I see quite a few snakes each year when hunting. I was a land surveyor for twenty years and saw far more in those days than I do now. I had quite a collection of skins from diamondbacks before I decided to stop killing them. In that environment they were no threat to my dog and I couldn't justify it. Now I let a venomous snake's attitude determine its fate. Every time I hunt I see snake skeletons that have been picked clean. I took a number of pictures of this cottonmouth. It was out on exposed lake bottom where a bird could easily get it. I have never seen one with such a dehydrated or malnourished look that it's spine was so prominent. It took some effort from me to get it to strike a menacing pose. Because of its attitude that snake was given a pardon. The next cottonmouth I saw wasn't as lucky.