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

[Guest Cervelo]

Those are some lucky dogs! Looks like a blast BT keep it coming!

[Bigtex]

Just when you think the 'Big Guy' has moved out of the area due to the drought, you find something like this. Of course, it could be human, but the place is remote, and I was there 4 days ago.

This is/was a rather large pool, and has had ample water since our last drought over three years ago. I have watched the fish grow, mostly Perch, and 4 Black Bass that were getting in the 6 to 8 inch size. This pool is on my normal hike routine, and I see it often......serveral times a week in some cases. In recenet weeks though, it has grown smaller, and you could start to see the panic in the trapped fish. When I would approach from above and look down, they would always hide in a small under water cave, especially as the water continued to dry up.

Four days ago, there was water, but just barely enough for the fish, plus they still had their cave to hide in.

Today it was finally dry, and no sign of the fish, not even a scale or other animal tracks either.......only the stick stuck into their little cave, and a small area where it stood.

It appears that 'something' used the stick to get the fish out of their hide-out, when it was almost dry, and into the small 'tub' just to the left of the cave to scoop them up.....2 days ago I would think.

Pictures......from above looking down and is about an 8 foot drop, close-up of stick in hole, prints/impressions all over area shown (doesn't show well, no flash for shadows), dogs at print area (both had a several minute sniff each).

Had a very nice night hike & stake out Sunday with Shadoangel. Set out one of my home-made camera traps on a game trail in an area with water, and staked out another area of known travel up on a ridge overlooking the area below. There was also an area of higher elevation above us, and we were set up right on the edge. Sat quietly for a while, then played a few animal calls, no responses. Then I played some of the 'Sierra Sounds' of the alleged Bigfoot language, and this seemed to get a response. I heard one faint grunt sound in the distance, and we were later approached from below by something. Shado heard the stealthy approach first to a position below us in some trees, and fairly thick. At this point he motioned to me, and I started throwing rocks down in a semi circle. The 3rd or 4th rock made something jump, but not run off......in fact, it approached our postion closer, very unusual behavior for an animal I would say, and even a human. Plus, no way anyone could get down there without light of some type. Then our visitor left in direction it came. Hard to determine steps, as it was more of a shuffling noise, to get under the leaves as opposed to stepping on them, it seemed to me. Approximately 15 minutes later, I heard something above us, and at a higher elevation, exactly what you would expect in behavoir from many different species. I have the whole incident on tape, plus the rest of the night, as we left around 2:30AM, and I left my recorder going. I will review it in the coming days.

My Camera Trap only got one picture of a Raccoon, but shows the triggering device is fairly sensative......no looking at the camera either. Picture of the dogs the next day, and Shado trekking through. The first picture is the area where the trigger is set on the game trail......can't really tell at all, Shado did a nice job of concealment.

Please chime in Shado.......give me your take on the night.

Edited September 5, 2011 by ChrisBFRPKY

[bipedalist]

Tex just curious but have you considered maybe rigging one of the new blackbox IR flashes up to your trip-pad?, I know they are making them to retrofit and hook up to older style game cams now so I'd think they'd be easy to use for your purposes as well. Just in case you have multiples the lack of the white flash might keep them from being keyed into the area with bright white. Something along this line:

http://www.chasingame.com/index.php?id=132

You'd prob. have to make some adaptations to your camera re: filters though if you're shooting film.

[Guest]

I was wondering how sensitive those mats are. Coons don't weigh too much.

I think 'Tex did a good job explaining the night. We went out in the evening during daylight and set up the mat/trap and set up the microphones for the audio at the stake-out site. Went to see the stick/pond deal 'Tex mentions above and then packed in for a few hours to wait for dark.

