is best to go out in the morning,7:30-10:30, afternoon,10:30-2:00,or evening,6:00pm-dusk. i live in greensboro north carolina. yesterday i went to pick up some fresh strawberries. the property next to the berry farm looked good for black rat snakes and copperheads large grassy fields bordered by woods with a very run down building in the middle. i stopped to check it out. i didn't have on the right shoes or pants so i went striaght to the building. i lifted some moist rotting particle boards and saw alot of earthworms so i thought there might be a ringneck, garter, worm snake, or rough green snake. a few boards over i found a young male eastern garter snake. it was undercover. the time was 11:45am the temp was about 75 degrees and sunny. today i plan to go back at about 6:30-to dusk the temp should be 78,or higher, at first and 72 at dusk. tomorrow i will go back at 7:30am the temp should be about 70 the sun will have been up for over an hour. i will probably stay out until 10:30-11:00 with the temp about 75-77.