I think Big Medicine caught him in the act, which is how we got on the topic of guns, he dispatched the varmint with a sledge. I never kill anything that I don't intend to eat unless it is killing something of mine. That said, usually a few shots of snake shot in the air will send the varmints scattering, provided that they are just showing interest and haven't gotten a hold on a chicken yet. I haven't had one that ran away come back yet, I have had to kill a couple of predators that actually were chewing on the dead chicken when I caught them.
Grew up on a farm, have seen all sorts of things go after your livestock when they are hungry. Here in New Mexico we have a few raccoons, but they've learned to stay away from my place. My biggest problem are cats and dogs, but we've been known to have a few hungry mountain lions show up every few years and so many coyotes that you don't dare even leave a dog outside at night.