Herper of the Month 
"I began my interest in nature at a very young age. One distinct memory is of flipping rocks at the side of our house in Spokane, Washington looking at the bugs. That was 1974 and I was 4 years old. Fortunately interest in animals was in vogue at the time. I eagerly awaited my World magazines and when in school began going through the library for books on snakes, dinosaurs, sharks and other animal related subjects.” |
| "As
the years went I gradually focused my interest on snakes. I was
that goofy kid that would bring rattlesnakes to school for show
and tell. My parents were not too impressed. They did allow me
to keep garter snakes in cardboard “terrariums” on the porch though.
I remember having dreams of catching king snakes and corn snakes
then waking up and thinking it would never happen.” |
"Through
all that time I was largely isolated in the Northwest, not knowing
there were a lot of other folks like me out there. As I got older
I began to focus on rattlesnakes. I would drive hours and hike
miles to get to rattlesnake den sites and just sit there and watch
them. Eventually I moved from Spokane to Seattle, where I had
to drive even further to see rattlesnakes or try my luck looking
for zonata in the Columbia River Gorge.” |
"Sometime in the 1990s I met Jeremiah Easter in a café in Seattle. He was the first other hardcore herper I had ever met. Being past the computer age somewhat I would have never gone online to look for forums like this and did not even own a computer or a camera.” |
| "Since doing so I have learned a great deal about herping that I never would have had access to any other way. Subsequently I have gone on herping trips to the southwestern US several times and Costa Rica as well. I have since gotten married and have a wonderful wife that also enjoys herping" |
© Scott Waters Productions