still with no sighting of a full snake. I was hoping beyond hope that the dumb thing would get the point and just slither down a hole and pretend we hadn't crossed paths. I was down to the last log with no sighting and was starting to notice that even though it was mid-July, it had grown amazingly cold out. That had to be the case because I noticed a slight tremor that had overtaken my entire body. No time to worry about that, though, because we were down to "curtain" number three and whatever surprise, unpleasant or otherwise, awaited me.

I reached across the log and lifted from the far side. Fortunately I had enough sense to have grabbed a small spade by that point. If the copperhead was armed, I wasn't coming into the fight sans weaponry. I may have an intense dislike for snakes, but my mother didn't raise any idiots!

Lifting that last log, I made a sound that some might say resembled that which would be uttered by a small girl upon being scared by a hiding sibling who had jumped out and screamed unexpectedly. I wouldn't say that, but think some cruel spirited folks might.

Under the log was not one big snake, but also a second, larger snake, both with what I perceived in that split second to be copperhead markings. Now, granted, you must readily concede that I had only a moment to observe, interpret, and react. After all, I had my son to think of. I began hacking at the snakes as they began charging. I concede that one began charging the other direction after my fist strike of the spade. But it had initially engaged and the fight was on.

As I focused on the running coward, I forgot about the larger, closer one until its movement caught my eye. Like a big cat, I switched my focus to it and delivered a mortal wound, nearly severing it and driving the barely connected halves deep into the dirt so it was pinned. That snake secure, I returned to the first one and finished the job.

As I looked over to my son, cheering me on wildly from his vantage point on the tractor, I began to feel a bit more secure and a bit more like a man once again. It was then I noticed the second snake, still stuck into the ground, striking the air in my direction. Oddly, I was offended and delivered the coup de gras. At that very moment, I think I screamed again, but in words this time, "There are babies spilling out of it!!!!!"

At least six little, coiled up, yolk sack (sorry, Yolk Sac, no offense intended) covered, striped snakes were spilling out of the apparent mother, their sacks ruptured and their little bodies quivering in the foreign atmosphere.

Using a dirt rake, I scooped both adult snakes onto the pavilion and, after ensuring the male was dead, began rolling the mother around with my spade, watching in amazement as more and more babies spilled out.

By that time, the neighbors had driven up to see what the commotion as all about and the husband confirmed that he believed they were copperheads. His wife and I were standing there shaking with the heebie jeebies while my son stood to the side laughing nervously and kicking at the babies.

I was pretty well convinced they were copperheads at first, but did a bunch of reading that night and have since decided they were northern water snakes. The pattern and coloration are very similar to copperheads, but the underbelly is different. The water snake has a yellow to orange belly - which these did - and the water snake typically has 18 or more live young while copperheads normally don't exceed 15 or 16. Plus, baby copperheads have a yellowish tip to their tails and these did not. Plus, they did not appear to have the classic viper shaped head, perhaps the most telling clue.

Regardless of the species, I feel good about my actions. Well, except for the potentially girlish initial reaction, but no one knows about that so I'm safe. It was a heck of an experience and I feel better having now written about it. Here is some photo documentation. Plus, my family is happy to know these vile serpents are not now living just feet from our new fire pit!









I am also proud to show off the new fire wood rack that AJ and I built not long afterward. It's 16 feet wide, 32" inches deep, and 5' from the bed to the top. I've since added a metal roof to it. The mesh is hog fencing from Tractor Supply and it's now fully stocked. Most importantly, the bed is a minimum of nearly 2 feet off the ground. Yes, I know snakes can slither up there, but I am banking on it being a far less hospitable locale for them to visit. If any of you happen to think/know differently, don't bother sharing that with me!

crazy story...glad you're ok...thanks for sharing...i think...lol

You gotta quit taking on those homicide cases. They are affecting your sense of inner peace.

As for northern water snakes, they are tough to cut with a shovel. You must have had a good sharp one.

