Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Snake Control

I shot a 4 foot water moccasin on the shore of my pond over the weekend. Only one I have seen but don't want to see anymore. Scared the heck out of me when I was pushing my boat into the water. Someone told me ducks will keep them away but I have also heard you don't want ducks in the pond. Any other effective measures I can take or is this something I need to live with in East Texas.

pondrookie,

I've seen more snakes this year than in the past 30 years...also have seen more frogs, huge numbers of frogs. Maybe the two play together somewhat? I like the frogs, but the snakes, no way.

I don't know of any control means for snakes more effective than my Remington 1100...unforunately I never seem to have it handy when the snake is nearby...a fly rod is a poor snake deterient!

ML, seeing the same thing with tons of frogs this year. Maybe its due to the dry spell we're having in East Texas. Did my rain dance with the grandkids over the weekend.

My wife used to be afraid of snakes, but we fished a lot in a lake that had SCADS of them, and she got used to them. We would pick up our stringer and often had a big water snake on that had swallowed a bluegill. What a headache! We started using a wire basket, and that helped a lot at first, but the snakes soon learned to find the spring-loaded lid and go inside. Well, we would just grab them and sling them out across the water, and they seldom came back after the inhospitible treatment.

About "moccasins". A 4 foot moccasin is just about a world record. They are very shy and secretive. I once caught a 3-1/2 footer, and it was MASSIVE! It was was much bigger around than my arm. The common brown water snake will often get 4 feet long, but aren't nearly as thick-bodied. They get very habituated to fishermen, and get to be a nuisance. They will not bite unless you step on them or hold on to them too long. Their bite is about like that of a catfish.

Yes, they are a nuisance, but generally speaking they should not be killed. When their population explodes, it's because their prey has exploded. That's mainly frogs and small catchable fish in very shallow water. When their prey is under control, they will crash or simply move on.

Bob,

I don’t know if you have the "domesticated" Water Moccasins over there Louisiana or not - but the one's I have dealt with here in Texas are the meanest snakes I have ever seen. Hell, they will strike at just about anything that looks like a meal or anything that get’s too close to them…Holding on too long, no way? Blam. Blam-Blam! Hold on to THAT, Mr. Watery Moccasin! Slinging snakes out of a wire basket? That’s some crazy stuff man!

Mocassins don't usually get more than 3 ft.
There is a VERY easy way to tell the difference between a napix and a true mocassin.
the napixs' tail (common water snake that sometime appear aggressive but are non-poisionus) extend SLOWLY from the body. Meant if the snake is longer than 3 ft, SKINNY, and has a long tail from the body, it's a water snake. If the snake is very fat and smaller, and has a RAPID tail "end off" (stubby butt sort of) it's the bad boy.
Mocassins also are usually found in the most nastiest swampiest (is that a word? lol) waters.

Either way though, yeah snakes are not fun.
There is some powder you can put down that messes with the jacobs organ. www.doityourselfpestcontrol.com

http://store.doyourownpestcontrol.com/cg...06ac/Search/Run

Then type in snakes.

Moccasins are not that agressive, as a general rule the nonvenomous water snake is more agressive than the water moccasin. Around here about 95% of the "moccasins" killed are actually the non venomous water snake. There was a study done here in south Georgia and it showed that a moccasin would only bite 20% of the time when picked up and only about 60% of the time when stepped on. Most people are bitten while trying to kill them. Leave them alone. In my life I've only known 1 person to be bitten that wasn't provoking the snake, and he was bitten by the mocasins close cousin the copperhead while picking up leaves.

I checked the snake repelent listed above, and it isn't very effective on moccasins

"While this product might deter other types of snakes as well,it is not expected to consistently repel snakes of the following types:

Corn snakes and other rat snakes, "moccasin" snakes such as cotton-mouths and copperheads. "

I apologize that I may have exagerated a little but the darn thing look 6 ft long when it struck at me. Was actually more like 3 feet long and about as round as a beer can with a short stubby tale. Everyone that looked at the critters remains ( after I blew its head off ) said it was a Water Moccasin. Bottomline is I don't like snakes and either do my grandkids.

