Country Dogs in Trouble

The latest adventures of Millie and Jack have led to a little extra work for Paul. About 3 weeks ago in the height of the drought I noticed Jack barking like a maniac out by the rose bushes. I went out to find that he was barking at a baby copperhead. I drug him back into the house and had to listen to him whine at the door all afternoon until I could get out to check that it was gone. Then Paul mowed the next day and found (and killed) two baby copperheads and what we think was a baby rat snake.
The following week Millie and Jack found another snake and Millie got bit on her front leg. Luckily Jack's "snake bark" is easily identifiable and we were able to catch it right away, and Paul took Millie into the clinic. She was fine and didn't swell or seem bothered in the least.

Paul holding a baby copperhead

The next week I was playing with Em and heard that distinct crazed bark of Jack's. I looked out the window and could see a HUGE copperhead in the back flowerbed and Jack was of course trying to get it. I went outside - screamed a few times - and chased Jack around the rose bushes(literally in circles) until I could finally grab his collar and drag him in. The snake had its head raised and its tongue going and looked particularly vicious. I walked to the shed to get the shovel then changed my mind and went back to look at the snake. Then decided I had to try and get it so I walked back and picked up the shovel and walked back to stare at the snake. I was having quite the debate with myself in my head and went back and forth to the shed with the shovel at least 3 times. Should I try and kill the snake so that we could all go about our business?  What if I missed and it got me? Then I would somehow have to drive myself to get help keep the dogs in and take Em with me...
So being the rational person that I am, I decide to take a few "practice hits" with the shovel to test my aim. I picked out a long leaf laying on the ground in the flower bed and lifted the shovel (all the while keeping one eye on the giant snake still laying in the flowerbed two feet away).  I paused to take aim, closed my eyes and let the leaf have it with all of my might. I missed the leaf by a solid inch. Then and there decided that I would leave snake killing to someone else and took the shovel back to the shed. I spent the remainder of the day keeping one eye on the snake (from inside the window) and trying to keep the dogs from scratching up the back door. It was quite the cowardly day.
The latest snake incident occurred this past Saturday when Jack was after another one but this time he got bit square on the nose. Poor guy was freaking out and Paul took him right into the office. His face got super swollen and he was drugged and wondering around the house. He would lay down and then couldn't lay his face down because it hurt so he would get up and wonder around again. So pitiful.
We were getting a little worried about him until dinner time rolled around and he snarfed his food down - swelling and all. That's our Jack!
Let's hope that now that we've gotten some rain the snakes have found somewhere else to stay. I would rather not be faced with one again. But just in case I think I should work on my aim with the shovel...