why not just leave them alone? is this a joke?

 

I've seen plenty of survival shows...

I think you meant poke them with a stick and then pick them up for no apparent reason. :thumb:

 

There is no such item as snake repellant.........You might want to get a pair of snake chaps to wear....

 

Perhaps I didn't phrase my question properly. If a snake is minding his own business and poses no imediate threat, then I would leave it alone a move along about my business. If I were to come upon a snake and startled into a position ready to strike and I did not have anything to dispatch the snake, would pepper spray cause it to retreat? Thanks for your input!

KE4HZC

 

You would probably make it panic and it would try to bite you out of desperation.

 

Lucky for us that snakes are shy. If you watch where you put your hands, walk slow, and don't surprise them, they are glad to get out of your way.

 

If you find yourself with a venomous snake such as a rattler in a ready to strike stance do not shoot it with bear spray. The jet of spray could and likely would cause it to strike. You are better to slowly back away and get some distance between you and leave it be. Hope this helps.

 

i would be more worried about waking up with a snake snuggled up with me for warmth on a cool night. to which a repellent would have been nice to have had in place before bed. seems like moth balls claimed to repel snakes and such but i can speak from experience they do not. (gardner snakes kept eating my fish and frogs from a decretive mini pond i had , mothballs did nothing in that case)

 

you sure it was snakes, and not raccoons?

majority of snake bites come from people never even seeing the snake beforehand. not really sure a spray would help you with that.

if you do find yourself confronted with a strike ready snake, just go the opposite direction slowly. unless its a moccasin dropping out of a tree into your boat - then club it with a paddle while trying to fling it out and maintaining your balance. and screaming like a girl.

 

I hear they don't care for moth balls...

 

Taurus Judge on the hip with .410 #4 shot

I moved to Maine 37 years ago from Arizona where I was bitten 2 times in 5 years... not fun!

Maine ain't got no poison snakes, no scorpions, no poison spiders... just mean 'ol bears 'n mooses :

 

I love Snakes, and if I saw someone Torturing one with Pepper Spray, the Snake would be the least of their Worries.

 

Generally , if a rattler is minding his own business they just as soon be left alone. If however they present a danger,I dispatch it .
The mojave green will chase you down. So I have no problem dispatching it regardless.

 

When I first moved to Az. I felt whenever you encountered a rattler you were mandated to kill it. Well, after not seeing them till I stepped right over them several times and finding out they were NOT on a mission to strike me at every opportunity, I changed my tune. They generaly will leave you alone if you do the same for them.

However, if they are in your backyard or living under your barn you may have to be a little more proactive. Not neccessarily killing them on the spot but "relocating" them to a more suitable area. (but, I hear they are quite tasty)

As far as "pepper spray" for snakes? I think that's not such a great idea.

 

Most people that get bitten by snakes either didn't see them at all or started messing with them. Either way, a weapon is of little use.

If you didn't see the snake, and it bites you, no weapon will help.

If you see the snake and tease it, your weapon is also useless.

Basically, there's rarely any point in killing a snake. Even when they're coiled and angry, they generally don't want anything to do with you. Back away, and go around.

Keep in mind, this is for North American snakes. There are aggressive snake species in other parts of the world that may need to be handled differently.

Az

 

Wow nice way to treat a new person. Flame the crap out of this person. You were all new at one time and probly had similar questions. This person said as an alternitive to shooting it. All you have to do is answer yes or no or don`t answer at all. Lighten up people. To the Original Poster sorry you didn`t get a clear answer I don`t know or I would tell you.

 

To the OP,

No such thing as a stupid question, except the one not asked. I would avoid the pepper spray on snakes. As mentioned by others, adult Rattle snakes will avoid you if they know you are around. Infant snakes are another story, and will generally try to stay still in hopes that they are not seen. Stay away from infants. I try to teach my Boy Scouts to stomp on the ground when in the presence of snakes. The vibrations will normally warn the snake of a possible predator larger than they want to mess with and they will leave or hide.

My exception is cotton mouths on my personal property. I have a creek running several thousand feet through the property on the Gulf Coast. I actively hunt and kill each and every moccosan I can find. I have lost pets to thier bites and have had several close calls with the kids. These snakes are very aggressive and are typically unafraid and will actually chase instead of retreat. I love and protect most wildlife with this exception.

Jessee

 

i have had the exact opposite experiences with cottonmouths. they are one of the most lenient venomous snakes. i have accidentally stepped on them many times and not been bit, and my son has as well. my guess is that your pets probably tried to kill them or messed with them in some way. they can definitely do some damage, I have seen people lose their entire calf muscle or parts of their hands from cottonmouth bites, but it is a rarity, and you shouldn't just go out and kill them for little or no reason.

Cottonmouths are also the most durable, resilient snake I have ever encountered. they will eat roadkill, even other dead cottons, they can survive harsh winters without hibernating, eat things that seem impossible to eat, and still behave rather gently.

 

As their eyes are covered with an occular scale, their nasal cavity has no receptors, and their "Jacobsens organ" doesn't detect "spicy", Pepper spray most likely would have a negligable impact on them. There really is nothing that is real effective as a repellant for snakes. I have heard mothballs work, but that hasn't been my experience. Best to just leave them alone, go around them. If you don't frighten them, or antagonize them, they will not bite you.

 

We used to have a lot of copperheads around here.

One day, me and the dog were out walking around in the backyard and we spotted a very large King snake. Even the dog was scared of it, and she's not scared easily. It was easily 6ft long, and just traveling along through the brush completely unconcerned about us.

At any rate. We haven't seen a copperhead since. So I'd say a King snake would be a good snake deterrent. They eat other snakes, and are immune to the poisonous bite of the vipers. That's why they're the King.

If you have a snake problem on your land, see if you can wrangle a mating pair of Kings. Give it a couple years and you won't have any more problems.

Az

 

Try leaving the snake alone, the serve a purpose in nature.

John

 

Thanks for the support Sanderhawk. I took no offense to any replies. I have no desire to harm a snake that is not a theat to me, but I just want to be cautious.

ke4hzc

 

snakes rarely craw when temp is below 50d F but will get into a sunny spot when even colder, slither out from under something

 

Talking from personal experience: turn your cell phone vibrate function off if there is a chance of dealing with a rattlesnake.

I was four feet away from a rattlesnake trying to wait for it to move along, when the phone vibrated. Scared the crap out of me.