Its venomous, aggressive, AND endangered...what do you do?

[Ponypoor]

2 ft Velvet tail.
He kept getting closer and closer. Within striking range.
Yesterday afternoon about 3, all my birds squawking and running from barn like they're lives were in danger. They gathered at the propane tank discussing it and looking at the barn.
We were on our way to town, I did not go to barn. I figured local kitty upset em. 2 hrs later, we're home, girls still by house.
7 o'clock I go to put them up, they follow me to barn then stop and start fussing.
2 fr velvet tail staring at me. I am between it and chickens. No protection nothing to defend myself except a 2 ft kids rake I use to clean coop.
I step back, it moves forward. Same thing again. He's within striking range.
What would YOU do?
I restrained him with kid rake called for help and relocated.
Just now killed a in bathroom.
Not my day.
Stay safe

Yup - always something that causes issues with livestock of any kind. Here we don't have anything so venomous, but do have predators like foxes, coyotes, lynx, bobcats and wolves, oh and the odd bear. Air predators like hawks too.... With the horses I have learnt that you take it one catastrophe at a time, deal with it and move on - learn from it.

Hope you don't have any other critters to deal with!

 

[Birdsonghill]

I have always had a live and let live attitude about most animals, including snakes. I have brought speckled King Snakes home and released them. I do not normally harm poisonous snakes in the wild. However, dangerous poisonous snakes around my home, buildings and "barnyard" are killed. If you ever had a bad bite with venom injected, you would realize that it is not something you want to happen to your family or visitors! On my property, the Copperheads were common before I brought home King Snakes. The largest and most dangerous Rattle Snake, the Eastern Timber Rattler has become scarce and I don't mind that at all! Cotton Mouth Snakes are the most aggressive here and very dangerous, especially in spring/early summer and have been in and around my goldfish pond eating them! The non venomous Northern Black Water snakes and Brown Banded Water snakes are far more common. The venomous Copperhead likes to lay under objects, including tools, toys, yard debris/woodpiles, and etc. Children are particularly vulnerable to them around the home site! The flesh may start to die and gangrene can be a threat, besides the venoms effect on your organs. It is not something I would risk for my great grand children playing around my house! A favorite dog of mine died, after a week of vet care, from a Copperhead bite to his nose, that happened in my yard! I kill venomous snakes near my home and buildings and usually ignore or remove the others to a safe distance from my coops. If the last Copperhead on Earth is in my backyard, he will go extinct! They are beautiful but dangerous animals. Treat them with respect but don't be ignorant and get someone hurt or dead. If they were "protected by Law", I would kill them to protect my family from the venom and the dangerous law. My home, my family and my call. BTW, most snakes are rodent control around our homesteads, don't kill them indiscriminately, get educated and kill snakes only when venomous or a direct threat to your chickens.

 

[Matejka]

Yup - always something that causes issues with livestock of any kind. Here we don't have anything so venomous, but do have predators like foxes, coyotes, lynx, bobcats and wolves, oh and the odd bear. Air predators like hawks too.... With the horses I have learnt that you take it one catastrophe at a time, deal with it and move on - learn from it.

Hope you don't have any other critters to deal with!

Well- coons, bobcats, coyote,hawk, eagle,owl,,cara cara,possumand of course snakes.
No bears (that I know of) but it wouldn't surprise me to see someone try to relocate/populate/experiment with introducing bears to the area.

 

[Matejka]

I have always had a live and let live attitude about most animals, including snakes. I have brought speckled King Snakes home and released them. I do not normally harm poisonous snakes in the wild. However, dangerous poisonous snakes around my home, buildings and "barnyard" are killed. If you ever had a bad bite with venom injected, you would realize that it is not something you want to happen to your family or visitors! On my property, the Copperheads were common before I brought home King Snakes. The largest and most dangerous Rattle Snake, the Eastern Timber Rattler has become scarce and I don't mind that at all! Cotton Mouth Snakes are the most aggressive here and very dangerous, especially in spring/early summer and have been in and around my goldfish pond eating them! The non venomous Northern Black Water snakes and Brown Banded Water snakes are far more common. The venomous Copperhead likes to lay under objects, including tools, toys, yard debris/woodpiles, and etc. Children are particularly vulnerable to them around the home site! The flesh may start to die and gangrene can be a threat, besides the venoms effect on your organs. It is not something I would risk for my great grand children playing around my house! A favorite dog of mine died, after a week of vet care, from a Copperhead bite to his nose, that happened in my yard! I kill venomous snakes near my home and buildings and usually ignore or remove the others to a safe distance from my coops. If the last Copperhead on Earth is in my backyard, he will go extinct! They are beautiful but dangerous animals. Treat them with respect but don't be ignorant and get someone hurt or dead. If they were "protected by Law", I would kill them to protect my family from the venom and the dangerous law. My home, my family and my call. BTW, most snakes are rodent control around our homesteads, don't kill them indiscriminately, get educated and kill snakes only when venomous or a direct threat to your chickens.

My thoughts exactly. We'll said!

 

[Allsfairinloveandbugs]

@Matejka , your avatar! I dont know if that is someone's idea of a joke or not, but either way...

 

[Outta Here]

Except King snakes, who kill and eat rattlesnakes! Once I thought I was running over a rattlesnake in my driveway. I backed up and ran over him a couple times, then saw in the headlights that I had killed my very helpful king snake!!! Wish I could import some...

It was dark, of course--they look nothing alike with the red bands on the king snake. In fact, the first time I met one living under my house, I got a fright and had to stutter, " Red on black, safe for Jack; red on yellow, kill a fellow!"

 

[Blue Raptor]

2 ft Velvet tail.
He kept getting closer and closer. Within striking range.
Yesterday afternoon about 3, all my birds squawking and running from barn like they're lives were in danger. They gathered at the propane tank discussing it and looking at the barn.
We were on our way to town, I did not go to barn. I figured local kitty upset em. 2 hrs later, we're home, girls still by house.
7 o'clock I go to put them up, they follow me to barn then stop and start fussing.
2 fr velvet tail staring at me. I am between it and chickens. No protection nothing to defend myself except a 2 ft kids rake I use to clean coop.
I step back, it moves forward. Same thing again. He's within striking range.
What would YOU do?
I restrained him with kid rake called for help and relocated.
Just now killed a in bathroom.
Not my day.
Stay safe

If it were a nonvenomous snake, I'd pick it up and throw it away. But for this one, I'd stick a box over it and bring it somewhere else. Was the scorpion venomous too?

 

[Ponypoor]

Well- coons, bobcats, coyote,hawk, eagle,owl,,cara cara,possumand of course snakes.
No bears (that I know of) but it wouldn't surprise me to see someone try to relocate/populate/experiment with introducing bears to the area.

Dogs are the biggest problem I would say. My neighbours know not to let their pups run at large - they end up at the SPCA if they come on my property (and are lucky enough that my dog killing pony doesn't get her teeth and hooves into). I let the owners know where to find Fido and how much it will cost to spring their pooch from doggie jail. Training the neighbours takes more time than training my horses and chickens!

 

[Matejka]

If it were a nonvenomous snake, I'd pick it up and throw it away. But for this one, I'd stick a box over it and bring it somewhere else. Was the scorpion venomous too?

Nope

 

[Blue Raptor]

Nope

Oh good! Then I'd just crush it to tiny pieces!