# Catching a snake



## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

Inference is suggesting to me you probably don't have a dog that likes to do shop work with you, so possibly try this that my late mother-in-law did annually with the rat snake . She left the garage door ajar for a few days so the snake could enter, take care of any mice available and leave at will.




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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

I'm not sure if they prefer mustard with that bologna or something else. Seriously, I suspect they like their meals alive, like a mouse.

As for a trap I have seen a couple of snakes stuck in window wells where they could not climb the walls, but a 6' snake would require a much deeper hole. Thinking out loud here, a 6' length of 6" or larger pvc sealed at the bottom and open on top positioned where the snake can get in, like standing next to a bench, and baited with a live mouse. Once in you could secure the top and transport far away.

Larry will probably be along as he has posted several pictures of his snake and he likes it.

Bud


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

No, sadly, no dog(s). Always had one from when I was a little kid until I was about 30, and would still love to have one, but, although I don't do it often, or at least not often enough, I like the ability to just pack up and go at the drop of a hat, and dogs aren't always conducive to that. As far as the coming and going at will, maybe, but I don't know. I have a pair of 10x12 overhead doors on one side and a 9x7 on the opposite side, originally with the plan to be able to open them up in the summer to let the breeze come through. But that changed real soon because of the number of birds and chipmunks that took over. So now I rely more on the windows on the side walls. I do think that's probably how it got in though, because it's been so hot that I said to heck with the intruders and have had the doors open more lately. The problem though is that the chipmunks and mice have gotten in, not a lot, but enough that the snake might be able to get enough food to stay content where it is for now. I need to set the mouse traps back out, but that's what I was doing when it was in there a couple of years ago, and one of the first indications I had of it was that the mice were disappearing from the traps before I could get to them.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Yeah, probably won't care for mustard, Bud! And I know, sounded dumb to me too, the bologna I mean, but thought what the heck, maybe someone had experience with something like that. As far as them getting caught in a window well, yes, I was thinking I had seen that, and was just thinking a bit ago that I have a couple of 55 gallon drums with removable lids, had steel shot in them so no oil, so thinking about putting a mouse or chipmunk in one of those and leaning a board against the outside for the snake to crawl up. I've know several guys like Larry who don't mind them, knew one farmer in fact who was so happy one day because a guy gave him something like a 12' black snake to keep the rattle snakes at bay in his corn crib, but that's not me. As far as I'm concerned they're all snakes, and I don't like them.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Yep, I have one resident rat snake in my shop but have no mice or rats. We have them residing in our garden area as well. Tink likes to bark at them and "warn" us of danger. Of course there is none as the rat snakes kill and eat Copperheads.

As to how you pick up a snake, run your hand up behind their head without touching them until you get right to the head, then just pick them up. They will wrap themselves around your arm, but it's just natural.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

small snakes can be caught in a minnow trap.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

I've seen people pick them up, as you described Larry, so think I've got it, just not sure if I have it in me to do it. But I guess if he catches me off guard up in the loft or wherever I may need to. And maybe I'm not as bad as some people because I've been out there working this morning, come up to the house to cool off once in a while, so have been watching, but not with fear or whatever, just hoping to spot it so I can know for sure if it's there. My main concern though is it crawling in someplace and me reaching in for a piece of wood, metal, tool, whatever and there it is. Not sure if a 5-6' snake qualifies as small.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

DexterII said:


> My main concern though is it crawling in someplace and me reaching in for a piece of wood, metal, tool, whatever and there it is.


 A co-worker was nearly bitten by a Prairie Rattler doing that very thing, reaching in a floor level parts shelf at a remote work site. Diamond Backs were common about 10 miles away so a Prairie Rattler was a complete surprise. Who would have thought to probe the shelving as a precaution, but reaching is how a large percent of hand bites occur.






