*sigh* i was just out for a 1 and a half hour walk threw a local huge park walking on a trail that went threw woods, along a large pond, some creaks, and some swampy areas. i came back a bit diseapointed as my mind brought up memories from the past. i saw nothing at all on my walk.

thinking back about it, for the past few years I haven't seen much at all. my last catches were while I was turning rocks last summer and finding small salamanders and millipedes and I found a 3 inch long black snake with a yellow ring around its neck. thiers also my eastern box turtle that I got from the park last year, but I diden't find that, my dog did.

thier used to be a time (15 years ago when I was 10) that I could spot a turtle or frog in a pond or stream from 5-10 feet away (even when it wasen't on the bank), sneak up on it, and catch it. i could hear rustling leaves even when not paying attention and find a snake just from the sound. i was even able to find snakes in foot tall grass from a few feet away. atleast I can still catch crayfish without haveing to hunt for them :P

but now? now I rarly find anything at all.
when I moved to a small city for 5 years, i lost my hunting skill

anybody got any tips for a former excellent field herper that wants to get back into the game?

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i'd be better off opening my own small zoo.

It may have nothing to do with your "hunting skills". Many of the once fertile herping areas are now desolated. Between over collecting for the pet trade, toxins from the chemicals we spray haphazardly over everything around us, habitat destruction and just plain old irresponsible human behavior there may just not be much left to find.
I have gone back to areas that in my youth were teeming with life, of all sorts, only to find them sterile and lifeless.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

i find I cant ever find anyhting if im looking but when I dont expect it I find all sorts of stuff, try not trying to see and you will probably find some. if not merlin is pretty much dead on about the habitats dissappearing and becoming unusable, maybe try someplace new?

i hate to think of a 5 and a half square mile park with an 870 acre pond system, lots of forests, tall fields, and swampy areas of being devoid of wildlife :P

but yea, thats a good idea, i'll have to try around some less visited areas of the park.

either way, all the more reason to catch, breed, and release to help increase the populations of the reptiles.

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i'd be better off opening my own small zoo.

I understand where you are coming from but unless you are working under the authority of a wildlife agency it is illegal to release captive animals into the environment. Even those native to the area. You stand a good chance of introducing the herp equivalent of plague to the native population, if any remains. Also introducing animals into an area that cannot support them is useless. Sadly with all of our chemicals and pest eradication techniques we have poisoned what looks to us like suitable habitat and removed potential food sources.

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Well said Merlin,,,I know in Virginia you need to be licensed to breed and release and be subject to unannounced inspections.

on another note: I've found that night time herping produces much more sightings.

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Ken
"Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering if they made a difference in the world. But, the Marines don't have that problem." -- Ronald Reagan