Well, hi neighbor!
I, too, am in rural Texas. If a moccasin opens his mouth at you (not a good situation) you can see it is “cotton mouthed”. But I’m sure you have seen that if you have dealt with them.
I’m in east Texas and about the only poisonous snake I don’t have to deal with is a rattler. I have family in west Texas where the rattlers are king. The only kind thing I can say about them is they give warning. I would no more let one live than I would a cottonmouth. I guess all things serve a purpose on this earth. But if there is a chance that they could hurt me or my dogs...too bad for them.
A rat snake..a whip or most any other snake...they have a purpose. A rattler, cottonmouth or copperhead...not so much.
But if you want to let a rattler live, to each his own. Just step carefully and listen.
Sorry Sal, certain creatures of the poisonous nature don’t need to cohabitate. Please don’t hate me!!
Huh?
I don’t put up with vipers in my yard, either.
I got the dogs to consider.
Up on the ridge, fine...but not here.
My corns, ring necks, milks, rats, garters, racers, water and green snakes are welcome but no hots allowed.
I'm talking about when I'm a mile or so from anyone’s home or buildings. They come up near our place and they are dead.
And as a kid, I was brought up to kill them all - good or bad, poisonous or nonpoisonous - let God sort it out. As I've gotten older - either it is my imagination or fact - the dam field rat and mouse population has gotten nearly out of control. I'm a lot more selective about snakes, especially as to type and where they are located. I will admit that basically I still don't like any of them - buy I've accepted that some of them do have uses. And I don't think the field rat problem is caused by us killing snakes as much as it is by the environmental wackos not allowing any effective pesticides!