New rule for your photography: if it doesn't have wings or scary mandibles, pick it up and take a second picture of it in your hand. :)

It's definitely got to be a stick insect. Can't imagine the female being anything else. The male's not so clear.

I took a few more pictures, but I am afraid they are as confusing.

Pair of thread legged assassin bugs? Note the beak and mantis-style front legs. These two aren't sweet little stick insects.

And knowing there are two makes the first photo make sense!

That is exactly what they are, thread legged assassin bugs. I had eliminated stick insects but did not have time to look through all the true bugs. Fori scores.

https://bugguide.net/node/view/213/bgimage?from=0

To determine a genus, you may need to estimate the size and use the info and data tabs at bugguide to see distributions.

They probably don’t have as painful of a bite, do they? Thinking of Fori’s new rule for my taking pictures....

When in doubt, gloves.

Rule amendment: any sort of ouchy-looking mouthparts?