florida herp activity question

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Kfen
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florida herp activity question

Post by Kfen »

I am going to be in south Florida (Hollywood) this coming weekend and will have a few hours during the day next Monday to do some herping. My options were going to be head north to the canefields for some flipping or south to ENP for some daytime cruising/hiking. Obviously the weather of that day will be a factor, but has there been activity in either of those places recently? Do you think I have a better chance for success in one or the other? My time is very limited so I am hoping someone can share some advice. Thanks
simus343
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by simus343 »

I've not been in S. Fla, but the ecological nightmare of the cane fields you will find king snakes, they have been being turned up left right and center these past few weeks by some people I know down there. I'd personally go to ENP, unless you're set on a king.
Kfen
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by Kfen »

That's funny you say that, I was in the canefields in March several years ago and found everything BUT a king. That is the one reason I would go there, kind of a redemption trip.
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Josh Young
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by Josh Young »

Plenty of Brooks kings have been turning up in ENP the past 2 months.
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Tim Borski
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by Tim Borski »

Cane fields = better chance at snakes of interest as opposed to hiking during the day in ENP. Jmo
The weather this far south looks kind of "tweener" at present.

Tim
rtdunham
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by rtdunham »

simus343 wrote:...king snakes...have been being turned up left right and center these past few weeks by some people I know down there...
Are there still a lot of people collecting what they find here? And to what end? Or is it more observing, photographing and releasing?
simus343
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by simus343 »

rtdunham wrote:
simus343 wrote:...king snakes...have been being turned up left right and center these past few weeks by some people I know down there...
Are there still a lot of people collecting what they find here? And to what end? Or is it more observing, photographing and releasing?

All of the above. Everyone that I associate with though is 99.9% observe and photograph only. There are no doubt people, though, that will go through the cane fields and spend all day grabbin' and baggin'.
Kfen
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by Kfen »

rtdunham wrote:
simus343 wrote:...king snakes...have been being turned up left right and center these past few weeks by some people I know down there...
Are there still a lot of people collecting what they find here? And to what end? Or is it more observing, photographing and releasing?

I was only planning on photographing.

If anyone was curious I ended up going to the canefields just because it was supposed to be thunderstorming the whole day in ENP. Unfortunately I did not find any kings. The majority of flipping spots I had visited about 5 years ago I either could not find again or were cleaned up. So I wasted a bunch of time driving around and only walked a few canals. I did see some basilisks which were new to me.
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mtratcliffe
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by mtratcliffe »

Kfen wrote:
rtdunham wrote:
simus343 wrote:...king snakes...have been being turned up left right and center these past few weeks by some people I know down there...
Are there still a lot of people collecting what they find here? And to what end? Or is it more observing, photographing and releasing?

I was only planning on photographing.

If anyone was curious I ended up going to the canefields just because it was supposed to be thunderstorming the whole day in ENP. Unfortunately I did not find any kings. The majority of flipping spots I had visited about 5 years ago I either could not find again or were cleaned up. So I wasted a bunch of time driving around and only walked a few canals. I did see some basilisks which were new to me.
Bummer. Did you check anywhere else out?
Kfen
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by Kfen »

My canefield day was my only dedicated herp day, but yeah I did a bunch of other outdoor things with family- airboat, kayaking, and the shark valley bike trail. I saw the usual south florida herps- alligators, red belly turtles, cooters, softshells, green iguanas, curly tail lizards, anoles, and one racer. I was surprised not to see any nerodia. The only pics I took were of a curly tail living in my sister's rarely used car in her driveway.
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mtratcliffe
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by mtratcliffe »

Kfen wrote:My canefield day was my only dedicated herp day, but yeah I did a bunch of other outdoor things with family- airboat, kayaking, and the shark valley bike trail. I saw the usual south florida herps- alligators, red belly turtles, cooters, softshells, green iguanas, curly tail lizards, anoles, and one racer. I was surprised not to see any nerodia. The only pics I took were of a curly tail living in my sister's rarely used car in her driveway.
Well, sounds like it was a good trip still! Where did you go kayaking?
Kfen
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by Kfen »

mtratcliffe wrote: Well, sounds like it was a good trip still! Where did you go kayaking?
A small park right in Hollywood called West Lake park. You can canoe through mangroves. I didn't see any herps while there, but I keep going back in hopes of spotting a salt marsh snake.
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mtratcliffe
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by mtratcliffe »

Kfen wrote:
mtratcliffe wrote: Well, sounds like it was a good trip still! Where did you go kayaking?
A small park right in Hollywood called West Lake park. You can canoe through mangroves. I didn't see any herps while there, but I keep going back in hopes of spotting a salt marsh snake.
I'm assuming they'd be there. I may try to kayak a few spots in the Everglades this April. And I'd love to check out the Loxahatchee River to the north someday.
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ebit123
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by ebit123 »

I'll be down in Florida in mid April and not too far from the cane fields area. I'd like to check out, as well as hit some of the Florida trail for day hiking. Are the roads that go through the fields public access? Don't want to get in trouble for tresspassing. (We'd either drive along or walk along, but early morning or late afternoon). (We only take pictures and flip ).
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Josh Holbrook
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Re: florida herp activity question

Post by Josh Holbrook »

Kfen wrote:
mtratcliffe wrote: Well, sounds like it was a good trip still! Where did you go kayaking?
A small park right in Hollywood called West Lake park. You can canoe through mangroves. I didn't see any herps while there, but I keep going back in hopes of spotting a salt marsh snake.

They've actually never been documented in Broward County, yet, so if you do see one there, let me know.
ebit123 wrote:I'll be down in Florida in mid April and not too far from the cane fields area. I'd like to check out, as well as hit some of the Florida trail for day hiking. Are the roads that go through the fields public access? Don't want to get in trouble for tresspassing. (We'd either drive along or walk along, but early morning or late afternoon). (We only take pictures and flip ).
There are plenty of paved/public roads, but many of the dirt roads through the cane fields are gated. In Florida Ag property is understood as "no tresspassing" though.
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