Has anyone ever killed a snake?

Yeah agree
We killed one up the Bridle track last weekend.
Damn thing came out of nowhere and slid under a tent. Couldn't find but when we did it lost its head mainly because there was about half a dozen kids under 6 around. Other than that it would still be alive today.

Oooohhhhhh Noooo.....Jimbo, what have you done.????

I'll tell you what you've done, mate.......

You've just stirred up all the raving do-gooders again, that's what!!!!! hahahahaha

I'll just sit back and watch the sheet hit the fan.

(BTW, for what it's worth, I have the same sentiments as you.....live and let live is my motto, but if it comes down to a choice;;;;;; well there's just no choice, eh??)

Cheers mate

Roachie

Jimbo
I agree with what you say.
During the floods of '74 in the channel country on a station called 'Durie' , a little way out of Birdsville, the station became an island with all manner of critters seeking refuge on that island.
Understandably there were a lot, and I mean a 'lot' of snakes. With not much cattle work to do, the station folks started to clean up some of the critters as they were posing a very great risk to the human population.

Now I stand to be corrected by anyone that worked on Durie at the time but I do believe they killed 84 in one day.
Of course when the floods receded and the need to get rid of the snakes had passed, they were allowed to move off on their own as they are apt to do, as you so rightly suggest. No doubt they prefer somewhere quiet and away from humans.

Personally I have nothing against them but if they pose a risk, then yes, I would remove the risk. other than that, live and let live I say.

Kalahari

Yup, an 6 foot Dugite that was getting too close to kids on the beach, another dugite in my back yard that was too close to me - that's the 4th in 30 years in my backyard and the only one that I killed.

The beach is about 100 meters away from my place.

The last was a King Brown up Meeka way. I was there first & it just wouldn't move outta my camp so after giving it 24 hours to vacate the premises, I shot it. 'Twere a big bugger too!!!

I try not to kill 'em but there's a limit to my patience.

Bilbo

Nature has put them on this earth to serve a purpose and providing they offer no harm to anyone, let them go on there way. Make lots of noise and they will like your presence less than we prefere theirs and head bush. Most people get bitten trying to kill them.

How's it going Jimbo,

At Shark Bay last year my wife and I noticed some " tourists " with an SLR and large lens.....

These people were pulled over at the side of the track, after seeing them take photos at many tourist hotspots, we overtook them, only to realise we ran over the lizard they were photogaphing.............

An easy way to feel bad .

The bad looks we got later don't count!!!!!!!!!

Glenn

Jimbo

I've killed a couple when I've run over them, didn't mean too...just couldn't avoid them, the last one I hit, was really narked, shot up in the air and was in strike pose and then the car behind me finished him off, I've not had to intentionally kill one though, I've encounted a few in old cemeteries but I let them get on their way...I reckon though I wouldn't worry about the protected bit if the kids were in danger

cheers

Lyn

This thred is looking a bit tame being an old fart I will take the opposit view noisy, enviromental unfrendly kids theres no comparison

what do you recon those greenies will give me a medal

Hi All,

In NSW you are legally allowed to kill snakes if you feel that you are in danger from it.

Cheers Dave

Back in my courting days, I used to commute from Adelaide to Kingston S.E. to visit my girlfriend (now Wife) on the farm.

Well one day we were down the back of the property checking the rabbit traps when I nearly stepped on a Tiger snake lazing on a path through the bracken.
Having the trusty rifle in my mits you may well think I quickly dispatched this slithering serpent.
Pigs arze.......dropped the rifle, grabbed my girlie and ran lickerty split back to the Mini Moke, our trusty steed of the day, then headed back to the farmhouse where I spent the rest of the day consoling her:-)))
Returned gingerly the next day and picked up the rifle.......no sign of the snake...... instant relief from this gunga din.

