1 drop of venom vs. cup of blood

[JAB]

Potential cost of anti-vemon:                                     $42,000 per dose

Cost of venom extraction kit:                                     roughly $25.00

Cost of a field load shotgun shell from a bulk pack:  roughly $0.26

 

The third option costs much less and has the great benefit of avoiding getting bitten in the first place.  Not too hard to figure out my preferred method of dealing with the issue.

 

Yeah, I know you won't always see a snake in time and no, I don't go hunting for them but I also won't feel bad about eliminating a venomous snake that is around my home.  Most bites might be 'survivable' (hey, cancer is often 'survivable' but that doesn't mean anyone wants that, either) but I'd just as soon avoid the pain and suffering involved, too.

Edited August 14, 2013 by JAB

[whitewolf001]

Potential cost of anti-vemon:                                     $42,000 per dose

Cost of venom extraction kit:                                     roughly $25.00

Cost of a field load shotgun shell from a bulk pack:  roughly $0.26

 

The third option costs much less and has the great benefit of avoiding getting bitten in the first place.  Not too hard to figure out my preferred method of dealing with the issue.

 

Yeah, I know you won't always see a snake in time and no, I don't go hunting for them but I also won't feel bad about eliminating a venomous snake that is around my home.  Most bites might be 'survivable' (hey, cancer is often 'survivable' but that doesn't mean anyone wants that, either) but I'd just as soon avoid the pain and suffering involved, too.

 

Or you could just watch where you walk and avoid spending any money whatsoever! ;)

[crashgordan]

I just read a news story yesterday, where this lady got bit by a Copperhead and her "out of pocket" expense from the hospital bill 53,000.00  Her total bit was $87,000.00  The anti venom was $42,000.00 per dose. INSANE!!! A very expensive accident!

 

DaveS

 

worth every penny

[JAB]

Or you could just watch where you walk and avoid spending any money whatsoever! ;)

 

Again, I am not talking about hiking trails, etc.  In and around the immediate vicinity of my home (my yard, etc.), however, - where I walk on a daily basis and where my dog runs, etc. - I would consider that $0.26 to be money well spent.

 

I mean, I put out mouse traps to kill vermin and most see that as no, big deal.  People use .22s to thin out things like chipmunks, sparrows and other critters they consider nuisances around their homes/yards.  Shooting raccoons that are invading chicken coops and killing chickens is considered acceptable.  I see no difference in eliminating nuisance animals that could, potentially, cause serious bodily injury or even death via venom from the vicinity of my residence.

Edited August 14, 2013 by JAB

[whitewolf001]

Again, I am not talking about hiking trails, etc.  In and around the immediate vicinity of my home (my yard, etc.), however, - where I walk on a daily basis and where my dog runs, etc. - I would consider that $0.26 to be money well spent.

 

I mean, I put out mouse traps to kill vermin and most see that as no, big deal.  People use .22s to thin out things like chipmunks, sparrows and other critters they consider nuisances around their homes/yards.  Shooting raccoons that are invading chicken coops and killing chickens is considered acceptable.  I see no difference in eliminating nuisance animals that could, potentially, cause serious bodily injury or even death via venom from the vicinity of my residence.

 

Technically it's ILLEGAL as they are protected under the endagangered species list(*edit*Timber Rattlesnake only) unless you are in direct fear of your life.

Edited August 14, 2013 by whitewolf001

[JAB]

Technically it's ILLEGAL unless you are in direct fear of your life.

 

There is nothing I have ever seen in TN law making it specifically illegal to kill snakes and I have become convinced that statements claiming it is 'illegal to kill snakes in TN' is an exaggeration, at best, and intentionally misleading, at worst.  Yes, it is generally considered a violation of the law to kill any animal out of season or to kill an animal for which there is no hunting season.  However, there also generally seems to be an exception to those laws when you are killing a nuisance animal.  Specially protected animals (raptors, endangered species or threatened species) can generally only be legally killed when there is a danger to life.  Nuisance 'big game' animals can only be killed via special permits or, again, when they pose a serious threat.  Unless I am mistaken, however, copperheads are not 'big game' and are on on no such 'protected' lists.

