Thanks gang to all the positive & complimentary comments you made. I felt sure everyone would enjoy reading a Kauffeld type account of that annulata trip. When I ever get the Gray-Banded Kingsnake book finished & published that I have started 2 years ago, yet are not even close to being finished, this account, as well as some other milksnake finds & captures will be included in it. By the way, on that 87 trip to Freer, I ended up with 2 or 3 other dor annulata as I recall, will have to verify in my field note book from that year, in the 4 days I spent at Freer, then went on to Val Verde county & in 4-5 more nights secured a nice male blairs phase Gray-Banded Kingsnake also on that trip, so it was indeed a very good & memorable trip.



I will get around to posting the wild-caught female annulata that the old man bred to again this season. She was caught by Jeff Adams (aka: Tanks on the forum) of San Antonio, & for those that may or may not know Jeff very well, he had hunted annulata well before I had met him in the early 80's & I think he told me he has found close to 35-40 annulata from the wild since he started hunting. Jeff skipped a few years & just last year & again this season has been out on a few nights in South TX. Jeff had informed me that the quiet South TX Roads, TX-16 & TX-624, are longer quiet & lightly traveled, but now are loaded with lots of traffic, mainly oil & gas field workers & personnel & that its very difficult to see many live snakes at all anymore on those & several other once quiet back roads in annulata country. He stated that most nights traffic doesnt slow down till 11 to 12am & that he sees more dor's than live snakes on some of our once favorite roads. He has NOT found a single annulata, live or dead last year or this year. Certainly depressing to hear, but not supprising I suppose, given the quest for more oil. Will post more pics soon, again, thanks...John

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