Field Herping Question? What tools?

[Uncloudy]

I was just curious as to what are most peoples preference for a tool to use when field herping?
Tongs?
Hooks?
or just one of those tools used to turn over rocks and other objects?

Thank You,
Uncloudy

[Eevelsmf]

....answer....both.

M:)

Sticks man, what else would you use?

...

:)

I use hooks and gentle giant tongs (well, I would use them if I had them, the tongs that is). I do not recommend using regular tongs. I have seen to many people squeeze the snakes so frikken hard that it looked like they crushed their ribs and vertebrae.

You might want to bring along a pillowcase, a flashlight and a bucket. Just be careful with the pillowcases and venomous snakes; fangs can easily go through, and I have had snakes stick their fangs through them.

Take care and let us know what you find!

[JJFeldner]

the best tool to have while field herping is a potato rake. You can get them at Sears for about $5.00 and if you break a tine, they will replace the whole head.Of course, tongs and hooks have their specialized uses and are valuable to have.

[MRC]

When i go herping, i bring a 18" hook, and a 40" for turning boards etc. and i usually have a few pillow cases. I keep tongs in the truck incase theres a snake on the road, and i need to jump out and pick it up quick before it, and i become road pizza. I prefer the standard tongs over the gentle giants, as mentioned above you need to be careful not to squeeze to hard to prevent injury. If you are inexperienced at herping and you are looking for rattlers id recommend tongs and a bucket with a spin on lid.

[Uncloudy]

I am thinking with all the recent rains we have been getting the over the next couple of seasons both prey and predator species should be more plentiful and an inherent increase in biodiversity.
Plus, all the desert wildflowers blooming.
Right now for herping I use modified tong that were orginally used to pick up trash, but they to do the job and don't injure 'THE PRECIOUS'-lol Lord of the Rings metaphor.:D I basically just use the tongs to take pictures. I rarely take a snake home because I am a firm believer of not breaking any cycles in the ecosystem and whats out in the wild should stay in the wild cause it has a purpose. Although, I don't frown upon people who do responsibly take snakes from the wild like breeders and collectors except for rattlesnake roundups:mad:.

The spring and summer should be good herping.

Happy Herping,
Uncloudy:bright

[JJFeldner]

While we in AZ have had some rain and we are supposedly ahead of the "normal" annual rainfall for this time of year, it is going to take a whole lot more rain to make up for the deficits of the last 7, 9 or 11 years, depending when you think the present drought started.

[garry]

where can I get these buckets with the spin top lids and do they come in different sizes?:Think

[Uncloudy]

But any rain in this desolate desert, especially here in Yuma where the average rainfall is less than 3 inches/year, and 3 inches/year is a great rain year. I look at all rain here as a blessing and its bound to increase biodiversity.
Happy Herping,
Uncloudy

[cornsnake]

hey uncloudy,, im here in the foothills also and have been looking for fellow herpers also,, although im only 16 ive been looking around a lot.... let me know if you would like to get ahold of me.. my number is 342-5790 ask for cas

[Uncloudy]

Alright Cas,
Looks like so far you and me will be the local chapter of the AHA in this area.:hi
We can represent this SW corner of the state and I can't wait until about another month because I just got a digital camera and we can post pictures of what we find out here in one hottest sections of the Sonoran desert. I have my hopes up that this year will be a great year for reptiles due to irregular rainfalls we've had in this Yuma area.
Peace, Love, and Happy Herping:bright
Uncloudy

Oh and Carlos you can keep that kind of stuff in the ghetto where it belongs.:HMAD: