Dates for northwest chapter outings

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M Wolverton
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Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

April 26th and 27th or beyond, The Columbia River Gorge near Bingen WA.

May 24th and 25th Birds Of Prey National Monument in Hells Canyon, Snake River. For a lot of us this will take a full day of travel to get to and back.

June 7th weekend, Ellensburg WA.

All places have hotels and camping nearby. You must sign some official waiver.
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PNWHerper
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by PNWHerper »

Sounds like fun times. Travis and Wolverton, thank you both for the heads up.

I will have to let you know as we get closer to the time, but possibly I might be able to join everyone for the June 7th weekend. I will let you know as soon as I can.

Thank you all for keeping up the good work!

:thumb:
Rattlesnake Rita
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by Rattlesnake Rita »

I hope I may be able to join you on the Snake River weekend.
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TravisK
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

I am pretty sure I will be able to make all three trips. I will definitely make it to our first trip in April. I am taking the 25th off and will head down either Thursday night or early Fri morning. mpmoskwik will probably be joining me. I have herped with him in the Spokane area and he is legit. He doesn't have a lot of history with FHF but is a minute shy of a Phd in conservation biology and has extensive experience with salamanders in the Eastern US and TX.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

Thanks for inviting him Travis, no history on here needed. Everyone is welcome on these trips. The more that show up the better.
zonbonzovi
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by zonbonzovi »

Shucks.

I will be in E-burg while y'all are near the Columbia but may be able to swing down on Sunday. Will miss out on Hells Canyon. Might be able to make it back to E-burg in June.

There's always the rest of what will hopefully be an slowwwwly receding summer.
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jonathan
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by jonathan »

One little note on the chapter outings - make sure that at least someone is databasing each find. Be a shame for you guys to have all the fun without NAHERP benefitting. :thumb: :beer:
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TravisK
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

I will be heading down with my son Fri Morning and Matthew will be meeting up with us a little later in the day. Sat should be decent for flipping, and Sun we will likely focus on salamanders. But we will just play everything by ear.
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randimal
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by randimal »

Turns out I'll be available this weekend. I have a project in Quincy on Friday and I'll head down toward Bingen Friday night. Let me know where you want to meet.
Randy
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TravisK
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

randimal wrote:Turns out I'll be available this weekend. I have a project in Quincy on Friday and I'll head down toward Bingen Friday night. Let me know where you want to meet.
Randy
Text sent. It will be nice to herp with you again.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

Jeremiah and I will head down there Saturday morning.
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PNWHerper
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by PNWHerper »

I am excited to see everyone's photos! Have a great time in the field. Happy herping! :beer:
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Indafield
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by Indafield »

I may make it out saturday to hike around, any idea where people are gonna be? or pm some phone numbers.
Nate
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

I sent you a PM Nate.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

For the next one, Lake Owyhee in OR looks good, so does the Bruneau River Canyon in ID.

Over-all it looks like Owyhee has more roads for night hunting and more accessible terrain for day hunting, but it probably does not have long-nosed snakes. It has ground snakes, along with all the usual stuff.
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TravisK
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

The last trip was pretty fun and way more people came than I was expecting. I wish I wasn't feeling under the weather during the last half of it though.

Mike,

The two locations you mentioned are pretty spread out. Are you thinking about doing both of them on the same weekend? I will be off work form the 22nd-26th and I think bringing the whole family along due to it being Memorial weekend will be fun for them too.

Image
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randimal
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by randimal »

I've got some photos online now on Picasa. There's some animals, plants, and landscapes mixed in with the herps. Fun weekend. I have 32 pictures here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/1020093387 ... directlink

Here's a few favorites

Dunn's Salamander
Image

Cope's Giant Larvae
Image

Larch Mountain Salamanders
Image
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

Great photos!

