The only venomous snake on Long Island is the Eastern Bullnose. The venom has not been known to harm humans. The best time to hunt the woods of Long Island is in December-January. Yeah I know it is a bit cold but for most parts the ground is still soft and we haven't had the kind of snow that we used to have. Spring starts in March and long before you see actual plant life on the surface, poison ivy is lurking underground waiting.
Ticks and Chiggers start to become active in late January. If you are preparing for a dig in March, make sure that you are ready. Wear long pants (obvious) and heavy socks. If you are comfortable doing this, wrap duct tape around your pant leg. Wear work boots. If you have an older pair of boots and a shitty pair of jeans, spray pine-tar or pennyroyal on the boots and around the bottom of the pants leg. Both of these are excellent bug repellents but the pennyroyal is less sticky. Always bring a decent pair of gloves. I know that wearing gloves isn't always the most comfortable thing while detecting but believe me, you'd be surprised just how many things are lurking underground. I, myself am suffering with severe contact dermatitis right now for lack of wearing both gloves while digging. It ain't fun

.
If you can find them in the stores, pick up a package of Cortaid poison ivy therapy wipes. You should always keep these with you. If you suspect that you have touched poison ivy, oak or sumac..you can use these in the field without water to wash away the poisonous oil before the rash begins.
If you come across a wood pile, remember that black widow spiders are prone to nest in them as well as rocks and under logs. Yes! We do have many black widow spiders on Long Island as well as the Brown Recluse. So be careful

.
If you would like some help with the hunt or have any questions, drop me a pm. I live on the island too!