Believe!

Rats, Buzzards and Other Distractions …

Alpha male at Disney's Animal Kingdom; hope to get as clear of a shot on
a wood ape, 'cause ya'll won't see any "blobsquatches" on this-here blog.

     Howdy!  I know that my last post was several months ago, and there is no excuse for neglect.  Lotsa drama on the job, lotsa honey-do's & projects around the house, some huntin’, some much needed family time, some fishin’, a couple of North American Wood Ape Conservancy outreach events and an auto accident involvin’ my parents have all since transpired.  Yeah, much has happened … so, no excuses; I simply should’ve made the friggin’ time to post.  Period.  Excuses are like assholes, and everybody has one; Lisa just happens to have me.  My beautiful bride has reminded me on numerous occasions that there are abso-friggin’-lutely no “buts” after an apology.  So for those who still read this, I sincerely apologize and thanks to all of y’all for comin’ back.  "But" ... those of you who actually know me should already know by now that I ain’t technically a butt, but more of a hemorrhoid … ‘cause I tend to irritate most assholes.  And over the past few months, it seems that I’ve done quite a bit of that!  Lately, I’ve been distracted by rats & buzzards, all while still bein’ haunted by my memories of last summer in Oklahoma.  So first off, let’s talk about the rats & buzzards …

     I have worked for the same business for over 20 years.  Over that period of time, I have met some truly amazin’ folks, some of whom have become like my family away from home; however, work will always be a four letter word.  While I am truly blessed to be employed, at the same time I’m cursed to find myself in an environment where I simply no longer enjoy what I do.  My creativity has been quelled by too many cooks in the proverbial royal kitchen.  You’d think that after 20 some-odd years I’d be the king of this thing; however, my reality is that I’m just a pawn … evidently expendable in the endgame.  Upon my last performance review (which was supposedly good) I was told to simply play the cards that were dealt.  Really?  Dodgin’ bullets in the workplace is the easy part, but dealin’ with rats and buzzards was never part of the master plan.  Y’all know that I’m Greek, right?  Well, the Greeks have lots of sayin’s … such as, keep yer friends close but yer enemies closer.  I refuse to become the friggin’ sheep that is eaten by the wolf … ‘cause lately, the best defense is a good offence.  I have a tendency to come-off a bit offensive at times, but I’m sure that it’s due to becomin’ a product of my work environment.  The Greeks also say the walls have ears, and one shouldn’t wash dirty linen in public.  Well, I simply don’t give a rat’s ass about what’s considered public.  All I know is, I’ve been a very loyal soldier and expect to be treated as such.  Period.  My absolute favorite Greek sayin’ is “Κόρακας κοράκου μάτι δε βγάζει.” (which translated means, “Hawks will not pick-out Hawk’s eyes”).  But, instead of soarin’ with majestic raptors, I seem to be dealin’ with friggin’ rats & buzzards.  What fresh Hell?  Lately, this paradox called work seems like it’s all just Greek to me.

I checked-out the gut pit on a friend's huntin' lease in The Big Thicket
on New Year's Day, which was the first day of open carry here in Texas.

     Incidentally, I did find me some genuine down-to-earth buzzards on a huntin’ trip this past New Year’s Day.  I finally ventured to the gut pit on my buddy’s deer lease out in The Big Thicket.  If y’all remember, I’d written about my friend who’d had an experience with what was most probably a wood ape in this very spot about a year or so before … which backs-up to the Nueces River.  Well, that whole river has been well outta its friggin’ banks quite a few times since January.  Just gettin’ to the gut pit was a slow cruise in 4WD with rushin’ water close to mid-door in some spots.  I didn’t find any evidence of apes, but it damn-sure looked-like prime ape territory to me!  I’m gettin’ a little long in the tooth to be settin’-out all night in 30° temps in the wet, even though I feel confident enough to spend the night out there alone.  And, even though I friggin’ blew a no-brainer shot on a doe from a box-blind … I did score big when I got back to the lease.  I had promised not to divulge their identities, but two of the lease members I met were both very familiar with these mystery primates.  One is an employee in the forestry/lumber industry, who said that just talkin’ about these animals was a sure-fire way to get fired!  Even though he had not personally seen any of these critters, he’s seen the barefoot tracks and heard things such as wood-knocks, mouth-pops, grunts, growls & howls that could have come from nothin’ else.  He also said that he had heard stories from other employees who had seen ‘em, but that’s second & third hand info, so I won’t go into that here.  The other feller however, is now officially retired.  He told me that he’s seen ‘em up-close & too dang personal, but said they never showed any aggression towards him.  Let’s just say he was both a forestry service and parks service worker who’s been around in them woods for quite some time.  Oh, and both of these southern gents have personally seen black panthers!  One feller told about how he shot one, trackin’ it for a couple of miles ‘til he lost the blood trail.  I wouldn’t ever rat either of these men out, and I’m ever-so appreciative of ‘em bein’ so candid with an outsider like me.  I’ll try and get a bit more detailed about what-all was said in an upcomin’ post …

The Landrum's 2016 winter vacation ...

     And speakin’ of rats, evidently the world is not so bleak if yer rat is actually a famous mouse in a Magic Kingdom!  My queen arranged a quest for her king, the princess and reluctant prince as a family Christmas gift.  In mid-January, the Landrum clan took a trip to Orlando’s Disney World and Universal Studios for a wonderful week’s escape!  If anyone thinks that place is just fer the kiddos, they’re sadly-friggin’ mistaken.  Our 23 year-old daughter was in heaven, although our 20 year-old son wanted to be elsewhere; that is, ‘til he finally got there.

The Yeti exhibit naturally
caught my eye; Hmmm ...

