Well we survived. 3800 miles at 17 mpg was exciting. I even enjoyed 69 gallons of gas from study bute at $3.89 a gallon. We went to del rio 1st so we could go into ciudad acuna(spell check there) and get supplies and eat. Best food around for 6 bux. We saw nothing on the road dead or alive. I couldn’t stand not being at roys so we left and headed that way. On the way there we did some flipping and found nothing. Finally hit a creek bed and found 2 garters. Near Comstock we found a dor pink coachwhip around 5 pm. Still soft and fresh blood so was very recent hit. we got to roys 6:15 and checked in. asked him where to go and he suggested river road. Well I didn’t listen and went to black gap. We got to black gap around 8 pm Tuesday evening. On the way down saw 2 dor amazing pink coachwhips and nothing else. Not even a bug. So we got back to the room around 5 am. On the way back I hit 7 jack rabbits and saw at least 15 dead deer. Not sure why but everything seemed suicidal. We got up around 8 am and headed back to ciudad acuna for more stuff and lunch. Same as day before, 1 dead coachwhip and that was it. Back to the oasis at 4 and decided I would listen this time. Headed out at 6 pm and 2 more dor coachwhips. We got to the teepees before dark and found nothing on the way in. headed out to alpine and found a baby wdb at 8:16 and another at 8:24. Made it up to Redford and found a yearling gopher. Turned around there and found several wdb babies before the end of the park but that was it. Between lajitas and study butte we found 6 dor and 1 alive suboc. Never found that many alive or dead in 1 night let alone 30 minutes. Got 17 gallons of gas at study bute and fixed a sammich. We then headed back in and made it all the way to the teepees and found not 1 thing alive or dead. I was scratching my head as to what happened. We went on up to Redford and still not 1 thing. Turned around and went back to the teepees and still a zero. While sitting there realized I could see Mexico like it was noon. Full moon bearing down overhead. All the way back to Sanderson no dead or alive anything. Well we got up at 8 am again and hit the hills behind the hotel. Found 1 nice rock rattler and nothing else. We headed out for the river again and got there around 7pm.nothing sighted on the way down. Figured it was too early so hung out in study till dusk. We had decided we were only running between study bute and lajitas that night. Right at dusk we found many baby wdb’s and mojos. I was figuring that a little after dark the subocs would be out in great numbers again. It never happened and the rattlers also disappeared. I couldn’t figure it out till I looked up. Full moon at 9:15 dammmmm. So we ran to the teepees and nothing so headed out for Oklahoma.
We were stopped several times by border patrol and asked what we were doing. I told them looking for snakes and got the same reply as the last several years. No one said anything about the new laws. We never saw 1 game warden but had decided in advance we would test the waters and tell the truth to them if asked.
1 thing that did happen on the way out of Mexico the 2nd trip though is we were checked and told we could no longer bring flagyl out. I explained that we brought 25 bottles out the day before with no problems. They said no because I was buying it in bulk and it was considered commercial. It is no way illegal to bring this back across the border in any listed number. They could not tell me a specific number that was allowed. We returned to the pharmacy and got a refund and went back through with 6 bottles with no problems.
I’ll post pics when I get to work and off the dial up. Over all a great trip that I got to relax on. It was extremely dry, no rain since October. When it rains that area is going to explode. I will be back may 11th to the 16th and would like to meet up with anyone else that is going to be in the area.
