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Need Help In Central Texas.........


Bigtex

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I have not listened to either one, just been so busy with work & family. I have downloaded audio from the Camera Trap area to my computer, maybe you can listen to that one, and I'll get on the other.

Went hiking today, and my pool is half full. However, you could tell that it was 2 or 3 feet over flooding during the storm Tuesday night, and subsequent mini flash flood. The water is already down 6 feet in a few days.

Here's my little Rat Terrier living up to her name.......that dog is a rat killin' machine!

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  • 3 weeks later...

It's been more heat & drought......but I've been hiking plenty, just hard to see any sign, and nothing interesting to report.

Saw this 'free-ranging' Longhorn the other day......big fellow, and a bit agressive, as it was heading across the creek for me after the last picture.....I quickly left the area. These are huge animals, and I went to the University of Oklahoma, so he might have it in for me.....Boomer Sooner!! The other picture is an 'illegal' trail marker, branch showing the way, and the rocks(?).....not sure on those, possibly marking the number of people through there.

Last time I had anything interesting happen was at night with Shadoangel, and we will give it another try tonight.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello all.....it's been a while, but I haven't quit hiking, just nothing to report. Hard to find any sign or tracks with this draught. I have been hiking 5 days a week, but have to wait until 7:00PM to beat the heat as best I can.

I have been experimenting with a new Bushnell Digital Game Camera that I saw them using on a TV Bigfoot show. Like all the other store-bought Game Cameras, it is lacking plenty. Wind blowing anything, even the smallest twig, will set the thing off, as I have 100's of blank photos. I have set it up many places so far, and the only shot of anything alive was a week spent at the Jaguar Cave. Didn't realize, but there's a Buzzard nest back up in there, and got many pictures of the birds coming in and out.

Also a picture of a nice print in loose soil...the individual was traveling from right to left in the photo, with the left side on a downward slope, and leaving a nice pile of loose dirt on the left side of print....substantial weight caused the dirt to pile up.

I did go on the night hike a few weeks back during the full moon with Shadowangel, we had a great time, hiked mostly without lighting, and infared when needed. However, there was an incident towards the end that was a bit freaky, and involved humans. Apparantly, a guy grabed his x-girlfriend against her will, and took her to the wooded area where we were hiking.....eventually had a helicopter with a spot light looking for them, but after we had already gotten the hell outta there! Of course, we wondered if they were looking for us at the time, even though we were doing nothing wrong. However, no doubt they would have wondered what 2 guys were doing in the woods camoed out, no lights, and slinking around before and after midnight.

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BFF Patron

Hahahahah......busted :lol: What an update.....at least you didn't run into "runners". :lol:

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Good to note that you are still on the prowl. You have been quiet. Have you been using that PMD 661 with your new digital scouting camera?

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Oh I'm ALWAYS on the prowl Catmando, just not much going on in these woods around here. We've had a record number of consecutive 100+ degree days, and are stringing together some 105+ days now. I started my hike at 7:15 last night, and it was still 101.......JEZ! At least I'm in the woods where it's shaded.

In the last month, at 4 different locations, and 7 days at each site.....my Bushnell has taken over 1,200 pictures, mostly of nothing (wind). There were only 7 pics of the same Buzzard at one location, and a single pic of another Buzzard at another location (two of my ass at different locations), which leads me to believe nothing much is moving around in the area, and/or they know the camera is there.

Here's an interesting picture, and of course much better 'live'. The tree limb pictured is horizontal to the ground, and allows a person (or BF) to grab & swing down to the rocks bellow. It's been used more than a few times for this purpose, as it is well worn, and recently. The picture below was the first time I saw this, and also used to swing down......notice how wide the worn area is. I'm trying to imagine who would be in this particular area? When I found this, it was on a new trail that I was bush-whacking for myself, was kinda thick & thorny, and I was bleeding from several places when I came outta there.......what the 'F' is using this branch? Whatever it was had an iron grip as well.

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Was hiking yesterday evening, and in an area I hadn't been in about 2 weeks. Came across a rather large Red Oak limb busted off on my trail. The tree was not dead, and had complete foliage, as shown in the picture. Could be anything, but rule out any storms or weather, other than 60 days of 100+ temperatures........where are the rains?

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Just when you think you know an area, you blaze a new trail, and realize maybe you don't. There's always something new over the next Ridge, you just gotta look.

Found an interesting feature along a Ridge over looking one of the main creeks/streams that feeds into the Colorado River. There was some type of early human settlement on that Ridge, and looks like it consisted of maybe half dozen one room wood structures. Nothing remains except foundation rocks, door thresholds, and stone pathways. It looks to be very old, probably 100+ years, with signs of total destruction, and fire. The fire could have come later, however many of the foundation stones are discolored & cracked from heat, and probably from the wood structures burning above them.

Anyone interested in this sort of thing, and has a Metal Detector, please contact me......it might prove very interesting to scan the area. My guess is early settlers were attacked and their little settlement destroyed by Indians.

Pictures of the site, a walkway, various foundation stones - some cut 90 degrees, part of an old chimney, which was the only part of the structures using concrete. Check out the concrete piece, looks very old, does anyone know anything about pioneer concretes?

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Hey Skip......thanks for the post, very interesting information! I am very interested in the pre-Indian era around here. The oldest human skeletal remains found in the US was only a few miles from where I hike, and she is called 'Leanderthal Woman', since she was found near Leander Texas. Do a search about the find, as it was a burial. I have found clear evidence of a village dating back to this time, around 13,000BC, many unique stone tools, and structures that are certainly not Indian.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Still hiking, but only tolerable before 10:00AM or after 7:00PM......found an older print, very small, but good detail. It was made in early May, and is hard as concrete now.....I might try to cast this one, is my little friend growing?

Some other photos from one of my Camera Traps (store bought - Bushnell). I am trying to determine the stress on wildlife during this draught, as it's extremely hard to find track now. I hung a sack of stinky old meat from a tree near the camera, and got quite a response. The animals look healthy enough, and it was the Turkey Buzzard who eventually got the prize. This one particular Coyote showed up 22 pictures worth, and a few of those......notice how in one photo he/she is peeing on the sack the meat was in.

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Guest Biggie

You should definitely cast that footprint. That's the smallest possible bf print I've ever seen. What is that maybe six inches long at most?

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Yes....about 6 inches long, and was smaller last year, of course. This is a very good detail print, I have never done a cast, and scared I will mess this up. Until it rains again, it's like a brick. Any good casters in the area? This print is really amazing.

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This is the rare and hardly ever seen Luna Moth, and is one of the larger native American silk moths, and the only one with swallow-tails. After looking at recent Game Camera photos of animals, and finding this Moth, maybe it's just 'business as usual' for all the critters in the woods, in spite of the heat & no rain.

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Edited by Bigtex
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