  We all had a blast, and that trip will rank-in with one of our more memorable vacations.  Kudos to “Mrs. Incredible” for all her hard work in makin’ the “Magic” happen for all of us!  There was nothin’ disappointin’ about Disney, especially Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  Baloo got a ‘lil offended when “the old silverback” wanted his picture taken only with King Louie, and I even found a cool exhibit of all things Yeti on the Expedition Everest ride.  Now, it wasn’t near as excitin’ as the Ouachitas last summer in Southeast Oklahoma, but it sure was fun!  Probably the best memory that I have is watchin’ the gorillas, which were awesome.  Observin’ the females carin’ for their young was absolutely fascinatin’; however, everyone backed-up as the alpha-male stood-up and knuckle-walked past the crowd.  I don’t know how sturdy that glass was, but I was in no rush to find out.  I knew right then and there that what I’d had under me in Oklahoma one June night last summer surely dwarfed this alpha-male.  I was terrified and truly outta my element as far as bein’ a hunter was concerned.  It also made me realize that I would do everything humanly possible to never see a wood ape bein’ paraded around in captivity like this.  Period.

The gorilla exhibit at Disney's Animal Kingdom had me in awe; these animals are in captivity due to the onslaught of poachers.

Jared Alphonso, "bassmaster"!

     On top of all the honey-do’s, cleanin’, limb-cuttin’ and such ‘round our place, I actually got my boat, the Sloughstalker ready and put it through its paces on Clear Creek.  After cleanin’ everything up, the only 2 items I had to replace were a couple of switches in the foot-control on my Minn-Kota trollin’ motor.  Shortly thereafter, my buddy Jared Alphonso and I entered a bass tournament at the last minute, and ended-up placin’ 5^th outta 19 boats!  That ain’t bad considerin’ we only pre-fished for less than 4 hours the day before. 

Sahil tryin' to comfort the rescued Bo.

The very next weekend, my buddy Sahil Dilwali and I fished a 45-50 lb. dog we found tangled-up under some tree roots from the risin’ tide in the not-so friggin’ “Clear” 65° water.  It had a collar & tag, so we contacted the vet, who contacted a couple of different police departments to track-down the owner as well as an animal control officer.  Accordin’ to the owner, Bo the shepherd mix, was 12 years old and had been missin’ for a day-and-a-half.  Although we all tried, sadly, Bo had to be euthanized that evenin’.  The Sloughstalker was s’posed to accompany me & Lisa on our annual week on Caddo Lake, but that trip was cancelled due to the recent, historic 50-year floods.  The locals are still devastated due to flood damage, and my buddy The Goob has said that the Giant Salvinia is worse than he’s ever seen it.  Y’all be sure to keep those folks in yer prayers, ‘cause they’ve been through a bunch!  Makes me wonder where all the wood apes & other critters went after gettin’ displaced …

The North American Wood Ape Conservancy doin' some community outreach
at The Baytown Nature Center. Josh Hall, Tommy Gilley & Jay Southard field
 questions from the crowd. Inset is Tod Pinkerton, Jay Southard, Josh Hall &
Dusty Haithcoat, who are just a few of the members volunteering their time
to educate the public about this yet undocumented species.  We hope to try
to dispel any myths or misinformation given about these mystery primates. 

     For the first couple of weekends in April, I had the privilege to help-out with the North American Wood Ape Conservancy in doin’ some community outreach at a couple of local wildlife events.  First, we were at The Texas Wildlife & Woodland Expo, held at the Lone Star College Montgomery Campus in The Woodlands.  This free, family event is held annually and the NAWAC has had our presence known for a few years now.  Our goal at these events is to educate the public on these yet undiscovered primates and our efforts to scientifically document the species, as well as the protection of its habitat.  I urge y’all to visit our Web site at http://www.woodape.org and see what-all we do.  There is a free PDF download of the NAWAC’s Ouachita Project Monograph … detailin’ several years of study performed by our members.  Now, the second event I mentioned was The Baytown Nurture Nature Festival held at the Baytown Nature Center.  This venue is top-notch in my opinion, and we had 4,200 people attend!  Both the children as well as the adults flocked to our enclosure, and the crowds were evidently pleased.  Not only did we get to educate the public, but a few attendees shared their experiences with us, such as one hunter finding barefoot trackways durin’ deer season well off any trail.  One lady told of actually seein’ one of these critters face-to-face!  This happened in the Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area by a National Park Service associate.  Again, I will divulge more details in an upcomin’ post.

Angels, airbags & seat belts, y'all ...
the collision was center from the rear
and catapulted them into the divider.

     Sometimes, life will just up and blindside ya; back in mid-April, my parents were simply headin’ to church for a Greek Orthodox Easter service.  While goin’ up the Galveston Causeway, they were violently hit from behind by some friggin’ idiot who felt the need to do well over 90 mph durin’ rush hour traffic.  Lisa and I got the call from my father that they were bein’ transported by ambulance to the hospital, and I cain’t remember ever hearin’ Dad sound like that!  It was a miracle that they weren’t killed.  All airbags deployed and did their job, and it's a miracle that they were not catapulted off the bridge. They both suffered from the effects of whiplash; we initially thought that Dad got the worst of it with 3 broken ribs and a fractured L1.  Dad went to a specialist in Austin and is now doin’ much better.  Mom, however is still in physical therapy but is finally off the pain medication.  She had a shattered T-12 finally got the same procedure from that same specialist in Austin.  Both are doin' better and are finally on the road to recovery.  Again, thank God ‘cause it could’ve been much worse.  My family and I have been helpin’ ‘em with anything they might be needin’ no matter how menial the task.  Keep in mind that my parents are both in their 70’s and were basically robbed of their independence.  My wife’s been an absolute angel, but I’ve been kinda feelin’ the exact opposite.  I’ve done everything in my power not to have any more thoughts of exterminatin’ the rat that hit ‘em.  It seems that this upstandin’ citizen has a long rap-sheet and had just been released a day prior to causin’ the wreck from, get this … a criminal evade charge!  I know that I ain’t been havin’ very Christian thoughts towards this f-tard; God help me, I’ve been tryin’ ‘cause them buzzards ain’t circlin’ ‘round that rat’s grave just yet.  Again, thanks for all the prayers!

