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

[Bigtex]

Yeah......you gotta love that old stuff! I found several of the old canteens by themselves, then found the fur-lined cases with the pouch's at another place, Found several used cups, and the burner piece was new, but the 3 pieces fit perfectly in the case together.

[Bigtex]

It's getting very thick going through 'The Funnel' these days, and the trail looks more like a cave through the under brush.

 

I hadn't been over there in a while, and there are widow-makers everywhere (dead & dying trees from drought).......very dangerous area now.

 

Here's an old decomposing large poop pile, with just the hair of it's unfortunate victim remaining.

[Guest]

Cougar poop, from first feed off kill is supposed to be largely hair, usually near kill site.

[Guest]

Thanks Flasman, I know all about hairballs now … just LOL … you’re a very good sport, and Big Tex, I enjoyed the good photos. The cave photo is that underneath and to the right (left as I am looking at it) of the puppy? Because I notice a black hole just left of the dog, maybe around the bushes?  How large are the foot tracks you found?

[Bigtex]

Thanks Flash......sure makes sense, good call. Another picture of the trail and Funnel Cave, shown in red.

 

As far as track sizes that I find, from A to Z really.......having found what appeared to be baby tracks to 16", and everything in between.

[Bigtex]

I've been finding more of the large to huge tracks recently, and is like this every year. The Big ones seem to migrate down here from late October through March, and the smaller ones are the year-round residents......or at least appears that way to me IMO:)

 

Found some very nice large tracks on Saturday, looked like the same individual that I was tracking for several miles, and are pictured below.

 

The first one taken between my feet, with the subjects print & my heel lined up, with another one down trail showing my toes. At some point, the subject was running, left a few prints, and some pictures of the best tracks from that action. Notice a pile of dirt pilled up high on one side of the first photo, showing a directional change......was having light & shadow problems again, so kinda hard to see. I outlined the first pick, with the red lines showing the pile of dirt on one side.......this print was REALLY impressive 'live'. 

[Bigtex]

I've posted this place before, went by there the other day, and the Wolf gives it some scale........what the heck is this huge mound with marker stone? This mound is big, and there are some strange deliberate circular spiraling marks apparently carved onto the stone marker, they are barley visible due to erosion.......it's kinda spooky. 

 

Also, have you guys noticed how huge Wolfy is getting? I thought she quit growing at 2, but had a growth spurt from 3 to 3 and a half.......really filling out too, check out her shoulders, and very glad she's on my team:)

Edited February 23, 2015 by Bigtex

[SWWASAS]

Could you clear up a discussion we are having in another thread.   I remember you telling me that wolves do not normally put their claws out when they walk.   Do I remember that right?   People say I am wrong.    You should know.  

[Bigtex]

There are two things that I have noticed......claws are retractable to the degree that they can walk without touching them to surface while in stealth mode, When running, chasing, escaping.....they are out in full force like track cleats. They also use them for fighting, and are usually the first thing she uses, as she rears up on her hind legs.......they are quite sharp.........she attacks on 2 legs, not 4......claws first.

 

The other thing I noticed is the angle of the wrist & paw to the ground.......most dogs have close to a 90 degree bend at the wrist/paw, while wolfy's is much less, about 45 degrees. This helps their front paws slip under leaves etc., as opposed to stepping down on to the same material.......my wolf seems to just silently float along, while the other two - even the tiny Rat Terrier, are making all kinds of noise while running through the woods. 

 

There are some other things I have debated with so-called Wolf experts, and I always ask them.......do you live and hike with one everyday:)?

Edited February 23, 2015 by Bigtex

[SWWASAS]

Ok thanks I hope that clears things up for people on the other thread.     

[Bigtex]

You bet......they absolutely retract, here they are completely out & ready, and when retracted, you can hardly see them. Will try to get more pics, she's a moving film target.

[Bigtex]

IMO.......here's a classic example of an animal, and the big hairy lugs too, that absolutely know store-bought game cams are in play. Here this Alpha male Coyote is giving 'the look', and a little growl I'm sure.

 

Also found this camp out in the woods, and my guess is illegals, not poachers.......with the tree pulley near by.

[Guest Divergent1]

I checked out the link for the blogtalk show a page back. I couldn't get it to work but I could look at the clips for the show. It had a map of all the bigfoot sightings around east Texas and Lousiana. They seem to stop at the Mississippi border and I can't understand why....MS. doesn't have the juniper that east Texas has, but they have other cedar/pine type trees, plenty of water and wildlife, so I'm mystified. Do the sightings really stop there or was that the limits for the territory that the group was researching?

[SWWASAS]

In the case of the BFRO I am told that some areas they do not have any investigators.    So routine reports may not be investigated and entered into their data base.     So that could be what you are seeing as far as lack of reports in certain areas especially with regard to geographical boundaries.  

[Bigtex]

It could also be that they call it something else.......there are so many names for this creature in Texas, let alone many other Southern States.

 

When I had my initial sighting in '69, had never heard of Bigfoot or Sasquatch, but we all knew about The Boogeyman, and that's the label I put on it for many years.