How To Catch A Snake : How To Make A Snake Catcher
84Why Make A Snake Catcher?
For those of us who have a snake problem in our area, it is important to carry the right snake equipment for capturing and relocating certain reptiles. Catching snakes, especially venomous species, may seem dangerous, and it is if you don't have the right snake catcher. Snake removal is necessary when a species becomes invasive and too prolific in the area.
Even though you may live in the city where venomous snakes are rare, it isn’t unusual to encounter snakes anywhere there are rodents to feed upon. The presence of these creatures may not bother you, but there are usually others who may “freak out” at the first sign of a small garter snake.
In this case, it is often better to remove the little guy to a safer locale. Safer for them, not for the frightened humans.
Testing The Snake Catcher
Why Remove A Snake?
In the rural areas of the U.S. there are more important reasons for removing unwanted reptiles. The venomous snakes such as the several variety of rattlesnakes, water moccasins, copperheads and coral snakes, may be a danger to your family, pets and livestock. A snake problem may exist with any of these species.
Some of these species are creatures of habit and will remain in the area as long as there is food available. Unless you wish to try to exterminate all of them the best thing to do is to catch them and release them in a more isolated area. But how does one do this safely if one has a snake problem?
Although the classic “grab the snake behind the head” technique will work well, it is not favored by many people for the obvious reason. You have to get close to the snake before grabbing it, something most people are unwilling to do. So, for safe snake removal, you really need a snake catcher.
How To Construct The Snake Catcher
Making the Snake Catcher
This simple, and easy to construct piece of snake equipment will allow you to safely and gently catch the snake and place it in a container for easy removal and transportation. It is also very inexpensive, so several may be made for various home and garden areas. Here in the country we try to keep one in the back of the pick-up for easy access.
To construct the snake catcher you will need a length of pipe of some sort and a length of thick cord, usually nylon braided, approximately ¼ “ thick. The pipe can be PVC, ¾ or 1” diameter in thickness, just as long as it is stiff enough to pick up the snake with. The length of the pipe needs to be at least 6 feet long, although you may make it shorter if you aren’t afraid to get closer to the snake.
Drill a ¼” hole 2’ from the bottom of one end of the pipe you have chosen for your snake catcher pole. Thread the cord through the pipe from the undrilled end and thread the cord out through the drilled hole. Tie a firm knot in the cord to keep it from pulling out of the drilled hole. That's it, the snake catcher is finished. Now, catch a snake!
Safely Using The Snake Catcher
How To Use A Snake Catcher
To use the snake catcher effectively you must leave enough slack in the cord to make a small loop at the drilled end of the pipe. By placing this loop over the snakes head and pulling the loose end of the cord through the pipe you can control the snake and place it in a container. A 5 gallon plastic bucket with air holes in the lid works well.
Be very careful placing the lid on the bucket if the snake is venomous. A rattlesnake can strike from the bucket if he is very large. By loosening the loop on the snake catcher you can release the snake gently with little chance of harm to you or the snake. Be sure the lid on the bucket or other container is secure as you don’t want these guys slithering around in your car.
Snakes are very wonderful creatures and deserve their place here on earth along with the rest of us. Snakes help control rodents which can become a problem themselves. Please put these guys back into the wilderness where they can do their thing without interfering with yours. Don’t wait until you see a snake to build a snake catcher, it only takes a few minutes to construct one.
First Canebrake Rattlesnake Of The Season
Check out the included video to see my friend Russ catch a 5 foot canebrake rattlesnake with our brand new snake catcher. This guy is the first catch of the season but will only be the first of many we encounter until cold weather forces them to den up until next spring.
This snake was not harmed and will be relocated away from my work area on the farm. This rattler is shedding his skin and has apparently lost most of its rattles. You can still hear the buzzing sound the rattles make when the rattlesnake is angry. This sound is not easily forgotten or ignored. Be careful and alert while attempting to capture any venomous snake.
Pay no attention to the minor swearing or the southern accent while the video is running! it comes with the job!