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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

You want to hold it's head to the ground with a stick before grabbing hold of it behind it's head. A forked stick is best, sorta like a long stick with a little sling shot on the end. If it isn't poisonous, I would leave it alone unless it got in my house. I don't care to share our living quarters with a snake, I am not afraid of them, just don't like the idea of surprise. I can't stand surprises.


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

If it IS venomous, like a copperhead, water moccasin or rattler, I don't socialize with them, nor do I like them.


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

chandler48 said:


> If it IS venomous, like a copperhead, water moccasin or rattler, I don't socialize with them, nor do I like them.


Not if he is in the boat with you. :vs_laugh:


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

> Not if he is in the boat with you


I try to scrutinize my passenger list real carefully to avoid this.


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## Colbyt (Jan 27, 2014)

I don't discriminate. I cut all their heads off any time they get close to me.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

We have massasauga's up here, I don't believe nearly as high numbers as rattlers in the southern states, but I've run into a few. A prevailing mindset is that they are not deadly, but I don't buy that because if a bee sting can be deadly for some then I subscribe to the theory that a massasauga could be deadly to certain persons. Likewise, I ran into either this rat snake or a relative a couple of years ago, way too close for comfort, and I'm not so sure that the vile venom he spit at me couldn't be deadly to certain persons. My goodness, that was the worst smell I have ever encountered.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Fishing in a river down in Mississippi one year, I saw a medium size snake floating right close to our boat. I told my buddy there is a snake floating by on your side. He saw the snake and slapped at it with his rod. The problem was he slapped in front of the snake and when he brought his rod up the snake came with it. 

He slung the snake into the boat right at my feet. That snake looked up at me as if to say, what in the world just happened. Lol

I told my buddy that he had slung the snake into the boat. He said "your lying", I said look beside my foot.lol my buddy started freakin out. I just slung it back in the river with my rod. The heck of it was, it was in February, snakes aren't usually out in February.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

BigJim said:


> Fishing in a river down in Mississippi one year, I saw a medium size snake floating right close to our boat. I told my buddy there is a snake floating by on your side. He saw the snake and slapped at it with his rod. The problem was he slapped in front of the snake and when he brought his rod up the snake came with it.
> 
> He slung the snake into the boat right at my feet. That snake looked up at me as if to say, what in the world just happened. Lol
> 
> I told my buddy that he had slung the snake into the boat. He said "your lying", I said look beside my foot.lol my buddy started freakin out. I just slung it back in the river with my rod. The heck of it was, it was in February, snakes aren't usually out in February.


So Jim what kind of snake was it?


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

It was just a regular ole water snake, they look a lot like a cotton mouth and act like one also.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

DexterII said:


> Short version, haven't seen it yet, but picked up a real sour odor in the shop last week that I sort of wrote off as a dead mouse except that wasn't really the smell, and while working down there last night I kept hearing something faint that I finally decided had to be something slithering in the loft, or maybe up in the soffit, so thinking the rat snake that I ran into a couple years ago is back. And sorry for sounding like a big baby, particularly you guys in the south who deal with them regularly, I absolutely hate snakes. And if it's the same one this thing is 5-6' long so not for the faint of heart. I'll be watching and listening, but not sure what the heck to do with it if/when I find it. I'm thinking that I may lay out a few pieces of bologna, something larger than a mouse would drag off, and see what happens. Does that make sense? Is there such a thing as a trap for them? It was dusk by the time I cam back up last night so haven't had a lot of time to think about it, but hoping I can come up with some way to snare it without having to physically grab it. My wife doesn't mid them, usually anyway, but not sure that she's going to want to pick up something this size either.



