Bigtex Posted March 25, 2014 Author Share Posted March 25, 2014 Continuing down the BF Trail.........A Turtle snack? I believe this is water Turtle, and was a long way from water. Two pics of a grassy bed-down right on a creek, it looked so much more impressive 'live', and could see the shape in detail. I have pictured this before......the spring-loaded trail block and/or marker. Again, notice the large limb pulled down and twisted. This happened well over a year ago, yet the tree limb still lives. And lastly, A Game Cam photo of my Wolf, explaining her occasional nasty smell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) Continuing down the BF Trail........to help with the picture progression, they are in categories, and numbered in the order in which I hiked them down the BF Trail out of town, and towards the hills. The main trail goes under the bridge on FM 1431, aka 'The Funnel', and I am using this as the middle ground between East & West of town. The trail is a 'high' trail, meaning good clearance in most places. Some parts of the trail are 100's if not 1,000's of years old, but are certainly off the beaten path for humans this day and age. I took pictures showing the main BF Trail when I could see a corridor that translated well to pictures, and marked in red. As mentioned before, I stay off the BF Trail for the most part by choice, as I don't want to be observed using it. Instead, I have made my own trails through the area that crisscross the BF Trail at certain locations where I have found prints and other signs of activity, usually around the creeks........love dat mud:) It will take several posts to list and describe the photos.......and each photo has a brief description when you view. These pictures are the last few miles on the West-side of 1431 leaving town, and leading to the Funnel. Edited March 31, 2014 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Here are some pictures showing what I believe are trail markers, listed as 'Tree Markers' on the photos. This wouldn't be as relevant in a more heavily wooded area with larger trees, but works pretty good in the Texas Hill Country. The trail seems to go from one large tree to another, usually right by one, sometimes between two nearby, and connecting the dots so to speak. It is interesting for sure, but really got my attention hiking through there at night, with natural (no) lighting, and was much easier to follow the trail looking for the larger trees as a guide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WSA Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) Bigtex.... No doubt a well worn trail there, yes. To me (and admittedly you are the only one here who can say) it has the characteristics of an ordinary game trail, possibly marked by buck rubs. You think otherwise, I know, so I have to ask if you see anything extraordinary in the trail alone? (Leaving aside the obvious context of all your other evidence) Edited March 31, 2014 by WSA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 Here are some misc. photos along the way on the Westside.......Spring, skull, bones, bird nest, and forgot to include the BF Trail from town as it hits a high peak and fence line. On the other side is the top of a large hill that has a huge holding tank for our city water supply, OFF LIMITS, and circles the top of this large hill.......how I would love to go up there:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted March 31, 2014 Author Share Posted March 31, 2014 (edited) Hey WSA.......I rarely find Deer sign on or near this particular trail, and I look for their tracks, scrapes, and droppings......any other critters too. There are much better old horse riding trails throughout the area that I find the most Deer sign, plus a multitude of smaller game trails everywhere, with low clearances.......not for me. This BF Trail has some definite logic to it, with various types of markers all along the way, some fresh, some older, and some very old, none of which really jump out except when looked at as a whole, plus there seems to be a pattern. Also, a lotta years hiking the same area often, and noticing subtle differences. Could be humans, but I never see any, no cig butts, plastic, never ever any kind of modern litter.......just some really cool stuff from a long time ago......I should post some photos sometime of the weird old things I have run across. Edited March 31, 2014 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mesabe Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hi Bigtex, I would very much like to see the pics. of old/odd stuff you've found. Also, did you determine what type of skull that was? Thanks for sharing and making this a fascinating thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExTrumpet Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 I will continue to check this thread for the wolf alone...what a majestic animal!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted April 1, 2014 Author Share Posted April 1, 2014 Hey guys.......appreciate the posts:)! Mesabe, that would be a Deer skull, and the other bones pictured too. Also, I will go through pictures, and find some cool ole junk to post. And "Hey" ExTrumpet.......the picture above of Lucy the Wolf looks like she's just laying down, but she is waiting for me to pass so she can run another 40-50 yards ahead of me to lay down (again), and finish her Deer leg. She does this on every hike at some point, and that is finding a kill somewhere, and pulling off a piece for herself to carry & chew during the hike. Hard to see, but she has a front leg, and by the time the hike was over, she had eaten the whole thing, bones and all.......yummy:) Her's a picture of her chillin' s few nights ago watching nature shows with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WSA Posted April 1, 2014 Share Posted April 1, 2014 Thanks for the reply Tex. Fascinating. I knew you would have a good reason for your conclusion, and it sounds like you do. I think your "attention to intention" serves you well. It really does pay to take the time to learn a piece of ground, a luxury few can afford. When you think about it too, the absence of deer sign, and human sign, in an otherwise deer-rich habitat speaks volumes. I think I need a BF to take up residence next to my vegetable garden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted April 2, 2014 Author Share Posted April 2, 2014 This is for ExTrumpet and anyone else who likes my Wolfy........she is always at my feet, even at work, and she's been howling at me all morning. I know what she wants, but she just brought me my keys, and REALLY howled. Lordy, we haven't hit the woods since Sunday......guess she's ready, huh. This is NOT a dog......more like a 4 year old and a wise ole soul all in one. Hard to even describe the amazing bound I have with her. But I wouldn't recommend having one to anyone unless you have plenty of time like 24/7.......think adopting a child, not dog. Of course, you can just pin one up after it grows up, but that's not right for such a magnificent creature. With plenty of time, love, and rarely being left alone, they can live in your house no problem. In fact, Lucy never chews, wrecks, or tries to bite anyone......it's my two 'trained' dogs who do that. She's the best animal in the house, and an excellent car rider, both in the back of my pickup, or in the back seat of the family car. And thanks again WSA.......I try very hard not to get BF Tunnel Vision, and to always look at stuff objectively, and play my own hard-core devils advocate:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelefoot Posted April 2, 2014 Share Posted April 2, 2014 Lucy is so beautiful! I also check in to see what you and Lucy have been up to! Keep the pics coming! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 Thank you Chelefoot, Lulu does too! Here are a few more misc pictures on the Westside of The Funnel, will do some hiking over the weekend, and start on the Eastside next week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted April 3, 2014 Author Share Posted April 3, 2014 Been meaning to mention.......notice in many of the BF Trail pictures that show tracks and/or disturbances the narrow gauge thereof. It has been discussed by many over the years, and I agree, BF's lay tracks in single file mostly, and not side by side like humans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigtex Posted April 7, 2014 Author Share Posted April 7, 2014 (edited) Here are some pictures of the BF Trail going East from The Funnel, or bridge on FM 1431. First two pictures were posted before, but did it again since they are part of the BF Trail and show track-ways. First one shows two track-ways in the creek immediately East of The Funnel, larger in red, smaller in blue, and a closeup of the best single print from the red side. Notice the single file steps in each. Just after the track-ways, the trail splits into three directions, as 3 creeks from different directions converge into one. I have included a map below to show this, and will follow each of the 3 BF Trails separately at this point, beginning with the one that heads to the main power lines that cut through this part of Texas. In 'BF Trail 24', this trail has a split off to what I call 'The Lookout', and has a strategic view of the convergence of the 3 creeks into one, heading to the Westside. This side trail is marked by a rather distinct tree break, and shown in the picture with arrows two places where the branch was crushed, twisted, and bent down. I noticed the pictures are out of order, look at the 'Track-way' and 'Print' photos first:) Edited April 7, 2014 by Bigtex Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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