12 Ga. vs water moccasin: no contest.

[trof]

We were sitting out on a friend's patio, just prior to Easter Dinner, when I saw the snake come out of the bay and move in the grass toward the neighbor's house.
She's a recent widow, and deathly afraid of ANY kind of snake.

It was a moccasin, no doubt about it.
About 3 feet long a as big around as my forearm.
It's that time of year in Coastal Alabama.
Warming up, and snakes are on the move.

We were sitting around the pool, watching 4 little girls splash and play.
I nudged our host and pointed, "Snake.".
He looked and then went into the house while I kept an eye on the moccasin.
Came out with a 12 Ga. shotgun.

He walked over to within a few feet of the snake and BLAM!, no more snake.
Took the head right off.
I dumped the remains into the bay.
The blue crabs will dine well.

I don't mind non-poisonous snakes at all.
I have a deal with the poisonous ones: "You don't come around me, and I won't bother you."

Occasionally on my morning walks I see a rattler or moccasin. As long as they're in an unpopulated area I don't mess with them.

[MiddleFingerMom]

1. Many of the Fire Companies here in AZ will come and capture poisonous reptiles...

.
.
.
...and release them as far from "civilization" as possible.
.
.
.
At least they used to -- they came and got a Gila monster
from my folks' yard 20 years ago or so.
.
.
.

[Deep13]

2. Most of the snakes in the North-East are pretty skittish.

They'll get lost as long as they know you're coming. I like them a lot better than I like rats.