Guest Posted January 28, 2013 Posted January 28, 2013 Florida reader- Do you ever have occasions when they seem to disappear for awhile? Every now and then there seems to be what I've come to call "dry spells" when there is absolutely no activity. Sometimes it last for a couple of weeks and sometimes up to a month or two. Then all of a sudden things pick up big time. It's been a couple of weeks since our last "event". It's been dead quiet around the house since. I did set up my night vision scope (no infrared light used) attached to my Sony handycam. Films really great on moonlit nights without using the infrared light. I had it hidden on my screened in porch covered with a blanket (only the lense exposed). Hoping they didn't somehow see it and get spooked. Just wondering if these dry spells are normal and if there's anything I can do to get things going again. Thanks! Oh, definitely want to try the finger paints if activity picks back up. Gershake- I really doubt it. It really seems to cause more grief and ridicule to those that put what I feel is sometimes very credible evidence online. I would probably just keep it between my immediate family and friends. To be honest, it's really gotten to where I've only been videoing just to see if its something else getting the gifts (raccoons, possums...) I've been able to rule out certain "events" by doing so. I caught a couple of huge raccoons a couple of weeks ago getting into my gifting bucket using night vision/video. Helped me realize its not always the Big Guy. Don't get me wrong, I know they're there and also taking gifts. Just not every time. I need to come up with a way to varmint proof my gift bucket. Any ideas?
Guest Posted January 28, 2013 Posted January 28, 2013 ^ Perhaps a heavy cage over the offering that only a squatch, bear, human or hog could overturn. It wouldn't rule any of the big ones out but could reduce the number of suspects.
Cotter Posted January 29, 2013 Posted January 29, 2013 GC, perhaps use a can that has a twist off lid? Leave a small hole so the scent can get out. Or some other latch that would require some dexterity to open?
Guest Posted January 29, 2013 Posted January 29, 2013 Yeah I'm thinking twist off lid with the hole. Been pretty quiet around here lately though. Hope they come back!
Cotter Posted January 29, 2013 Posted January 29, 2013 If others' experiences are anything to go by, they shall return.
kbhunter Posted January 29, 2013 Posted January 29, 2013 gcraddock7, has there been a weather change where you are? Such as getting much colder, warmer, rain etc? KB
Guest Posted January 30, 2013 Posted January 30, 2013 (edited) G7, yes, we've experienced quiet times when not much has happened. It has been quiet here lately. Sometimes you can notice them, if they are around, by doing something different that draws their curiosity. I thought I saw some daytime eye shine in the tree line the last time I was sorting my recyclables. Couldn't be certain, but it went away after I stared at it a while. I also heard movement at the time. Edited January 30, 2013 by Florida reader
LeafTalker Posted January 30, 2013 Posted January 30, 2013 G7 said, "I did set up my night vision scope (no infrared light used) attached to my Sony handycam. Films really great on moonlit nights without using the infrared light. I had it hidden on my screened in porch covered with a blanket (only the lense exposed). Hoping they didn't somehow see it and get spooked." Hi, G7. Is the camera still on the porch, or have you removed it? If it's still on the porch, it might be interesting to see whether removing it had any effect. Or maybe substitute a sound recording device for the video camera on the porch? Or turn on the sound recording device and leave it out in the yard, where they could actually touch it and play with it. That would certainly be doing something different, as Florida Reader was suggesting.