A number of years ago Lynda spotted the body of a snake, with both ends under bushes. All I could see was the mid section -- and yes the coloration and pattern is quite close to a copperhead's. I didn't know which end was the head or tail. I picked it up with a long handled shovel and immediately knew it wasn't a copperhead. That thing was huge -- much larger that copperheads grow. He sure had a bad attitude, but I let him go in one piece, a long ways away.

I hope you burned that mess like in the movie, The Thing.

we need shovel control laws

I'm sure you've heard all of the jokes about professional courtesy so I won't mention them here.

Just wait until you step down a hill with both hands full (buckets) and at the last second see 2 real copperheads mating right where your front foot is about to land. There is a lot of spring in the trailing leg when infused with adrenalin even when hindered by buckets.

I'm sure I'd shock myself at how quickly I'd react and how far I'd jump!

What are you talking about??? I had WONDERFUL inner peace after that cathartic episode of snake killing!

And as for the sharpness of the spade, no, it wasn't particularly sharp, but I think 280 pounds of crazed adrenaline filled redneck wannabe was sufficient to do the job!

Dang! Never even thought of that! Threw the whole mess over the dam onto the neighbor's property!

That is certainly the logical next step, isn't it?!

My favorite:

Q: What's the difference between a dead snake in the road and a dead lawyer in the road?

A: There are skid marks in front of the snake.

What is 2500 lawyers in the bottom of the ocean?----A good start. -------- No offense intended, my best friend is a shyster.-------Hey, I am not perfect.---

A python and a lawyer walk into a bar.......

Todd, great episode and well spun!

Frankly, I think you got less than you deserved - indescriminate snake hater, you. I've been thoughtfully collecting snakes by hand since I was a wee lad, and still do today. With that in mind, I curse you with the image of those defenseless baby snakes slitering beneath the sheets and up your legs each night as you are about to drift off...

Glad to see everything turned out alright. A local farmer here I know had a run in with 10 timber rattlers in one hole while cleaning up this last summer. They ranged from 4.5' to 2' in length. This is what was in a hole under a feeder after he had hooked the tractor to it and picked it up.

Looks like some tidy shotgun work there, Tums.

That's where this is going. One deranged attorney senselessly murders an entire family of friendly water snakes and before you know it no one will be able to purchase these evil assault shovels.

Laws will be proposed that will not allow us to purchase shovels with handles longer than 11 inches.

And if the shovels are too pointy then we will have to dull the shovels so they don't scare people.

You will have to get a background check, be fingerprinted and have urinalysis performed prior to being able to purchase a shovel that can be concealed in a rain coat.

Jeez now you've done it Todd.

Good idea JHAP. Everyone please send your urine samples to JHAP immediately. What's the best address for you - home or business?

I've already applied for my SOID

OK, what does SOID stand for???

I think stool samples will be better for JHAP.

Dangit Sunil, there goes my surprise! Now I'll think of something else to throw in the package.

Q. What is black and tan and looks great on a lawyer?.......A. G. Doberman Pin.

Man, you guys are on a roll tonight! JHAP, I think you are getting it a little backwards here. In all likelihood, the ban will be on shovels with a length of less than 12", otherwise one could easily be concealed underneath a Brazilian Cut . . . DOH! You almost suckered me into saying it! Well, anyway, they could be concealed - somewhere - and snuck into reptile exhibits at zoos where wanton violence could be visited upon so called innocent snake families.

Of course, that begs the question - is there really such a thing as an innocent snake family? Consider the most prominent traits of these dirt dwelling belly crawlers. They have beady eyes. They speak with a forked tongue. They wait in hiding to ambush their victims (a key element in many criminal offenses involving violence against the person). Bottom line, I don't think a single one of them can be trusted and I certainly don't buy into your left coast liberal spin that they are innocent!

Dude, that pic is just morally offensive and flat out wrong!