Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
User avatar
Jeffreyrichard
Posts: 322
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 6:49 am
Location: Rhode Island

Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Jeffreyrichard »

My daughter is graduating from UA in May, and wanted to get a couple of hikes in and hopefully some pictures of your wonderful herps (Gila please???). How is mid-May generally speaking? I pretty much do my herping while hiking the parks; any strategies for time-of-day?

Last time I was out in April '13 I was pretty much skunked ... hiked Sabino Canyon and catalina St park.

Thanks
User avatar
Southwest wanderer
Posts: 105
Joined: February 25th, 2012, 4:02 pm

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Southwest wanderer »

I have lived in and explored extensively southern AZ for about 22 years. I've never actually been able to find Gila Monsters intentionally. I have just seen them randomly, and usually just a couple each year. Obviously you will want to do early mornings and nighttime searches in May. I think activity might drop off after 10 am. You mentioned Sabino Canyon, and that seems like an area I would explore further.

Best of luck to you.
Janine McCabe
User avatar
RenoBart
Posts: 354
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 10:22 am

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by RenoBart »

This is a good question. I will be in Phoenix at the end of March and again in April. Are these good months for herping in Arizona? I am hoping to have a day off where I can drive south and herp.

Bart
Knormal
Posts: 22
Joined: December 23rd, 2014, 11:32 am

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Knormal »

I'm not an Arizona native but I try to go there once or twice a year, and I've had good luck on both April and May trips. Of course sometimes cold snaps can still happen at that time in the year and completely ruin your week. On average I've found nights to still be a bit cold for heavy of snake activity, but mornings and evenings are plenty active for lizards and diurnal snakes, and there will still be some nocturnal snake activity in the late evening and early night.

Sabino Canyon is great for everything, I've seen Gilas there in May, and April-May seems to be peak collared lizard season if you're into them. I'd strongly recommend this book for more information. The eastern portion of Saguaro National Park is just as good.

For Gilas I've encountered them a lot more often road-crusing than hiking, they have such large home ranges you generally can't cover enough area on foot. Either way finding one is definitely more luck than skill. Check out my 2014 roundup thread in the main forum for some pictures from my Arizona trip last April.
User avatar
RenoBart
Posts: 354
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 10:22 am

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by RenoBart »

Cool, thanks!

Bart
User avatar
Brian Hubbs
Posts: 4735
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:41 am
Location: "Buy My Books"-land

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Brian Hubbs »

Hmmm...did I just see a number of people violate the "no mention of specific localities" rule? Tsk, tsk on all of you... :roll:
User avatar
Southwest wanderer
Posts: 105
Joined: February 25th, 2012, 4:02 pm

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Southwest wanderer »

Actually I have a couple aces up my sleeve.

Let me see if I understand this correctly…

A. Hubbs is just being sarcastic :o

B. We just exploited Sabino Canyon & Saguaro National Park (over 91,000 acres) ;)

Run Gilas run!

Jefferyrichard I do hope you get to see a Gila Monster, I really do. Sometimes it just takes a very magical kind of day. I see them so rarely, so when I do I just tend to drop everything and follow them around a bit if they are cool with that. You will see cool herps, and if you want any road cruise ideas you can PM me.

Janine
User avatar
Brian Hubbs
Posts: 4735
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 11:41 am
Location: "Buy My Books"-land

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Brian Hubbs »

I was just making a sarcastic statement because last year there was a huge bruhaha about someone mentioning the same locality, which could be called the "Whitewater" of AZ... :lol:
IReallyLikeHerping
Posts: 15
Joined: March 8th, 2014, 4:43 pm
Location: West Jordan, UT

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by IReallyLikeHerping »

Jeffrey, Catalina State Park is better than Sabino Canyon, in my opinion, especially if it's Gilas you're after. I don't make it down there too often, but I've probably seen 6-8. Go in April (mid-May might be fine) between 8am - noon. Find some good washes and walk slowly, constantly scanning. I often hear them before I seen them, thanks to the leaf litter and dried grasses. Careful not to step on WDBs! :)
User avatar
Jeffreyrichard
Posts: 322
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 6:49 am
Location: Rhode Island

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Jeffreyrichard »

Southwest wanderer wrote:Actually I have a couple aces up my sleeve.

Jefferyrichard I do hope you get to see a Gila Monster, I really do. Sometimes it just takes a very magical kind of day. I see them so rarely, so when I do I just tend to drop everything and follow them around a bit if they are cool with that. You will see cool herps, and if you want any road cruise ideas you can PM me.

Janine
My wife and I visited Tucson for the 1st time in 2013 ... my daughter took us up to Sabino Canyon for a hike up to see the 7 Sisters. Wasn't a herping walk, but of course I was looking. We got up to the waterfalls, and there was a family up there that was probably 15 minutes in front of us ... my daughter went over to talk to the young boys, and they showed her pics of 2 g monsters they saw on the trail ... 15 minutes in front of me! That hurt ...
User avatar
Southwest wanderer
Posts: 105
Joined: February 25th, 2012, 4:02 pm

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Southwest wanderer »

Oh my goodness, OUCH! That does hurt. I'll tell you, I 've missed a lot of badass snakes by a few minutes. Just keep coming back. Keep doing more hikes. Something new will always present itself. That is what I love so much about Arizona.

J9
User avatar
Jeffreyrichard
Posts: 322
Joined: June 8th, 2010, 6:49 am
Location: Rhode Island

Re: Visiting (again) Tucson from the East in Mid May

Post by Jeffreyrichard »

So I'm heading to Tucson tomorrow (Wed) ... if anyone has any updated suggestions I'd joyously accept them :P ... wish me luck, I hope to "bag" a camera full of herping memories
Post Reply