You must have provoked it, at least 5 times according to the percentages of the study in Georgia.

If you have never felt the chill from the strike of a really nasty Water Moccasin coming at you - it is really quite unnerving, all kidding aside.
.

Dang it, all this snake talk is freaking me out. I need cut down a few flooded timber in my swamp (someday a lake) this weekend. Between wading waist deep in gunk, watching for alligators, head high over-growth, falling trees - now i will be all worked up over killer Water Moccasins. Yikes.

I had a little trouble with that 20% number myself. How did they actually determine that.....did someone actually pick up a WM multiple times and was only bitten 1 out of 5 times? Stretches the limits of credibility. Maybe thats how the old snake handlers did it in the churches, they used WM.

Excuse me if I don't accept the gentle nature of WM..the only good WM is a dead one.

According to the study, there is a 95% chance they werent using Water Moccasins at all.

Ok, I'll stop it. Thanks Georgia, I too have creamed a "Water Moccasin" only to discover it was a Water Snake. However, Meadowlark's Pig story from another post has me in kind of a punchy mood. Funny stuff.

Pondrookie, I now of no other way than lead posioning with Remmington brand lead.

Like people, I'm sure that all snakes have their own personality. In Florida, I've had 3-4 water moccasins around me within a three foot radius and not one looked at me twice. Now the common water snake is a completely different matter. Although they are not venomous they really do have a nasty disposition.

The only good snake is a dead snake. I don't care what kind it is, I always have a gun with me when I'm fishing and I don't hesitate taking a shot at one. I usually keep the banks clean so snakes have less places to hide and I very rarely see a snake.

I have often wondered, has any one considered king snakes?? I mean has anyone heard of letting a bunch loose to help control other snakes???

Prairie King Snakes do indeed prey upon other snakes.

I am just thinking, THEY might be what the doctor ordered...

I've shot a few WM over the years on the farm north of Dallas around the ponds but haven't seen any here close up enough to say for sure if that's what they were. Whenever you read about them, they are always characterized as curious and rather aggressive, sometimes approaching boats, etc., but that's not what I'm hearing here. Does the common water snake have the big head like the WM?

I'm in the "snakes are beneficial" camp for the most part, but I've seen a couple of copperheads here and nearly stepped on one that sent me reeling. Will kill any of those bad boys I can get a chance at.

I'm with turkeyfootnc. My "Doctor" just ordered another couple boxes of .357 snake shot. The first 2 rounds up are the shot, next are 2 wad cutters and then 2 magnum hollow points. Never know when you'll run into a snake, muskrat, woodchuck or a coyote. And I'm never without it.

Dan

Most but not all the venemous snakes in the US are pit vipers. In front of their eyes the have a large pit that helps them sense prey. It also makes them easier to identify. There are alot of non-venemous snakes that mimic the actions and appearance of their poisonous brothers. For instance, the black rat snake when threatened will shake his tail violently against rocks,leaves, sticks, or anything it can to produce a sound very much like a rattle snake.

I used a minnow trap to cetch the snakes around my pond. Frogs and tadpoles will enter the trap on accident then the snaks will go after them and not be able to get out. By leaving 1/2" of the trap out of the water the frogs can breath and not drownd. Its cruel and it kills the froges but I killed 4 copper heads in 2 weeks without spending much time waiting to see them to shoot.

pond ering,

Works for me too...but it is a bit unnerving to guests when you raise the fish trap and see a big old WM.

Well, when you get used to them and the fish are REALLY biting, you treat them very non-chalantly. Ir reminds me of bees, of which most people are terrified. But most bee keepers don't even wear a bonnet and seldom get stung.

Snakes are a LOT less scary than a gar. When I handle a gar, I never take my eye off of it. Now THAT is a dangerous animal. Even the eedy beedy ones!

More on the good snake vs. bad snake identification...

http://www.texasfishingforum.com/.ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=51;t=000726

I happen to think this guy killed a rather nice sized peeved water snake.