Bunch of pansies ;-).
I used to catch them and keep them as pets as a kid. Almost all snakes in upstate NY are harmless. 8' is rather large, but these guys are common near Lake Ontario and the Thousand Islands. Mostly eat frogs, tadpoles, and the occasional duckling. They are a bear to catch as they like to dive into the muck when chased, but that never stopped me, much to the poor snake's chagrin.
The largest I ever caught was close to 6' and when they are that long, they put up a good wrestling match. Hard to grip them.
I say leave them alone, they will move on, but to each his own.