On the way in we turned the mat trap on and got the audio recorder set up. Talked for a while, smoked some and played several kinds of sounds. In the distance you could hear what sounded like a pretty good sized party going on but it wasn't too distracting. I actually thought 'Tex only threw two rocks. Whatever it was, it was definitely attracted to the sounds we were playing. Not sure if it was a predator of some kind (we'd heard coyotes previously and seen a huge cat print earlier that day) or what, but it came from the right, below us and was moving directly towards our location (or as directly as it could along the creek bed). Once I heard it and 'Tex started throwing rocks, I could tell it was still approaching and then when the 2nd rock (by my count, if 'Tex threw more I didn't see them) flew down, it ran off. The rocks rolling down the hill distort the sound of the footfalls, so I couldn't make out if it was two or 4 legged, but it hauled ass out of there. Crash, crash, crash and it was gone. I didn't hear anything definitive after that. A few small bumps or twigs but nothing concrete. That incident probably took place around 11:30 or midnight and we left around 1:30 without further incident. I'm mostly interested in the audio of that encounter and the 15-20 minutes after that. To see if we can determine any other sounds upon approach/departure, or hear anything moving around to the back.

Definitely interesting. Which for me is a change of pace. I go out to be outside and because I find the whole topic interesting and plausible. I haven't seen one, heard one, etc. with my own senses so I'm not totally convinced yet. There's a heck of a lot of strange stuff out in the woods, to be sure, but I try to be extremely skeptical when out or analyzing things. Rule out everything else. But I'll admit I was a little rattled when the rocks didn't scare the thing off. WTF doesn't run away when you throw rocks at it?

[Guest]

Any update on the audio?

[Bigtex]

Hey Shado......haven't listened to either recording yet, been pretty busy, and will take some time.

Here is a picture of the probable Cougar print, and he's a big fellow no doubt. I have placed my 'throwing rock' next to some of the photos for scale, and fits in my palm, about the size & shape of an egg. Yeah.....I like to throw rocks and am pretty darn accurate too, both right & left handed. There are just so many things you can do with rocks, besides the obvious.

The other pictures are partial prints I saw with Shado on the way to set up our stuff last week. I didn't have time until a few days later to go back and study them closer, but was glad I did. There is a series of about 10 tracks that I followed down a game trail, just the front part of a large humanlike print is visible, as if running, and about 9 feet between prints......I photographed the best ones, as they were already about a week old. The front of the prints has material shoved forward down in the toe area from initial impact, and material thrown backwards during liftoff phase.......something on 2 legs was running with one heck of a stride.

Also found another print in a nearby creek of 'Banana Man', as I call him. He has a curved foot about 14" long. Unfortunately, my Ridgeback left his track in the heel area, but shows how two different animals can create a weird print. This track was less than 24 hours fresh.

All but the Banana Man print photos were taken about a week after they were left, and have been sprinkled with Juniper leaves.....the cylinder like brown things.

[Bigtex]

Boy.....it's hot out there, not much fun hiking in the 103 degree heat at all, unless it's nightime.

Here's an odd formation, and will try to explain. There is a ridge that runs along one of the main creeks that feeds into the Colorado River (Lake Travis). Imagine a horseshoe formation along this ridge that goes back 100 or so feet, that still maintains the ridge/cliff all the way around, and about 25 feet high. A nice little area is formed by this.....what is interesting, is all of the trees along the entire edge of the ridge have been pushed over down into the horseshoe, which forms a sort of roof over the entire area. None of the other surrounding trees are affected at all, and the ones pushed over are at different angles, which would likely rule out weather. It just looks so deliberate to me, and the area formed underneath the pushed-over trees is real cozy. These are Juniper (often called 'Cedar' in Texas), and do not have deep roots.....they tend to spread out, as opposed to down. So they would be easier to push over, but not by human hands. You would have to see the area to fully appreciate......it's very strange in fact.

Here are some pictures showing this formation, and the last picture is the entrance underneath the pushed over tress. About 15 trees have been pushed over into this horseshoe area.

Has anyone ever seen anything like this?

Edited June 17, 2011 by Bigtex

[Bigtex]

Trying to stay out there hiking in the heat......if I hike the North-South ravines, they are always cooler, as they are exposed to only a few hours of direct sun......the East-West ravines are scorching hot!