     So as y’all can see, much has transpired since my last post.  That’s life, and I’m obviously blessed enough to still be livin’ it!  Albeit rats, buzzards and other distractions, I will dang-sure make a better attempt to update this blog in a more timely fashion.  Due to my current work situation and personal schedule, I still don’t foresee that I’ll be able to take off to Oklahoma anytime this summer.  My annual kayakin’ trip on the White River looks like it’s shot as well.  However, as promised … I still need to share with y’all about my second full week spent in the Ouachita Mountains with two fellow NAWAC investigators last summer in Area X.  I wish to spend some long fall weekends in The Big Thicket, The Sam Houston National Forest or maybe take a trip back to Caddo Lake, but we’ll just hafta see.  So until next time, y’all be real careful while runnin’ ‘round out there in them woods … especially, on yer travels to and from as well!  Remember, the main thang is to always try and have ya some fun!  Life’s too short to worry about the rats, even with them dang buzzards a circlin’ ‘round overhead.  Now that I think about it, I’d much rather deal with the chiggers & ticks my own-self!  Y’all come back now, ya hear?

Uncertainties ...

Parked in paradise, the Sloughstalker
was loaded-down & ready to launch!

     Howdy, y'all!  My beautiful bride & I just got back from another week on Caddo Lake with two other couples ... which has now officially become an annual event.  In Texas this time of year, folks will face quite a few uncertainties as far as the weather is concerned; and, we damn-sure got a taste of it once we arrived in Uncertain.  Sunday evenin' thru Tuesday it rained straight-line friggin' Chihuahuas, which pretty-much-well put a damper on our outdoor activities.  With the arrival of the last cold-front, we had opened the cabin windows and enjoyed the sound of rain for the next day or so.  Yes, if a tree falls in the woods you can definitely friggin' hear it; but, all you can do is just pucker & pray it don't land on you!  At the point of gettin' hammered with 60+ mph winds, we dodged the bullet as far as any tree damage was concerned.  We had plenty of food & adult beverages to keep us occupied 'til the rain slacked.  Our friends from Arkansas brought their new lab puppy, which kept us all entertained along with the assortment of "Bigfoot" related DVD's I snuck-in to the dissatisfaction of my wife.  Other than that it was good company and good times!

     I had planned on doin' some hog huntin' with my new Henry .45-70 one mornin' ... but the game warden put a damper on that.  It seems that even if you have a valid huntin' license as well as a public land permit, you still cain't hunt hogs in the Caddo Wildlife Management Area during turkey season.  Really?  I always thought that you could hunt feral hogs most anywhere in Texas 24-7, 365 with a valid huntin' license ... but obviously this is one of them uncertainties life throws at you!  Our host and longtime huntin' guide Billy Carter thought I was funnin' him when I asked that question.  He immediately called three different game wardens (who at that time did not answer their phones) and proceeded to tell me that he personally had not seen any wild turkeys in that WMA in over 20 years!  When the Caddo WMA's state wildlife biologist finally called him back, she confirmed that yes, this law was on the books.  Really?  Good Lord, wake-up sheeples ... this is our tax dollars at work! You'll never catch me protestin' our law enforcement officers for doin' their jobs, but I'll damn-sure pay more attention in the future to keep bullsh¡t laws like this from ever gettin' on the friggin' books.  I pay good money for my super-combo huntin' & fishin' license, as well as the extra for my public land permit.  I damn-sure ought to be able to use 'em ... especially to eradicate feral hogs!  To add insult to injury, baitin' hogs in the WMA is not allowed either.  Really?  Thank God I had access to plenty of ice-cold Lone Star Beer to calm my sudden onset of mini-man madness!

     Well, once the rain stopped, I felt the need to put the Sloughstalker through its paces and see where the fish were bitin'.  The water on Caddo was at least 2½' higher than it was when friend and fellow NAWAC investigator Travis Lawrence and I last fished it in late February.  Matter of fact, if you wanted to seriously catch bass ... you had better have gotten as far-up into them woods as you could possibly cast.  Bein' that the Sloughstalker weighs about 1,300 lbs. I really didn't feel the need to get stuck in the flooded forest, so we just got creative with our casts.  My buddy G-Man took that to a whole 'nother level, as I had to retrieve his lures from limbs on several occasions.  What hurt the most was that our buddy Tysquatch, who was fishin' the Spatterdock with an Iron Man kiddie pole had caught several slab crappie and some really nice bream.  And yes, alcohol was involved.  I'd honestly hafta say that more fish were caught off the Carter's dock than outta my boat on this trip.  But that didn't stop us from goin' sloughstalkin' ...

The calm after the storm out on Big Cypress ... rarely would I ever lay a
$150 rod & reel down like this; but, that day, I had a damn good reason!

