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Just kidding, we got very lucky, watched the weather and had some great tips from friends. What a great trip this was, we put over 2500 miles on our rental car, they blew it with the unlimited mileage deal with us. First night in Langtry we started out from the Langtry Depot, and meet a very nice women running the store that said that 90 % of you snake hunters get arrested for jumping fences, so stop jumping fences. We took off before dark at about 9:00. At 9:35 we saw the large male light phase blairs, temp was 79.5 degrees, then at 9:49 we found the small suboc two cuts up and about 20 feet up the cut.Temp was 71.4. That was a nice climb I had to hand the suboc down to Yani. At this point we are thinking that this is going to be the best night ever. Finding two of our top five target species in the first 45 minutes of hunting, the first time we hunt in Texas, a dream come true. Then we hit a dry spell for a couple hours. Then we see a small dark snake 15 feet up a cut, I think it is going to be another suboc but once I start climbing I realize it is another Blairs, this time a dark phase yearling.Time 11:47 ,temp 69.4 Both these alterna are exactly what I was looking for to add to my collection of alterna. Then we started seeing lighting coming our way so we started herping the oposite direction to try and out run the rain. We got a ways then got dumped on. Then we decided it was time to stop hunting, we saw a DOR Suboc on the way in. That night we met Jeff from Austin and his girlfriend and his two pit bulls. Talk about Texas protection. They hunt with guard dogs out here. Just kidding Jeff was cool and gave us a transpecos to pair up the one we found and the pits were super nice. Hope to hang out with Jeff in the future. Next day we decide to drive to River Road. Short and sweet, we paid too much for a room, did not see anything but awesome scenery. The next day we head back for Langtry. On the way we are passed by a person we think to be a fellow herper. So we catch up, he was haulin ass, so we are going like 90 mph and we pass him and I hold up the light phase blairs. He then points to the shoulder. It was a pleasure to meet Wayne Howell and his wife and kids. The kids were awesome, as Wayne showed them the light phase alterna and asked what phase it is the boys yell "BLAIRS PHASE". We then went to lunch and told stories. What an awesome family, great people. We hope to herp with them again in the future. That night we headed out to 277, temps were awesome and we thought we were going to kill it again. First we got an Atrox at 9:45 temp 79.3 then we hunted like crazy and saw nothing till 1:15A.M we spotted a Bairds Rat in Loma Alta at 74.3 then on the way in we found another Atrox at 3:30A.M at 71.1. Temps were right things were just not moving. We had a great trip and can't wait to get out there again. We definitly have altern afever. Later from the Hollywood herpers Dangerdan and Yani from CA. Go to the link for more pics. http://gallery.pethobbyist.com/index.php?user=2097&cat=500

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Is it the angle of the pose or is the head of the suboc unusually large.

I need your number...
email me
l a n c e b e n t o n (at) s b c g l o b a l (dot) n e t

Beginner's Luck! That is what I said about my River Road grayband in 1997. That was the first snake I ever caught by myself in the wild. Anyway, I know you guys are pumped by all the snakes you found! It really is the "thrill of the chase" and beautiful West Texas that keeps us all coming back. I know this because I definitely have the Alterna fever myself.

I really got a kick out of you guys pulling us over with your large alterna. Wayne says "This car behind me is trying to make a statement." and I looked just as you were pulling up along side us going like 90 mph down hwy 90 holding up the grayband and say "Yeah, they are making a statement alright!" What a trip!

Our kids love snakes, especially alterna. We have them trained right! We are working on latin names next... LOL!!

It was great meeting you both so come back to Texas soon and we hope to experience the California herp scene someday.

Keep on herping!

Kim Howell

Where around Langtry did you find those? East, west, north?
Nice light phase.

The light male was found heading west on the 90 2.5 miles west of the langtry depot gas station. I am not sure what that cut is called. But I can remember it because it has a house up on top of the cut on the north side of the road, opposite from where we caught him. The house has a fence that runs to the top of the cut, maybe you know the name of that cut. Also the dark male came from 3.9 miles west of the langtry depot on the south side cuts. Now I just need a couple of females to breed them to. Let me know if you have any or if Shannon produces some this year. Thanks.

Dan

Cool, I don't know the names of the cuts but that's good you got the mileage. My original group of Langtries consists of a female I caught 8 miles west and a male I caught 6 miles west plus a male a friend caught 8 miles west. I still have some babies from last year and I have extra females so email me if you guys want to pair up those snakes.

Beautiful snakes and nice pictures. I am glad to see you people do well when you come from so far away. Take care.
Nathan

What a thrill to find your first ALTERNA. It diminises a little bit. But I still get the rush when I find one, after 25 years of looking for them. Congrats...Ric Blair
P.S. That light phase Blair's looks like it may have come from my uncle's side of the "Blair" clan, LOL.

a car that will go 90?Maybe he retired that old jimmy.I am glad you found alterna first time out.That was pretty lucky even for langtry.I can't wait to get out there in 6 more weeks.Brand spankin new truck to break in on alterna.

The old dakota had 200,000 plus on it and I just couldn't see breaking down like wayne does out there?LOL.....

Wayne,are you going to be out there the end of june first of july?We will have to hit crosbys for some caso fundio.

L8r
Shannon Brown

p.s. my plates read alturna