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From: malodah@PacBell.COM (Martin A. Lodahl)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: Re: Why kill snakes?
Message-ID: <35901@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 21 Jun 91 20:12:37 GMT
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Organization: Pacific * Bell, San Ramon, CA
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In article <35865@mimsy.umd.edu> crs@beta.lanl.gov (Charlie Sorsby) writes:
#		....  As far as I
#can see, the only reason for shooting a snake is that rare instance
#where you find yourself within striking distance before you are
#aware of the snake ...

In general, I agree with Charlie on this issue.  But there have been two
settings in which I routinely kill rattlers, for reasons related to 
reptile psychology.  I've never seen a truly aggressive rattler; they
seem to attack when they feel threatened, but they can interpret your
presence as a threat whether you're aware of them or not.  Children
are notoriously heedless.  In the middle 70's I rangemastered a 
ridgetop range with a truly impressive rattler population, especially
in the spring.  I'd see kids climbing over piles of rocks where I
*knew* there were snakes, and if they found one they'd usually tease
it until it was altogether too furious to quietly slither away.  Seeing
a lawsuit coming if a kid was ever bitten, I resorted to thinning out
the snakes.

Now I live in a brushy area, and have two children.  Occasionally, but 
not often, rattlers pay us visits, and they can get into the cellar
where I age the beer I make.  I've had a number of "close encounters
of the reptilian kind", and can't help feeling that it would be
irresponsible of me to take a laissez-allez approach when my kids' 
safety is concerned.  When we're hiking, we detour around snakes.
When we're home, we kill them.

Interestingly, the snakes we've had in the cellar have always appeared
when the chickens are wandering about the place.  I suspect they go
into the house to get away from the chickens.
-- 
= Martin A. Lodahl  (DoD #65) (AHA) (NRA) Pacific*Bell Staff Analyst =
= malodah@PacBell.COM		Sacramento, CA, USA     916.972.4821 =
= If it's good for ancient Druids, runnin' nekkid through the wuids, =
= Drinkin' strange fermented fluids, it's good enough for me!!  8-)} =