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

[Guest]

Good points, BT....I'd want it for my own evidence/keepsake. I have no desire to try & prove anything. Apparently the majority of skeptics reject just about everything as

"proof".  I just enjoy studying the animal world...always have.

[Bigtex]

I have really become quite anal about the question of "being observed" while out in the woods, especially in my areas, and have become very careful of what I carry & my actions. With as much evidence that I have found in all 3 of my main study areas, they would almost have to know when I'm around. First off, the engine rumble from my '86 GMC pickup with a 383 Stroker 420HP motor as I'm pulling up to park.....unique sound to my vehicle, and has a lotta low frequency stuff that carries pretty good. They must be saying....."he's back" before I ever get out of the truck. To me, this isn't animal research, in a sense......we are children playing a grownup game, and better be thinking way out of the box at all times. I try to imagine there are Indians out there, and how to sneak around them:)

[SWWASAS]

I do want a really good cast for my coffee table.     And I would share anything I find with Meldrum if he wants it.   Unlike him,  I do not have the specialized training to get any information from footprints at all other than individuals of the same size are active in my area.    Speaking of that I found one this morning in a new area doing field work.    7 inches across and about 16 inches long.   Nothing definitive other than the size.      That size gets my attention.     Somewhat of an indistinct trackway leading to it and away from it on very dry forest deadwood floor.    I did not cast it as it would have been full of deadwood and not show much.

 

Bigtex, I agree and do not even take the time to photograph a footprint if the area seems active because I hear movement.     I do not want them to think I am tracking them so pretend not to see the track.   Sometimes in that situation I scrub out the footprint, hoping they are watching, and appreciate me covering their tracks.   If they know about tracking, they would not want their presence known by humans. 

[Guest]

I appreciate both of your insights......I wouldn't want to do something that might mess up what I'd worked for either....not for something like a keepsake

 

I think I remember you, Btx,.. mentioning your speculation,..maybe concern,...that they might come to know where you live....would make me anal, I'm sure,...if I was that near

and came to know what they can do....the extent of their abilities.    My dogs know the sound of both our vehicles and can detect the approach of either within a half mile

or so,...if it's quiet.  I only wish I could do that.  Wonder how good BF's sense of smell is... 

[Bigtex]

Had a nice hike over the weekend, still hot though, and packin' water for the pups.......you can see how hot they are!

 

Had another confrontation the Coyote Pack though, and they were very aggressive, might have been hunting us this time. My main summer hike goes through one of the Kill Zones I have spoken of before, and they might have been protecting that, even though it's only been in the last 3 weeks that they keep confronting me. Could be the heat and lack of natural prey or my Wolf marking their territory when she was in heat, who knows. After the other evening though, I will be packing my 12 gauge slung over my shoulder to try and teach them a little respect. I don't wanna kill any of them, just a light peppering of bird shot should do the trick. Problem with killing one, I hike through this area a lot, and don't want to start something with them

[SWWASAS]

I understand your concerns after I had the pack of dogs coming after me a couple of months ago.    For some reason a pack bothers me more than a single predator that I can face off if I know it is there.    There are a lot of cougar here and I strategically mounted my digital recorder on the top center of the pack so that it restricts access to the back of my neck.     Your pups do look hot.   

[Bigtex]

Yes.....Pack mentality is always a concern. You guys have those extra large kitties up there, all Cougars can be dangerous, but there are some huge ones up your way, and tons of cover for them. I have it easy down here as far as predatory critters that might do me harm, and I worry about the large Boar hogs the most.

That's grand-pappies old single shot Iverson pictured above, sawed off @ 18", with a bungee shoulder harness rigged up......works great.

[Bigtex]

Went hiking yesterday evening, and took my 12G pop-gun with me. When we got to the Coyote's turf, they had made a kill the previous night. I didn't go over to the kill, or see it, but know it was there as around 20 buzzards took off when I approached the area. However, the Wolf went over there and started feeding - always does, causing the nearby Yotes to start howling and yipping. They weren't aggressive this time though, and seem to know I was packin' heat........they kept their distance, and didn't follow us. Maybe they could sense my increased confidence due to the firearm I was carrying, who knows, but they wanted no part of us.

 

OK, this will be gross to most, myself included, but nevertheless......animal behavior. I've been around woods, camping, dogs all my life, and dogs seem to have a great fondness to eat human scat. No.......I have never intentionally presented them with such treats, but things happen when you gotta go in the woods:) I'm saying this because an odd thing happened yesterday while hiking. I came up on some new disturbances on one of the BF Trails that I hike. Took a picture of a few interesting prints (which I will post later), and noticed an absolutely huge pile of fresh poop nearby. Massive dark logs with all kinds of weird stuff in them including what looked like wild pig hair.......Andre the Giant couldn't have laid these turdies, they were that big. I am getting ready to take a few pictures, and the Wolf runs up and gobbles the whole pile up with amazing speed & vigor. We run across lots of scat in the woods, and they only get a quick sniff........what made this huge pile so appealing to the Wolf?

