I completely agree with tanks' assessment below...a lot of headway was achieved between the herper community and TPWD last weekend. HOWEVER, it will take some time (a few years? more?) before mutual trust is fully regained.

A perfect example of this is that TPWD needs data on herps. Most records on a variety of species are decades old. Graybands (and other snakes) were restricted from take for a long time because there was no data to provide useful population estimates (either high OR low)...it wasn't until dedicated hobbyists/collectors could demonstrate that they aren't rare, just rarely encountered unless you know when/where/how to find them, that TPWD could reasonably allow them to be collected.

I'm working on compiling the results from last weekend, as far as what herps were seen, photgraphed, released, etc. I made it very clear at the event that the data would be completely anonymous, i.e. if someone perceived the data would be "used against them" by LE, it wouldn't (and couldn't) be.

I made 200 copies of the event data sheet for people to use while out hunting. I think less than two dozen were taken, and of those, less than 10 were returned. Granted, some people are still compiling their own notes and a trickle of reports has been coming in via email, but I think there is still a lingering fear that this sort of information will be used "against" herpers, so many people are keeping a close hold on their own notes.

I hope to publish the initial compilation of the event observations in the next SWCHR Bulletin, for which I'm the editor, and the deadline to publish is the end of the month! If you attended Snake Days, and you have observations to share (anonymously! Obviously I'll have your contact info if I need clarification on your notes), please send them to me at chris.mcmartin (at) yahoo.com.

I understand many of you have already, or are planning to, submit your information directly to TPWD, or to NAFHA or other databases. That's fine and does not conflict with this project--the purpose of this Snake Days report is not only to ensure the data is put to good use, but to show that events like Snake Days an be a powerful benefit to wildlife agencies, university research, etc. and should be supported rather than viewed as an "us vs. them" scenario. Furthermore, the more we as a "herper community" can demonstrate "legitimacy" in the eyes of academia and even LE, the more "clout" we have in helping to change/shape laws to allow us to further contribute (such as being able to salvage DORs for universities, which is currently still prohibited without special permission) and yes--perhaps even to fully return back to the "way things were" (legally picking up an animal on a roadway, for example).

NOTE: This is not just for observations/capture of alterna, but ALL herps--lizards, amphibians, etc.
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Chris McMartin
www.mcmartinville.com
I'm Not a Herpetologist, but I Play One on the Internet

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