"NIMBY" (sorry Crump!)

[Bundalene]

:eek2::eek2:

I know snakes are protected, but so are we!

This large brown had been hanging around since mid morning. He went into the garden (behind). We saturated the area with cold water to try to get him to move on, as we really don't like killing snakes. In fact we have had a few red bellied blacks and eastern browns - but they usually don't hang around the house. We have 2 dams and over 30 acres so there's plenty of room for them elsewhere.

A little while ago, the birds started their "warning calls" - as they usually do when there are snakes,blue tongues or goannas about. The snake had made his way round to the verandah, we tried to move him on, but he stood his ground and reared up, so unfortunately he had to go.

We have 2 small grandchildren and a dog, so apologies to the snake lovers.
(And yes, I do have a Firearms Licence)

Erich


http://img189.imageshack.us/img189/4207/dscn0546b.jpg (http://img189.imageshack.us/i/dscn0546b.jpg/)

[dobbo]

Snake steaks for dinner, yum

[dullbird]

wow never realised you had 30acres......

now I know where I can legist when going on holidays :angel: :lol2:

[Bundalene]

Snake steaks for dinner, yum

BBQ Ribs actually Dobbo..

Goat ribs, that is...not snake ribs:D

[Chucaro]

Kids ribs :angel: they are delicious ;)
It is a very nice coutry up there, do you live near the hills?
You have done the right thing the browns can kill a child in no time :(

[Bigbjorn]

Traditional method of snake control in the Qld. sugar growing areas is to "shorten them up". Usually with a long handle cane knife.

[Bundalene]

Yep, young goat. Should be very nice. I have it marinating in a nice home made BBQ sauce at present.:)

Horsley Park is not all that hilly - though there is one reasonable hill not far away and if you look-out from the top of it you can see the city in one direction and the Blue Mts. in the other. It was mostly market gardens a few years ago, but there's not too much large acreage still about. Most places have been sub divided and VERY large homes built where vegetables used to grow.

Still, it's pleasant enough and we won't move if we can help it - despite the "wildlife".;)

[numpty]

Traditional method of snake control in the Qld. sugar growing areas is to "shorten them up". Usually with a long handle cane knife.

I thought you cut their tails off...........................as near to the head as possible;)

[Bigbjorn]

I thought you cut their tails off...........................as near to the head as possible;)

You have got the idea, make them a bit shorter. Make a 4' snake into a 4" snake.

[Shonky]

Poor snake. :( But yeah - I get it. Don't you wish you could speak their language sometimes? (anyone know how to say "**** off!" in snake?)

We have had the same problems this year. We have lost 2 young pups to snakes in the last 12 months. :( The old woof knows enough to steer clear but the pups just think it is a game.

RIP "Madison" and "Matilda". Both Kelpies, both aged 6 months.

[Bundalene]

So sorry to hear about your pups Andrew. Three of our friends have had their dogs bitten this summer, 2 black snake bites and one brown. Thankfully all 3 managed to pull through due to very quick trips to the local Vet. Interestingly, the antevenine for the black snake bite was almost double the cost of the antevenine for the brown.

We normally get black snakes about and try to relocate them down to the bottom paddock where there is a dam. Usually we can coax them into a hessian bag using a forked stick.

Brown ones are an entirely different thing, they tend to be much more agressive. This one just wouldn't go away and hung around for several hours. When we did eventually find it next to the verandah mid afternoon, it just flattened itself and reared up, so there was only one outcome:rocket:

The weather has just been ideal for snakes recently, we're sort of looking forward to it cooling off a bit.

Take care mate and all the best for Easter.
Cheers Erich

[haggisbasher]

We are about to move out to th Kyneton/Woodend area and with 4 little kids. Snakes are my biggest fear about moving, especially with the kids.

Have heard geese and Guinea fowl are good at keeping them at bay tho.

Cheers

Chris

[Redback]

We are about to move out to th Kyneton/Woodend area and with 4 little kids. Snakes are my biggest fear about moving, especially with the kids.

Have heard geese and Guinea fowl are good at keeping them at bay tho.

Cheers

Chris

I think that big stick that Erich is carrying is better:D

Baz.

[JohnF]

We are about to move out to th Kyneton/Woodend area and with 4 little kids. Snakes are my biggest fear about moving, especially with the kids.

Have heard geese and Guinea fowl are good at keeping them at bay tho.

Cheers

Chris

We bought our kids up in the country, and snakes are not the biggest worry--we have had lots of snakes. Today my boy catches snakes, but he is 23 now. Do not be fearful, but teach your kids to be careful of snakes, AND MAKE SURE YOU ALL KNOW THE CORRECT SNAKEBITE FIRST AID, just in case the worst happens.

[JohnF]

Have heard geese and Guinea fowl are good at keeping them at bay tho.
Cheers
Chris

Our geese did not seem to keep snakes at bay, but they would make a big fuss that let you know they were around, and would not go in the Chook yard when a snake was in there.

Guinea fowl are suppose to kill and eat snakes, so it may be worth having them.

Dor when your kids are a bit bigger, a Red-belly black snake is fairly harmless to an adult, but will eat deadly brown snakes, as it is a canibal. So it is worth having these around to keep more dangerious snakes at bay.

However unless you are sure it is a red belly, treat it as deadly. The brown snake can be jet black. In over 60 years no adult had died from a red-belly black snake bite, but children would be at risk.

But as some one who was bitten by a red-belly black snake, and can tell you that though, as an adult, you probably will not die, you will be so sick that you will wish you were dead.

[Bundalene]

We are about to move out to th Kyneton/Woodend area and with 4 little kids. Snakes are my biggest fear about moving, especially with the kids.

Have heard geese and Guinea fowl are good at keeping them at bay tho.

Cheers

Chris

A mate of ours up the road has geese, and they make a hell of a racket when snakes are nearby. Not sure if they actually kill them though. A lot of birds also warn of the presence of snakes - galahs, butcher birds and especially noisy miners (NOT indian mynas) group together and get very vocal when reptiles are close by. It was the noisy miners that alerted us to the brown snake yesterday

As John F. suggests, teach your children from an early age the dangers of snakes, but also teach them to respect them - not to touch, but to walk away from them and come and tell you.

Snakes normally avoid humans - hence we very rarely need to kill them.