Here's a recent Deer kill, and would appreciate some feedback from hunters, which I am not. The Deer carcass is 4 or 5 days dead, spread out, and eaten by Coyotes, but did they kill it? If you look at the head, it looks like some kind of bullet exit wound on the neck......can anyone tell for sure? Yeah, my Ridgeback rolled on the carcass too, a really nasty habit he has. Also, picture of a Buzzard skull, and my dried up swimming hole.

[Guest]

Swimming hole is almost totally empty! Crazy!

That area you took pictures of looks really interesting 'Tex. How old do you reckon it is? The cedar seem to be long dead, but it's hard to tell in the sunlight in the photos.

[bipedalist]

Well was the buzzard skull near the deer kill? The holes do not look like bullet holes but without a closeup of the other side who knows. No coyote carcasses nearby? You don't think poison is involved or poisonous water supplies do you? Dying of thirst would be a tough way to go.

[Bigtex]

No swimming for a few months, not even a mud bath, but will be full and beautiful by the end of October.

I found the Horseshoe about 8 years ago, when the area was very wild and remote. The pushed over trees were mostly alive then, providing even more cover underneath. It was also located just East of the Power Lines, just before they go across Lake Travis, and through Pace Bend Park......there's an older Bigfoot sighting in Pace Bend Park on one of the BF sites. Shado, these are the same Power Lines that we have hiked East of town. The Horseshoe just seemed like a gathering place to hang......near the Power Lines, and a good long swim.

Unfortunately, Developers bought a huge track of land, including this area, surveyed, and put in a dirt road around the parameter with No Trespassing signs......so I quit going over there.......bummer! Every now and then I get 'lost', and end up over there:)

The Power Lines are a real good place to search for the big hairy lugs, and the wild areas on either side near water.

Hey Biped......Buzzard skull wasn't near the Deer, pretty certain the Deer was a Coyote kill, but saw the hole and wondered. Not much water anywhere, even some of the normal Springs have gone dry for the moment.....rains are coming by September.......maybe sooner, they always do.

[bighunter43]

Bigtex,

I live about an hour and 15 minutes down the road from you. I have fished Lake Travis many times, and always put in at Pace Bend Park (boat ramp is closed now)....anyway, I don't think the deer was shot, as poachers usually kill for the horns, and the deer was small and barely in velvet. Keep wishing for those rains, I have NEVER seen this bad of a drought in Central Texas in my 45 years. Keep up the search......your posts are the best on here!

Edited June 21, 2011 by bighunter43

[Bigtex]

Thanks for the kind words bighunter43, very much appreciated......you should come up for a hikey some time.

We had a very nice rain last night, high winds, thunder, lighting , and 3+ hours of heavy rain. Went hiking today, and what a difference the rain made, as the pools and creeks came alive. Areas that were bone dry for weeks are wet and wild again, even the frogs were croaking up a storm. Nature just doesn't waste time. The area had been so dry, it was becoming very hard to track anything, and I was beginning to think the critters were gone. Today though, in the soft and muddy soil......tracks were everywhere from many types of animals, they must have been dancing in the rain last night!

Pictures of some of the creeks & pools that had been dry, and a very nice fresh bare footprint.....about a size 12, with my throwing rock above it.

[Guest]

You thinking it was an illegal? Or are you betting on the alleged juvie?

[Bigtex]

Hey Shado......the print was only hours old, found Wednesday afternnon after the rains Tuesday night, and was a bare foot. There were some other partial prints along the creek that I was able to follow a ways, but this was the best one, and showed good toe definition. An illegal.....who knows, but he was a big fellow, and heavy.......as it was a deep imprint. Can't imagine anyone going barefoot though, it would tear your feet up, and whoever it was took extra EXTRA care to conceal their tracks. It was good size, and again heavy, so no juvie......this was about a half mile up the same creek from where we were staked out a few weeks back.