A fondness for snakes

While out walking the dogs last week at the lake I encountered a trio of young folks shore fishing and asked if they were having any luck.

“We only caught a couple of hammer handles,” one of the women told me, “but we killed a big bull snake.”

“Why?” I asked.

“Because they eat goose eggs,” she replied.

I’ve heard a lot of excuses for killing bull snakes, but that was a new one.

It always bothers me to hear of people killing nonvenomous snakes, especially those that prey on rodents, and have even been known to eat the occasional rattlesnake.

I realize, however, that I’m in the minority. I alway...