A snake-catching thing.

Not that I would be interested in catching a snake, but there are times when we've seen a snake close to the house or up in one of the birds' nests and there's no way to catch them.

Until now.  On the news this morning, I happened to see a county wildlife agent catching a snake with a jaw-like contraption on the end of a metal pole with a gripper-type of handle at the bottom end of that pole.

The wildlife agent held that gripper-thing in his hand, got the red jaw-like part near the snake, quickly closed the gripper handles, which clamped down the 'jaws' at the other end of the pole, and like magic, the snake was caught, couldn't move or get away. Then you can either bag the snake or you can shoot it.

So of course I told my husband about that snake-catching thing... he looked up "snake catcher" on the Internet, and there was that silver pole with the red jaws at one end and the gripper handles at the other end.

"You need to buy one of those," I told my husband.
"And are you going to be catching the next snake if we buy this thing?"
"Of course not," said I.
"And what would I do with the snake after I catch him with this?" he wanted to know.
"Well, then you can shoot it."

My husband thought it was unreasonable for me to think that he would be able to catch the snake with that pole and then successfully shoot the snake...... "One hand holding that clamp shut on the pole and the other hand pulling the trigger of the rifle? I don't think so," said he.

He suggested that I could use the pole to catch and hold the snake while he shot it. "Not in this city girl's life-time," is what I told him.

I told him that he could catch and hold the snake and I could shoot it with the rifle.

My husband reminded me that the last time I used the rifle to shoot at a raccoon, I took aim and then shut my eyes before I pulled the trigger. "So you want me to stand in front of you while you hold a rifle and close your eyes while you try and shoot a snake?"

I guess that arrangement is not an option. But I still think my husband should buy one of those snake catcher poles.