     On Wednesday, I took G-Man out to fish on Big Cypress.  We were on the WMA shoreline directly across from Blair's Landing, where I had placed two of my game-cams a couple of years before.  We were trollin' a good 20-yards from the shoreline in a swift current.  I was castin' into thick cover along the shoreline when I caught movement about 20-yards into the woods.  A huge black shape rose from the forest floor and casually but silently walked away from us.  At first, I had thought that it was a black bear until I saw the hide; all I could see was its back, but this massive feral hog was pushin' the 400 lb. range!  It was solid black except for the tips of its hair, which had a reddish-brown tint.  I had a fishin' rod in my hand in which I immediately put down and grabbed my holstered Springfield XDm .40 cal. from under the console.  As the Veridian Green laser found its mark, the hog vanished behind a huge tree-fall before I could squeeze the trigger.  This all happened in a matter of seconds.  G-Man, lookin' through his binoculars asked me if this land was part of the WMA, in which I reluctantly answered yes.  I had observed, identified and reacted ... but thank God I was obviously not fast enough.  I may be a bit rowdy, but I ain't no outlaw; nor did I want to shuck-out the bucks for a needless fine.  Had I actually have been wearin' my sidearm, it may have been a different story; however, even though open-carry had just been passed, it was not put into play yet.  All things happen for a reason, I guess.

Headin' into Back Lake on our last afternoon for a 'lil sightseein' ...

     And speakin' of uncertainties, while the women went horseback ridin' I took G-Man and Tysquatch out to the area of our encounter to do a little scoutin' from the boat.  Since the water was up, I decided to take them to the backside of Horse Island and see how close we could get to Back Lake.  On our previous year's trip, the water was much too low and I could not get the Sloughstalker back there.  I hear-tell that our host had taken some folks from Animal Planet's Finding Bigfoot out there a couple of months back, and I heard that their trip was not a pleasant one.  No spoiler alerts here; you'll either have to wait 'til the Caddo Lake episode airs this fall; or, if you happen to run into Matt Moneymaker anytime soon you could always just ask him.  It may be a sore subject, so be prepared ... 'cause I really don't think he was.  I done told y'all ... Texas winters ain't kind, especially in the friggin' swamp.  Been there, done that ... so, no hard feelin's Matt.  I don't know ya and I don't owe ya, but I'm gettin' a 'lil too old to be out sloughstalkin' in the brutal, wet-cold.  I seriously don't think anyone could've packed enough Baileys' & coffee for me to have sat through that ... so more power to ya!

Yuki's slumber ...

     We had all knocked-back quite a few beers that afternoon, so short of turnin' our swampscapade into a booze-cruise we headed back to Spatterdock for some grub.  After toppin'-off the oil and a quick re-fuel, we grabbed our fishin' gear and blasted-out to Turtle Shell for one more try at fishin'.  The water was glass, and the lily-pads were just startin' to breach.  We spooked some fish trollin' ... but they seemed to still be lip-locked from the cold-front.  The biggest bass I caught was only 2½ to 3 lbs., but accordin' to our host we had done better than most.  With the long, hard winter and now the over-abundance of spring rains, even the guides were havin' a hard time findin' the fish.  We ended our trip by catchin' more pan-fish that night on Spatterdock, and closed with a roarin' campfire back at The Gallery.  By that time, everyone was pretty-much-well tuckered-out and turned-in just after midnight.  As usual, our mornin' of departure was spent packin' and thinkin' of the uncertainties we faced for our trips home.  We said our good-bye's and departed.  The next time I hope to see my friends will be in September, for another trout trip in the Ozarks on the White River.  Uncertainties ... but if God's willin' and we all stay healthy & safe, that will be yet another adventure.  Y'all come back now, ya hear?

That Gut Feelin' ...

My buddy David Riojas; a big man with a big heart!

     Howdy!  As both a member and investigator for the North American Wood Ape Conservancy, I’m startin’ to hear more & more accounts of possible wood ape encounters from folks; namely, folks I know and trust.  Friends, family and huntin’ & fishin’ buds who used to snicker at what I’ve said about Our Encounter now seem to be more relaxed about tellin’ their own strange experiences while runnin’ ‘round out there in them woods.  The following account came from a friend of mine, and he was comfortable with me sharin’ it with y’all, so here goes …

     David Riojas is a mountain of a man, and I’ve known him for quite some time.  At almost 6’4” and just under 300 lbs., you’d think a man of his stature wouldn’t be afraid of much.  He hunts and fishes hard; as a matter of fact, harder than almost anyone I know.  And even though he’s a hard-workin’ family man first, he has always been 100% hard-core outdoorsman.  A father of three, he’s had all three of his daughters out in the field or on the water with him shortly after they were out of their diapers!  Not only a hunter, he is a true harvester of wild game and one of the best cooks that I’ve ever met!

     David, along with his brother and his father maintain a sweet huntin’ lease that backs-up to part of The Big Thicket in Jasper County.  I won’t go into too much detail on the locale; however, it is extremely dense, thick and full of game that can easily disappear into the bottoms along the Neches River.  There are a couple of other leases in that same vicinity which all share an access road, as well as a common area where they discard their deer, hog and other harvested game carcasses affectionately called “the gut-pile”.  Late one November evenin’ a couple of years back, David went out there and was met with somethin’ that he couldn’t quite explain.  I’ve heard this account from him twice now, and his story never changed.  Here’s how it went down:

     In November of 2013, the Riojas’ were at their deer lease.  One of his daughters had killed a hog; so after David finished field-dressin’ it, he had thrown the carcass into the back of his truck to discard it at the gut-pile.  No big deal … nothin’ out of the ordinary, just a quick truck-ride down the road and back.  A couple of his friend’s young kids who were visitin’ the lease took the dark ride out there with him.  It was pitch-black and after the three of them made the turn-around, David backed his truck to the edge of a berm borderin’ the gut-pile and parked.

