A Field Herping Checklist

Originally published in the SHHS Spring 2000 Newsletter.

Finally, spring is here and it's time for the best herping trip of the year! For more than 12 consecutive years, I have made at least one big excursion through the Southeast in search of reptiles and amphibians. Always, I am accompanied by fellow outdoorsmen (like Derek and Wyeth Morgan, David Pearce, Mike Queen, and Sterling Whitley - all of whom are SHHS members) who are as excited as I am to leave town and get into the backcountry. Our journeys begin in North Carolina and wind through South Carolina, Georgia, and Northern Florida. Along the way, we employ many methods for seeing herps; like road-cruising, hiking through scrub oak and pine forest, peering down Gopher tortoise holes and hollowed stumps, and canoeing through the Okeefenokee Swamp. However, our best success at this time of year seems to come from the tried and true method of flipping boards, tin, and other debris.

While preparing for another big adventure this spring, I realized that the list of things to remember seems to get longer each year. Every year, a new useful "toy" is introduced by one of my fellow herpers. The following checklist may prove useful for other people who enjoy spring herping in the southeast. It includes obvious, as well as more obscure items that our group of herpers (with more than 100 collective years of experience in the field) uses regularly.

Snake stick - We have tried many types of hooks over the years, from modified golf clubs to iron bars to professional hooks, and we are sure that the best field hook in the world is the Furmont "Stump-ripper". It is lightweight, virtually indestructible, and perfectly designed for flipping trash. The double-shafted model that we use can pry up the heaviest of boards without breaking, although the manufacturer offers no warranty hooks that are broken due to prying.

Briar-resistant pants -Ever fight through a wall of man-eating briars to get to one piece of tin? Carrhart, Wrangler, and other manufacturers of outdoor clothing make pants with plastic coating in the front that effectively resists thorns. The overalls are nice too, but they can be awfully hot. One manufacturer, Cabella's, produces pants that are briar-proof and supposedly "snakebite-proof". Certainly, the Cabella's are snakebite resistant, but none of us are eager to be the guy who tests to see if the pants are truly snakebite-proof.

Sawyer Venom Extractor Kit - They're small, inexpensive, and reasonably effective. Even though we don't often handle venomous snakes in the field, the potential benefit of taking along this device is obvious.

Photocopies of the SHHS Snakebite Treatment Protocols - These protocols, which have been distributed several times by the SHHS, are informative and concise. They can be easily stored in the glove box or with maps. In an emergency, they could save a lot of grief or more.

Camera - Our photographic gear has improved seriously over the years. The typical point and shoot cameras are great for portraits or landscape photography, but they often render out-of-focus photographs in close-up situations, as are necessary with herp photography. Our best photos are taken with cameras that have through-the-lenses focusing. An entire article could be written on the topic of good, affordable field photography.

Mirror - We usually carry small mirrors in our pockets while snake hunting during sunny days. The mirrors, when turned at the correct angle, reflect sunlight that easily enables us to see very deeply into tortoise holes, rodent burrows, and hollowed stumps. Of course, if the sun is at a bad angle or the target is in the shade, a mirror is useless.

Flashlight - We use Petzl headlamps for herping after dark. While road-cruising, headlamps are particularly handy because they keep your hands free. Plus, the sudden, screeching stop that usually ensues the sighting of an animal on the road can cause you to lose any flashlight that is not firmly strapped to your body. Halogen bulbs burn most brightly, but they use batteries very quickly, too. The headlamps that we use have limited effectiveness when peering into rodent holes during the daylight hours…mirrors are actually better under the right conditions.

Q-beam flashlight - These are the big halogen spotlights with over 1,000,000 candle power, that can recharge using your car's cigarette lighter. They are bulky and impractical for carrying on long hikes, but they can be great for looking at road shoulders while cruising at night. Also, if you find a rodent hole that is not visible by mirror or headlamp, the Q-beam will certainly do the trick.

Maps - We learned, after being unable to relocate some of our most productive spots, to bring along maps. We don't often go to the trouble of writing the exact location of each spot we find, but we do make annotations such as "bad road", "good area", "3 EDB", "too wet", etc. A company called COUNTY MAPS produces very detailed and accurate county map books of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Florida. Unfortunately, a county map book for Georgia did not exist the last time I checked. Perhaps one is available through another source.

Field Guides - No matter how much we think we know about the herps of the Southeast, we always seem to find reasons to review our field guides. We often bring the "Audubon Society Field Guide" to reptiles for use as a quick, general reference. However, there are numerous other field guides, for reptiles of the southeast, particularly for Florida, that are more specific.

Field Journal - Admittedly, we are slack when it comes to documenting our finds. A field herper who kept copious notes about locales, temperatures, time of day, etc.; could probably contribute significantly to research on native reptiles. My new "toy" for this year is a durable, water-resistant field journal into which I intend to make more detailed notes than what we have done in the past. If nothing else, this information will be interesting to me when I look back at it 20 years from now.

Bee sting / ant bite medication - People with known allergies should take the appropriate precautions. I have never been hunting in Georgia or South Carolina when I was not bitten at least a couple of times by fire ants. Never! The fire ants have thoroughly invaded all of the sandy soil regions of the Southeast. Additionally, tin-turning is bound to uncover an occasional bee's nest.

Good, comfortable boots - Leather workboots that come up well above the ankle provide increased protection from venomous snake bite as well as from the multitude of briars that inevitably make their way into your socks. Boots with steel shanks prevent painful, rusty nails in the feet. Of course, comfort is a must while hiking miles every day.

Permits - Know the laws in the area in which you are herping. Some states require permits for collecting or transporting snakes. Honestly, our group is unfamiliar with the exact laws of each state because we keep none of the animals that we see. We do not even bring snake bags on our trips. Law enforcement officers in the Southeast, from my experience, are typically unaware of laws protecting native reptiles. However, that may be changing, and it would be wise for the herper who insists upon collecting wild animals to be in compliance with local and federal laws.

Camping Gear - When we are herping in locations with plenty of camping spots (e.g. Ocala, Croatan and Francis Marion National Forests) we often take advantage of the chance to sleep outdoors. However, we have found that it is usually easier to get a cheap motel when we are flipping tin. After a hard day of digging through debris, it is nice to be able to rid yourself of ticks, ants, and poison ivy oil before going to bed. Plus, we have found that even a minimal effort to maintain a semblance of personal hygiene often increases the likelihood that farmers will grant us permission to herp on their land.

Miscellaneous items that are necessary or at least handy: Extra food and beverage to avoid trips to town. Toilet paper. Insect repellent. A Leatherman or other multifunctional tool. Work gloves. A compass for long hikes. A spare tire and working jack for your vehicle. A credit card for unexpected emergency expenses. A copy of your insurance card. Extra camera film. Extra batteries. An extra snake hook in case you lose or break yours. Duct tape - if you bring it, you'll find a use for it! Lysol Air Freshener - a must while cooped up in a car with my friends!

Let's face it, all we really need in order to have some fun while looking for herps, is free time and the desire. I have roughed it many times with little or none of the above items. The most important thing is to get outside while it is springtime and enjoy yourself. Still, for trips that last several days or more, many of the above items are necessities. Each excursion it unique, with a unique set of needs. As for my upcoming Southeastern herp getaway, I can't wait!

York Morgan is a 33 year old Environmental Remediation Project Manager who currently lives in Virginia. Although he maintains a collection of captive animals, his primary interest is observing reptiles in the wild.

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