May I Post this here?

[sneedb82]

The wife's tactical shotgun.... is a pink camo Mossberg 500 Bantam. Adjustable length of pull with removable stock shims. She has a tasco red dot on the Shotty.

Here's it's first kill, and the story:





This evening, I pulled in the driveway at 5:40pm... Went inside, unloaded my work stuff, hugged the wife and kiddo... Then took the dog out for her evening walk, to do the potty thing.

Like clockwork, the dog is at the back door waiting, while mom and the kiddo are getting ready to eat supper. I take the pup outside, walk down the driveway, and I look to the south, where notorious rabbits like to eat rotting peaches under the peach tree.... it's around 6:20 or so... sun is already passed the horizon and giving off a good amber glow, and what do I see? What looks like a massive lizard!

So i take a gander a little closer, and much to my surprise, a 2 ft diamond back is waiting, perched on some bricks...

I attach the dog to the pole, go inside and fetch the 20g and come back outside, and that sucker is looking for me! So I let him eat some dove shot.... first shot was a little low, and shot him backwards 2 feet. Second shot was not so easy on him. Sucker moved for about an hour after being disemboweled and decapitated.

First one I've seen since February.... So just a reminder, keep an eye out for the little guys, especially this weekend. It's supposed to be a warm one.


--6 buttons.... that's a lot of rattles for such a little snake. I could hear his rattling after shooting the 20g the first time, without earplugs.
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[LateralusMan]

Cool pics, glad no one was hurt.

With no children or pets around my house, I would normally choose to allow any rattlers or other snakes on my property live (chase them into the desert) unless I had no other choice. I doubt it was "looking for you" with the want to harm you - rattlers, like any other snake, will run away if they think they can. Although given your circumstance, I would have chose to kill it as well.

Just the other day I saved a baby rattlesnake that was sitting in the middle of my neighborhood road. They help keep the pack rat population in check.
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Springfield Armory XD(m) .40S&W
Remington 700 SPS Varmint .308
Marlin 60SSK .22LR
Soviet 1942 M91/30 Mosin Nagant
CMMG 20" AR-15 Rifle
Spike's Tactical 16" M4 Carbine AR-15 (WIP)

[sneedb82]

Where we live we have west texas sidewinders (coachwhips) and bullsnakes for that .... rattlers have no purpose where we live. I know he wasn't looking for me, however, he moved from his position (facing south, away from me) when I first noticed him... heat signature prolly from the car (much warmer than where he was), so when I came back outside with the sg, he was in the process of moving towards the car in the carport.

With a 16month old, and a wife that's not always paying REAL close attention, this was a wake up for her... I knew they existed, seen them on the road, but never at the house.
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Mega/Mega Build in Progress
TPPSpikes/Wilson 6.8SPC 16"

[Rusty Shackleford]

I killed eight gophers last year and a purebred Tennessee walking horse that was looking at me funny.
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[The DRis]

Yeah, I need to take some pictures of my backyard for you guys. But other than the one huge rattler while biking it has been quiet this summer. We live next door to where my wife grew up, her parents sold the house and moved to a bigger one. But my F-I-L and M-I-L are always cautioning me about my 18 mo old and the snakes. I guess when they lived next door they would have them in the backyard all the time.

Well 2 weeks ago after a bike ride I was walking past my truck into the garage, barefoot. And I see a small 6 in.. rattler under my truck, I jump back, but notice it was already dead. I had rolled over it when I moved my truck in the morning.

What I was shocked about is how did it get into my front yard, and what was it doing under my truck that early in the morning, it was a bit chilly, and the sun never hits that area. Young thing, only a 2 little nubs or whatever they are.