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Ernie Caldwell Diaries.....

Brings us to today....

and the daily racer. This guy sat still for about two minutes, then just shot straight up and over the silt fence.
 

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Always a good catch....

Later in the day I was cruicin the acces road again When I saw some more tracks. Checked the road, nothing, the other side of the road, no tracks. So I went back to the tracks......
 

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Another inspector from another firm.....

I was showing him the tracks. He asked me what kinda snake it was. My guess was not a racer. To thick and to much sand kicked up on the edge of the s-curve. Heavy bodied I said. Turned to look in the weeds and BAM!
I couldn't get a good pic of him cause he immediately went into and stayed in "I'm flippin dead mode!"
 

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Need to do some catching up.....

semms as though I need to do a weekly review.
Caught this this little cutie pie......
 

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July 12th.....

was a pretty good day. I missed two snakes. A Coachwhip off road, 8ft down from the road. Some of the guys wanted me to catch it. He was at least 6ft for sure, I wanted him. If I had jumped down from the road however I would have sunk to my knees in muck. And anyone who knows coachwhips, catching them on solid ground is fun enough.
Later I just missed a large Blue-striped Garter. He just got off the road and into the creek.
Did get these two.....
 

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July 14th....

brung the daily racer. BTW, I get reports of racers and YR crossing the roads everyday by the construction workers.....
 

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July 13 brought something special.....

if you're a field herper these snakes are always a thrill. A big Yellow Rat. First measurements were inaccurate (Robbie). After I found someone who wasn't afraid of snakes, I stretched this guy out to 56." He stayed at my house for several days while agonized about keeping him. Alas, after a few days I returned him back to EC.
 

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a few more....

As I said goodbye to the lad....and still thought about keeping him....
 

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Last two for now.....

I found this shell thinking I had found a boxie. The shell is in perfect order. But the inside is empty. No bones no flesh, nothing. Never seen anything like that before. It is at home on my shelf.
The cow....well as I was out in the middle of nowhere releasing that yellow rat, that cow snuck up behind me and released a horrific bellow. Made my butt pucker. Thought I was going to fight for my life against some beat.....
 

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I just found this thread and have spent the last couple of hours going all the way through it. What a wonderful find! You made the slow times this afternoon at work so much more pleasurable. Thanks and I can't wait to see more!
 
OOOPPSSS!

if you're a field herper these snakes are always a thrill. A big Yellow Rat. First measurements were inaccurate (Robbie). After I found someone who wasn't afraid of snakes, I stretched this guy out to 56." He stayed at my house for several days while agonized about keeping him. Alas, after a few days I returned him back to EC.

Made a mistake. He was 66" or 5ft 6 inches.
 
The 20th began.....

and finished by catching the daily racer....
 

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The 23rd....

had me chasing this snake back and forth along the same stretch of road. At the end of the day a racer was found at the end of the road where a worker took a hack at him with a shovel. I intervened and released the racer.....
And a pic of some nice habitat.....
 

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Last for today.....

The first pic is of my office along what I call Yellow Rat Alley. Every YR on this thread has come from 1,00ft stretch of road. It will need to be renamed however, after I found this gem. And in good Corn snake fashion, caught on Friday, ate on Saturday.....
 

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