Darn. That was one beautiful serpent. We have a bull snake that from time to time hangs around the Nevada house. We saw it once, apparently shortly after it had shed, and it ignored us and very purposefully continued on its way.
I really don't like venomous serpents; but I try not to kill any of them because otherwise I'd be up over my head in jack rabbits and desert cottontails. We've had Old Pointy pull the extensions off our rain gutters on several occasions now because the rabbits run up them to escape and the rabbit and rain guard alike become coyote toys. It's sort of weird to see the teeth punctures all the way through the aluminum. The first time it happened we thought the extension had been stolen by some meth head to sell the metal - then we found it way out in the sage at the back of the property, complete with toothmarks. After that, if one's gone, we just hunt around until we find it.
I tried to kill a racer over the weekend. He was down at the chicken house hanging around. Before that he had left his skin in my flower bed and started hanging out around the deck. DH was not home and after watching him for about 15 minutes, I decided to do the deed. Well I missed, he took off into the run with me and 20 chickens chasing him. Eventually he escaped into the woods and either has decided to relocate on his own or get even with me. I HOPE he relocates.