Thanks, Bill. Knee pads are on my list for my next trip to Lowe's for sure. Mark gave me the first recommendation of a camera support pole and he had used a wooden dowel rod. Later he shared a link to a sportsman's 'shooting pod' that is used to support long range spotting scopes and rifles which is quite an impressive support. When I shot long range targets I had a 32-power scope and looking at a target 800-yards out your heartbeat would cause the recital to bounce around like a Lottery Balls so keeping still makes the difference between a hit or a miss. The 200mm macro lens behaves much the same way with its focal length. The slightest movement of the camera creates a greater distance of movement out at the ever so small target of a bug's eye. One or two degrees of movement on the camera end can project out to several inches on the target end.

A cue stick is a handy idea for it is made of dense wood and I suspect that it would be very durable. I should be able to get a used one for very little and I have a Thrift Store near me for it is full of odds-and-ends like that.

Kneepads would definitely be welcome! I did use them once or twice and very much appreciated them. No explanation as to why.

As far as I have seen, the woods can seem pretty sparse at first. Fields are more dense with photograph-able subjects, I suspect. Wood margins are also pretty good, since they concentrate field species and woodland species on their borders.
But it is also a matter of how one looks when deeper in the woods. Just this summer I had some great experiences walking a long woodland trail that had numerous types of broad-leaf hardwoods. Oak, hickory, walnut, and so on. By very slowly and patiently looking under the leaves of these trees, especially of small saplings since they are more accessible, I was able to make quite a few terrific finds which I will be sharing in the coming months.
Then there is rolling over logs (put them back), and lifting up loose tree bark (again, but it back). Also picking thru leaf litter. Much of what is revealed is very small, though, and having an mpe-65 would come in handy. There are similar but less expensive options for Nikon users, however ...

Got rained out yesterday and this morning however when the sky cleared a bit I went on a hunt. I found out quickly that I was not the hunted...not the hunter with the temperature of 84 and the wet weeds the mosquitoes were awful and the Repel Spray was ineffective and a hour was all I could bear of it. I looked in all my favorite spots but they were barren now. Weeds have turned brown and leaves have withered. Cocaburs and beggar-lice cling to me as I make my way through what is left of it. My wife has me sit on the porch picking them off before I can come in.

All I could find were a few grasshoppers trying to make the most out of their remaining days. I did find a tiny bright green Assassin Bug but I missed the focus in the shots that I took. On the way back I found a bush with very small red berries which vividly stood out among the green leaves so I could not resist. - Thanks for viewing and I had hoped for more but I'm pleased to have gotten out and found something.