     David and the young boys exited the cab, and walked to the back of the truck to let the tailgate down.  At that point, he said that they were immediately greeted with a very low but loud, guttural growl … none the likes of anything he had ever heard.  He said that it came from the opposite side of the gut-pile about 20-yards out, and was deeper and louder than any boar or big cat would emit.  David immediately went for his gun in the cab, and to his horror watched the two small boys brazenly tryin’ to shine a flashlight on whatever was makin’ the roar.  Gun in hand, David yelled at the boys, “Git in the truck, now!”  He then said that as he stood there waitin’ for the boys to get into the cab, whatever was on the other side of that gut-pile let out another growl and walked-off on two legs into the darkness.

     Upon hearin’ this, I immediately asked David if he could see the animal … in which he replied, no.  I then asked how he knew that this animal walked off bipedally … to which he replied, “Because I could feel it.”  Puzzled, I asked what he meant, and he described that he could both hear and feel this animal as it stomped-off into the darkness as a man would, on two legs.  As David demonstrated this, I could actually feel the ground vibrate when he stomped.  Now, since I wasn’t there … I could not verify this nor could I verify how far this animal actually was from the witnesses.  But like I said, I’ve known David for quite some time and he seemed extremely sincere, as well as bein’ a little worked-up on both occasions that I’ve heard him tell me about this incident.

     Bottom line is, somethin’ definitely got this man rattled, and my gut feelin’ is that it possibly could’ve been a wood ape.  This account happened well over a year-and-a-half ago, so findin’ any kind of evidence just ain’t goin’ to happen.  But, as an investigator, I am goin’ to pursue lookin’ into this shortly; as-in, David and I will be takin’ a drive out there real dang soon!  This area has a rich history of “wildman” and “booger” sightings, so boots on the ground is the only way either one of us is goin’ to figure out what this mystery animal was.  This is shapin’-up to be an awesome year, and I just can’t wait to get out there!  That gut feelin’ tells me to bring my camera, but common sense tells me to carry my new Henry .45-70 out there as well.  One never knows …

Preachin', Teachin' & Outreachin' ...

     Howdy!  As a member and investigator for the North American Wood Ape Conservancy, I feel the need to point out that one of our team’s goals in the ongoin’ quest for this yet undiscovered, mystery animal is community outreach.  I feel that public awareness as well as reportin’ only the facts is extremely important, especially since most folks seem to view what we do as a “fringe science”.  This is a real, livin’ species … a genuine flesh and blood animal.  Period.  But in these days & times of mass-media, “surreality TV”, pseudo-documentaries, mockumentaries and internet hype … “Bigfoot” has become a fad as well as the cryptozoological mascot for mass conjecture and skepticism alike.  I’m not askin’ anyone to “believe” in “Bigfoot”; however, I do feel the need to educate everyone with the truth about the North American wood ape.  The truth must be based on facts and backed by evidence.  Hopefully one day very soon, that evidence will be presented to science and the world in the form of a type specimen.

     The North American Wood Ape Conservancy is not a social club.  We are a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit scientific research organization, as recognized by the Internal Revenue Service, comprised of volunteer investigators, scientists and naturalists.  What that means, is that we are not tryin’ to sell y’all anything.  Period.  Our goals are sincere, and our motives are not profit-driven.  Our mission is to investigate and conduct research regardin’ the existence of the unlisted primate species known as Sasquatch or “Bigfoot”; to facilitate scientific, official and governmental recognition, conservation, and protection of the species and its habitat; and to help further factual education and understandin’ to the public regardin’ the species …

NAWAC investigators Daryl Colyer and Travis Lawrence
answerin' some questions for the Baytown crowds in 2014. 

     Since joinin’ the NAWAC, I have personally been involved in only one event as far as any public outreachin’ goes; back in November 2014 I had the privilege to volunteer for the Nurture Nature Festival held at the Baytown Nature Center.  With over 2,500 folks in attendance, the NAWAC provided the general public answers to any and all who asked about these animals.  But that was just the tip of the iceberg as far as the NAWAC’s public outreachin’ goes; members speak for such groups as Legacy Outfitters, local schools, colleges, outdoor and sportin’ expos such as those held by Bass Pro Shops and Gander Mountain.  The largest of such events is next Saturday, so if you would like to see for yourself what-all the NAWAC has to offer, take note of the upcomin' event:

     The Texas Wildlife and Woodland Expo will be held next Saturday, March 28 from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Lone Star College-Montgomery in Conroe, Texas.  This will be our fourth year in attendance for this awesome, free family event, which had over 5,000 folks in attendance last year!  The Texas Wildlife and Woodland Expo & Spring Fling teach families about the land on which they live – and how to best take care of it – through hands-on clinics, live demonstrations and activities for the youngin’s!  Visit the Family Adventure Zones offerin’ hands-on educational activities such as kayakin’, archery, rock-climbin’ and live animal exhibits.  Exhibitors and experts will be offerin’ one-on-one and small group demonstrations continuously all day long in their booths!

     I would urge anyone to come spend the day and learn all about nature at this wonderful, free family event!  To learn more or get directions, visit their Web site at http://expo.tamu.edu/.  And while you are there, stop on by and visit the NAWAC at our booth!  Members and investigators will be on hand to answer your questions, share our experiences and discuss our ongoin’ field research in our quest to discover this elusive mystery primate.  For information on the North American Wood Ape Conservancy, please visit the NAWAC Web site or our Facebook page to learn more.  Hope to see y’all there!

Castin' ...

The chopper filmin' overhead with
Senior Field Producer Joe James for
a new episode of Finding Bigfoot ...

     Howdy, y'all ... just got back from a 550+ mile round-trip to Caddo Lake with friend and fellow NAWAC investigator Travis Lawrence.  While Travis and I went there primarily to bass fish ... I was also there to meet with Senior Field Producer Joe James from Animal Planet’s Finding Bigfoot and show him around the swamp.  James’ job was not only to scout the area, but to set-up and organize everything for both the film crew and cast prior to their week of filmin’ for an upcomin’ Caddo Lake episode.  On Friday, James had hired a chopper to film aerials of the lake and surrounding woods.  We saw ‘em flyin’ about while Travis and I were spendin’ the majority of our time on the water dodgin' inclement weather and doin’ lots of castin' ...

