Here is an exception to the very good rule of leaving the snake alone:

I was assigned for a project to Chiricahua National Monument, and our (me, wife, 18 mo.old daughter) trailer was sited at an old guest ranch within the park boundaries. We had been there about two weeks and I encountered a large, timber rattler right at my doorstep. I did him in promptly, violating several park regulations, statutes, and policies. I tried a snake load in my 357 first, which was ineffective, and then went to the shovel.

This was a long time ago, and my little girl has made me a grand dad twice over, and , upon reflection, I would do it all over again, just as I did then, but a little faster, and I wouldn't bother with the 357.

That same summer, I encountered several rattlesnakes while hiking in the mountains, and they went on to become grandparents, as far as I was concerned.