Had to use my gun yesterday!

[Guest Danne941]

Had to pull and use my handgun for the first and hopefully last time in a defensive situation yesterday. Here is how it all played it. I woke up around 9:30 went downstairs and let my two dogs outside then preceded to take a shower and get dressed (glock, streamlight, watch, and knife included). I then went to call the dogs in for their breakfast. I live in a fairly country area and my house backs up to a creek that is at the bottom of a hill. The hill's terrain is very rocky and tough to walk down it goes on for maybe 50 yards. It is almost not passable in fact. Well back to the story I call for the dogs and nothing... I start to walk around the yard no sign of them. I then spot the dogs at the bottom of the hill and my little beagle/hound mix realizes I see her and runs to the top of the hill knowing she is getting in trouble. My pit/lab/? mix sees me and is not quite as smart she locks up and will not move. I even get some dog bones and shake the box no luck she knows she is in trouble and wants nothing to do with it. So I start getting real heated and begin to walk/slipe/cuss my way down the hill. I get a bit more then half way down and hear a noise behind me, I stop and turn to see a large snake heading right at me he/she is at maybe 5 feet and closing quick. I move to the right hoping it moves to the left but it moves to the right also I have not choice and I can not run I would surely roll down to rest of the rocky hill. I with almost not thinking grabbed my Glock 29 and fired off two rounds the second shot hit the snake just behind the head and exited a at an angle almost splitting the snake in half. That stops the snake about 2 feet in front of me. If the snake continued it's course it would have been between my legs in maybe 1-2 seconds not sure if it was going to strike but I did not want to find out!.

Edited April 3, 2010 by Danne941

[nightrunner]

close one!

[hipower]

Brrrrrrr. I hate snakes. Glad you're ok. Good shooting and reaction. Watch out for a mate to this one.

[Guest jdavis]

close call man, but you should have left that snake alone he keeps the bad snakes away ,they will actually kill rattlers, and copperheads. non venomous black snake ,or chicken snake.

[Guest Dean Wormer]

Sounds like it might be a good idea to have a back up gun or extra mag with snakeshot in it!

Good shooting!

[Guest BEARMAN]

Looks like you shot a harmless banded water snake, it's definitely not a Cottonmouth. Too long, too skinny, and the head is not broad enough for a Cottonmouth. Glad your o.k. though.

Since the weather has warmed, the snakes are coming out everywhere from a long, cold winter in their den's.

Oh, btw, hope no one from the TWRA see's your kill, because there is no season of any kind on snake's in Tennessee...not even the poisonous kind. FWIW.

Good shootin'...be safe.

[Guest Danne941]

I actually love snakes, I see them all the time living right on the water. I would have never pulled the trigger if the snake was not coming down between my legs. There are only two creatures I despise spiders and wasps!

[Guest db99wj]

An aggressive snake....dead snake. All in all leave them alone, but if they are coming at you, I'm not going to sit by and get bitten. Sorry. I like my health/life a lot better than any snakes.

Not like this guy is out hunting snakes, this one appeared, pissed off and ready to do something. Unfortunately for the snake, Danne941 was ready and faster. I'm willing to bet he wouldn't have done anything if the snake was several feet away and going the other way or he had a chance to get out of the way.

I don't like spiders, unless I can see them, it's the ones that you don't know are there that I hate. Wasps....they are evil, especially the red wasps, they are evil, pissed off, and will strike at random without provocation.

[Guest Patty]

Had to pull and use my handgun for the first and hopefully last time in a defensive situation yesterday. Here is how it all played it. I woke up around 9:30 went downstairs and let my two dogs outside then preceded to take a shower and get dressed (glock, streamlight, watch, and knife included). I then went to call the dogs in for their breakfast. I live in a fairly country area and my house backs up to a creek that is at the bottom of a hill. The hill's terrain is very rocky and tough to walk down it goes on for maybe 50 yards. It is almost not passable in fact. Well back to the story I call for the dogs and nothing... I start to walk around the yard no sign of them. I then spot the dogs at the bottom of the hill and my little beagle/hound mix realizes I see her and runs to the top of the hill knowing she is getting in trouble. My pit/lab/? mix sees me and is not quite as smart she locks up and will not move. I even get some dog bones and shake the box no luck she knows she is in trouble and wants nothing to do with it. So I start getting real heated and begin to walk/slipe/cuss my way down the hill. I get a bit more then half way down and hear a noise behind me, I stop and turn to see a large snake heading right at me he/she is at maybe 5 feet and closing quick. I move to the right hoping it moves to the left but it moves to the right also I have not choice and I can not run I would surely roll down to rest of the rocky hill. I with almost not thinking grabbed my Glock 29 and fired off two rounds the second shot hit the snake just behind the head and exited a at an angle almost splitting the snake in half. That stops the snake about 2 feet in front of me. If the snake continued it's course it would have been between my legs in maybe 1-2 seconds not sure if it was going to strike but I did not want to find out!.