     As Travis and I were fishin', we noticed a large group of pelicans feedin' on somethin'; well, if those birds had corralled the bait, I was sure that there were predator fish such as bass feedin' on 'em as well.  We cast around that general area for a while, but didn't have the luck that those pelicans were havin'! And speakin’ of castin', I had originally been contacted by another associate producer Nick Crow a few months prior, who had asked that my son and I appear on camera to tell of our account of exactly what we had witnessed in Smith’s Slough back in June of 2009.  I just don't think I fit the bill for "town hall" material; however, some of my fishin' & huntin' buddies may say otherwise!  While TC and I opted not to be filmed, I told them that I would be happy to show them around the lake and take them back into the area of Our Encounter .  Travis and I picked-up Joe at Johnson’s Ranch Friday afternoon.  We quickly headed to my buddy’s place in Cypress Village to unload our fishin’ gear and top-off the fuel in my boat for the ride in.  The weather was cold, overcast & drizzly … so I knew right off the bat that our trip would not be a comfortable one.

Well, this group of feedin' pelicans didn't seem to mind the chopper filmin' overheads for Finding Bigfoot, nor did they seem
to mind Travis and I tryin' to "potlick" on their fishin' spot!  Needless to say, they spanked us with their expert fishin' skills ...

     Joe James is a really cool guy, and he seemed to be in awe of our lengthy jaunt through the swamp.  After blastin’ down Big Cypress, I made the cut towards Carter Lake between Hell’s Half Acre and Horse Island.  The water was about 1½’ to 2’ low, so I kept us at a slower speed as we bumped stumps and submerged logs a few times.  After showin’ ‘em where we actually saw this animal, they both decided that they wanted to go onto the island and scout around.  I poled my 1,300 lb. + boat through the slough, but due to the shallow depth, we were still about 8’ shy of dry land.  I climbed into the almost boot-level water, and even though I was careful … ended-up gettin’ wet from the knees down!  I scavenged a few logs & branches to build a makeshift bridge from the bow of the boat to the shore so Travis & Joe wouldn’t endure the same cold, wet fate I had …

     Once on dry land, I took them to the place where TC and I camped back in March of 2010, and showed them where I had set two of my five game-cams until I was forced to remove them in September of 2013.  I also demonstrated that the flooded forest was actually traversable without sinkin’ up to one’s knees, as one would certainly do if they were to walk into the water of that slough.  I’m 220 lbs. and left no tracks, even though the animal that we had witnessed was obviously much bigger and heavier, though it seemed to have moved through the flooded timber with ease.  Travis found a 3’ length of wet 2” x 12” … and used it to smack the side of a large bald Cypress to produce a wood knock.  After a few moments of silence with no response, we moved on.

Travis with his first chain pickerel!

     After polin’ the boat back into a channel, I took them past Carter Lake and onto Big Cypress as it started to get dark.  As cold as it was, surprisingly the bats were out and danced through the beam of my GoLight as we motored into the darkness.  I picked a spot in Stumpy Slough to shut-down the boat, turn off the lights and drift while listenin’ to the barred-owls and discussin’ each other’s time in the grime in pursuit of these mystery animals.  Joe was obviously not inexperienced when it came to bein’ out in the field, and as far as I was concerned he had a dream-job … especially if you were at-all interested in searchin’ for apes all over the place!  As the weather turned south, it was decided that we get our new friend back to civilization.  He had to meet someone in Shreveport, and would endure a busy schedule of preppin’ for the upcomin’ week.  Travis and I enjoyed Joe’s company; hopefully, the three of us will all cross paths some time again …

     Travis and I fished most of the day Saturday, but did not hook-up with any of the double-digit bucket-mouths that I’d bragged about lurkin’ around the secluded Cypress of Caddo.  Even though we dodged & sat-out a couple of thunderstorms, we didn’t get skunked.  However, the few bass caught were small and the rest were lip-locked due to the bitter-cold weather.  Travis caught his first chain pickerel … which was the highlight of his trip as far as the fishin’ went.  One big highlight of the trip for me was gettin’ photos of some Canvasbacks … a hen and two drakes that Travis saw lite in a sea of giant salvinia.  Livin’ on the Gulf coast, these were the first Canvasbacks I’d seen in over 25 years, since my Mississippi flyway duck-huntin’ days with my father-in-law in northeastern Arkansas.

Travis watched as three Canvasbacks landed in a sea of giant salvinia.  I was amazed that I was able to get this shot ...

     Fishin’ ‘til dark, I decided to go ahead and trailer the boat on Saturday evenin’.  Once again, I ended-up wet from the knees down at the boat ramp!  Thank God we took it out, because another front came through that night and we both would’ve been much colder & wetter dealin’ with it on Sunday mornin’.  We packed-up our belongin’s … visited with our host and hit the road by 10:30 A.M. for lunch with my daughter & her boyfriend in "Naconowhere".  I got Travis back to his place and was finally home, un-hitched & unloaded by 6:00 P.M.  Incidentally, the temperature was a balmy 72° until the front came through about 9:00 P.M. at our place.  Caddo was hit with “iceswampocalypse” today, with snow, freezin’ rain and temps in the low 20’s.  My friend in Uncertain said that the roads are a mess, and everyone is hunkered-down.  Hopefully, the freeze will knock down some of that damn giant salvinia!