Snake Info and Products
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Yikes - Thank goodness we don't have any venomous snakes in New Jersey!
Another great hub, Randy :D
Gawd, Holle! My son keeps a corn snake in the house, not a rattler, thank God!
Yes, he still is! I have him in a safe place for now. We will find more tomorrow as we are selling a bunch of irrigation pipe. The canebrake rattlers love to live inside these pipes.
OK, I should have known the snake would be looked after. I was a bit afraid to read this in case the snake got hurt. Good stuff Randy!
I can't stand snakes so I would have to hire you! I scream and run one I see one!! I love the Video both of you are certainly quite brave. We have rattlers in our part of the Country and they can be nasty!
Wow Randy this is a great hub and the video was amazing. Glad you guys didn't get hurt or the snake. :-) Nice job!
Yes you do, Edwierdo! But she moved down to Georgia and I met her many years ago! I can send you this one if you like! Thanks for the comment!
Randy
Come on Lorie, live dangerously once in a while. Just send me your address and I'll send you a little rattler to liven up your home. Shipping and handling-$99.99. Kidding of course!
@Earnest. Even the crocodile hunter was particularly careful when catching these snakes in Florida shortly before his demise. Bad mohammajammas!
AEvans, You would get over your fear of them if you attended some of the local churches. You get to hold them and pet them every Sunday. LOL
RD, are you mad at me for posting this hub on the forums?? I just thought it was really cool and not something most people see every day - especially city folks!
Randy, I don't think they do that EVERY Sunday - I think they reserve that for special occasions!
Thank you Crazdwriter. Even though we were safe it is still a bit nerve wracking sometimes. Something you can't tell from pictures and videos is the smell a rattler gives off sometimes. A very putrid smell it is!
You avoided my question...
omg i seriously hate snakes but you did an awesome job writing this hub ... sorry to say i wont be tryin to catch any snakes though ... i'll leave that up to you :)
@ Carpetcleaningweb. I've stepped all around them but never on one. You are right, snakes are very interesting creatures and we all stay very interested about their whereabouts.
Thanks for checking out my hub!
No Holle, very appreciative infact. Thanks for the exposure of my hub. Is Vanne coming to visit this week?
That is a special occasion for them, Holle! I still haven't seen them convert a single snake though!
Sorry Holle, I missed your comment somehow. Did I answer the right one?
Aw come on Pinky, I've taught girls how to do much more exciting things than catching rattlesnakes!
Cool. Can you also use the snake catcher as a wife restrainer?
Yes indeed you can, Ron! They still wiggle around a lot and you have to use piano wire instead of rope for the snake catcher. Women are more aggressive and slippery too!
Ron, it wouldn't work on us South GA women - we'd just gnaw through the wire!
Randy, she's coming in the next few days. She hopes to see y'all.
Wow! a great hub!! You can write a series of hubs on this topic. It's really enjoyable. Thanks for giving this kind of hub. Well done. Enjoy.
Great hub but no thank you. I too would run a mile. Mind you in London nutters are keeping snake now as a pet and some excape and you read ever so often that they turn up coming out of your loo or bathtub.
Of all my years living where I am, I've only seen 1 rattler, but at the end of last summer, I had to get rid of 2 babies. My then 9 yr old almost stepped on 1, & I almost did the same with the 2nd one. I'm in a rural area, so the flat tip shovel showed them who was boss. There are good snakes that I've seen, & I let them go.
haha maybe so randy but never will i catch or go near a snake ... i did my fair share a while back and looking back on it now i was insane lol
Great news Holle, tell her we look forward to the visit.
Thanks Aaron, glad you enjoyed it!
Many keep snakes for pets here too, Hello Hello! But not these ornery canebrake rattlers. Thanks!
It's hard not to kill these snakes when they threaten your children or pets, Woody! Russ found one coiled up and rattling near his daughter when she was about two years old.
Like you I do not harm any other type of snakes in the area. thanks for reading!
