Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK, OK

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Kyle from Carolina
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Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK, OK

Post by Kyle from Carolina »

Hello folks,

I will be driving between Alamoso CO and North Carolina during the first week of Sept and will pass through the northern tip of TX, straight through OK, and all of Arkansas. I'd like to take my time and make some herping excursions along the way. Are there any specific regulation or limitations regarding herping in those states? I'm particularly interested in road cruising rules, hiking with a snake stick, and using minnow traps. I don't carry bags, collect, or overnight any animals (unless you count being stuck in a minnow trap overnight). I've heard that some parts of texas can be weird about road cruising but I thought that might be less of an issue in the northern part of the state.

I figured yall might have some keen insights.

Kyle
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK,

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Kyle from Carolina wrote:I've heard that some parts of texas can be weird about road cruising but I thought that might be less of an issue in the northern part of the state.
Practically speaking, yes ("less of an issue" in the sense that fewer people do it, so fewer LE are probably looking for those people). Legally speaking, you need to know it's no-touch, no-pursue if a herp is on the road (i.e. impede their movement or chase off the road--considered "take" or "hunting"). To legally pick them up/pose/corral for photos, you need to

1. Buy your 5-day nonresident hunting license and herp stamp
2. Buy and wear a vest with the requisite amount of reflective material
3. If you encounter a herp, wait patiently for it to move on across the road and onto the UNPAVED right-of-way

That being said, if you hop out of the vehicle (parked off the road--traffic code is a separate issue!) and take a couple of photos of an animal without disturbing it, that's technically perfectly legal--though would potentially raise the eyebrows of a game warden who may assume you'd just as likely pick it up and throw it in your vehicle as merely photograph it. :?
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Kyle from Carolina
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Location: western MA and NC

Re: Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK,

Post by Kyle from Carolina »

Thanks Chris, Good to know about the the no-touch rule on the road. Under normal circumstances, I would hook or shoo a snake off the road to prevent somebody from making a snake-patty.
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kaptainkory
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Re: Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK,

Post by kaptainkory »

For those activities in AR, you would minimally require a fishing license (to run minnow traps and/or pursue aquatic species, including salamanders, turtles, etc.). There are laws against spotlighting wildlife, so I probably wouldn't shine any flashlight from my vehicle's window. Endangered/Protected species anywhere and herping state parks and NWRs are hands-off propositions. The National Forest lands, which are quite extensive in AR, are pretty lax on these kinds of activities though.
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Kyle from Carolina
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Re: Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK,

Post by Kyle from Carolina »

Thanks for the heads up Kory. Looks like I might need to find a fishing license when I hit arkansas.
Jimi
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Re: Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK,

Post by Jimi »

the vest for Texas is the "ANSI class 3 reflective vest" - it has the TX-required 144 sq in of reflective material

Google it, you can find them for as little as $15 (and up to $100+, I don't know why...) - either mail-order or find yourself a local distributor

while wearing one's "the law" in Texas, honestly, wearing the thing for cruising & right-of-way- and cut-walking anywhere feels pretty good, pretty safe and smart (day or night)

nobody but a drunk or texting person is going to hit you wearing that thing! some you'll find have decent pockets too, for camera, gloves, whatever you carry

also, you look sort of "official" so, others here have reported, you get less people stopping to ask if you're broke down or otherwise need help - you lose less prime herping time talking to random strangers

cheers,
Jimi
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ebit123
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Re: Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK,

Post by ebit123 »

When we were in OK we got a nonresident fishing license (can apply to any aquatic nonendangered life, not just fish). I did not find any requirements re reptiles. If you want to go to a Wildlife Management Area, you are supposed to have either a conservation license ($22), or fishing or hunting license. However, the ranger we ran into at one WMA never even asked to see it.
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Kyle from Carolina
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Location: western MA and NC

Re: Question about regulations & general herping in TX, ARK,

Post by Kyle from Carolina »

Thanks for the tips. I've decided to head through southwestern kansas instead of the texas panhandle. Planning on hitting some parks before dropping south into Oklahoma.

ebit123, good to know about the rules for the WMA's in OK. I wouldn't have expected that.
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