Me too, but you can’t shoot or even harass an endangered specie unless unless your live is in danger. I recall an incident about 20 years ago near Big Bend where an individual bit by a rattler shot the snake to take to the hospital with him for id. Needless to say it was an endangered variety, and he was convicted. Since the antivenom for vipers is the same, identification beyond rattlesnake was unnecessary. I think I read about it after a successful appeal, but imagine the legal bills.
And that’s on top of the bills for the antivenin, which run from $4500 to $7000 per vial. I know someone who was bit by a rattlesnake and the medical costs were $40,000. I was told this is due to pharma companies no longer being allowed to take venom from snakes in the US (It’s cruel, you see)...it is now imported. Don’t know if that’s true...just going by what I was told.
Common sense invites revision of the law to allow for actions that would prevent/inhibit loss of property due to animal behaviors. Not that we should expect much common sense from legislators these days.
So get down there, armed and shoot, your life would be in danger.