Guest Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) The road I travel is called Kings Highway and goes from Charleston past Myrtle Beach. You got NF on one side and a NWR on the other. I have a habit of looking down all FS roads gated or ungated to see what might be on em. As I went past one going 55 mph I saw 2 black figures standing about 300 yds. down a gated one. No vehicle at the gate and nothing like a rifle or stick being carried. At that distance I can't be certain what I saw.That FS road has a few scattered homes near and could have been a couple black guys dressed in all black cause that seems to be popular now which was my first guess but when I rode back by they were gone. This was yesterday around 2 pm and a sunny 38. This is my favorite time of year to get out, no ticks, snakes or mosquitos!! Edited January 9, 2014 by Hellbilly
Guest Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 I wanted to add that what struck me as odd was both the figures were solid black and one solid color. I also could not see a face. If it was 2 guys they had on the same clothes/jackets and matched. I think whatever it was was sunning itself because there is a bit of an opening on for sunlight. I wanted to add I have seen some interesting wildlife in this vicinity. Puma's twice, hogs, turkeys, deer. I was going fishing with the fam and we had run in front of the truck a HUGE mottled(white/gray) bull/buck something with the biggest rack I have ever seen. My Granpa was in the truck and is a deer hunter and he could not tell me what it was but it was as big as a pony.
LeafTalker Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 (edited) Wow, Hellbilly!!!! That's totally awesome. You're a great observer -- and it sounds like there's a lot to observe where you are! (And probably where we all are; we just don't observe as well.) DWA, that's cool, that you've talked to the ravens. I do that, too. I answer all their calls (caws?), making as many sounds as they do, and then I wait for their next set of calls, and then make the same number of noises in response, etc. Sometimes I use my voice to answer them; sometimes a tin whistle; and sometimes two wooden blocks. Once I was using the blocks to respond to a crow (or a raven -- I don't know my crows from my ravens), and we were having a fine old time talking. Then I saw him fly from his tree to a tree closer to the place where I was sitting. He resumed the conversation, but this time, his caws were much softer. It was soooo cool. I'm starting to realize that many beings will engage with you, if you approach them the right way. (Many people who live in more natural environments -- or play there often -- know all this already. For me, though -- someone who has spent a lot of time in city-like places -- these things have been a real revelation.) Edited January 9, 2014 by LeafTalker
Guest DWA Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 Hey LT, there are several ways to tell ravens from crows; most of them are easiest to see on in-flight birds. Ravens are soaring birds and play a lot in flight. See both of those, it's a raven. As the crow flies? Believe it; 90% of the crow flight you will see is point A to point B at a steady flap. I rarely see crows glide far, and never soar or play with thermals. Sometimes crows look like they're having fun; ravens ALWAYS do. A raven shows a fan-shaped (open) or rounded (closed) tail end; a crow's is squared off. Crows caw. Ravens have deeper and more guttural, resonant sounds. I've heard different dialects in different areas, sounds unique to the birds in those places. If you are east of the Mississippi and not in the mountains, it's probably a crow. See them together - for me that's been rare - ravens are about twice as big. Their bills are thicker and throat plumage richer than that of crows. I've seen them try to get closer to me - landing and moving closer branch by branch - only a couple of times though. Cool when you can get one to do that.
LeafTalker Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 Wow, thanks, DWA. I think it was a crow, then! I will try to watch for flight patterns and tail shapes to confirm that for myself.... One of the great benefits of this obsession is that I get to learn things I never knew I would learn... Sitting in the woods for hours at a time, waiting for a Sasquatch person to get the nerve up to signal he's present, can be pretty boring, unless you find ways to distract yourself.... The crow was a great distraction for a while there (although he hasn't come by much this season -- maybe once or twice). Many times, just the play of the light in the trees will do it for me -- and the trees themselves, grand things that they are. It's fun out there. Who knew?
Guest DWA Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 I'm a tree guy. This time of year is my favorite because they take their clothes off.
daveedoe Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 Ravens are very smart. One thing they follow humans in the woods, probably Bigfoot too.