     As far as castin’ goes, I wish Joe James the best in his endeavors for findin’ credible witnesses for the show.  They’ll start filmin’ later this week, and I don’t envy anyone who’s doin’ any sloughstalkin’ out there in this mess!  Who knows, maybe the apes will be active and they might actually find somethin’; best of luck, y’all!  The next time I’ll be able to do any castin’ out there, I’ll hopefully fare better than we did this trip.  But I’m sure we’ll want to hit the swamp sometime soon, hopefully after everything is green & thick, and the swamp is alive with activity.  Until then, y’all stay warm and be safe runnin’ ‘round out there in them woods!

Congregatin' ...

     Howdy-do!  This past weekend was a meetin’ of the minds for the North American Wood Ape Conservancy at our annual trainin’ camp, which was held just outside of the Sam Houston National Forest in San Jacinto County, Texas.  Members came from as far as Louisiana, Oklahoma and, get this ... Maryland to join with a few of our members from Texas in this two-day assemblage to discuss our team’s goals for 2015.  This trainin’ camp was designed to provide NAWAC members ... both old & new with fresh strategies, tactics and techniques in field research to help with our ongoin’ search for this elusive, undiscovered species.  I cannot stress enough the diligence and professionalism shown by these volunteers in their efforts to properly and conclusively document this animal, and was again humbled to be a part of this awesome team!

NAWAC members gathered fireside to discuss the team's goals for 2015 ... pictured from left
are Ed Harrison, Scott Wheatley, Tony Schmidt, Tod Pinkerton, Daryl Colyer and Mark Porter.

The group listens intently to the main message; pictured from
left are Jay Southard, Blake Kellum, Chris Buntenbah & Chad
Dorris as they heed Colyer's motto for any & all team goals ...

     While I won’t divulge details, members were briefed on such topics as field safety, proper documentation techniques, the essentials of teamwork, the importance of bein’ physically fit, usin’ the correct outdoor gear in harsh environments, a brief overview of Wilderness First Aid (in which I had the privilege to attend and pass last year) as well as the art of camouflage and observational skills.  Our presenters were very thorough, considerin’ the short amount of time we had just to take everything in.  Again, the NAWAC is not a social club; all of our members take any time spent in the grime very seriously.  These volunteer members sacrifice their time away from families, use their personal finances for any trainin’ as well as all of their research and lengthy endeavors in the field.

From left, Scott Wheatley, Chad Dorris, Daryl Colyer, Chris Buntenbah,
Jay Southard and David Haring all carry injured Tony Schmidt as our
Wilderness First Aid instructor Dusty Haithcoat walks past Mark Porter.

     We could not have picked a nicer weekend or location to hold this course.  Temps were a bit cool in the evenin’s but very comfortable durin’ the day.  I broke-in my new tent; however, I’m surprised none of the members who camped near me ever broke in to stifle my friggin’ snorin’!  Now, I personally have never heard a wood ape vocalize … but it was suggested that an incessant growl had emanated from my tent that could be felt deep in one’s chest from twenty-yards out.  Also, I had made a crucial campin’ mistake on Saturday, as-in I had left my dang tent unzipped … and returned to find not one, but two very large mahogany wasps buzzin’ around inside.  Now, had I returned in darkness and not discovered them, it prob’ly would have been a very rude and painful awakenin’ sometime durin’ the night.  At that point, I may have bellowed-out a blood-curdlin’ howl or two!

     Back to the subject at hand, if y’all would like to learn more about the North American Wood Ape Conservancy or think that you may want to contribute your time and skills toward our common goal, simply visit the NAWAC Web site or our Facebook page.  Please keep in mind that any potential members should be self-sufficient while out in the field, and thoroughly understand how to work with … as well as function as part of an intricate team.  In my opinion, I’ve never interacted with a team that’s as efficient as this one.  Period.  Thanks to all of our presenters for organizin’ everything, to our wonderful hosts for the use of their gorgeous property and to all of our members who were able to attend … especially those who traveled so far!  Until next time, y’all have fun and be really dang-careful while runnin’ ‘round out there in them woods …

From left are David Haring, Daryl Colyer, Scott Wheatley and Tony Schmidt taking field notes at our scenic venue ...

Slough-scapin’ …

     Howdy do!  After havin' our encounter, one of the things that I began to do while bein’ out there in them woods was to photographically document our trips to Caddo Lake.  I am not by any means a professional photographer; as a matter of fact, I damn-near failed my photography classes when I was in art school!  But over the past several years I made a point to stop occasionally, no matter what I was doin’ durin’ my sloughstalkin' to record what-all I was seein’.  I have been truly blessed to witness my share of beautiful sunrises & sunsets while doin’ my time in the grime!  These pics are some of my favorites, are very candid and as best as I can describe, shots I’d simply categorize as slough-scapin’.  The beauty of the swamp has both captivated and mesmerized me since I was a child.  Doin' my time in the grime does have its perks, so I hope y’all will enjoy these!

One peacefully calm mornin' overlookin' Goose Prairie in early spring; a bit too early for topwaters ...

Dawn patrol; early one brisk spring mornin' in 2014 headin' towards Jackson Arm and the Caddo WMA.

Beyond this mirrored cove I would pole for hours through the Cypress knees and into the flooded forest ...

Another mirrored mornin' on Caddo ... headed towards "Old Folks Playground" and the Louisiana line.

Mossy Break lookin' toward Jackson Arm in late March; I used this pic when I created my blog's masthead.

UPDATE: BLINDSIDED!

