environment plays a big factor into it as well as time of day(and season). little tricks i use are: in the mornings i tend to look at the south side of water edges or woodsy areas(as they seem to want to heat up early) also under rocks; midday anywhere at the edges where they can sun and hide fast, and late afternoons i look around the north side edges. walk on paths quickly and near the edges dont over focus just look for movement , sometimes if you listen really well you can hear them move the leaf litter or reeds that is when i will stop and look, most of the time they freeze if they think they've been detected. they will try to slowly and quietly get away at this point. the best time to catch them i find is early spring when nothing is green.