Travis, I was thinking one or the other with a preference for Lake Owyhee. We'll (Cari and I) probably head down on the 23rd and look at birds at Lake Malheur, then hunt the 205 and camp near Fields/Denio. We'll head up toward Owyhee on the 24th. There is a state park campground there, but also down there you can find non-designated places to camp pretty easy.
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

Great, we will talk soon and figure out camping areas and if you need me to save a spot for you, or anyone else for that matter. Since I will be heading down on the 22nd I will be ahead of most the 'kick of to summer' campers that will be out Memorial Weekend.
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TravisK
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

Unfortunately I need to bail on the next group trip. I am really bummed about it too. I just can't make it happen this time due to things that are out of my control. I wish everyone that goes lots of luck and I hope to see lots of great pics when you get back.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

Do we have a head count of people that are definitely going to Lake Owyhee? If no one else is going we may just kind of do our own thing down there.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

Looks like we may stay in the vicinity of Fields OR and in the Jackson Mountains in NV. Will probably skip Owyhee, as it will be very busy.
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Dman
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by Dman »

Hi Mike,
A fellow Herper from Canada and I are gonna be visiting Central Oregon Friday and part of Saturday. We are planning on heading towards Fields by Saturday afternoon. I have sent you a PM with my Cell #. Hope to meet up with you. :)
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

How did everything turn out for you guys. I really wish I could have come down but there is no way I would have been able to make it. Looking forward to June 6th-8th.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

I picked up 80 records for Harney, Humbolt, Grant, and Umatilla counties. We pretty much curb-stomped it. There were multiple groups out herping in various areas most of the time, some of them did better than I did.

Species for all groups include;

desert striped whipsnakes
Great Basin rattlesnakes
Northern Pacific rattlesnakes
Great Basin gopher snakes
ground snake
racers
valley garter snake
rubber boas
desert horned lizards
whiptails
sagebrush lizards
collared lizards
side-blotched lizards
fence lizards
leopard lizards
bull frog
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jonathan
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by jonathan »

That's awesome. I'm glad you guys did well. How many of you were out there?

So did you all stay in Oregon/Nevada then? Too bad you didn't get to make it into Idaho.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

Jeremiah Easter was out as well as Nate and Merissa. There was also a group of biologists and biology students staying in the same place near Fields in far south Harney County. Several groups went to Nevada at various times, but we were quite a ways from Idaho.
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by jonathan »

I notice from the database entries that you saw a bunch of spadefoots too. Very nice.

By the way, way to hit Umatilla but not Morrow or Union. Those are the only two counties left in Oregon that we don't have any data for. :lol: Just messin'.
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

LOL. The whole time I was recording those on the drive back north I was thinking it might be one of the counties with no records. 'Twas not to be.
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reebtoor
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by reebtoor »

Hello
I'm newish to this chapter and was wondering about details for Ellensburg this weekend. Is that still on? Thanks!
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M Wolverton
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by M Wolverton »

It's on. As people's schedules get better known we can dial in a place and time to meet. Hope to see you there.
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PNWHerper
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by PNWHerper »

I wanted to verify how many will be there for this coming weekend, June 7 & 8. Can we get a head count?

Right now, as I understand it its: myself, Travis and Mike. Anyone else gonna join us?
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TravisK
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

WOW Mike!

That is a nice list. Super super jealous I wasn't there.

I am planning on taking Friday off and heading over early in the morning. I might do some herping on my way and get into E-berg around 4pm.

Reedtoor, welcome to the board!
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randimal
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by randimal »

I'm available. I can be in Ellensburg around 9am on Saturday morning.
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PNWHerper
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by PNWHerper »

Okay, for everyone who is going can we get a PM started regarding meet-up location for Saturday morning? Also, share phone #s so we can be in touch.
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TravisK
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by TravisK »

I have everyone's phone number that has replied to this thread and Mike will have others that might be coming but not saying so in this thread. Is anyone heading down on Fri at all? I want to do some Fri night road cruising too.

As for Saturday, we can meet up at the Safeway in Cle Elum at 9am.
804 W 1st St 98922
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jonathan
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by jonathan »

See if someone can do a full-on trip report for this one. Not being able to herp the Northwest right now and having people go all sorts of places I've never been, I really miss seeing long trip reports with lots of herp and habitat photos.
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reebtoor
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by reebtoor »

I have Bern trying to finagle my way out of a relative's graduation on Saturday, but it looks like I'll have to be there. Would love to have joined you all.
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DesertZone
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by DesertZone »

The best places for overall herping in Idaho is going to be the lower canyons 3500' or below, from Homedale to Bruneau Idaho, on the south side of the Snake river.

My favorite place here just burnt up, here in Lincoln county. :x
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DesertZone
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Re: Dates for northwest chapter outings

Post by DesertZone »

Lake Owyhee, is one place I've always want to herp in Oregon.
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