The Snake Vigilante

[stomachmonkey]

Wednesday night I'm in my office at home and hear a bang. Damn if that did not sound like a gunshot. Go outside and everything looks ok.

Text my buddy across the street and asked him if he just dispatched something in his yard and if he's upgraded his vermin spoon.

He backs up to one of our nature trails and regularly traps vermin in his yard. When he dispatches them he uses sub sonic .22 so even though he's done it dozens of times no one is aware of it.

Then I hear another shot from farther down the street. Definitely not .22. Much bigger. Assume it's kids with fireworks and go back inside.

Last night I find out a resident is trolling the nature trails shooting Copperheads. He's doing it in full view of people and has bragged that he's bagged 32 so far.

For a little perspective the area he is shooting in is the white path on the left. Theres a creek that runs through there as well where the neighborhood kids often play.



I'm not bothered by him hunting snakes but I am bothered by his behavior.

Discharging a firearm in a residential area is a Felony. At least a Class 1 which is 2-20. Considering how often he is doing it he could be looking at a Class 3 if the DA has a hard on for him. That's 5-99.

What rational individual risks significant jail time, fines, attorneys fees, loss of employment, can never own a gun again, can't vote, has to forever check that box on job applications etc.... just to hunt snakes?

That is not an intelligent individual and not someone I want running around our neighborhood at night with a gun.

[GH85Carrera]

It sounds like he is the type that does not figure the law applies to him. I would bet there are laws about hunting snakes as well as the discharging a firearm in a residential area.

There was a case here in Oklahoma where two police officers responded to a call about a snake. It was not even a poisonous snake as a I remember. They fired a shot at the snake and the bullet went into a back yard and killed a little boy while he was fishing with his grandpa. There is a good and valid reason for laws about not firing a gun in the city.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/2007/08/05/oklahoma-police-kill-5-year-old-boy-while-shooting-at-snake/

[Rick Lee]

I view some laws as optional, but not when it comes to laws against discharging firearms near occupied bldgs. That guy is insane and needs a visit from the police.

[porsche4life]

If he wanted to do that with a shovel or machete it would be one thing.... But a gun..... I'm with rick lee, he needs a visit from the police.

[Tim Hancock]

I would buy the guy a 12 pack for ridding my neighborhood of dangerous pests.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Tim Hancock

I would buy the guy a 12 pack for ridding my neighborhood of dangerous pests.

Ridding the neighborhood of pests is not the issue.

He can do the same thing with a shovel, just like the rest of us.

Around here it is not legal to discharge a firearm on less than 10 acres or where the bullet may land outside your property boundary.

We can argue all day long whether or not that is reasonable legislation but the fact is right now it's a Felony.

If he does not know it's illegal that's a problem. This is a densely populated area and any reasonably responsible individual who is unsure would take the time to find out whether or not their actions could land them in a big pile of poo.

If he already knows it's illegal even worse.

Either scenario shows incredibly poor judgement and lack of critical decision making skills.

That is not someone I want wandering my neighborhood with a spoon.

Anyone willing to risk jail time just to kill snakes with a spoon is capable of enormous levels of stupidity.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Ridding the neighborhood of pests is not the issue.

He can do the same thing with a shovel, just like the rest of us.

Around here it is not legal to discharge a firearm on less than 10 acres or where the bullet may land outside your property boundary.

We can argue all day long whether or not that is reasonable legislation but the fact is right now it's a Felony.

If he does not know it's illegal that's a problem. This is a densely populated area and any reasonably responsible individual who is unsure would take the time to find out whether or not their actions could land them in a big pile of poo.

If he already knows it's illegal even worse.

Either scenario shows incredibly poor judgement and lack of critical decision making skills.

That is not someone I want wandering my neighborhood with a spoon.

Anyone willing to risk jail time just to kill snakes with a spoon is capable of enormous levels of stupidity.

That sums it up better than I could have typed it.

The guy must be either very stupid or a little crazy risking many years in prison just to shoot a snake. Hopefully only a little crazy and not waco and he starts shooting bigger game.

[wildthing]

So who will report him to the authorities?

Confronting him sounds like it is out of the question.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by wildthing

So who will report him to the authorities?

Confronting him sounds like it is out of the question.

Well a few people on our community FB page posted about seeing him and speaking with him.

That's how I found out it was not fireworks I heard.

In my subdivision there are 3 Federal LEO's and a number of local LEO's spread throughout the whole community.

I suspect it won't be long before one of them starts making inquiries.

It's possible he'll get a visit and a stern warning if it's a resident LEO that makes the visit.

If someone decides to drop dime to the Sherriff's office about the FB posting it may end up a lot worse for him.

I'm pretty sure I know who it may be.

There was an active discussion a couple of weeks ago on the same community FB page about the number of snakes this year and a member of the group said he was going to start organizing snake hunting outings.

If it's him he has read the latest thread and if he was not aware he was committing a felony before he is now and also understands his particular method of snake hunting is not appreciated by everyone who lives along or uses the trails.

