# wrangeling snakes the slingshot way



## frogman (Nov 11, 2010)

Spring time in the river swamp; NestBuster and I have began what will be a crusade of eradication of the Cotton Mouth Water Moccasin. Slingshots only here. Stay tuned for what will be many more post this summer of the angry and dangerous Cotton Mouth. These snakes will charge you if you miss them on the first shot, and being knee deep in the water, you must be careful when attempting this type of hunting. These snakes will take over our area of operation if we don't deal with them. Besides, they eat the fish in the river, and we can't have that, as we like to eat the fish our selves....Frogman enjoy the pics....


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## philly (Jun 13, 2010)

Madison, as a kid we had the same problem with Copperheads in Upstate NY. They were everywhere, it's a wonder none of us kids were ever bit, we lost a few dogs to them until we started training the dogs with common water snakes. They were aggresive a heck, the dogs learned quick not to mess with snakes. I envy your way of life. Great post.
Philly


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## jmplsnt (Jan 1, 2010)

I really do believe in leaving well enough alone, and with one exception that also applies to snakes for me. I let them be and they leave me alone. However, your very nasty, mean-spirited, and allow me to add strongly territorial water moccassin is kill-on-sight for me. I absolutely detest them and a day that I get to kill one (preferably while fishing, but anytime is fine with me) is instantly transformed into one of the finest days of my life. I have had some run-ins with them in the past and while I probably egged some of them on I can remember lots of them that I didn't. I'm talking about the lovely snakes dropping in your boat and chasing me out of the water deal.

I have stepped on copperheads in the woods and they didn't even try to strike.....I let them be. I do know people who have been bitten by them, but I have stepped on them twice and have no problems with them.

It's almost worth paying Frogman for a guided water moccassin slingshot hunt for a week; I don't know if I could handle a week using naturals on these stupid things!


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## Nico (Sep 10, 2010)

Nice shooting Frogman and Nestbuster.. I dont know much about about Cottonmouths but I killed a Rattler last summer with my chains and it became a meal dont know if cottonmouths are edible. But I'd love to have such a hunt with you guys..


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## frogman (Nov 11, 2010)

The Cottom mouth has a bad odor, and has no appealing white meat like the Rattler. I have eaten a few rattlers and found them to be not bad at all. They are a little boney, but, still edible. The Cotton mouth is strictly a throw away. About the only thing I would use them for would be bait for a primitive snare set...Thanks for the positive reviews guys..Frogman


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## StrongFowl (Dec 8, 2010)

Nice job !

What great offseason fun,,,,they always pose a problem in/around hunting blinds, often taking them over completely.


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## dragonmaster (Dec 24, 2009)

When fishing I find myself hunting water moccasin allot there always around my favorite fishing hole.


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## Dayhiker (Mar 13, 2010)

Great! While we don't have any of those nasty little buggers in MA, I have some quite vivid memories of heavy infestations of copperheads in North Carolina when I was at Camp LeJune. I believe both copperheads and water moccasins are evil critters. Up here we have Timber Rattlers, but they a rather nice species and I'd never bother one.

I will be looking forward to seeing more of your campaign against these yucky beasts.


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## skinny01010 (Feb 9, 2011)

At first glance I thought you were holding ropes. lol
Great shooting!


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## jmplsnt (Jan 1, 2010)

I'm thinking of my dream vacation, to include (but not limited to) a week in Florida with Frogman and Nestbuster working water moccassins with naturals and then up to Illinois to fish DM's water and perhaps bag one with my Dragon-Kungs!

I truly detest water moccassins!


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## NaturalFork (Jan 21, 2010)

Believe it or not I used to shoot them with my bow.


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## Delaney (Nov 22, 2010)

Yeah water moccasin's are really evil snake's especially if you like to fish anywhere in the southeastern U.S. definitely a kill on site animal as far as im concerned although my mom would say that all snakes are kill on site at her house


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## jmplsnt (Jan 1, 2010)

The bow hunting sounds interesting but I would be afraid of wasting arrows on them.

I have one in a big plunge pool out in the ditch that I am trying hard to catch unawares; I have a pocketful of fine stones just waiting to cave in its head.


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

We don't have Cottonmouths, but we do have Fer de Lances and I have killed three inside the house over the years. I have a treaty with snakes; If I don't see them, I don't kill them.


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## Nest Buster (Nov 22, 2010)

Henry in Panama said:


> We don't have Cottonmouths, but we do have Fer de Lances and I have killed three inside the house over the years. I have a treaty with snakes; If I don't see them, I don't kill them.


Henry that is a great treaty, but spring has sprong and the snakes are crowling eveywhere. I would have to close my eyes not to see any here. I think in 4 hours we saw 20 or more in only a 2000 yard section of the river swamp. Keep killing. Jerett


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## Henry the Hermit (Jun 2, 2010)

Nest Buster said:


> We don't have Cottonmouths, but we do have Fer de Lances and I have killed three inside the house over the years. I have a treaty with snakes; If I don't see them, I don't kill them.


Henry that is a great treaty, but spring has sprong and the snakes are crowling eveywhere. I would have to close my eyes not to see any here. I think in 4 hours we saw 20 or more in only a 2000 yard section of the river swamp. Keep killing. Jerett
[/quote]

My neighborhood has a lot fewer empty lots than it did, and most of those remaining are kept cut, and because of new construction, the wetlands between us and the mangrove have moved a lot closer to the coast, so we don't see many snakes anymore. Fer de Lances and small Boas look a lot alike, and while I really don't want to kill Boas, I can't take a chance. Once, years ago, I killed a 7 foot long Boa in the house. I didn't want to, but not knowing how to handle big snakes, I had no choice. If my wife had seen it, I would have had to buy a new house. I think the scariest episode was when I killed a newborn (maybe 5 inches long) Fer de Lance on the front patio. I mean, how far can a newborn snake slither? Mama *had* to be close by.

I grew up in East Texas, and am quite familiar with Cottonmouths. Wish I could be there and help you guys shoot them.


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## Gib (Sep 21, 2010)

Way to take care of em Frogman.


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## dragonmaster (Dec 24, 2009)

The day's are starten to warm it will not be long now and I will be out on the water for some crappie fishing and I will have a slingshot and steel in my pocket.


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## jskeen (Feb 7, 2011)

I despise cottonmouths too, nasty obnoxious critters, smelly, taste horrible and the skin is so drab it's not even worth tanning. One of the only things on earth I will shoot and leave (or throw away if it's around people). Now copperheads, rat snakes, rattlers (rare around here) and milk snakes get peeled and preserved, and eventually cast in resin and turned into handmade fountain pens. The prize is a coral snake. Got a middling little one last summer and traded the bark for over $100 worth of pen kits and blanks. Snakes have been really rare around here lately though. Part is that the area is getting built up, and I don't really go out hunting them, just catch them on the roads or in my yard. But the local Game Gestapo tell me that populations are down all over. Some people think that the imported fire ants (red ants over in Louisiana) are getting into the nests and killing the eggs or newborns. Whatever it is, I wish it would stop, I've been reduced to paying cash for pen parts lately :-(


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