 

It puzzles me why dogs/wolves like stinky things, and the stinkier the better. With such a highly developed sense of smell.......why? Is there a layer of stink that our limited sense of smell can't smell, with layers of stinkiness we can't even begin to appreciate? And two thumbs up to anyone who can get grant money to study that. 

Edited August 28, 2014 by Bigtex

[SWWASAS]

My dog had an immune deficiency disease that made it intolerant to protein and also prone to digestive problems if it ate strange stuff.    We have a lot of rabbits in the yard and try as I might, I could not keep the dog from eating rabbit poop.    The neighbors probably got tired of me screaming at the dog not to eat it.    I think he thought it was caviar or something.   He would sneak around and when I looked away start gobbling it down.    Usually if he had enough it meant a trip to the vet.        I don't know why they eat and roll in smelly stuff.   

 

Sure sounds like BF scat.      I am pretty sure I found it once.     Looked like very large human except it had fur and plant matter in it.     So had to be an omnivore and did not look like bear scat.  

Edited August 29, 2014 by SWWASASQUATCHPROJECT

[Guest]

If anyone does determine why dogs are inclined to do that....hope they post it....I'd like to know that at well.  We have 4 "rescued" dogs, well taken care of,...all the food they would need, etc.....and yet each one of them will eat poop if the opportunity arises....and if I don't see them doing it.  Not only that,....two of the four will roll in it to wear proudly when they return from their explorations/patrol of our fence-line perimeter and wooded areas.  There are feral cats living near us that brazenly enter the property almost every night.....and "provide" what I term as "kitty candy" (dog language, of course)....which is not good because they leave traces of their worm infestation with their deposits....don't need that!

    A few years back,...there was some construction on some adjoining property and the laborers were crossing our fences to do their business in the wooded cover in that area....and yes,...a couple of my knothead-rollers thought it was grand to smear themselves with....as well as,....eat their poop.  I had to go to their construction site to emphasize that my property was off limits to their calls of nature. 

My Mother insists that the dogs are "lacking something in their diet".....and that's why they eat it.  I am not convinced of that.  I know that if I had to participate in an argument about why one should NOT have a dog......it would definitely be at the top of my list.

Edited August 29, 2014 by HairyWildMan

[Bigtex]

Yes......this is very strange behavior I've never really understood. Mine would rather roll in something dead, particularly the Wolf.......nasty habits.

[Bigtex]

I've been on a few more hikes over the last week, still packin' the 12G, and no Coyotes.......they seem to know I'm more dangerous now:)

 

Here are two interesting prints that I found on one of the alleged BF Trails.

[Bigtex]

What a joy it is to have this amazing animal! She waits for me every night to come to bed.......that's a kingsize bed, and yup, she's big.......she loves sleeping in a tent when I go camping also.

Edited September 4, 2014 by Bigtex

[Guest]

She seems to be almost as "spoiled rotten" as our dogs!   I'm curious BT,....generally speaking,....about how long is the longest set of tracks you've been able to follow?

I understand the terrain in your area probably doesn't allow anything like a set of tracks found in snow....but maybe along a shoreline or creek bed,...

.you may have found numerous prints along a track you've followed.   Thanks again,...for sharing your photos!

[Bigtex]

Hey HWM.......it's been a while since I've seen a long track way around here, as this 5+ year drought has made it difficult, plus they are careful about leaving sign anyway. I see the occasional decent track or two, then just a continuation of ground disturbances, many of which I have posted pictures of. With the water situation so scarce, I know where to look for prints and track ways.

 

Having a spoiled Wolf is a lotta work.......when she wants to go outside, back inside, eat, go on a car ride, or her favorite......out in the woods, she will moan, growl, and howl to get what she wants, extremely demanding! I have to take her to work as well, she always wants to be at my side, which is very cool. Here's an example of what I'm dealing with........my wife complained recently that when I come home from being out a while, I always kiss/greet the Wolf first, then her, and the wifey doesn't like it. I tried to explain why, but she didn't understand......so the next day when I came home, I kissed the wife first. Lucy saw this, and went nuts........first growling/howling at me, stormed out of the room, and when my wife got up from HER chair, the wolfy came back in and jumped in her chair. The wife now understands.......kiss the Wolf first:)