Funny you should mention odor. Cottonmouths here in the south can put off a smell. I would say musty or skunk like but not as strong.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

If I recall my research a couple of years ago correctly, rat snakes are not venomous, but they do spit something that temporarily stuns their prey. About the time I was finding tripped mouse traps with nothing in them I started picking up a foul odor when I would pull something out from against the wall, in the corners, or wherever. So I'd look around for a dead mouse or chipmunk, even though it didn't really smell like that. Then I ran into this thing, twice. The first time it was coiled up in a dark corner, I was within about 6' of it, and it was obvious what I had been smelling. The second time, a few days later, it was coiled around a 2x6 joist of one of my lumber racks, no more than 4' in front of me and 6" above my head. As I jumped back it pulled its' head back, then jerked its' head and top 18" or so of its' body at me, and spit. I'll tell you what, that was the most vile, offensive smell I could ever imagine. By the time I regained my composure and grabbed a rake or shovel it had disappeared again, and I kept hoping that it had quickly slithered out the door. Now it's looking though like maybe it stayed in there, but I can't imagine that enough mice have gotten in there to sustain its' appetite, nor how it has survived two Michigan winters in an unheated shop. I do have temporary heat for myself when it gets too cold, but otherwise is cold in there.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

A snake that big I’d just shoot it.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

I have been in old well houses that had dirt floors that had that musky smell, I would just close the door and stay out. Once you smell that smell you won't forget it, it just reminds me of the devil for some reason.

Years back I got on the jobsite early and caught a big cotton mouth. I cut it's head off and skinned it. At lunch I went back out there and so help me Hannah, that headless skinless snake ran up to me like it was going to strike. That is fact, no joke. You could see it's heart beating through the meat. Now that did spoof me pretty good.


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## Startingover (Apr 18, 2012)

That’s a joke...right?


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## chandler48 (Jun 5, 2017)

Big Jim, shoulda just had him for lunch. Good protein.


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## ratherbefishing (Jan 13, 2011)

chandler48 said:


> Yep, I have one resident rat snake in my shop but have no mice or rats. We have them residing in our garden area as well. Tink likes to bark at them and "warn" us of danger. Of course there is none as the rat snakes kill and eat Copperheads.
> 
> As to how you pick up a snake, run your hand up behind their head without touching them until you get right to the head, then just pick them up. They will wrap themselves around your arm, but it's just natural.


This post make me laugh out loud. But I'm not sure it helped the OP much. ;^)
OTOH, this is my favorite thread in a while.

Couple of years ago, my wife and I were riding our motorcycles across western Oklahoma. It was really windy, blowing across the road. We had to pee. A roadside picnic area came up. We stopped for a break. I was walking towards the woods and saw a large red sign: Rattlesnake Area! We rode on to the next gas station.


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## BigJim (Sep 2, 2008)

Startingover said:


> That’s a joke...right?


No joke, that actually happened.

Chandler, I couldn't get past the smell to eat that stinkin thing. lol


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

The smell is what has me stymied. I was busy with other things over the weekend too so didn't dwell on it, but looked high and low, moved things out from the wall, pawed through old and spare parts in the loft, no snake and no skin. It's been in the 90's the past week, with high humidity, and I expected to at least catch a whiff of it, but nothing. Along with what sounded like something crawling, there was a bit of a dull rattle, not a rattlesnake but more like crumpling paper, which the wife and I both thought was it shedding its' skin. Just seems strange with no more evidence. I don't think this is the case, but am beginning to wonder if all we heard was a mouse building a nest. As for the headless snake that came at Jim, I've never seen it, but do recall a few others tell about it happening to them.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Snakes seem scary. I have a few in my yard, so far, no poisonous ones. I jump when I see one, but, they really are a blessing, at least the non-venomous ones. They do more to keep rodents in check than anything else you can try.

They really don't have much in the way of odors, except for musk which some snakes secrete if threatened. I once grabbed a garter snake, and, well gack. Unpleasant, but not fecal at least.
@DexterII, I wonder if your odor is something else?

I've done lots of rodent trapping, and sometimes the rodents get clever at pulling the bait without snapping the trap, which effectively turns them into feeding stations. It sounds like you have some smart rodents who've learned to do that. Sometimes alternating between different kinds of traps can avoid or at least lessen that type of thing. Normally, I'd say don't use those glue traps, but this might be a situation that calls for them.


