Quote: I went outside this morning to check on some of the dogs out there and just happened to glance over at my little chicken tractor. What do I spy but a 2 foot long rat snake looking for an entrance to the tractor. So, I grabbed a stick and went to move it away when the snake turned toward me and slithered off between my feet!!!!! Needless to say, I shrieked like a little girl!!!!! This is my first snake/chicken encounter, and I knew it was only a matter of time, but still.....the adrenaline is still flowing high!
I have had to kill multiple rat snakes. Keep in mind that if you try to grab them and don't catch them right behind the head they WILL bite you. They are not venomous but I hear the bite hurts like all holy crap. I hate snakes with a passion! My daughter is not afraid of them, so she has helped me when they climbed up into the rafters of the duck house. I'd make her dress in a long-sleeved shirt, jeans, boots and leather gloves just to be safe from any bites. We had a system going - she'd climb on a small stepstool and use long barbeque tongs to grab the head then step down and fling the snake on the floor, at which point I would use a sharp shovel to cut the head off. Those things can be tough and I have seen myself have to stand on the shovel and rock back and forth to cut the head clean off! This was for a huge six-footer. The super creepy part is they keep moving for hours after they are dead. I would scoop up the remains and put them in a 5-gallon bucket then go throw them away in the woods. Just thinking about snakes creeps me out!!
Starfire: I also use bottles as a killing cone. I use empty 1-gallon vinegar bottles, as the plastic is a little thicker. I screwed it to a tree in the duck yard. Works like a charm! Much better for the meat than a bird running all over getting bruised.
