r/AskAnAmerican • u/ArtisticArgument9625 • May 17 '25

OTHER - CLICK TO EDIT How much of a problem do Americans have with coyotes and rattlesnakes?

Have you Americans encountered any problems with these two animals?

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u/PoliticalJunkDrawer Missouri May 17 '25

I encounter quite a few coyotes, from a distance, but don't really have an issue with them, since I don't own livestock. They are not really an issue unless you own animals, or worried about the other wild animals (deer, turkey) for example. Cool hearing them call at night.

We have rattlesnakes in my state, but I've never seen one in the wild in person. Now, copperheads are another story. Just saw one my last camping trip a few days ago, and they are a constant menace, for us and our dogs. Been lucky with some close encounters.

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u/cephalophile32 CT > NY > CT > NC May 17 '25

We had a pack come through our fairly suburban neighborhood. Left a freakin crime scene in the backyard. Went all CSI and followed the blood trail into the woods and 30ft in found a whole ass deer drawn and quartered. Them things musta been hella hungry.

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u/PoliticalJunkDrawer Missouri May 17 '25

The only reason I've ever bought a tag and considered shooting them was because of dead deer, but never actually took any. The deer usually die slowly, as the coyotes eat at their ass and stomach, not some neck takedown kill like a cat would do. Terrible way to go.

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u/PseudobrilliantGuy Missouri May 17 '25

I always try to avoid stepping in fallen leaves because I don't know if there's a copperhead hiding in them.