Randy
Great job on this Randy. You guys can come get all the water moccasins that hang out around here if you like.
A true southern girl you are, Pinky! Not many ladies would get close to one of these creatures. Thanks for the comment!
No thanks Lynne! We have enough water moccasins already!
You Georgia girls are pretty brave!
Randy
Very clever device that could come in handy for other unwanted varmints too. Loved the video Randy. thanks to Holle for the heads up on this one. I always used my hand when I was young and dumb, and fast. Now I think not, I wizened up and am much too slow of hand and eye. LOL
Hey Randy I find them useful to a degree and try to let them be. Cute story went to Bush Gardens in FL and while touring through the animal kingdom came across the reptile area. They had a canebreak and when I touched the glass he came over and followed my finger as I twirled designs on the outside of the glass. Never would I have gotten that close had it not been for the glass. Only time I really get antsy about the snakes is when they are close to the house because I know from past experience they all can find a way in if there is one.
Hi Randy - Good gadget and both easy to make and easy to use. A while back a friend from Arizona sent me a photo of a rattlesnake that weighed 90 pounds. It had been shot and was draped around a big guy's neck. The tail end was at the ground as was its head. Biggest rattler I ever saw!
Gus :-)))
interesting article.really enjoyed it
Oh to be young and foolish again, Charlie! Now I'm just old and foolish! I would really like to learn how to "milk these snakes for the venom used in making anti venom treatments. Thanks for your comments as usual!
Randy :)
Gee, you are brave Lynne! Most ladies won't get that close even with glass between them and the critter!
terrific hub write my friend thanks be careful
Great info Randy!
Hey Gus! There was a diamondback rattler killed in north Georgia last year which weighed over 90 lbs and was over 9 feet long. Thanks for your time and the comments.
Randy
@Dinkan- Thanks!
@The Voice- I appreciate your words!
@ Michael- Thanks for your time!
Wonderful hub, enjoyed it even though the snakes around here don't seem to be a problem.
Thank you for stopping by,Daria. Most people do not have the same problem with snakes in their part of the U.S. because we are surrounded with many thousands of acres producing grains, peanuts, and multiple types of vegetable produce.
This means lots of mice and other rodents which in turn means snakes and other predators which feed upon them.
Randy
We have so many snakes crawling in our place and we haven't caught them yet. THanks for the informations.
I'm glad you understand about the danger they pose, borge! There are many who do not live in the type of climate where dangerous creatures abound.
Thanks and good luck trying to control your snake problem.
I was raised by a feisty Tennessee Grandfather who regularly moved rattlesnakes out of our yard, etc.--that snake catcher is amazing and brings back fond memories.Great work!
I don't think so, NoBSSEO! Most wouldn't attempt to catch a rattler even with this snake catching pole! Thanks for stopping by!
Your Grandfather was a realist, GarnetBird! We do what we have to do to keep our surroundings a safe place. Thank you for reading and commenting on my hub!
Randy:)
Unless it is a black or garter snake that I recognize it is a goner with me. My husband just called me from work to run out and get a picture of the big orange moon so I ran out barefoot and I saw my cat watching something in the grass, and I don't know what I must have looked like if anyone saw me trying to run back inside without touching the ground!
When I read the title, I thought my son would enjoy this. He is 10yo and loves snakes! Then when I seen your snake catcher, I realized that he already has one in his room! I didn't know what it was! LOL Now I am going to have to go and see how/where he learned to make it! Thanks for a great hub!
Ten year old boys are always worth a surprise or two, SpecialK! I know, I used to be one! Want me to mail him a nice big Canebrake rattler for him to practice with? LOL!
Thanks for the laughs and for reading my hub!
loved it my brother used to catch rattlers and I have a boa growing up, till pick up the gardner snakes but not into the bid ones ony more, great hub and good advice on making a snale catcher
Yep, gotta catch them and move them further from home, else risk getting struck. Thanks Dawn!
