Summer is usually too dry for AZ herping to be much good. Spring following a wet winter is best, then during summer rains is a close second. There is so much to do in a good year, it's difficult to know how to comment. Searching crevices in the lower Mazatzal Mts., road riding at night, visiting the dune country near Yuma, spotting collared lizards in the central plateaus....all spring (late Feb-early June) activities.
August, if the rains have materialized, the southeast quadrant is the place to be. Then is the time to road ride for Az Corals, amphibians, day hike for mountain lizards and rare rattlesnakes.
Alas, this is a bad year. Very dry, ten years into a drought, generally a poor showing on herps, plus gas prices are too high. If gas was cheaper I'd say take your chances, but unless you've got dough to blow, wait to see how the summer rains do, or just wait for a better year. Don't get too hyped up looking at my posts of herp pix...some were shot in better years, and not necessarily this year, although the HL shots were all shot on this last trip. Pure luck.
