# What size 12 ga shot for a snake? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 22, 2009, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546 "2009-06-22T02:15:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/41 "2009-06-23T12:57:32Z")
> [@dynamitedave](#): > > Dude, she’s going to know if you’re using either a 12 ga or 45 😛 That would depend upon the distance between the snake and the TV set. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Todderbob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@Todderbob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Todderbob)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/42 "2009-06-23T16:18:48Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > No need. Do you think the anti guns believe everybody on this board is absolutely safe at all times with their guns, like they claim? Do you think we believe that all their kids have been completely schooled in gun usage and gun danger and they will never make a mistake? We know it is BS. Gun owners are as responsible as car owners. They come in all kinds and levels of respect . That is just reality. Hi, my name is gonzomax and I’m going to make a comparison that completely and entirely nullifies my entire argument at the end my post. Thanks, and have a great day. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/43 "2009-06-23T16:45:05Z")
Jesus. What’s you people’s deal with snakes? Get a broom and shoo the damn thing off, then continue about your day. Copperheads are gentle and nonaggressive anyway. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/44 "2009-06-23T17:16:14Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > Jesus. What’s you people’s deal with snakes? Get a broom and shoo the damn thing off, then continue about your day. Copperheads are gentle and nonaggressive anyway. What the hell are you smoking? A copperhead is a rattlesnake sans rattles. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/45 "2009-06-23T17:55:24Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > What the hell are you smoking? A copperhead is a rattlesnake sans rattles. Looking at th [Wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_contortrix#Venom), it appears that the copperhead isn’t as poisonous as rattlesnakes. Still, they are potentially dangerous, and isn’t a threatened species. > [@](#): > > Although venomous, these snakes are generally non-aggressive and bites are almost never fatal. Copperhead venom has an estimated lethal dose of around 100mg, and tests on mice show its potency is among the lowest of all pit vipers, and slightly weaker than that of its close relative, the cottonmouth. The bite of a cottonmouth is more serious, however, as they have a much larger venom yield than a copperhead. Copperheads often employ a “warning bite” when stepped on or agitated and inject a relatively small amount of venom, if any at all. “Dry bites” involving no venom are particularly common with the copperhead, though all pit vipers are capable of a dry bite. > > Bite symptoms include intense pain, tingling, throbbing, swelling, and severe nausea. Damage can occur to muscle and bone tissue, especially when the bite occurs in the outer extremities such as the hands and feet, areas in which there is not a large muscle mass to absorb the venom. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/46 "2009-06-23T18:06:06Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > What the hell are you smoking? A copperhead is a rattlesnake sans rattles. I handle copperheads almost every day. They are nothing like rattlesnakes (which are generally non-aggressive either, by the way). Copperheads are pretty sweet-natured snakes. I’m supposed to handle them with a snake stick, by policy, of course, but honestly, sometimes I just grab 'em and stick them in their cage. We have a cage with, oh, 10 or so copperheads that all live together. Nobody has ever been bitten, or even threatened, by any of them. Our water moccasins are a different story. Hyper-aggressive little bastards. Just get a damn broom, give the snake a nudge, and it will move on. Don’t go trying to kick it out of the way or anything, and you’ll be fine. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/47 "2009-06-23T18:06:09Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > What the hell are you smoking? A copperhead is a rattlesnake sans rattles. Which doesn’t mean they are aggressive. Some rattlesnakes are, some are positively tame - it seems to vary both by species and geography ( some populations within a given species are just milder than others ), more than individuals. Copperheads are generally regarded as pretty mellow in temperament and prone to defensive “dry strikes” even if trod upon. Which still doesn’t mean I’d be sanguine about having them in my yard if I had children, pets or other concerns. They are potentially dangerous ( if only very rarely fatal ) and thus a threat to the prudent. Of North America’s poisonous snakes they probably cause the largest number of bites. That is mostly down to them a) being as common as dirt, b) freezing defensively when approached and c) having excellent camouflage, which all = them getting stepped on a lot. But if you don’t step on one, you’re very unlikely to get bit by one. The seem to prefer a passive defense to an active one. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/48 "2009-06-23T18:06:13Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Looking at th [Wiki article](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agkistrodon_contortrix#Venom), it appears that the copperhead isn’t as poisonous as rattlesnakes. Still, they are potentially dangerous, and isn’t a threatened species. Copperheads are a big problem where I live, and I’ve hauled an even half-dozen early season hunters to the hospital in the 2 years I’ve been an EMT. The fastest way to be bitten is to step on one, and they’re not easy to spot in the ground litter where the hunters look for game. I’ll shoot or decapitate one every time. I also won’t bother a non-vemous snake unless it’s a nuisance above and beyond merely living. ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/49 "2009-06-23T18:08:38Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Copperheads are a big problem where I live, and I’ve hauled an even half-dozen early season hunters to the hospital in the 2 years I’ve been an EMT. The fastest way to be bitten is to step on one, and they’re not easy to spot in the ground litter where the hunters look for game. > > I’ll shoot or decapitate one every time. I also won’t bother a non-vemous snake unless it’s a nuisance above and beyond merely living. They’re not a “big problem”, and you’re suffering from selection bias, being an EMT. ---
**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/50 "2009-06-23T18:16:17Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > They’re not a “big problem”, and you’re suffering from selection bias, being an EMT. Damn right I’m biased. As far as your pronunciation of copperheads not being a big problem, your career with NC Division of Fish and Wildlife began when? ---
**Author:** ![Ogre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ecb155/32.png) [@Ogre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ogre)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/51 "2009-06-23T18:25:54Z")
> [@VunderBob](#): > > Damn right I’m biased. As far as your pronunciation of copperheads not being a big problem, your career with NC Division of Fish and Wildlife began when? Let’s see. I have 8 years with the Alabama Department of Environmental Management, and 4 years of heavy field work with the National Park Service (with part of that time being spent going out and capturing and counting snakes), including some time in North Carolina carrying out the above referenced activity. Copperheads are not a “big problem” anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2009, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/52 "2009-06-23T18:51:20Z")
> [@Ogre](#): > > They’re not a “big problem”, and you’re suffering from selection bias, being an EMT. They are a big problem if they hang out by Mrs. Plant’s car and she steps on one getting in or out. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/53 "2009-06-24T01:44:03Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > They are a big problem if they hang out by Mrs. Plant’s car and she steps on one getting in or out. 🙂 For her, or you? ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/54 "2009-06-24T01:53:59Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > For her, or you? You’re not married, are you? Her problems **are** his problems. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/55 "2009-06-24T02:00:09Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > You’re not married, are you? > > Her problems **are** his problems. 😃 Thank you, Sir or Ma’m. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2009, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/56 "2009-06-24T02:28:18Z")
Sir, thankyouverymuch. That’s why I know this. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/57 "2009-06-25T01:08:22Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > You’re not married, are you? > > Her problems **are** his problems. 😃 Semi-woosh! ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2009, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546/58 "2009-06-25T01:16:24Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Semi-woosh! Not when Mrs. Plant reads it, it’s not. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-size-12-ga-shot-for-a-snake/500546.md?page=2)