 

Further, I do consider a venomous snake living in close proximity to my residence as a direct threat of death or serious, bodily injury to myself, my family or my animals.

Edited August 14, 2013 by JAB

[whitewolf001]

It's not TN law, federal law. Just the Timber Rattlesnake, hence my edit. There's only two species near your neck of the woods, the Timber Rattlesnake(which is an endangered species) and Copperhead which is fairgame. If there is a snake near your house they're probably looking for food.

Edited August 14, 2013 by whitewolf001

[Guest ochretoe]

The Predator Protection Act of 1979 (I think that is the most up to date version) is the law that makes it illegal to kill any animal that preys on rodents, with the exception of fur bearing animals.  The law was set up to keep mouse and rat populations down.  (snakes, raptors, and the like) That is what we sight for.  We only apply that law if someone is actively hunting snakes on State property.  Protecting your home or family or self is quite acceptable. 

[Guest Bonedaddy]

Considerin' the fishin' hole I frequently bank fish at and where 9 outta 10 snakes are, either, copperheads or cottonmouths, I really need to keep a kit with me there, considerin', also, that the nearest horsepiddle is a min. of 20 minutes away and it would still be "iffy" if I made it to it, in the first place. Most folks 'round here wouldn't carry a dog or despised relative to it. I got within' a foot of steppin' on one, last time I was there.

[JAB]

It's not TN law, federal law. Just the Timber Rattlesnake, hence my edit. There's only two species near your neck of the woods, the Timber Rattlesnake(which is an endangered species) and Copperhead which is fairgame. If there is a snake near your house they're probably looking for food.

 

Ah.  I have never, personally, seen a timber rattler in the wild.  I know they technically live in my area and I know one or two people who say they have seen them (even then, they have usually only seen a rattler once in this area) but I don't even generally think about them when talking about venomous snakes.  Copperheads, on the other hand, are a whole, 'nother issue.  Last year, my BIL (remember, my sister and her family are my neighbors on one side) had multiple occasions (at least three of which I am aware) where he had to deal with copperheads in their yard - where their kids play - in close proximity to their front porch.  The folks that live just up the hill from us have had at least two occasions where copperheads were in their yards this year.  Now, like I said, I don't hunt the things - I don't even go looking for them in the woods on our property - but one hanging around my yard is a different matter.

 

As for 'looking for food', well, the raccoon that recently killed my last hen was just looking for food, too.  That fact didn't earn it a pass, either.  In fact, speaking of chickens, I still have to wonder if at least some of the birds I lost this summer (two hens and a rooster) weren't lost to a copperhead.  I say that because two were found dead at the same time and one other was injured and succumbed that evening or the next day.  There was no, obvious trauma to any of them to suggest they had been attacked or had been fighting amongst themselves (even though the one that died later was limping and sort of dragging one wing before she died) and none of them were even partially eaten.  I would have thought a 'coon would try to drag them off or at least eat part of them on site.  

 

Comparing to the loss of my last hen - which I know to have been due to a raccoon - there are several discrepancies.  With the known 'coon kill, there were feathers everywhere and the carcass was half eaten.  Also, although it was the next night after killing/partially eating it, the 'coon came back to carry off the rest  (returning to drag off the remains of the carcass is what got that 'coon caught.)  The one known to have been killed by a 'coon was also in the fenced in 'run' area when it was killed.  The others were found dead near the 'nest' where the hens laid their eggs.  For these reasons, I still am not convinced that it wasn't a copperhead - maybe one that was just looking for food (i.e. stealing eggs) - that killed those three and not the same 'coon that killed the others.

Edited August 15, 2013 by JAB

[JAB]

The Predator Protection Act of 1979 (I think that is the most up to date version) is the law that makes it illegal to kill any animal that preys on rodents, with the exception of fur bearing animals.  The law was set up to keep mouse and rat populations down.  (snakes, raptors, and the like) That is what we sight for.  We only apply that law if someone is actively hunting snakes on State property.  Protecting your home or family or self is quite acceptable. 

 

Good to know.  You won't have to worry about me on that one - I don't 'hunt' them, even on my private property.