Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've been reading these threads until my head hurts, but there is actually a pretty simple solution.

Texas really needs to treat herping like fishing not hunting.

For example,in Florida, you can collect marine tropicals for aquariums(a very similiar hobby) with a fishing liscense but there are size and bag limits to protect the resource. If you want to exceed the limits so you can collect enough that you an make some $$$, you need to buy a much more expensive
commercial fishing liscense.

Now, those of us who collected before you even needed a liscense of any type consider it all a pain in the ass, but it is, what it is....
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

I've posted this same opinion many times-herping is MUCH more akin to fishing. Mostly catch-and-release, with an occasional "trophy" brought home for the "trophy room". Lets see-I believe the daily limit on bass is 5? But on some "panfish" it's 50. definitely a good direction to explore.

brad Chambers

Another thing that is done for fishing is "brackets" where you can only keep animals of a certain size to protect breeding adults.This would work quite well for snakes as well.Say,you get a limit kingsnakes in excess of 2 feet per liscence period, but a higher limit of hatchling and yearling sizes.
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Lloyd Heilbrunn

Palm Beach Gardens, Fl.

given the low numbers of juveniles found vs adults, I doubt this would work. Fish are differen. as are lobsters . With most mammals it is the best that is hunted. With herps that luxury doesn't exist. First we don't have ranchers culling herds to ensure the best will breed. And herps don't school like fish. TX herping is totally different from east coast herpint. In TX you find what you find, particularly if you are relegated to the roadways. Ther is no choice. Anyone who has herped W. TX for more than a week knows this.

I would say in this analogy, species like alterna, subocs, lepidus would be "bass" and maybe uta, checkereds, and coachwhips would be examples of "panfish"....

Brad Chambers

Herping is far more analagous to fishing than it is to hunting, which is the reason you need to buy a fishing license in Ca in order to collect herps.

From an evolutionary standpoint, herps are obviously closer to fish than they are to mammals.