Mine's the same way, even tho she knows better - at least about black snakes.
I had one about the same length but twice that diameter on my country property and I hit him with the lawn mower while mowing some particularly tall grass, since then I have moles. I need another good big black snake and fast!
I have the same problem. We used to have black snakes. A couple new next-door neighbors moved in who hate snakes and now I have mole and vole trouble. My neighbor's cat catches some -- thank you Franny -- but they breed even faster. The one new neighbor said "get a Jack Russell terrier, or a boxer like we have, they'll take care of the moles." Nope, too much time and effort, black snakes peg the zero end of the dial on the maintenance meter...just need to watch out for them while mowing...
I have an neighbor who has ophidiophobia, it makes them feel justified in killing black snakes regardless of the services they provide as a rodent hunters because of their fear.
Please support the snakes body when you pick them up, they will calm down and become docile. I would imagine that snake was pretty stressed out by being picked up by it's tail, most predators attack them by going for the tail.
