After reading this, I really believe that OP and I are somehow related because it sounds like my luck at times. Sorry about the birds and glad you are OK.

1) Drill a hole in egg
2) Insert tannerite into egg
3) Shoot snake after consuming egg (*ensure snake is not located on or near your riding lawnmower before shooting it)
4) Watch chicken coop and 1/5 of an acre of your property burn, but after a much more cool show

Ok...where are the effing pics of the charred building?

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Take an egg and drill a small hole in one end. First, place a small piece of scotch tape on one end of the egg before drilling. The tape helps prevent the egg from cracking while drilling. An Exacto knife or sharp point of a pocket knife drills an OK hole. Make the hole big enough to insert a large fish hook inside of the egg. Tie some mono-filament to the eye of the hook, insert it, then cover the small hole with tape. Anchor the other end of the string to something stationary. Set the loaded egg in a nest or on the ground. The snake will swallow the egg, crush it and get hooked. It works.

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Mono or fluorocarbon line? What size hook, and will a zebco 33 work?

watchlisted.

On another chicken related note. What's the best way to deal with fire ants around a chicken coop? I figured fire ant bait would not be good b/c the birds will probably eat it.

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Empty a 12ga shotgun at the area where the snake nests and tell stories for years as to how the barn and hen house were damaged!

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This was the exact plan I initially developed when reading the OP. The barrel is what, 26"? Just stick the business end of your 870 wherever you think that sucker is and pull the trigger. Problem solved. Do so around 7:30am and have scrambled eggs for breakfast.

Have we gotten to the point on here where shooting a rat snake with a .22 or some other firearm is now verboten? I saw the pellet gun comment, so there is a tinge of hope I suppose.

The last rat snake I found in the hen house I shot with 22 rat shot out of one of those Heritage Arms 22 revolvers. I was in there shooting rats and came across him quite unexpectedly under a board that I had already looked under. I was surprised how effective that rat shot was on a full grown rat snake. Shot him one time in the head area and he was dead.

On a side note I must have shot 40 rats and killed two groups of babies. It was at an old relatives house who just had not been paying much attention. And this is a big ass bird cage with three walk in stalls. When I was done shotting the ones I could see we found the tunnel from outside they were coming in and out of. So from the outside we stuck the water hose down it and must have pumped 50 gallans of water in it. After about 3 minutes they started coming out the other side one at a time soaking wet. We could not reload that revolver fast enough. Good times had by me.

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Have we gotten to the point on here where shooting a rat snake with a .22 or some other firearm is now verboten? I saw the pellet gun comment, so there is a tinge of hope I suppose.

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I guess so. But the overwhelming feeling of "save the rat snake" is a huge improvement over the past few years.

If you have chickens you know that once Mr. Rat Snake finds the eggs or chicks, he is not going to turn his back on them. You either kill the snake or relocate him very far away. Some folks who have never had a snake in the henhouse killing chicks and eating eggs may not understand the sentiment.

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Have we gotten to the point on here where shooting a rat snake with a .22 or some other firearm is now verboten? I saw the pellet gun comment, so there is a tinge of hope I suppose.

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I made the assumption that if the man hadnt already skinned his smoke wagon on the snake he had some dilemma in doing so. Pretty clear in the OP he was gonna fit that slithering demon with some cement slippers.

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watchlisted.

On another chicken related note. What's the best way to deal with fire ants around a chicken coop? I figured fire ant bait would not be good b/c the birds will probably eat it.

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You might try smoking them out of the mound. Or just use a pare burner and a shovel.

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watchlisted.

On another chicken related note. What's the best way to deal with fire ants around a chicken coop? I figured fire ant bait would not be good b/c the birds will probably eat it.

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Have a friend that swears by the Organic/Citrus ant spray that is out there for his place. Not sure what is in it,but it smells like orange peel. I have seen it kill ants and may be chicken safe because he uses it in his garden. I have never used it because in our subdivision I just use a broadcast ant poison and it pushes them out of my yard.

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Take an egg and drill a small hole in one end. First, place a small piece of scotch tape on one end of the egg before drilling. The tape helps prevent the egg from cracking while drilling. An Exacto knife or sharp point of a pocket knife drills an OK hole. Make the hole big enough to insert a large fish hook inside of the egg. Tie some mono-filament to the eye of the hook, insert it, then cover the small hole with tape. Anchor the other end of the string to something stationary. Set the loaded egg in a nest or on the ground. The snake will swallow the egg, crush it and get hooked. It works.

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TENKARA BISHES!!!!!

This thread is not rule 1 compliant, post fire...