Trigger happy, you won't survive, lol. Do your neighbors know that you are frighten of snakes.

Edited April 3, 2010 by Patty

[Guest Patty]

Looks like you shot a harmless banded water snake, it's definitely not a Cottonmouth. Too long, too skinny, and the head is not broad enough for a Cottonmouth. Glad your o.k. though.

Since the weather has warmed, the snakes are coming out everywhere from a long, cold winter in their den's.

Oh, btw, hope no one from the TWRA see's your kill, because there is no season of any kind on snake's in Tennessee...not even the poisonous kind. FWIW.

Good shootin'...be safe.

Ahh, if you read the TWRA guide lines, you might find that it is not allowed to kill snakes.

[Guest BEARMAN]

Ahh, if you read the TWRA guide lines, you might find that it is not allowed to kill snakes.

I did, Patty...thay's where I found that there wasn't an open season for snake's.

[Guest Patty]

I did, Patty...thay's where I found that there wasn't an open season for snake's.

So what does this mean ? Did this person break a Wildlife Law. And if so are we suppose to just ignore this and consider that because he was on his own property that he can do as he pleases.

[Guest mikedwood]

Wow, I hate snakes most are as scared of you as I am of them. Cottonmouths are abnormally aggressive though.

[Guest Danne941]

I would hope I did not break a law here I was not out trying to hunt snakes!

[Guest BEARMAN]

So what does this mean ? Did this person break a Wildlife Law. And if so are we suppose to just ignore this and consider that because he was on his own property that he can do as he pleases.

Yes, yes..........and, YES!

[Erik88]

I can't believe you all are so upset about a snake....it was coming right at him.... Why would he wait to see if it's going to bite him or not? Like he said, it wasn't like he was out looking to kill a snake...sheesh

[Guest 6.8 AR]

Good shot, Danne941.

[Guest Straight Shooter]

AGAINST THE LAW?!!!! WHO GIVES A DANG? If I got a snake,possum,coon,monkey,PERSON,rat,chinchilla,..WHATEVER, comin at me, and I dont want it too,and it wont stop....ITS GETTIN SHOT!

Further more...unless Im mistaken, there is an exemption for shootin a snake in self defense in the TWRA book. If it aint, it oughtta be. Ill pop one in a minute,boy.

I swear, some of the stuff yall say is nuts.

[Guest db99wj]

Moved, don't want to hijack, see my snake story in General Off topic

Edited April 3, 2010 by db99wj

[Guest cjr]

One less snake for me to worry about, Good job bud I would have done the same thing.Well I may have unloaded a full mag.

[Guest Fenris]

I am trying to find the legalese, but if a homeowner feels threatened, there is an exception to that law. Best thing I can find is a snake article from the C******** A***** and I'd rather not link to them.

Looking...

*Edit* I will say, anectdotally, that a buddy from church had a snake in his yard and he called MPD and he asked about discharging a shotgun in Crieve Hall. They told him if he felt threatened, he could kill the snake, and to be careful.

Sill Looking... :-D

Edited April 4, 2010 by Fenris

[Dad03]

You needed 2 shots really??? J/K Hitting on the second with it moving is pretty good.

[Oh Shoot]

Must have been another of those bloodthirsty blue racers that so often chase folks to their death.

- OS

[Proscene]

Keep on Glockin !

[Daniel]

Must have been another of those bloodthirsty blue racers that so often chase folks to their death.

- OS

I couldnt give a **** what kind of snake it is. I hate them all equally.