Dangerous snake defense

[Laniarius]

This is for curiosity only. In the same way that people debate the right firearm, cartridge and load for bear defense, do PHs (or farmers, etc.) have preferred shotgun setups for defense against black mambas and other dangerous snakes? This thought came to mind as I was patterning some turkey loads yesterday. I assume you'd just use regular upland birdshot, but with a pump shotgun, would you use a wider or narrower choke? Or is it sufficiently rare that professionals don't really think about it, and just use the bird gun with an IC or M choke if the need arises?

To confirm, I do not expect that as a future client hunter, that I should concern myself with this. I'm just wondering if people with experience in, and responsibility for, dealing with Africa grade snakes have opinions on whether there's such a thing as a preferred mamba load and choke combination. Thanks.

 

[Red Leg]

Hmmmm - we have some fairly lethal North American grade snakes in South Texas - I don't think about it much at all. The last two rattlesnakes that I killed on our place were dispatched with the 16 ga kitchen gun and the riding mower (both pretty effective). In previous encounters I have found a shovel, large stick, and pickup truck to be effective weapons. We also do all we can to encourage the bull snakes - they have an insatiable appetite for young rattlers.

 

[Jeffrey]

 

[Laniarius]

Capstick's stories about mamba removal usually involved a shotgun, but one time wrote about using a Ruger revolver 9mm/357 convertible on a cobra in Rhodesia (didn't say which calibre, I imagine either one would be more than enough if you can hit it). Anyway, back to submachine guns, he has a fascinating story about using a MAC-10 on a human-killing baboon troop.

 

[JakeH]

Hmmmm - we have some fairly lethal North American grade snakes in South Texas - I don't think about it much at all. The last two rattlesnakes that I killed on our place were dispatched with the 16 ga kitchen gun and the riding mower (both pretty effective). In previous encounters I have found a shovel, large stick, and pickup truck to be effective weapons. We also do all we can to encourage the bull snakes - they have an insatiable appetite for young rattlers.

I have to echo the effectiveness of riding lawn mowers for snake defense. May not help in stalking an animal, but they’re hell on a snake.

 

[steve white]

Maybe a samurai sword?

 

[Newboomer]

How about just stay the hell away from them.

 

[CAustin]

I do not like Snakes! If I see one it dies on my property or at my h7nting club. Shotgun being my preferd instrument of death. The two times that I have seen snakes in South Africa the PH gave them a wide birth and we went on by. One being a momba the other a python. I would have preferred to dispatch them to hell to rejoin their dad....Lucifer!
When I am at my Arkansas hunt club I carry a Taurus Judge pistol loaded with 410 personal defense ammo which cuts most rattlers, copperhead and moccasins in half rather quickly. When it gets cold I exchange the 410 for 45 colt ammo for the bears. Anyway a shotgun shell does the trick.

 

[Foxi]

Nobody wants to have snakes in their house and on their property.
But to shoot them in the bush just because I'm afraid of them, no I don't, and they have their own elegance and beauty.
I try to coexist with the snakes. I don't do anything to them, but I also want to be left alone by them.

Take care
Foxi

 

[Bushpig4Ever]

When living on a farm in the Western Cape I always carried a S&W Centennial Airweight .38 in my pocket. There were plenty of Cape Cobras, the most dangerous cobra. They were around the house, sometimes in the house. You can find them in the middle of Cape Town. Not often but sometimes...

Because of kids, us, visitors and dogs we had to be careful, so I killed them when near the house. Once I shot one under the dining table.
I have used the ordinary shotshell cartridges from CCI. Perfect.

 

[Foxi]

When living on a farm in the Western Cape I always carried a S&W Centennial Airweight .38 in my pocket. There were plenty of Cape Cobras, the most dangerous cobra. They were around the house, sometimes in the house. You can find them in the middle of Cape Town. Not often but sometimes...

Because of kids, us, visitors and dogs we had to be careful, so I killed them when near the house. Once I shot one under the dining table.
I have used the ordinary shotshell cartridges from CCI. Perfect.

Around the house, there also my understanding finds an end.

In the Khomas Highlands we caught cattle that had broken out on horseback and galloped on the pad past a sleeping zebra-snake , a cobra species that everyone in Namibia is afraid of.
It remained unaffected !! and disappeared only when the shadow of the horses fell on it as we went back to watch it.
So much for the fact, that snakes are supposed to disappear immediately at the slightest vibration.
Foxi

 

[Nkawu]

We always kept a long plastic sjambok on top of the fridge- very good on snakes. Also a 22lr with rat shot as well as your garden variety pellet gun works very well.

 

[Foxi]

or you can do this .
Snares against snakes...............

 

[Laniarius]

How about just stay the hell away from them.

I agree, and that's what I do with the low-energy massasauga rattlers in Ontario. But for more aggressive species near a camp or home, I can see why people kill them.

 

[cagkt3]

Whatever shotgun is handy. Once I was running a brush hog in a pasture on a 40hp John Deere...that was also fairly effective.

 

[Hoas]

Some of them are fast and dangerous!! This guy is trying is luck with a handgun.

Shooting a snake Namibia

• Hoas
• Apr 3, 2019

 

[mikeinarkansas]

I do not like Snakes! If I see one it dies on my property or at my h7nting club. Shotgun being my preferd instrument of death. The two times that I have seen snakes in South Africa the PH gave them a wide birth and we went on by. One being a momba the other a python. I would have preferred to dispatch them to hell to rejoin their dad....Lucifer!
When I am at my Arkansas hunt club I carry a Taurus Judge pistol loaded with 410 personal defense ammo which cuts most rattlers, copperhead and moccasins in half rather quickly. When it gets cold I exchange the 410 for 45 colt ammo for the bears. Anyway a shotgun shell does the trick.

I second that! Dang cottonmouths scare the crap out of me. Struck twice while hunting the Mississippi Delta, fortunately had on snake boots.

 

[perttime]

To shoot one, you need to see it before you step on it.

 

[Will 416]

I second the Taurus judge. Very versatile snake gun. Rattlers aren’t too dangerous, unless you step on them. Copperheads and cottonmouths will often come after you. (Not always, but often.) I have killed all 3 with sticks since I was a kid in south Alabama, but only when I didn’t have a gun nearby. Their attitude is what makes them dangerous. From what I understand, mambas are like copperheads on steroids, often being territorial. I would have a Taurus judge on me, if possible. Just my opinion though.

 

[Red Leg]

Some of them are fast and dangerous!! This guy is trying is luck with a handgun.

Shooting a snake Namibia

• Hoas
• Apr 3, 2019

Bloody mamba - get a shotgun!