Its interesting how people have different preferences.  like the western diamondback.  I'd love to see one, just to say I saw one... other than that I have little interest in them.  I talked to my sister today, her son is visiting me in about a month and a half, and asked if there were any snakes her husband wanted her son to bring back.  At one point he had been interested in a water snake, long story... But he said he only really wanted the western diamonback.  I sure wouldn't send one of those to him anyway, but told him if anything, I'd be more likely to see a pygmy.  He said he wasn't interested in that, just the diamondback...  I look at it and think it's kind of plain, but the  pygmy is so pretty.  And even garter snakes.  So many people just say "oh, yippee, a garter snake..." but they are not only very attractive, they're also quite interesting snakes.  They are far from my favorite, but because of how common they are many people pay little attention to them. 
Actually I really wouldn't want to find any rattle snake in my yard for a few reasons... one being my daughters, two being if my neighbor found out he might sneak up here and find a way to get rid of them.
I told him yesterday that if he ever killed a venomous snake in his yard I wouldn't hold it against him but if he killed a harmless one that he's better off not telling me about it. 
as far as your yard goes grimskraper, you might ask a few others if they have any specific suggestions, but you may be able to encourage them to come to your yard by setting up some sort of wood or metal for them to hide under.  Of course that sort of thing can attract other unwanted things as well as be an eyesore, but those snakes love having lots of places to hide.

sorry if you think my comments are out of line.  I know how passionate people are, but I have no doubt you  yourself know people who kill any snake they see.  This guy already told me he kills a lot of snakes. I've talked with him a few times and there's really little I can do.  He already knows that I will remove any snakes for him...  But he has told me a few times how many watersnakes he's shot near the neighbors pond just for fun.  He's a decent guy other than that but how I treat him in respect to that is very delicate.  More people fear snakes and hurt them because of that fear then there are people that love them and respect them.  I know that's not right by any means, but it's not an easy thing to win some of them over.  If I start to think people like that are jerks, I might end up treating them like that... then what happens, I have no friends and these people have no positive influence in regards to the subject of snakes.  It's real easy for passionate people to alienate others.  That's why I can't hold it against him.  But I'll keep on him about it...
I know a lot of people with families and they don't want to share their space with anything venomous.  I don't think it's right to kill something like that, but I still say that I wont hold it against him if he were to kill something he considers a threat.  I know there's a huge difference, but most people kill something that's considered a pest.  I got lectured by someone once because I want to kill black widows in my yard...  pleanty of other people would go to even further extremes than I do try and eradicate them.  There are pleanty of other things that aren't even close to as harmful that people everywhere kill because they're considered pests, and it's so common not many people care. 
I understand this is a reptile site but I do not think my comment is out of line.  I understand and totally respect your feelings on the matter and what the purpose of this site is... 
I guaruntee I'm the only person in the neighborhood who would not kill a snake in their yard, but I'm not going to hold it against any of them.  I'll do my best to share my enthusiasm and knowledge and just hope it wears off on them a little. 
The reason I even said anything is because so far from talking with him I can see that he'll still kill a snake if he feels the need to do so...  Again I don't think it's right to do so, but anytime someone finds a venomous snake in their own yard and they feel the need to kill it, I wont hold it against them... I'd tell them there are other ways to deal with that sort of thing, share some info, and offer to remove things myself, but I still wont hold it against them... But I mentioned it to him because I knew he would still do it but just to make sure he didn't bother telling me about any nonvenomous killings...  Killing a snake you know is harmless because you might be scared or just don't like them goes beyond ignorance in my book. 
If he killed a harmless snake and told me about it I might lecture him and be a bit ticked off but I'd still probably talk to the guy...  but if it was venomous I might just shake my head and say "I wish I was there to relocate it" or something like that. 
I'm sorry if that's hard to understand but that's how I feel on the matter and I don't think I was that out of line.
   Oh, thanks for reminding me about such laws in regards to transporting snakes between states...  My brother in law has begged me for a few different things but I probably would never send him anything for more than a few reasons. 
You know he once said he considered traveling to the carolinas or virginia to collect some timber rattlers to release in NH to help the population there... I doubt he'd ever do it and personally I'd like to see him hold a venomous snake, but it wasn't his brightest idea though his thoughts well intended.  His son has a good early start on learning about snakes, hopefully he'll learn all the right things. 
He'll be here in a month and a half or so... Kory already said he might be willing to share some knowledge with him IF he has the time... anyway...

Could you blame a little kid for trying to kill a gartner snake? I tried it all the time because I was terrified. Back in the day a wavy black line in the hot sun made me terrieified, and today it still does, but not as much. Untill I know what it is, I'm frightened, but I havent killed one in years now. But I'm not braging, just bringing up a question.

You know, my dad did have a good influence. I never remember him killing a snake. I do remember him feeling sorry for the snake he hit with a lawn mower one time. We always kept the snakes we found for a day, never killed them, but sometime the babys would meet the neighborhood birds....  then we let them go!    But when my dad wasn't around to say no no, I went ahead and threw rocks at them, splashed them with water, and tried to hit them with the lawnmower.My step dad says he will shoot snakes on sight with his 22. As Mystic knows, hes an awful influence. My dad doesn't live in his old house right now, because he was in the hospital and my uncle moved into his house, so that yard that was once a ...... "haunted" yard is now something I miss  . But I told him recently that he might be finding some snakes. I haven't offered to remove them, but I've had the thought since before I joined this site. Any of you guys know a place I could dump some gartner snakes off? I realy would like to get them out of there if he finds them. My uncle is a keep to himself man, but he will listen to 3 people mainly. Me, my aunt, and his wife and kids (well 5). So if I tried to influence him, there might be a chance he would listen. But he has a child that is 7, and a 10 month old, and I don't want them to go through what I did. But he has said he wanted a python as a pet. I asked what kind and there was an akward silence. ROFLCOPTER. So maby I could show him how to hold a snake with a gartner before he gets his snake.
Mr.Roberts said he would let me hold "Norbert" some time, so I think I may be able to hold a gartner snake.