Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

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snaketracker12
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Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by snaketracker12 »

I am looking to purchase a video recorder for my upcoming trip in West Texas because I really want to capture every moment of it and document all of our finds through video. I need some recommendations for a video camera that can work well at night and as well during the daylight, something not too fragile either. Somewhere between the $50-$125 price range. Thanks in advance for your help :D

:thumb:
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Before you spend money, do you have a smart phone? It may be a better investment of funds to rely on the phone for video, and use the money on a good flashlight or two.
snaketracker12
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by snaketracker12 »

chris_mcmartin wrote:Before you spend money, do you have a smart phone? It may be a better investment of funds to rely on the phone for video, and use the money on a good flashlight or two.
Yes I do. I agree with you on that, that is what i am going to do because i found a greater need for a new camera than a video recorder... so if you could give me any recommendations on a camera to use for habitat shots and such that would be great because i'm looking to sell my old one.

Thanks :thumb:
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Start poking around here: http://www.dpreview.com/
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milkmanpec
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by milkmanpec »

snaketracker12 wrote:I am looking to purchase a video recorder for my upcoming trip in West Texas because I really want to capture every moment of it and document all of our finds through video. I need some recommendations for a video camera that can work well at night and as well during the daylight, something not too fragile either. Somewhere between the $50-$125 price range. Thanks in advance for your help :D

:thumb:
Was in the Langtry area last month for 3 nights. Did not see a thing and I mean nothing. It was threatening rain the whole time. Have not been there in a long time and was bummed by all the truck traffic plus I saw no herpers. Are people hunting there anymore and do you think the weather was the reason for no sightings?
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

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milkmanpec wrote:Was in the Langtry area last month for 3 nights. Did not see a thing and I mean nothing. It was threatening rain the whole time. Have not been there in a long time and was bummed by all the truck traffic plus I saw no herpers. Are people hunting there anymore and do you think the weather was the reason for no sightings?
Langtry has been on fire this summer for greybands (none found by me, but many have been found), and I'm still uploading records to NAHERP from my last visit (about a month ago). What days of the week were you there, and what was the moon phase?
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milkmanpec
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by milkmanpec »

Wow, I was there 6/26 thru 6/28 and was out until 2:00 - 3:00 am each night. All I saw were border patrol and 18 wheelers, lots of them parked out in front of Langtry. Wish I knew anyone herping there. I'd like to join up with someone for next year.
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milkmanpec
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

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Sorry forgot the moon info, but it really did not matter. It was behind clouds most of the time.
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Interesting. I was there 6/30 to 7/03 and saw 56 herps--20 snakes, 12 lizards, 2 turtles (counting the drive to/from West TX), and 24 amphibians, plus lots of mammals.

You should consider attending Snake Days next year! I think for 2017 it's going to be 6/23 to 6/25.
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milkmanpec
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by milkmanpec »

You were there right after the humidity and storms cleared out. It rained enough to close the two roads at Comstock when I was there so I could only hunt 90. Actually I did see one western diamond towards Langtry and saw some herps on the drive to and from Del Rio. I've only been to west Texas twice and each time we found all kinds of stuff. Four or five alterna each time, lots of Ratsnakes (subocs and emery's), copperheads, desert kings and much more. It was a long time ago so that's why I was kind of stunned with the lack of herps and fifty times more truck traffic since my last trip. Oh well, I hope to try again next year towards the beginning of June instead of the end. Thanks for your replies and good luck to you. PC
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by Jimi »

I've only been to west Texas twice and each time we found all kinds of stuff.
Was in the Langtry area last month for 3 nights. Did not see a thing and I mean nothing.
I haven't been there all that much myself but this wild disparity of experiences matches mine. Sometimes it rocks and sometimes it sucks - and I'm talking about going at the right time of year, month, day, etc. Sometimes the conditions crap out on you, despite your best planning efforts. In my head I rank W TX as significantly less "guaranteed" than some places, e.g. SE Arizona or some good spots in the South and the Midwest, probably not as risky as the Mojave during prime-time, and vastly less hit-or-miss than the Great Basin or Colorado Plateau. Finally, remember there's plain old sampling variation - sometimes you can be on the same exact road with another car, and they have a great night and you don't. It has nothing to do with anything predictable, anything you can do different next time. This one is hard to swallow, it just burns. But there it is.
Four or five alterna each time
I think you've earned yourself a crappy trip or two. Seriously, you've got no basis for complaint - you've had abnormally good luck. It cannot last forever.
fifty times more truck traffic since my last trip
This is what a good economy produces. And free trade. There's still some quiet road out there.

So anyway, thinking about the hit-or-miss nature/experience of W TX led me to consider some "countermeasures". All my trips there have been little 2-4 day shorties. I intend to make a full week of it next time (probably next year...), so if I hit a couple of crappy weather days, or I just have a run of bad luck, there's still a chance at some good days. Also I've found it helps to be prepared to make some pretty big moves, to dodge whole regions of rain. Planning is all well and good, I prefer to plan some rather than totally wing it, but it also helps to be flexible. If Langtry washes out, hey, how about Iraan or Sonora? If you aren't targeting some particular locality for pics or harvest, just pull up stakes and relocate. Pay the motel(s) one night at a time. Something to consider...