Guest Posted January 30, 2013 Posted January 30, 2013 Well, after about three weeks they're back! We've been trying to have campfires out behind the house as often as possible as we did again last night. As always I used my barred owl call along with doing a screech owl call throuought the evening. It was quite warm for this time of year (near 70) due to the approaching cold front and storms we are having today. The wind was blowing on and off with a few gust. While standing at the edge of my back yard I noticed a very dim but visible greenish blue eyeshine in a dark area of the woods about 50 yards away. I kept watching out of the corner of my eye as it would disappear and reappear multiple times. Each time it was in a slightly different spot (a few inches to the left or right, up or down.) I continued making barred owl calls every few minutes. About 10 minutes later I noticed it was gone. Well, I made a few more calls, but was looking toward the other side of our yard. Just as I finished a call I turned back toward where I saw the eyeshine and right there about 10 yards into the woods (in complete darkness) was a very bright glowing "eye" glimmering white in color staring right at me! About 5 seconds later it ducked down to its left and behind a thicket of brush. It moved so quick that the light seemed to "streak" away. Almost like a shooting star appears to leave a trail behind it from moving so fast. There was no sound whatsoever and it was definitely a glow, not a reflection. I just stood there in amazement! I did have a friend with me, but he didn't see it. A few minutes later another eye appeared about 50 yards away, but very bright (white in color). At first it seemed very still, but after a moment it dropped down very quickly about a foot then was still again. I told my friend to slowly make his way over to where I was standing and tell me if he saw it too. I walked away once he got to where I was. He did see it and while he was watching it started to move left and right multiple times before fading out. No sound was heard during all of this. We stayed out by the fire a good hour or so more, but nothing else happened. I did however toss a couple snicker bars out toward where they were at after eating one out in the open. I spoke to them telling what I was doing and that it was a gift for them. No idea if they took them or not. No the camera is inside now and has been for a couple weeks. I do plan on putting the recorder back out this weekend if the weather corporates. May put it out in the woods where I saw the light.
LeafTalker Posted January 30, 2013 Posted January 30, 2013 Awesome! I feel relieved for you that they're back.
Guest David37 Posted February 1, 2013 Posted February 1, 2013 I'm new to the website and I am still reading all of the fascinating comments here. About a year and a half ago, at about midnight, someone walked through the woods next to my house, it was bipedal and every step sounded like a heavy thud. There have been further signs such as footprint disturbances, though indistinct, through the yard since then. Later I started wondering if the heavy thudding of footsteps was on purpose since I had walked out on the porch and was standing there for about 30 seconds before he started walking. I suspect he was between 25 to 50 feet away. I had at first doubted what I was hearing and was trying to come up with alternative explanations, such as, maybe what I was hearing was my heart pounding, which it was after I heard him. Coincidental I guess, though a somewhat similar sound, besides the heartbeat was faster! Anyway I could hear his feet on the thick layer of pine straw. Has anybody else on the site commented on that they purposely walk with a heavy step when they want to, or is it just because they are so large.
Cotter Posted February 1, 2013 Posted February 1, 2013 Hi David. Welcome! There's been lots of theories/hypothesis stated that indicate they might stomp/walk hard deliberately. With some of the reports of how quietly they can maneuver, it would almost seem that many noises they do make (footfalls/branch break) are indeed deliberate. Could be that they are trying to intimidate, who knows really at this point. A friend of mine had an encounter years ago in the PNW where he and a buddy were tenting in the backcountry. Something came into camp, staying just out of sight in the brush, and circled the came for a prolonged period, heavy footfalls, large branches snapping, and a horrible stench. There was no noises heard on approach. BTW, his pal left the woods at first light and refused to go back, ending their trip early.... No visual, so take that for all it's worth.
LeafTalker Posted February 1, 2013 Posted February 1, 2013 Hi, David! I'm new here, too. I agree with Cotter. From what I've been told, if they don't want to be heard, you won't hear them (unless they make a mistake). So I would guess that that individual intended you to hear him. But I'm not sure about the intimidation part. That individual might also have just been looking for ways to get you to notice him -- for ways to say "hello". You might have some lovely adventures ahead of you. I'm jealous!
Guest Posted February 2, 2013 Posted February 2, 2013 (edited) David37, I agree with those who say the BF was deliberately being noticeable. I do not see loud footsteps by themselves as an aggressive or threatening display. You'll know when they are unhappy with you. They'll do things like rip small trees apart, or repeatedly kick a fence. He was probably testing your reaction to see if you were a threat to his family. Just a guess. Be respectful, be carefull, and I doubt you'll have any problems. However, they are intelligent individuals so there is no way to know ahead of time. Do you have a source of water near your home? Leave an apple in a tree and see what happens. Edited February 2, 2013 by Florida reader
Guest David37 Posted February 2, 2013 Posted February 2, 2013 Thanks for the responses, it's nice to get some positive feedback. When I try to bring the subject up with the neighbors all I get is a laugh and a brush off. Last summer at night I heard people outside working on a car and a bunch of children hollering and running around, dogs barking and it sure sounded to me like one of those recordings of a BF, howling in the background several times, did anybody notice or say anything, nope, they just ignored it. I was thinking of putting out some fruit to see what would happen to it but I wasn't sure as they say don't feed the bears. I'll give it a try and put a post up if anthing interesting happens.
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