Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Well it was a mixed emotions trip. First of all the weather was not very helpful, seeing as it hasn't rained for a good while and there was not a lot of reptile activity. Out of the 4 nights I went out I only saw 7 snakes. I thought this was pretty lousy until I started talking to others who were out and hadn't seen squat. This being my 2nd real herping trip to the area I was happy that I saw a few new snakes. At first I thought maybe I didn't have a good eye for finding snakes from the car, and that's why I hadn't found much. But then I picked out a night snake, who was in a crevice 2 feet from the ground, on the opposite side of the road. Not meaning to brag but I thought that was pretty cool, especially since all the night snakes I've seen have been squashed on the road. Well here is what I saw.

1 Coachwhip - Del Rio
1 Suboc - Juno
1 Coral snake - Juno
1 Bull Snake - Seminole canyon
1 Night Snake - 277 outside Del Rio
2 Atrox ( 1 DOR) Langtry, Juno

Special mention:
1 Texas Horned Lizard - Seminole Canyon

Well Good Luck & and I'll try again next month,

Nathan

Hey Nathan, a suboc and a coral off of Juno is pretty cool. I caught my first suboc on Juno in 1981 by the trash can [5.5 north of Bakers] and still have him to this day [25 years on June 8th]. I've only found one live coral on Juno in approximately 60 nights of hunting that road. I realize an alterna alluded you this trip but I and others have definitely had worse trips than yours. It could break out any night now. Good luck next time.

Brad...........how big was that suboc when collected? 25 years in captivity is testimony to outstanding care IMHO! My first suboc was a 5 and 1/2 footer from Black Gap back in June of '99. He hasn't really grown much since then, but he has a head like a 7 foot Lake Okeechobee yellow rat.

I caught my first suboc on Juno in 1981 by the trash can

Weren't subocs protected in 1981?
I think they were listed from 1977 to 1987. Just thought you might want to reconsider discussing dates such as this.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

Yep! They were "protected" by an agency of humans who had done very little if any population research into species densities. I and many others hunted and collected alterna, subocs, leps etc.
We all knew what TP&W came to learn through wildlife studies of the Chihuahuan desert, that all of these species we coveted were really quite common, although difficult to find due to the nocturnal nature of the animals and the infintesimal amount of habitat we could actually search. In other words they should of never been "protected" in the first place. Every herper over 30 yrs old now who came to West Texas prior to 1987 would tell you the same thing.
I'm not the least bit worried of "big brother" giving a rats ass if I've still got herps I collected in the 80's. But I appreciate your concern. Good luck with your "legal" hunting this year. Just remember sometime of all the people that came before you that convinced the powers that be to lift the ridiculous "protection" status that your generation now enjoys to collect without harassment.
Your welcome.
BA

In other words they should of never been "protected" in the first place. Every herper over 30 yrs old now who came to West Texas prior to 1987 would tell you the same thing.

Yeah, I know, thanks. I've been over 30 years old and herping in West Texas for more than a few years now.
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Chris Harrison
San Antonio, Texas

well said brad!!

I love it!!! Rock on Brad! You definitely have support here!!! :))

Wayne

You guys are missing the point big time.

Chris was just offering up a little free advice, and if Brad doesn't want it, fine, but I thought it was good advice.

If Brad doesn't think admitting to a little suboc poaching on the web can ever come back to bite him in the rear he is dead wrong.

Here's the jest of it, in case you are still missing the point.

The fact that it was a bunk law has no bearing. What is important is that it was in fact a law, one that many folks choose to ignore.

So if I'm Joe Warden reading his post, you can bet your bottom I'm taking notes (and he is). If Joe Herper ignored the law before, and is brazen enough to put it in print on the www, he very well may feel the same way today in regard to certain species. If and when Joe Warden runs across Joe Herper in the field things better be in order and we're gonna spend a good 45 minutes to an hour and half finding out.
If things are not in order, well we've got a post on the www to establish a precedent which can and will be used against him.

Is this likely to happen? Probably not, but it's not far fetched by any stretch of the imagination.

We've got a good thing going in Texas with regard to our current non game laws. No need to throw sand in anyone's face, it just gets a lot of unwarranted attention.

It's free advice, it's worth what you paid for it.

Forky

Joe, Thanks for the "advice". Don't blame you one bit for backing up your homeboy there in San Antonio. Go Spurs! {my favorite team since 77. Next year they'll sweep the Dallas "Cubans"!!!} Anyway, I'm just glad I don't have a business card from the 80's floating around with locality alterna on it!! Email me for details. Don't need to put that on the forum. Respectfully, fellow law breaker from the 80's!

unfortunately we didn't specify who had what on that card.
If you knew me, you knew I had all the eastern locals mainly
Juno road. So if you are insinuating I had anything from the park, you are wrong.

I did get busted in 1982 with an alterna in Ft Davis. I paid my fine and did a little community service. But again that has nothing to do with the point of my post. So let me help you, the point is NOT that I ignored that law once too, the point is that it is not smart to admit your past indescretions on the www.

Why you figured you needed to go there I don't know, but I certainly don't appreciate it.

Maybe if you had access to the log files on this Web site like I did in the past you'd understand.

Forky

is what my nephew said about this. Unless maybe something about the state park and of course the federal park ! But when was the state park of the Natural Park on River Road established ? I don't remember. I KNOW it wasn't established when that huge alterna even that Forky and others and myself have been talking about and that was either in 85/86/or 87. Funny that the ONLY time that I have EVER been stopped by wildlife WAS in those days before de-listing the legality of hunting and on RR but i was " turned lose " even with critters in vehicle.
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I may be old , cantankerous, crabby, and cynical, but......

me too. i just got back in tonight. Ms. holley in comstock told me that they have not had rain since october. I chased rain storms thursday night past langtry and friday night into sanderson nothing came about except atrox and night snakes 1 sonora. I have caught at least one alterna every year in may (on a new moon) except for this year. I went ahead and left early . Good luck to all the june month hunters hopefully it will be better for you guys. One good thing though! Gas is cheaper in del rio than it is here in Austin. I paid 2.65 gal in del rio at the exxon. That is nice. 3.12 gal at holleys in comstock. fill up before you get out there!