Good hunting
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by chris_mcmartin »

milkmanpec wrote:You were there right after the humidity and storms cleared out. It rained enough to close the two roads at Comstock when I was there so I could only hunt 90.
I was there for some of the rain. In fact, while hunting Langtry and after some other herpers had just found an alterna[i/], I drove west down 90 TO the rain, and in so doing, found my lifer Lampropeltis triangulum celaenops. And then ANOTHER one, same night. I'm glad I went to the rain, rather than running to stay ahead of it like I'm used to doing.
I've only been to west Texas twice and each time we found all kinds of stuff. Four or five alterna each time, lots of Ratsnakes (subocs and emery's), copperheads, desert kings and much more. It was a long time ago so that's why I was kind of stunned with the lack of herps


This is my 21st year of herping west TX...and I have yet to find my FIRST alterna. If you've only been twice and had that kind of success, consider yourself very lucky!

That being said, this year continues to be an amazing year for graybands...a friend just found six on his most recent trip (within the past week or so), many herpers are reporting multiples per trip, and people are still traveling out there so I'm sure there will be more found (just not by me!).
Jimi
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by Jimi »

I'm glad I went to the rain, rather than running to stay ahead of it like I'm used to doing.
So, did you actually get into the rain for those 2 milks? Or just up close, into the cool humid gustiness and the lightning? If in the rain itself, was it a frog-drowning, face-lashing bastard of a storm, or more just a reasonable heavy drizzle?

Working to stay ahead of it - not 30 miles away, but where it's definitely, obviously going to hit - is what I try to do if it's widely, patchily stormy out and I can't avoid getting soaked. That has panned out well for me just about anywhere, really, not just the desert. I think - if you got your 2 milks actually in the rain - that would be some of that "sampling variation", and not something that would make for productive dependability. More like proof of "you won't ever know, if you don't go". But, here you are challenging assumptions built on a lot of loss-aversion and confirmation biases, not on a randomized, probabilistic effort. Weak assumptions, no matter how strong the feelings or beliefs they support...

I'm thinking now of a pyro I "cruised" (I was actually hauling ass just trying to escape stranding behind a series of wet crossings) during one of those frog-drowners on Harshaw Rd in the Patagonias a lifetime ago. Couldn't have been over 60F, windy as hell, "freezing cold". An exception to the rule of my experiences. Funny huh?
this year continues to be an amazing year for graybands...a friend just found six on his most recent trip (within the past week or so)
Also interesting; I have never seriously considered that part of the world for an early-August trip (there are better regions...). Is it typically not a bad gamble through the summer? Or skip July but otherwise, "meh, maybe"? I've heard fall can be OK or even good, but that's true for many places - specific timing varying by region of course.

Congrats on those Langtry milks. I've never gotten a Trans-Pecos milk.

cheers
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chris_mcmartin
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Re: Preparing for another West Texas Trip. I need your help

Post by chris_mcmartin »

Jimi wrote:
I'm glad I went to the rain, rather than running to stay ahead of it like I'm used to doing.
So, did you actually get into the rain for those 2 milks? Or just up close, into the cool humid gustiness and the lightning? If in the rain itself, was it a frog-drowning, face-lashing bastard of a storm, or more just a reasonable heavy drizzle?
One (young male) was just ahead of the rain; the other (big female) was during a sprinkle. I don't think it ever got to be heavy rain overall.
I think - if you got your 2 milks actually in the rain - that would be some of that "sampling variation", and not something that would make for productive dependability.
Since these were my first two ever, I didn't know any better, but after talking to other herpers it sounds like at least in the Trans-Pecos, light rain is perfect for the local milks.
More like proof of "you won't ever know, if you don't go". But, here you are challenging assumptions built on a lot of loss-aversion and confirmation biases, not on a randomized, probabilistic effort.
Ten years ago when I lived sufficiently closer to rationalize it to myself (and my bride), I made a couple of "rocket runs" in Sep/Oct. I figured I'd make those runs if for no other reason than to confirm they were lousy conditions. :lol: It wasn't optimal, but young-of-year checkered garters and gopher snakes were out even in the moderate rain.
I have never seriously considered that part of the world for an early-August trip (there are better regions...). Is it typically not a bad gamble through the summer? Or skip July but otherwise, "meh, maybe"?
From what I've heard, this has been an unusual year for some reason, enticing many people who would otherwise avoid July/August to go on and make the trip(s). Some of the confirmation bias also stacks up based on an individual's limited time off to spend in the region and wanting to hedge their bets by going in June (if they can only make it for one trip). This year was the first year I was able to go at the beginning of July as a second trip, and I'm glad I did.
Congrats on those Langtry milks. I've never gotten a Trans-Pecos milk.
They were Marathon milks...two-ish hours west of Langtry; which by Texas standards is "just down the road." :P
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