Come to think of it, she didn't seem at all worried about the tiger snake.
Still haven't had the need to kill one yet.

diamond has... ask him for advise

you have never been apart of Whacking day?

i wont say how many , over the years, but i did use an environmentally friendly shovel for most, some got a strange case of lead poisoning. In all cases they were agressive and a risk to human health, if up the paddock and not hurting anyone i let em be..

jimbo jimbo jimbo.
your more of a man than most on here i must admit.
first you tell the truth about chain saws and ants nests if thats not enough now its the poor old snakes.
i thought you would have given up after your big admitance on the old smoke butt in the fire place but no you have to dig your self a deeper hole.
you will now be known as
osama jim laden.
dont know if i can talk to you any more.
lol
cheers

last trip we had one in the campsite that we couldnt get rid of, we banged and crashed around, trying to scare it on its way (while the kids sat on the cars roof), but it wouldn't go, so I had no choice and took its head off when it appeared again. hate doing it, but with 3 young kids around it wasn't worth the risk....I then covered the body in detergent and washed it in the creek.

I think the detergent bit is a wind-up. A couple of days ago there was a thread about saving water on long trips and some-one was washing in a creek with a little detergent or something and everyone went ballistic at polluting the waterway.

Rus.

I was up around McKillops Bridge a few years ago with a mad German truck driver. We ran over a large wriggler accidentally and he says "oh, we can eat him..."
Still remember him picking through the tiny bones in a campfire just near Little River Falls.
I stuck to the sausages...

love snakes but dont have a problem with people killing them if the need arises. With the right gear they are dead simple to catch and relocate. Did a snake catching course for work and it is just a matter of putting the bag in front of them and touching their tail with a stick. They wont to get out of there and you provide the dark hole - simple

Jimbo, I have found that apart from not shortening batteries, swearing doesnt kill snakes either, it does however, forever scar the other 12 yo boy there who never in his life heard someone mention the word "arse". I saw three in 10' once riding my bike and apart from my feet being instantly higher then my head, and aforementioned swearing, left them alone.

We answered to a blood curdling shriek in the Flinders Ranges once however and after moving the car, (with 6 kids inside it) found the offending snake and dispatched it. As said above the risk was too large, mind you I didnt give it a chance to move away just knocked it on the head, and then popped it in the fire. It was a whopper too, near 18" long.................

We always were told to use a long handled shovel and kill them. Instinct won out.

I have a property and I was making some changes to underground poly pipe water lines. I put my hand down a 100mm pipe to turn a valve off and then decided to dig around the valve to replace it. As I was digging a young 18" tiger snake wriggled out. Clean underpants time. It's now an ex snake. We have a lot of Black snakes and they are a bit like Ostriches. Whenever they feel threatened they bury their head. I have worked around some 4 footers with their head under a leaf. Brown snakes - I have killed a few by mistake when cutting up logs. I accidently killed a small brown snake when I was brush cutting down a fence line. It stuck it's head up just as I was sweeping the brush cutter from side to side. Took it's head off cleanly. It is not true if you cut one in half you end up with two snakes, or is that worms. In anycase it's not true for both. You just end up with a dead snake (or worm). We have a Green tree snake that visits our fish pond regularly and makes meals of the frogs. Now I should report it because the frogs should be protected!

Richard

In all my years of camping I have never had the need to kill a snake until Easter just gone. We were camping on the inlaws farm in Albany (WA)with a group of friends, dogs and kids included. On the first morning the ladies were sitting up on a rock nearby with a coffee looking at the wonderful view when a tiger snake decided to check out the camp site scaring the hell out of one of the ladies. Dispatched him and reassured all present that whilst you can expect to find snakes on a farm that we were just unlucky (or the snake was). We all promtly forgot about it. Later that afternoon, my son set off to collect some firewood whe he spotted another tiger in almost exactly the same place. Dispatched number two.

One lady in our party was particulary afraid of snakes and hardly moved from her chair for the remaining four days.

I agree with most others. I have spent heaps of time on the farm and whilst you don't see snakes every day if they are out in the bush I tend to let them go. I only worry if they are sighted around the house (or camp). We camped at the same location for a week about two weeks later and didn't see another snake the whole time.

In my experience, dugites, brown snakes etc will generally get out of you way if they possibly can. Tiger snakes will do the same, but they are more aggressive and will have a go if they feel they can't escape or are surprised.