A true story that will make MY skin crawl. A young married couple worked hard and planned for their new "dream home". They had finally saved enough to buy it. Located in a wooded area. Rather than spend a fortune they bought a brand spankin new sectional manufactured home. It was set up right and even had block foundation around it with an access hole left to crawl through. It did have a mouse proof steel door on it. Shortly before they were to move into it the young wife was killed tragically in an auto accident. Her husband never moved into their dream house. It sat empty for a couple years, I guess. Finally he sold it to another young couple and they were thrilled to have such a beautiful new home and in such a marvelous location. They moved in and spent their first night in it. Neither one slept very well--noises! In the walls, in the ceiling, in the floors. Seemes like they heard noised all over the new house. They thought because of it being in a wooded area-mice had "taken over" the house. Next day they called an exterminator to come and kill the mice. He showed up, oopened the crawl space door and got about half way in. He let out a yell and came backing out at record speed. Quickly he slammed the steel door shut and latched it. He was absolutely terrified. When he could speak-all he could say was "SNAKES"! He refused to have anything else to do with the home. The couple finally went to a local farm store and bought some kind of snake repellant. The house was eventually cleaned out of those stinkin serpents and the noises stopped. Nobody could figure out why so many snakes had infested that house as there couldn't possibly be that many mice to eat. I don't know about it but what I DO know---I still hate snakes and would've moved out or maybe burned that thing down before I'd have stayed in it! Matt. 24:44

-- hoot gibson (hoot@pcinetwork.com), July 25, 2000

Answers

Our son was carrying two 50 lb. bags of chicken feed to the henhouse when he hollered for Dad to bring his shot gun. There was a water moccasin trying to snap at his leg. They handled the problem (snake guts went everywhere!), but it got us talking to some friends that live just south of here. The had seen a rattlesnake on the road close to where they live, and commented about it to the local conservation officer. The officer said that it didn't surprise him a bit. Seems the state introduced buncehs of rattlesnakes into the forests of the area, in an effort to get rid of the coyotes. Seems that the snakes like to crawl into the coyote dens and eat the pups! Understandably, the introduction of rattlesnakes were not publicized. I'd heap site rather deal with coyotes than snakes....

-- Leann Banta (thelionandlamb@hotmail.com), July 26, 2000.

Those stories are creepy. Gave me the shivers. I've read the stories about wild life management introducing certain animals in areas to control others or to live there. And what is difficult for me to understand, at least keep and open mind, is the opinions of others who are sooooo CRITICAL of those who have to kill snakes. I'm personally amazed at all the snake lovers on this forum and especially poisonious ones at that! Just my humble opinion and i'll be shot for expressing that opinion I bet!

Bernice... who is ducking from the shots.....

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 26, 2000.

I am always astounded when people love snakes as well. They are with sharks in my book. They have souless dead eyes. I still won't go around trying to kill every one I see, but if it's poisonous, I will not hesitate to dispatch it.

You all probably know this, but those sonic mouse repellers draw snakes, so don't ever use one unless you just adore the dead eyed reptiles!

-- Doreen (livinginskin@yahoo.com), July 26, 2000.

After moving in to my house, I came home one day to find my husband excited about killing a copperhead. It was a black snake. All snakes are copperheads to my husband, even little garter snakes. Poor thing was chopped into three pieces. He now tells me to move any snakes he sees.

-- Dee (gdgtur@goes.com), July 26, 2000.

OKAY, you guys knew this was coming! I'll try to be nice. Poisonous snakes as well as other dangerous animals share the earth with us. Your extreme fear and hatred of them is mostly unfounded. The Christian view is that humans have dominion over these beasts, and that viewpoint reviles serpents of any kind. It is unfair. Those of us who are unencumbered by Christianity realize that snakes have a right to their lives and their homes. As I said in an earlier column, I would kill anything that threatened my family be it man or beast. However, to kill every poisonous snake that crosses one's path is fundamentally wrong. Usually when humans encounter animals they are on the animals' turf. I don't expect those of you with a life-long fear of snakes to agree with me. Just realize that there are other viewpoints. I respect yours. Can you tolerate mine?

-- Jim (catchthesun@yahoo.com), July 26, 2000.

Jim, you kick butt! I agree.

-- J.J. (Haha@pa.prg), July 26, 2000.

Jim, where do you live? In Central Tx where I am we have 3 of the 4 poisonous snakes in this country. I have goats, cats, dogs, chickens and guineas, I care about their well being. (WHICH is also a Chirstian view.) I don't go hunting for copperheads, moccasins or rattlers to kill them. If they are in the three acres that I and my animals frequent the most, they are out of their safety zone and in mine. As with the right to fire arms, I reserve the right to kill poisonous vipers on my property. I also kill black widows and brown recluses, flies and mosquitos and garden pests. I must be the most ignorant person on earth.

I am sorry, but I truly think you are romanticizing the right to life of potentially deadly animals.

-- Doreen (livinginskin@yahoo.com), July 26, 2000.

Jim... at least we can agree on something... to disagree on this point. You must have been reading my mind today when i was thinking about this issue. I figured that in this world no one person can convince another to accept their point of veiw nor opinion. I also figured that we all have different views and that we need to respect others as well. Thats why i said you must have been reading my mind. I respect your, but don't agree with it and think you probably do the same with mine. I'll probably never agree with yours, however, you do have some good points in your discussion of this issue. I still despise snakes, especially posionous ones but agree they all have a purpose here on Earth.

-- Bernice (geminigoats@yahoo.com), July 27, 2000.

I agree with Doreen - if the snakes are poisenous, and they're where my children or my animals are, I'm going to get rid of them the quickest and easiest way I can.

-- Eric in TN (ems@nac.net), July 28, 2000.

To my mind, there is nothing more dangerous than a species that kills its own for fun, nor more poisonous than one that covers every available space on the planet with garbage and noxious emmision- producing edifaces. Y'all have much more worrisome animals on your hands than snakes at this point in history, and the last time I checked, no snake had ever ammassed a weapon of mass destruction. Give me the snakes anyday. At least I can scare them away.

-- Soni Pitts (thomkilroy@hotmail.com), August 01, 2000.