> Alan Rudy writes:
>
> I'm suggesting that shooting snakes probably isn't the
>> best way to deal with them...
>>
>
> ... and that's based on your many years as a snake wrangler?
>
> Nope, just dealing with them while hiking the east and west coast and in
swamps in Jersey. Do you jog with a snake shooting gun? or know anyone else
who does? I don't but I live in no-snakeville mid-Michigan (where I know a
raft of people who hunt and none who talk about shooting snakes... the
rattler thing posted elsewhere made clear sense but I don't know if there
are rattlers or other dangerous snakes in Austin, thus my question.)
>
> particularly because if you have time to stop jogging,
>> pull your gun out, aim your laser and shoot a fairly
>> still snake then the snake's not much of a threat in any event...
>>
>
> I'm confused: either it's not a threat (in which case it doesn't matter how
> it takes you to do nothing; apparently the Gov has been living in this "no
> threat" world for a while, since this is the first we've heard of him
> shooting anything on his jog); or it's a threat, and shooting it before it
> bites you (or your dog) is an important calculation. Which is it? Is there
> an amount of time where a threat is something that can be countered, or is
> it the case that it's not a threat until it's an unstoppable threat, in
> which case it's not worth trying?
>
> As per usual, education/training is the answer: your mileage may vary.
> if you don't have time, and its actually a poisonous snake
>> (are there lots of poisonous snakes in Austin? I really have
>> no idea), then its probably bitten you already and shooting it
>> off you or thinking that you're going to be collected enough
>> after being bitten by a venomous snake to shoot it - particularly
>> if you know you're already afraid of them - is just stupid.
>>
>
> You're still losing me. If the snake is too fast, you (or your dog)
> deserve to get bitten and die?
Really? You went there? Shit that happens out of peoples' control is their fault? How does carrying a gun in this instance stop you from getting bit by a snake you stepped on or a fast one that gotcha?
> That's just like the Law Of The Jungle or something? And if you don't have
> a weapon, the snake can take his time biting you? Maybe even twice? Or
> getting bitten the first time is the best time to stop worrying about a
> threat, because there's no chance you'd be able to do anything that's not
> stupid?
>
Is it that you like the idea of shooting snakes or that you want to defend the Gov. or that you know something I don't that's at root here.
>
> There are apparently snakes in Texas. And coyotes.
>
> So far you don't seem very convincing that it's "stupid" and "idiocy" ...
> but hey, I'm here to learn.
>
> Doesn't read that way. I never claimed expertise, just took a stance
(where I admitted to being under-informed) just about none of which is
reflected in your faux interpretation of it.