I've always wondered: non poisonous snake skin blanks - illegal?

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underdog

underdog

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Watkinsville, Georgia
I've always wondered if non-poisonous snake skin blanks are illegal? If I remember correctly, it's illegal to even catch a non-poisonous snake in Georgia, not to mention killing it and using it's hide for pen blanks.

Anyone know? Is it different in other states?
 
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not sure but that is a good question. I typically tell my peeps that get my snakes not to kill the non-venomous snakes but they always tell me that they dont have time to sit there and make that determination.
 
Understand the rules vary by snake species, state. Etc.

Pythons in Florida are supposed to be "fair game" and that is commonly the case with invasive non-native species.
 
seamus7227 said:
not sure but that is a good question. I typically tell my peeps that get my snakes not to kill the non-venomous snakes but they always tell me that they dont have time to sit there and make that determination.
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um... Sadly, I'm not sure I buy that rationale... I mean it's not like snakes jump up into folks face and attack them. Any snake's normal reaction is to get the hell out of the way of something 100 times their size.

There's a huge bias against snakes whether non-poisonous or not. I've lost count of the times someone has told me they'd kill a snake, no matter what kind it was.
 
underdog said:
seamus7227 said:
not sure but that is a good question. I typically tell my peeps that get my snakes not to kill the non-venomous snakes but they always tell me that they dont have time to sit there and make that determination.
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um... Sadly, I'm not sure I buy that rationale... I mean it's not like snakes jump up into folks face and attack them. Any snake's normal reaction is to get the hell out of the way of something 100 times their size.

There's a huge bias against snakes whether non-poisonous or not. I've lost count of the times someone has told me they'd kill a snake, no matter what kind it was.
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I agree, but there will always be some ppl that say that. My A.D.D. kicks in usually and I want to investigate. Me personally, I think they need to be left alone unless they are overpopulated and need to be maintained.
 
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underdog said:
um... Sadly, I'm not sure I buy that rationale... I mean it's not like snakes jump up into folks face and attack them. Any snake's normal reaction is to get the hell out of the way of something 100 times their size.
...
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Um... I'm guessing you've never run into a water moccasin. One of the few I've killed -after uncovering this little guy of 3+ feet under some metal, he chased a friend 50+ feet before I could grab my gun and shoot it. I've seen some say that they're aggressive nature is a myth. My personal 1st person experience is that it is not.

Edit - and yes I had (and have) a La. fishing license, so I'm legal for killing it.
 
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Jim,

Try putting a 5 foot diamond back loose in Nathan Deal's office and see how fast a big ole Georgia State Patrolman dispatches that rascal with a 9mm. Seriously tho,
I believe it is against the law to catch and keep Georgia wildlife without a permit.
Killing is another matter, I've never heard of anyone getting a ticket for killing a snake. Maybe someone in the know will give us a good answer.

Ben
 
Not living where dangerous snakes are common, I usually just leave them alone when I see them. I had one give me quite a start a couple of weeks ago. It was on the trail where I was walking my dog and I didn't see it until I almost stepped on it and all of a sudden the stick that was lying in the path took of like a bolt of lighting with my dog in hot pursuit. I'm not sure who was most startled, me or the snake.
 
The only time killing a snake is illegal is when it is endagered. I have a friend who got and sold snakes for skin. I only known of one time when my uncle saw a snake dead on the road and threw it in his truck to move it. Was latter pulled over and fined extisivly for having a dead endangered snake in his truck.
 
I am not a wildlife official but was an avid hunter. Now a days the taking of ANY wildlife is hunting and would need a proper license and checking regulations. For a quick reference I checked Arizona you think lots of Rattlesnakes. If you check the link below it the 5th line down. You can possess a snake BUT you can not possess a snake in the field with out proper license.
http://www.azgfd.gov/faq/Licenses.shtml

Now on your propriety that's another story. But guys going out to hunt snakes with out a license if you run into a game warden you got some explaining to do.:confused:
:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:
 
When I get snakes off the road, and that is where a lot of mine come from, I usually check this Snakes of South Carolina and Georgia | SREL Herpetology website to see if it is protected or not. If it is a protected species I will not use it or maybe I will just use it for myself. I have never went out just to kill a snake to make blanks. I am not in that group that thinks the best snake is a dead snake.

jimskio
 
In Missouri it is also illegal to kill a snake. I was informed of this by a Missouri Conservation Agent while she was admiring my snake skin pens at a local craft show. Fortunately, for me, these blanks had come from Texas and I had documentation. She said that if you felt threatened by a snake you could kill it, but you could not use any part of the snake for commercial purposes, nor could you use a road kill snake for commercial purposes. I thought it was a bit funny that she told me that I could use skins from out of state, even if it was illegal in that state, Hmmmm
 
KenBrasier said:
In Missouri it is also illegal to kill a snake. I was informed of this by a Missouri Conservation Agent while she was admiring my snake skin pens at a local craft show. Fortunately, for me, these blanks had come from Texas and I had documentation. She said that if you felt threatened by a snake you could kill it, but you could not use any part of the snake for commercial purposes, nor could you use a road kill snake for commercial purposes. I thought it was a bit funny that she told me that I could use skins from out of state, even if it was illegal in that state, Hmmmm
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Ken was wise to have a paper trail. Had he encountered a federal enforcement agent, the questions might have been different. Using wildlife parts in interstate commerce opens the Lacy Act, and having good tracks on sources may help you dodge a lengthy investigation. Be really sure your sources really comply with local laws, or you just might have a bad day.
 
Smitty37 said:
It was on the trail where I was walking my dog and I didn't see it until I almost stepped on it and all of a sudden the stick that was lying in the path took of like a bolt of lighting with my dog in hot pursuit.
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That's the normal experience. Having one chase you down is not the norm. Every snake I have ever encountered did it's dead level best to get away from me, and that includes copperheads and rattlesnakes.
 
jimskio said:
Cottonmouth/Water Moccasin are pretty aggressive and will come after you. Although I have never experienced this.
jimskio
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I was just hiking on a path here in Florida the other day. I had to cross a very small creek good thing I was watching my step. Two or three steps away was a fat about 4 ft. long Water Moccasin. I froze backed and up a step or two. That snake didn't budge it WAS NOT afraid of me. I had many blacks snakes in the yard and as soon as they see you there gone.

So any snake that isn't afraid of you...You should be very afraid of it.

.
 
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