Pro, you just killed you two of your best defenses against rodents, and copperheads that there are!! Heck, had you caught them it would have only taken me 30 minutes to drive to your place in Braxton county to get them.......and I would have turned them out here on my acreage here in Roane. [8D]

Not your imagination about the snakes in WV this year either from what I have seen......however, really the only increase I have seen is Copperheads in a Bigtime way!! My cats have been bringing them in since early Spring.....I killed my second today on the bank behind the house, and next door neighbors have killed 6 already. Most in the 2 1/2 to 3 foot length, adult snakes! My cats have been bringing in hatchlings and only a couple larger ones. How they do not get bitten is beyond me.

I always noticed Copperheads worse in the hot, dry, drought years....but with all of the monsoons we have been having here this year...I have never seen them as bad!! Just an additional note.....watch out for Timber Rattlers.... several have been killed out here so far(3)....not good. Especially when you have a son that is going on 4 1/2 and not scared of anything that crawls! Take care folks out there weed eating, scouting and such! We are seeing so many snakes because so much rain has flooded their dens with water, so they are moving to find other shelter....just a theory though. WV has not seen this much rain in years!!