I do not own big snakes, but I do not see anything wrong with keeping a knife, gun, or whatever handy just in case. I love my snakes, but I am not willing to let them kill me. If a knife, gun, or whatever does the trick, then that's what I would use.
BTW, to the owner of the large retic that has a gun handy, don't be offended. Many people love to shoot off their mouths on the net, but most of them would never do so in person. I guess the keyboard gives them confidence...