Rattlesnake Weapon of choice.

[WildlifeAssassin]

Considering trying to bring home some snakes this year. Anyone out there hunting them already? If so what are you using to take them down?

I have heard some people use pistol shot shells but I wanted to hear from someone who has done it with success. Thanks.

[addicted]

ive heard a shovel works wonders 

i hate the darn things and id just as soon stay away from them. good luck though.

someone on here said drown them in a bucket of water.  thats the more conservative way for taxidermy though.

i guess a shotshell or a small caliber would be great.

[Caseyd]

ive heard a shovel works wonders 

Im with you on that one  Or when it starts getting cold at night and they make their way to the blacktop, the Truck usually does the trick too 


Id rather just stay as far away as i can

[jdb]

Ive killed them with everything from rocks to .45 colt, a .22mag with shotshells works good as does a .410 shotgun best is probably a hoe. JB

[DeKuma]

saw some snake shotshells for the .45acp at Cheaper then Dirt.  Make them for the 44 mag as well.  Talked to a guy last night that said the suck unless the snake is right there at 5 to 10 feet max.

[tlbradford]

Pin them down with a stick, grab them by the tail, swing em around over your head, and snap their head into a rock or tree.  Or just cut their head off with your pocket knife.  If you want the head for a mount, then catch them in a bucket and drown.

[boneaddict]

Haven't used my teeth, but just about everything else.  I ahve killed hundreds, maybe thousands  with a 22 mag with shotshells.

[Aperson]

just get a high powered airsoft gun, thats all you really need(with metal ammo).

[jdb]

just get a high powered airsoft gun, thats all you really need(with metal ammo).

I wouldnt try that

[Bscman]

The rimfire and pistol "shotshells" work very well on snakes...
The problem isn't that the shells suck, it's the rifling in your firearm! It distorts the shot and jumbles up the shot column so you don't really have a "pattern" when they exit the barrel...which is why they only work at close distance. The plus side, however, is that you don't have to worry about ricochets.

Sportsman's and Cabelas both carry the more common calibers (9mm, .40, .357, 44 and 22lr).

I was watching a hunting program a week or so back from Texas...they were using a bow and arrow. An 8yr old got a pretty nice ~5footer from about 8yds...she put it right through the head.

Another good option would be a H&R single-shot in .410.
You can find 'em used for about $60, or but them new for around $100.

[Fishhunt223]

A good pair of snake tongs.  Throw them in a bucket of water or an empty bucket that you can put in the freezer.  With a good pair of snake tongs you dont have to worry about them getting loose and you can usually find them on ebay with some cosmetic defects for fairly cheap.  Then you can sell them to me .
Travis

[sivart33]

20 gauge just hit the head and its over.  shovel works well also

[300rum]

I have shot at least a dozen of them and here is how I do it.... I am usually riding a bicycle so I don't have a long gun with me.  I carry a Glock 23 .45 ACP.  I like the shot shells that they make for the .45 as they cycle well, the 9mm and .22 don't cycle as sometimes the plastic shell that encases the shot breaks and then you have a bunch of shot in your gun.  The first shell in my .45 when I carry it is shot because I am more likely to run into a snake than anything else, the rest of the shells in the mag are hardball for whatever I might need them for, protection, coyote etc.  I carry a second mag full of shot in case I need another shell as sometimes I might need to shoot them twice.  If they are coiled you can shoot them with the shot standing about 5-10 feet away and it pulverizes their head.  You can shoot into their body and it doesn't do too much damage, I do this if they are getting away into a bush or something, after you shoot them in the body they will coil up and then I change mags and get a head shot.

I have gotten the drop on a coyote who was sneaking up on a turkey, I couldn't rack my slide back to get hard ball in the tube without too much noise so I fired the first shot (which was shot) and then got the coyote with the second which of course was hard ball.  It is a pretty good 1 gun setup for snakes, meth pukes, grouse, snakes, etc.

[Idabooner]

I was hunting deer up on the ridge just down lake a ways from Stehekin with Boneaddicts oldest brother when he was small. Before noon the sun had warmed things up some when I nearly step on  two big rattlers wrapped up together in the buck brush and tall grass. I decided it wouldn't be smart to mess with them in that steep rocky, brushy terrain so we went on with the hunt. Every few minutes the kid would whisper, Dad, Dad we should get those snakes so I finally had enough and we went back after them. They were in the same place so I got where I could see them good at about 10 feet. I shot the 300 savage into that pile, pieces of snake flew, one snake came at me fast, boom I blasted it, my heart was pumping, there was blood all over the front of me, I thought it was snake blood, heck it's still squirting, from my cheek just below the eye. It finally healed then months later fester up and I dug a piece of copper bullet jacket 1/3 the size of the little finger nail from my cheek.  

[HCDowns]

Not sure what to tell you on that one, of course the standard shovel. ( my husband keeps one right by the front porch) or you could do what I do and run away very fast. <--------not a snake fan.