When we moved to our new home a year ago, we were greeted with a host of the usual pests, and I've done a good job of significantly reducing the squirrel population. However, last spring, we also had a 5 snakes that were worrisome (including 2 copperheads at our pool). I wanted an airgun that would give me maximal accuracy and power and settled on a .25 cal FX Impact MkII. I have been more than pleased with it. Today, it really came through for me after spotting this gigantic water moccasin sunning itself on our pier. It is one of the largest I have ever seen. The snake's head was met with a 30 gr. Griffin slug at exactly 50 yards, and it literally didn't move a muscle on the follow up shots to the body. I'm still a little shaky after all this, but I'm thankful for a great snake hunting gun.
The Reason I bought My Impact- Moccasin
- Thread starter jmarkreed
- Start date
thats an impressive animal, nice shootin .. around here theres people that would pay for the skin, tip, try not to shoot the body up, although i get why you did lol ...
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I am not against shooting snakes and just so you know that is a non venomous water snake not a moccasin aka cottonmouth.
Good shot at 50 yards. I would have done the same.
Butch
Good shot at 50 yards. I would have done the same.
Butch
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Took me a few years to finally get my wife to stop killing every snake she saw around our house in the commiefornia high desert. We did have to kill 9 mojave green rattlers. They are about as venomous as a cobra and agressive and had killed 2 of my dogs and cost around$12k to save 2 others.
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Ya, you can tell by the shape of the head. Venomous snakes have a triangle shape to the head. That one doesn't.
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Thank you all. After some needed research on my part, I completely agree that this is not a Cottonmouth after all. Although it bears a strong resemblance to the Cottonmouth especially in body type and no banding on the belly side, it appears to be a non-venomous Diamondback water snake by its round eyes and non-viper head. I live in Mississippi where the Cottonmouth is very common, and I bet mistakes are made quite frequently. This snake measured 59" with an 8" diameter. Unfortunately for this snake, I have four daughters who like to sit on our dock, and I was not willing to take a chance that this giant snake was safe.
Thank you for educating me.
Mark
Thank you for educating me.
Mark
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I always look for the lower jaw stripes to identify a watersnake. That one always seem to be most easily visible from further back.
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Learned this at a very young age.
@Huntman When you learned this, how were you taught to examine the scale pattern on the underside of a live and potentially venomous snake’s tail?
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I grew up in the country and was in the woods or on the water more than I was indoors. I caught more snakes growing up then I can remember. I'm I bragging on that ,hell no. My dad had me on a tractor shredding when i was in the 3th. grade. I guess my generation wasn't spoon fed.
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@Huntman So that I understand you correctly, are you saying that you had to catch the snake in order to examine the scales on its underbelly to determine if it was poisonous or not?
@jmarkreed 50 yard headshot on a snake? Nice shooting!! Which magnification setting did you use to comfortably take the shot?
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Lol, let’s just say I knew at a very young age what kind of snakes are by looking at them. Keep reading books grasshopper and you will learn some day.
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!! Good shoot!!Thanks, @Ezana4CE. I have a Valdada Recon G2 scope that is absolutely world class. It was zoomed in to 30x when I took the shot. I have an iron fence that I braced on. I have my Impact zeroed in at 50 yards and the parallax was exactly on the 50 in focus, so I knew it should be an accurate shot. I took some deep breaths and tried to calm myself before pulling the trigger. It didn't move a bit when the slug went through its head, and I couldn't see the big exit wound since it was on the other side. I initially thought I must have missed, so I took the body shots. Only when I got close could I see that the first shot was dead on.
I am thankful that many others can readily identify venomous snakes, but I am not one of the them, and I would take the shot again for the sake of my wife and daughters all day long in this case.
I am thankful that many others can readily identify venomous snakes, but I am not one of the them, and I would take the shot again for the sake of my wife and daughters all day long in this case.
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@jmarkreed No judgement here. I try not to kill them because they eat a lot of smaller varmints out here, but I’ve killed a few for various reasons. I’ve been bitten before. I get it, that’s your home. You and the family have to feel safe and secure there. I’m impressed by the shot you took. That was a big snake too, but their heads look very small at 50 yards. I just looked up that scope. With that one you’d better hit em with the first shot! Lol. Good shooting.
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When we moved to our new home a year ago, we were greeted with a host of the usual pests, and I've done a good job of significantly reducing the squirrel population. However, last spring, we also had a 5 snakes that were worrisome (including 2 copperheads at our pool). I wanted an airgun that would give me maximal accuracy and power and settled on a .25 cal FX Impact MkII. I have been more than pleased with it. Today, it really came through for me after spotting this gigantic water moccasin sunning itself on our pier. It is one of the largest I have ever seen. The snake's head was met with a 30 gr. Griffin slug at exactly 50 yards, and it literally didn't move a muscle on the follow up shots to the body. I'm still a little shaky after all this, but I'm thankful for a great snake hunting gun.
That is NOT a poisonous snake. It makes me wonder if you actually did have Copperheads as well.
The picture is of a harmless water snake, NOT a Cottonmouth. Don't believe me, look it up. It may be some sort of banded water snake, but judging simply by the tail AND the head, it is harmless and NOT venomous.
Again, look it up!
The term "water moccasin" is often used when Cottonmouth is what is actually meant. In this case, you killed a harmless water snake. Bravo.
The best "fast" way to determine a venomous snake from a non-venomous snake (pit vipers) is by the tail. A fat blunt tail usually means venomous. Long and tapered means non-venomous. As for the triangular shaped head... true vipers have a DEFINITE triangular or "arrowhead" shaped head. Even when at rest. The problem is that many non-venomous snakes also have a "triangular" shaped head and some of them spread their jaws when scared to make them more like their venomous cousins, see Hog Nosed snake.
Keep in mind that King snakes will kill and eat venomous snakes when they have the chance. So don't kill every snake you see until you really know if it is a danger or a benefit to you and your family.
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Sorry for this but I can't resist 
. Not a poisonous snake, you can eat it if you want. Even if it was venomous like a rattler it still isn't poisonous you can eat them, too.
Venomous it bites you. Poisonous you bite it.
On a serious note even if selling the skins is legal where you are it might not be where the buyer lives. I know someone who found out the hard way even though he was "legal" the wildlife officers disagreed and he spent 3 years and thousands of dollars paying the fines. Just an fyi I would hate to see someone in trouble.
. Not a poisonous snake, you can eat it if you want. Even if it was venomous like a rattler it still isn't poisonous you can eat them, too. Venomous it bites you. Poisonous you bite it.
On a serious note even if selling the skins is legal where you are it might not be where the buyer lives. I know someone who found out the hard way even though he was "legal" the wildlife officers disagreed and he spent 3 years and thousands of dollars paying the fines. Just an fyi I would hate to see someone in trouble.
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