re: How do I prevent snakes in my yard? Close call yesterday

I'm out in God's Country north of downtown St. Amant.

we have always had snakes, but in 10 years, have never seen a copperhead.

This year I have seen two - about a month apart. Same area.

One of them is still alive, and when you read up on them, it seems they do not travel far from their dens. I hate knowing that there must be some kind of snake apartments somewhere close.

I looked into buying a sack of kingsnakes, but they won't stick around.

We have hawks and a family of owls, and a neighbors stray cat. Also foxes and coyotes.

Both snakes were out at night - which is even scarier.

I don't go out there anymore without boots and a flashlight.

And I find myself shining that flashlight up in trees and places they probably wouldn't be

I'm going on a den hunt after work in a little while. I'm not sharing my property with copperheads!

Didn’t find them! Maybe the headless baby copperhead I put on display in the back yard scared them away!

Seriously, there's not much you can do. I have read up on snakes the past few years, and snakes generally will not be aggressive. However, if you step on them or over them, that is another story. If you live near a canal, wooded area, have mice, frogs, or countless other creatures, they will be present. As another poster stated get cats. My wife (no pics) has over the past two years amassed a collection of thirty-something feral neighborhood cats. The upside, if it lives and breathes in my yard, it dies, and quickly. Haven't seen a snake in quite some time. The downside, those furry rascals eat $100 per week in Blue Buffalo catfood.

Blue heeler dog. No more wildlife in yard ever.