Jim Smith
07-30-14, 06:46 AM
Living where I do, I find a Copperhead every once in a while. Well, the other day, I heard my dog barking like crazy with her nose a few inches from a tangle of morning glory vines I have by the back deck. I suspected that she had spotted a snake, but I didn't think too much about it until later that evening when I saw that her muzzle was swollen to twice its normal size. On closer inspection I found a single injection site in the fleshy part of her muzzle that has turned black and a bit necrotic. That was two days ago and she's doing fine, but now I'm on the hunt for the snake that bit her. We have three dogs and several grandchildren, so I can't take any chances with having a venomous snake living under our back deck. The back deck has lattice work around the base, so I can't get under there to hunt out the snake. I've laid out some large pieces of cardboard near where it was before in hopes that it will coil up under the cardboard and I can catch it. I've caught copperheads in the past and even handled a couple of them, but I have a VERY healthy respect for all venomous snakes so I have a 5 gallon plastic bucket and a handy-dandy gripper thing that should allow me to capture the snake without harming it. My plans are to relocate it several miles away down near the South river where there is no houses or people. Any other ideas on how I can attract this snake so that I can capture it would be very much appreciated.