Guest Posted January 9, 2014 Posted January 9, 2014 I was pondering the gear question and realized the best gear you can have is one that you can't buy. TIME.. So while I am low tech in a lot of ways I am blessed with my job to have the time to be able to get out so much. Gear can help you save time, keep you safer and warmer but if it is sitting in your garage it's not worth much... I would like to get a GoPro type camera to wear on my head to capture stuff I don't have time to with my phone or camera. I gotta look into them as I only got a $500 budget. Is the sound good on a GoPro?? Thanks for the kind words LT. .. If anyone is interested in my audio file to convert or break down PM me w/ a email address and I will send it to you. I don't know what to do with it. Maybe you can do something with it
Branco Posted January 10, 2014 Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) Branco, I agree with you. I too have a spot In the river bottoms and went there both days this weekend for hours. Saturday I had a axe and tapped on it with my 2"x2"x4' stick. Tap tap taaap taap and did this several times and a whistle. I received a whistle response and heard footsteps in the brush but I could not see anything as it was after dark. I left some pistachios and waited a bit then drove home. Sunday I got there early, sat in my spot for 21/2 hours making rock clacks and a single whistle occasionally. Two times I heard a big rock thrown in the creek I was sitting by but it meanders so much I saw no ripples anywhere. I saw movement out of my periphery up the creek and decided to investigate. it was a bunch of wood ducks and they took off before I could get close. I decided to head back to the truck after I investigated a possible arch and x structure blocking a trail when I heard it. Tap tap taap taap, just like I had done the previous day! This tapping repeated itself several times until I softly said "Hey, I hear you.." and then it stopped. I sat on a log for another 30 minutes hoping to hear it again before leaving. I know it was not a woodpecker because I had been there for over 4 hours and never heard this before or since. Leaftalker, I tried talking to them and I hope I didn't mess up!! I was not scared and I have no doubt they know my white '86 4runner with its promaster exhaust.. The tapping was not tree knocking, it was subtle and there was no other person I saw in the woods that day. In fact, according to my tire tracks, I was the only person on that trail this weekend. It had rained some and ground was soft.. Edited for spelling. HB: Those light taps are signals to other BF that are monitoring your activities. As I've mentioned before, the multiple taps usually means to the others that you are moving, and letting you know they know they are watching. When you stopped, they (usually at least two males residents) simply move to a hidden spot so they can watch. (If this had been at night, they would likely have come in close and tossed pine cones, small sticks or pebbles close to you. (At you if you had ignored their presence.) They were not being aggressive, just curious, but didn't know your intentions well enough to approach you during the day. If you continue to go back into the same area, at about dusk dark, and make the same sounds (rock-clacking is one of the best) to let them know exactly where you are, they will eventually accept you as a non-threat. Show stoppers are exposed firearms, spotlights. gear hanging around your neck and continuous loud sounds - music or whatever. They primarily depend on their hearing to approach, but when they have you in sight at night, a spotlight shining toward the sounds they make while moving around will cause them to leave the area in a heart beat. Walking in or out at night don't use a light if your trail is safe to do that. If you have to use a light, use a very small hand-held on and keep it pointed at the ground in front of you. Don't be surprised if you have a plainly heard escort off to one or both sides to your vehicle. Not a problem, just good manners for them I guess. Edited January 10, 2014 by Branco
Guest Posted January 10, 2014 Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) Branco, thanks for the reply. I think they much like the fried fish, shrimp and hush puppies.. I wanted to add that audio file I got is only 1:15 seconds long if anyone can work on it. Edited January 10, 2014 by Hellbilly
Branco Posted January 10, 2014 Posted January 10, 2014 HB: Every good ole boy likes that combo! Those that live in the river bottoms and swamp lands forage heavily on fish, turtles and shell fish. They will wipe out the mussels in the small clear creeks and eat the heck out of those they find in the river. When the Redhorse, Walleyes, and Suckers are coming upstream in early spring they wait on the shallows at night and give them heck. It's hard to find the groups in the spring and early summer; they have too many food sources scattered up, down and around the river bottoms. This time of year, and the very hot and dry times of July and August are the best times to locate, hear and see them. They will stick around particular areas, and will more readily interact with folks that play by their rules, especially if you leave them a little food. ( A lot of the older country folks (like my wife and I) have more pears, apples and other fruits than they can use. They will gladly give you the fallen fruit after they canned/frozen all they can handle.) The critters love those fruits. Some years I feed them more than fifty gallons of pears and apples that they share with coyotes, bear, 'coons and deer. They work in shifts. Surprisingly, the coyotes usually work the day shift. Lost my first game cam at one of those feeding sites. It was beaten or chewed off the tree (about nine foot up the tree), a few broken plastic parts and the mounting bracket left under the tree but I never found the main parts or the card. There was a big male black bear in the area as well as BF. From the claw marks in the tree bark I'm pretty sure he got it. Don't know why he would have carried it off though. Got a new black-out up in that area now; got to pull it and bring it in to check after the freezing rain we had this week. ItsAsquatch: Thanks for the comment. You younger folks are going to be the ones that will solve this puzzle once and for all. Hang in there. Some of the older folks pursuing this hobby can save you many month or years of learning things the hard way. There are a lot of good woodsmen & woodswomen/bigfoot "knowers" on this forum; pick their brains with questions. If they don't know, they will say so. My hat's off to all the "new kids on the block"; sharp as tacks and willing to do the grunt work.
Guest Posted January 10, 2014 Posted January 10, 2014 (edited) Branco, once again you are spot on. Thanks for all you contribute to this forum. I was first made aware of the activity after a controlled burn by the FS in late July and had consistent activity until the beginning of October when deer season began and there was too many hunters out and about. I then found my new location in the bottoms because no one was hunting deer down in that mess and have been working it since Nov.- Dec. It has everything, fresh water, lots of cover and plenty of food. I found this huge crawdad laying on this tree about 4' off the ground this past weekend. I am surprised only the tail was eaten.. Edited January 10, 2014 by Hellbilly
Guest DWA Posted January 10, 2014 Posted January 10, 2014 THE TAIL IS THE BEST PART. One of the best pieces of evidence of sasquatch intelligence I have seen, ga-ron-tee!
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