Late coming into this, Val, and you've gotten some excellent direction already.
Just for future reference...
Your state, like mine, makes it to illegal to capture or collect wild harmless snakes.
That said countless farmers and ranchers here will throw any Black Racer or Black Rat snake into their barn or silo, and our wildlife resource folks turn a blind eye.
Even an immature Racer or Rat Snake, though not large enough to take a large rat, does a much more efficient job on the subterranean nestlings than any cat can do.
Kudos for being protective of this animal.
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Regards, Bill McGighan

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