Field Herping Tips?

[Stefan-A]

My herping advice..

Take nothing but pictures.

hands off.

enjoy.

I couldn't agree more with that advice.

[the_edsta]

I feel like 'hands off' is good common sense -- especially for people used to keeping domesticated garters (as this species can be somewhat resistant to beinghandled). But I also think it somewhat unrealistic considering the entire industry is predicated in part on securing wild caught specimens. All of the cool morphs in the corn snake world, for example, were drawn from a series of wild caught specimens – many right here in FL. Others WC specimens refreshed genetic pools in the bloodlines of these same aberrant genes. So while I agree that wrangling isn’t foreveryone, it is clear that it is at least a necessary condition for those the existence of our chosen hobby, and as such, clearly has its place.

Also, as someone who spent the early part of his life catch-and-release fishing, a secure-and-release herping seems a very natural progression!
J