[vonsmog]

Well it also depends on what ammo he is using. CCI shotshell snake rounds will make alot of noise just like any pistol round, but are going to be no good past 10' if shooting snakes. So if he is using rounds like those, I don't see a big problem, other than the noise might bother some people.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

He can do the same thing with a shovel, just like the rest of us.

Except your buddy across the street, whom you seem to condone shooting in the neighborhood.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

Except your buddy across the street, whom you seem to condone shooting in the neighborhood.

Armadillos and skunks are hard to dispatch with a shovel.

Buddy across the street catches them in a trap in his yard and dispatches them at close range on his own property. Armadillos he usually takes to a friends pond around the corner and dumps the whole trap in. Skunks get one behind the ear. Snakes he's scared of and calls either me or Mark a few doors down.

He is not wandering the community at night shooting at moving targets from the jogging trail off the back of his bicycle while people are out for their evening runs and dog walks and then bragging about it.

I'm concerned about someone who thinks the fun of shooting snakes outweighs the severe personal penalties he could face.

It's not rational.

He's either crazy or a complete idiot.

Like booze, neither should be mixed with spoons.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by vonsmog

Well it also depends on what ammo he is using. CCI shotshell snake rounds will make alot of noise just like any pistol round, but are going to be no good past 10' if shooting snakes. So if he is using rounds like those, I don't see a big problem, other than the noise might bother some people.

It's mental state.

He's not concerned about getting caught and he should be.

That's what bothers me about him.

[cashflyer]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

Armadillos and skunks are hard to dispatch with a shovel.
Buddy across the street catches them in a trap in his yard and dispatches them at close range on his own property.

In your earlier posts, you make the argument that 'illegal is illegal' - so regardless of the reasoning, your neighbor has committed the same felony and deserves the same penalty.

Discharging a firearm in a residential area is a Felony. At least a Class 1 which is 2-20. Considering how often he is doing it he could be looking at a Class 3 if the DA has a hard on for him. That's 5-99.

We can argue all day long whether or not that is reasonable legislation but the fact is right now it's a Felony.

Selective enforcement is contrary to the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. Are you going to make sure that the LEOs know about your buddy? Or just the guy down the street? You know, liberty and justice for some.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by cashflyer

In your earlier posts, you make the argument that 'illegal is illegal' - so regardless of the reasoning, your neighbor has committed the same felony and deserves the same penalty.


Selective enforcement is contrary to the equal protection clause of the fourteenth amendment. Are you going to make sure that the LEOs know about your buddy? Or just the guy down the street? You know, liberty and justice for some.

Yeah my buddy across the street is breaking the law. Never said he was not.

I made no judgement on whether or not I agree with it.

For the record, I really don't care.

It's one thing to walk past a cop with a bag of weed in your pocket and a whole other bag of crazy to stop, pull it out, roll a fattie and blow smoke in the cops face fully knowing what the outcome will be.

One is what a normal person would do, the other is just plain nuts.

I don't like nuts with guns.

[Jeff Higgins]

So, what have you done about this other than piss and moan on an internet car site? Commiserate on facebook with neighbors who also will not talk to him?

You are making a mountain out of a molehill and, in the best tradition of the interwebs, these other clowns are helping you.

I'm sure he is a perfectly reasonable guy who views the area containing snakes as some kind of miniature "wilderness" or something. Maybe his dog or kid got bit and he has had enough. Maybe he is aware of the neighbor with his .22 and sees no difference between what he is doing and what that neighbor is doing.

Man up and go talk to him.

[BeyGon]

Not sure if I saw what he was using, if he had a Thompson that shoots 410 I wouldn't think that would be so dangerous. Still illegal, everything is illegal.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

So, what have you done about this other than piss and moan on an internet car site? Commiserate on facebook with neighbors who also will not talk to him?

You are making a mountain out of a molehill and, in the best tradition of the interwebs, these other clowns are helping you.

I'm sure he is a perfectly reasonable guy who views the area containing snakes as some kind of miniature "wilderness" or something. Maybe his dog or kid got bit and he has had enough. Maybe he is aware of the neighbor with his .22 and sees no difference between what he is doing and what that neighbor is doing.

Man up and go talk to him.

I just found out about it last night.

Stevie Wonder would not mistake the area for "wilderness".

No one has ever heard or seen the neighbor with the .22 He is very discrete.

And like I said, it's the guys choice of actions that cause me to question his stability.

So no, I don't actively seek out crazy with gun.

That would be crazy.

Just to make the intent of my OP a little clearer,

It's my opinion that an individual that commits multiple felonies in full public view with witnesses and also admits to at least 32 prior felonies in a 2 week period has got a screw lose.

[fintstone]

If a fellow killed 32 copperheads in my neighborhood, unless he was using hand grenades, I would likely thank him and buy him lunch...just sayin...

[porsche4life]

Originally Posted by stomachmonkey

I don't like nuts with guns.

How do you hang out here?