Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Dedicated exclusively to field herping.

Moderator: Scott Waters

Post Reply
Tyler Hake
Posts: 23
Joined: April 28th, 2013, 9:43 pm

Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by Tyler Hake »

My first big boy post :) Excuse any extra small/extra large pics. They're all copied from facebook so a lot of them are screwy.

2015 was an incredible year and will sure be hard to beat. Great places, friends, and awesome herps. I won't go into too much detail but if you have any questions just ask.

But before that I took a road trip down to South Florida in February with a few good friends. It proved to be fairly produtive with lots of lifers for everyone. Unfortunately no corals or brooksi (for me anyway).

Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Shortly after, spring sprung and the amphibians were out an about up here in the northeast. (pictures from throughout the year)
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

Snakes of The Northeast. And a map turtle. Because Graptemys
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

In June we all packed ourselves in Dane's Honda like sardines and set out for the midwest. It was one of the best trips of my life. It included the most snake filled day of my life. 133 garters, 1 red belly, 1 smooth green, 1 western fox, two bulls, two eastern milks, brown snakes, etc. Here are a few highlights.
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image
Image

In December the northeast was graced by warm days in the 60s/70s and many rainy nights. One of those warm days I headed out the pine barrens and scored my last snake of the year, a Northern Pine Snake on December 13th.

Image
Image
Image

Oh yeah and those rainy nights. Many of them were spent road cruising on the Delmarva peninsula for tiger salamanders, only for the rain to quit on us and it be dry as a bone. Until Christmas night...!

Image
Image
Image

Hope everyone has a great 2016 field season and a happy new year.

Tyler
MCHerper
Posts: 443
Joined: September 22nd, 2012, 6:13 pm

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by MCHerper »

Awesome post-thank you for sharing! You had a great year!
User avatar
pete
Posts: 745
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:11 pm
Location: cape cod ma.

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by pete »

Holy shit!
You did really well this year! I love the first longtail pic, beautiful. Was the sauga from Illinois?
Thanks for posting, I hope 16 treats you just as well.
Tyler Hake
Posts: 23
Joined: April 28th, 2013, 9:43 pm

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by Tyler Hake »

pete wrote:Holy shit!
You did really well this year! I love the first longtail pic, beautiful. Was the sauga from Illinois?
Thanks for posting, I hope 16 treats you just as well.

Yepp, Illinois.

Thanks! Headed to Florida for a few days on Monday.
herper1
Posts: 244
Joined: June 7th, 2010, 7:25 pm
Location: South Jersey

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by herper1 »

Wow, that was serious post! I enjoyed every minute of it and did not want it to end. Good year! I usually like to mention a particular picture or animal but I cant decide which was my favorite, I guess I like the Jersey stuff best. Always amazes me when someone rolls into the Pine Barrens and does great when I practically live here and get heart broken all the time.
Tyler Hake
Posts: 23
Joined: April 28th, 2013, 9:43 pm

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by Tyler Hake »

herper1 wrote:Wow, that was serious post! I enjoyed every minute of it and did not want it to end. Good year! I usually like to mention a particular picture or animal but I cant decide which was my favorite, I guess I like the Jersey stuff best. Always amazes me when someone rolls into the Pine Barrens and does great when I practically live here and get heart broken all the time.
Thanks for the kind words. It was an incredible year that's for sure.

As far as the pine barrens go, it's feast or famine. I've spent days out there where I haven't seen anything worth writing home about only to get a pine snake on the way out. Or get a couple corns and milks in the first few hours only to get skunked the rest of the weekend. Just gotta put the time and effort in. :thumb: :)
User avatar
Kyle from Carolina
Posts: 221
Joined: May 3rd, 2012, 8:12 pm
Location: western MA and NC

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by Kyle from Carolina »

Looks like a killer year. Was that scarlet snake from NJ? Am I correct in assuming that those are not easy to come by in the pine barrens? Same thoughts for the corn.
User avatar
ZantiMissKnit
Posts: 1037
Joined: September 14th, 2012, 9:43 am
Location: Boston area, MA

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by ZantiMissKnit »

I keep meaning to read this...maybe now I actually will.
User avatar
ZantiMissKnit
Posts: 1037
Joined: September 14th, 2012, 9:43 am
Location: Boston area, MA

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by ZantiMissKnit »

Now that I read it, I'm blown away. We were in the Florida at the same, but you guys definitely got some lifers that I didn't...boooo. I'll have another chance, soon.
Tyler Hake
Posts: 23
Joined: April 28th, 2013, 9:43 pm

Re: Year Review 2015 - PA, NJ, MD, MO, IL, FL, GA, DE

Post by Tyler Hake »

ZantiMissKnit wrote:Now that I read it, I'm blown away. We were in the Florida at the same, but you guys definitely got some lifers that I didn't...boooo. I'll have another chance, soon.
Good luck. I'm still on the hunt for that king and coral. Maybe we will end up back down there are the same time again.

Yes the corns and scarlet were all NJ
Post Reply