How can I a Western Hognose snake?

I know of the popping an probing methods, but there are no qualified reptile vets or specialists in my general area. Are there any visual clues I can use as guidelines? I've heard male tails tend to be much longer compared to body length than females. This is tough for me to see considering I only have one snake. Can I count ventral scales after the vent? I've also heard that males will go on feeding strikes without fail every year. Mine has been on 2 in the past 5 months.