I'm glad I don't have any snakes close enough to be dangerous. I wouldn't have the guts to catch them. That's the bad thing about growing up away from the wild, it's harder to feel comfortable dealing with these problems, ehe.
I certainly understand this, Anonimuzz! But rattlesnakes and other species abound in this area so we become somewhat complacent about them. But we still respect them enough to give them a wide berth in most cases! Thanks!
Ah Randy,
Now I understand why you sign with a that sort of picture in your posts! You are running a Discovery channel here?
C.V.
@CV Rajan-Thanks for checking out my hub, CV! Yes, I love to write about the many species of creatures I encounter in my daily routine in the country. Can I send you one of these snakes for a pet? LOL!
Thanks again for your time and comments!
Randy
Excellent and easy build, Randy! Thanks for posting. I live in central FL (Okeechobee), and, as you can guess, there's a LOT of water moccasins here. My landlord goes out of his way to shoot them, which I feel is ridiculous, so I've been trying to convince him to let me catch them, for my own purpose.
I've heard some medical companies will buy venomous snakes from just about anyone, so long as the snake is alive and unharmed. They milk the snakes for antivenom, of course, and from what I was told, here in Florida, they pay pretty good money.
Not sure how true, but if not, I would certainly release the snakes on the lake side of Lake Okeechobee dyke. (I live in an RV park right on the rim canal of Lake Okeechobee.)
Thanks for not harming the snakes, Adam! Yes, we have quite a few water moccasins here in south Georgia too, so I understand where you're coming from.
I know rattlesnakes are routinely milked for their venom, but haven't looked into the same process for moccasins.
The snake catching tool works well and doesn't harm the snake if used properly and is cheap to make!
Thanks for your comments and good luck on your snake catching plans!
Randy
I'm going to have to mull over the possibility of sharing this article with my 15 year old son, who informed me this morning that he was going to allow the 4+ foot bull snake in my garden go free, because they eat rattlers. I suggested he chase it out, and he decided, instead, to catch it by the tail and lead it out backward. Yes, I'm one of the folks who freaks out at the sight of snakes. Obviously, my son doesn't.
Awww- a little bull snake is harmless, Sagebrush_Mama! LOL! Your son is right this time, most snakes just want to be left alone and are not dangerous.
And they keep the rodent population down too. But I understand, some people just can't get over their phobia of snakes. This simple snake catcher may make you feel better about your son's snake catching ability. :)
Thanks for your time and for the snake tale..er..tail!
I'm sure he'll love making a snake catcher...he's very good at that sort of thing, fashioned his own chicken catcher, after seeing one used at the feed store.
Just get a chicken snake instead, SBM! Sounds like your son is quite an inventive guy. I was like that too in my younger years. I probably had more snakes to play with than he did, though. :)
Randy
Randy it's apr 2 just wanted to say glad everything is back to normal!
cheers!
:o)
LOL! Normal for who, Kim? HA! Is it ever really normal?
SSSSSS
My aunt actually had a mean snake hanging out in her back yard, I had no idea what kind but it was about 2 feet long. She has 2 boys so she was scared they might get bit and she is also scared of snakes. From watching animal planet I learned how to pick one up and use a stick to keep it from my body but being careful not to hurt it. Me and her youngest, Gabriel caught it and took it to the front yard, got a pillow case and gently put him/her in it and released it way in the back yard (she has a HUGE yard. This would have come in handy if I read it 3 years ago.. lol
Thanks for your experience, ii3rittles! There are no "mean" snakes (unless you are referring to me! LOL!) only those who are endeavoring to live their lives and be left alone, or be eaten themselves by other creatures.
Any snake will not bother you unless stepped on accidentally or purposely bothered by other creatures. I do not believe this is considered mean--but i do understand your view on them.
Yes, this simple tool is very handy for removing and relocating these wonderful creatures.
Thanks again for stopping by and commenting!:)
SSSSS
habee Level 7 Commenter 2 years ago
Wow! That's a big canebrake! You have to show me how to put our videos on youtube!! This is awesome!