Still nothing.......

RandyRhoads · 06-30-12, 12:33 AM

Tack on at least another 5 miles to what i'm estimating around 40-50 miles of hiking through Arizona total, and no snakes. If I had not met and hung out with a cool old vet who told me tales of his snake encounters, and gave me a nice speckled rattlesnake skin to tan, I would believe snakes to be a myth here. Mmm even got an invite for a BBQ to eat the rattler tomorrow. I don't understand how I can't have found a single one. Everyone says they're everywhere, and this is the time of year they are really active.

I did find a nice adult desert iguana. And for the first time I found a diamondback shed in some rock outcroppings.... i'm getting clooossseerrr....

Gungirl · 06-30-12, 04:39 AM

What time of day are you going out looking? Are you going on common trails that others use earlier in the day? Has is been hotter than normal? Many things will affect if you see snakes or not. Think about what you are doing and where you are going and switch it up a bit.

RandyRhoads · 06-30-12, 10:14 AM

Oh I have. Yesterday I left around 6 and staid until 9. I've gone early mornings, latenights, dusk, different months of the year, different trails. The only thing I haven't had a chance to do is go out after a big rain.

RandyRhoads · 06-30-12, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RandyRhoads

Oh I have. Yesterday I left around 6 and staid until 9. I've gone early mornings, latenights, dusk, different months of the year, different trails. The only thing I haven't had a chance to do is go out after a big rain.

Edit: Mohave rattlesnake skin, not diamondback

*Don't Mind Me* · 06-30-12, 12:18 PM

Keep your back to the sun, that way you'll see their basking spots. Use binoculars to find them before they are scared away. And try the going out after a big rain idea.
Good luck

Kingsnakechris · 06-30-12, 12:34 PM

I live in AZ lol I promise there are many kinds of snakes here. Where are you out here? Early mornings are the best bet for me, kings, coach whips, rattlers, just gotta be patient and look at EVERYTHING..

RandyRhoads · 06-30-12, 06:08 PM

Another 5 miles during the day out by Oatman. I'm in Mohave. I'm going to try going out Silver Creek Rd. in Oatman late tonight and see if I can find any around the roads.

Kingsnakechris · 06-30-12, 06:10 PM

Your pretty far from me lol. I'm in maricopa county, but yeah early mornings and sun down, try night cruising... You SHOULD see a few.......

RandyRhoads · 06-30-12, 06:13 PM

Man i've gone out early morning, day time, dusk, and night time. Now i'm sticking to dusk-night. Tonight will be pure vehicle travel. If I don't see any after 30 or so miles of backroad travels tomorrow i'll go back to dusk hiking.

RandyRhoads · 07-03-12, 01:22 AM

SERIOUSLY. I must have the worst luck ever! After another looong night of field herping , miles and miles of hiking, I head to my truck and start going towards home. A truck is coming from the distance, as they pull up they stop and ask how it's going. After a little bs'n I told them I was looking for snakes and haven't been able to find a single one. Apparently they had just seen a sidewinder on the road a few minutes up I was about to travel on. They pulled out their cell phone and showed me a video of it laying on the road and then sidewinding off after a while. THIS IS RIDICULOUS HAHAHA. WHEN WHEN WHEN??

Kingsnakechris · 07-03-12, 09:28 AM

Haha man that's ***** luck, it happens though. The biggest rattler I've ever seen was held up under an old sign about a half foot into an old rodent hole.. You really have to look EVERY WHERE, mid day can be good but dont leave a stone un turned....

RandyRhoads · 07-03-12, 11:15 AM

Ok so i'm not wasting my time going out in the afternoon flipping boards, looking in trash piles and in rock crevices? Or would I be better off saving my energy for a 7-12 hunt?

MoreliAddict · 07-03-12, 11:15 AM

If all you're doing is looking for snakes, you're covering wayyyy too much ground. The key is to be thorough. You've certainly walked past a bunch of snakes within those 5 miles, especially if you're finding sheds lol

RandyRhoads · 07-03-12, 11:20 AM

I only found one shed out of all my trips. I went back and thoroughly searched where the Mojave shed was foung. Well, how thorough can you be in rocky outcropping, short of a jackhammer? I'm not going to mess up nature tearing everything apart, but I did look in and udner as much as I could.

According to Wiki there is approximately one Sidewinder per hectare in the habbitat. If so they must all be laying low not rattling as I criss cross back and forth.

I'm starting to think this is an Arizona joke you guys play on new people

Ohhh yeaaah ....We have snakes everywhere!

MoreliAddict · 07-03-12, 11:24 AM

Just saying though, if you spent the time it took to travel 5 miles all within 1 mile just to be thorough, who knows!

It's also a matter of luck too...