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## ServiceCall (Dec 8, 2019)

Anything that can move that fast, without legs, is satanic.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Yeah, lots of things have foul odors Dave. I just finished refurbishing and repainting my tire changer, had it apart at the time I heard what I thought was the snake, and had just pulled a huge mouse nest out from inside it a few days before. So there's a possibility that my theory of a snake, the sound that I heard coupled with the odor, was premature. Except that, and I'm sure some of the others can attest, the smell of a mouse nest, or even a dead mouse, pales in comparison to snakes like this. The smell that I had when one was in the shop a few years ago was bad enough, hot summer days and it was bad enough that it hung in the air, but then I ran into it, within a few feet, and my eyes watered and I darn near threw up when it spit at me. Kept my senses, but it was terrible.


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## Highlander86 (Aug 14, 2017)

There are usually people who specialize in dealing with nuisance wildlife and if you were to contact your local State Wildlife office, they may be able to provide you with a list of those people. They may also be listed in the phone book. I have a black racer inhabiting the outside azalea bushes and found him recently in my apple tree chasing down chameleons.


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## BayouRunner (Feb 5, 2016)

The only reason a snake would be around is if there’s food. Eliminate the food source and he will be long gone. We have wild raspberries along the back fence line and see a few snakes when the berries are dropping. Now they don’t eat berries but they sure eat the creatures that do. We moved our cockatoo in the garage over the winter. His cage needs replacement so I can’t move him back outside until we get a new one. But now we have bird seed on the floor and the squirrels are in there daily. Wife called the other day there was a rat snake in the garage. What I’m getting at is once I get rid of the bird seed the other critters will be gone. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## finisher65 (Apr 7, 2019)

You mentioned mice & chipmunks being in your garage. That's why the snake is there. Get rid of the food supply yourself or just let the snake do the work for you. 
Rat snakes are virtually harmless to a human unless you pick them up.


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## DexterII (Jul 14, 2010)

Yeah, I'm a country boy, so see how the food chain works just about every day, and understand it. And that's part of what has me stymied a bit. I have lumber and sheet material, scrap wood, scrap metal, a number of large wood and metal working tools, several workbenches, etc., so lots of hiding places, and have had countless birds and animals in there over the years. One real hot Saturday or Sunday a couple of years ago I left one of the overhead doors open while I went to the house for dinner, came back out and had a fawn laying down on the floor, probably because the concrete was a lot cooler than the ground. But it's a frame building, not pole construction, the overhead door seals are in good shape, the soffits are properly enclosed, the windows are sealed and screened, etc., so yes, things get in when I'm working out there with one or more doors open, but no more than I can keep in check with traps, and when it's closed up it's not like critters come and go at their leisure. The summer before last, I think it was, it got exceptionally hot fr a couple of weeks, I happened to be spending more time than usual in the shop, so had the doors open a lot, and we happened to have an overabundance of chipmunks and mice, so they were literally running in and out constantly, and I set extra traps. That was when I found the rat snake in there the first time and it made perfectly good sense. But that was the only time in around 30 years that the populations were that high. This year I haven't actually seen any live mice, and think I've only gotten two in traps in the past 6 months or more. Again, all I have to go on is what I thought I might have heard and smelled, so am still watching, but beginning to doubt I have a snake in there. If I do though, well, I still don't like them, but have decided I'm a big boy and can deal with it.


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## schreib (Apr 30, 2020)

another way: Build a snare harness on a stick.  fasten a PVC coupling on end of a 4 ft long rod, run fence or aluminum wire through the side nearest you and out the other end then, back in again. Where the main feed goes through the coupling, fasten it down. You are left with a loop coming out the top of the coupling and a length of wire. Hold the rod in left hand and tighten the loop with the wire in your right around the snake's head. Once on the snake, hold on tight! An embellishment to this design would be to add some sort of ratcheting wire grasper which holds the thing tight for you. Another embellishment would be to use wire very fine yet strong enough to cut off the head!


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