    While catchin’-up from my week in the Ozarks, I read another article by Conor Harrison in the Lone Star Outdoor News which stated that the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department will be extendin’ the use of permanent duck blinds through the 2015-2016 waterfowl season in the Caddo Lake WMA.  Really?  Hmmm, well … no one should stare a gift-horse in the mouth, but it seems to me that this is just a public relations attempt by TPWD’s upper echelon to try and save face.  Sorry y’all, but this issue ain’t goin’ away that easily!  Please don’t insult our intelligence by thinkin’ that folks will forget about this over the next year-and-a-half.  All parties involved should understand that this is a very unique situation.  But at the same time, please continue to appreciate what-all our taxpayer’s dollars help TPWD do for our WMA.  Quite a few of the locals impacted from your mandate have had duck blinds out there three-times longer than your Department’s inception in 1963.  Yeah, I’d say some feathers have been ruffled!  Do y’all not realize that these are the folks who are the true life-blood of Caddo Lake?  The rest of us, includin’ TPWD and myself are just the curators and tourists.  So in this particular situation … I think the locals deserve a much better resolution than an extension on their friggin' eviction notice!  I truly hope and pray that we can all play nice and come up with a solution that’s at least somewhat agreeable to the parties involved.  More to come …

BLINDSIDED!

     Howdy, damnit!  And no, that ain’t an Aggie shout-out; I’m p¡ssed, and y’all will be as well after readin’ this-here entry!  Seems there’s a bit of a range war goin’ on 'round Uncertain, Texas; namely, in the Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area.  Any of y’all duck hunt?  I do.  And ever since doin’ the camo wrap on my boat last spring, I’ve been chompin’ at the bit waitin’ for duck season.  But back in late August, I read an article by Conor Harrison in the LoneStar Outdoor News that sent a chill down my spine.  Today, Daylina Miller reported in the The Marshall NewsMessenger a follow-up to the dilemma.  It seems that the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department has decided that no one should have a duck blind in the Caddo Lake WMA!

 

     Really?  The locals basically got blindsided!  Here are several generations of responsible, license-holdin’ duck hunters who have had blinds on Caddo Lake for almost two centuries, and the friggin' rug done got pulled-out from under ‘em!  Now, in TPWD’s defense, their wildlife biologist cataloged 130 some-odd blinds in the WMA, 45 of which were dilapidated.  TPWD’s argument is that these blinds have created a navigational hazard.  Hey, I’m cool with that; get rid of ‘em.  But why take away the other blinds that are maintained?  Those folks shouldn’t get punished.  I make every effort to follow every letter of the law, but in my opinion … this is an injustice to these resident waterfowl hunters, and boundaries are bein’ overstepped.  What fresh Hell, y'all?

 

     I’ve witnessed firsthand some of those blinds bein’ maintained.  Out-of (duck) season, I have fished around several of those Caddo Lake blinds, and I’m here to tell ya, there ain’t a lick of trash in the immediate vicinity of most of ‘em.  And I've noticed a few of the folks who maintain those blinds also treat areas around their blinds to keep the invasive giant salvinia in check.  There was even a suggestion at Tuesday’s meetin’ to register existing blinds, and use the registration fees towards the eradication of the giant salvinia.  So why in the Hell does the TPWD wanna punish folks who are environmentally friendly and whose sport pays for conservation?  Remember, the money spent on waterfowlin’ pays for things like them “friggin’ weevils” as well!  Somethin’ just ain’t quite right here; it seems to me like someone has clouded vision, a deaf ear and has done overstepped their bounds.  Hmmm, sounds more like someone’s bitin’ the hands that feed ‘em!

     This was T.C. back in '03.  I used to duck hunt Christmas Bay in Brazoria County, and had maintained a blind out there for a few years.  At the time, you could not construct any new permanent structure in the bay; however, the stipulation was that we could maintain existin’ blinds unless they were destroyed by a hurricane.  Because blinds were on public land, they were first come, first served for any hunter and were public domain.  You were not allowed to lock a blind.  If someone was huntin' in it, tough luck ... we'd simply hunt the marsh.  A storm finally wiped it out, pilings and all, so we moved on.  Next, we had a boat blind that we re-built, with permission from the landowner of the Spindletop Bass Club in Jefferson County, where I was a member. Because it was private property, no one could hunt our blind without askin'.  A very unwelcomed Hurricane Ike took care of that blind, as well as the rest of our lease in September of ‘08.  Now, as far as Caddo Lake goes, I wasn’t plannin’ on goin’ up there and free-grazin’ some local’s honey-hole! Not my style; but with the help of a couple of locals, I was gonna find a place that wasn’t goin’ to mess-up someone’s hunt and use my boat as a blind.  Well Hell, after March of 2015 … it sounds like everyone might be in the same friggin’ boat!

     What p¡sses me off more than anything is that “the powers that be” at TPWD just up and decided that this is the way it was goin’ to be.  Period.  No vote, no nothin’ … they just blindsided the locals.  Now, there's two sides to every story, but this version was the majority of what I'd heard.  But hey, y’all … this does not need to be the end of this-here story.  I know there’s got to be a buncha dang lawyers as well as lawmakers who duck hunt.  The Caddo Lake locals are bein’ treated like city-folk gettin’ bullied by a friggin’ home owner’s association.  And when HOA’s overstep their bounds, a good lawyer can usually keep ‘em in check.  Country folks laugh at the thought of an HOA, and live where they live ‘cause they love the land, water & nature.  Urban sprawl won’t ever take it, and the locals like it that way.  Bet them duck-huntin’ lawyers & lawmakers know that most responsible outdoorsmen (and women) vote.

 

     I generally respect game wardens and appreciate what-all they do, and let them do their jobs.  And those hard workin’ wardens who are out in the field will still get that same respect from me.  Period.  But this directive came from higher up the food chain, and I think they just bit into somethin’ that bites back.  Responsible outdoorsmen have a voice … and y’all are fixin’ to friggin’ hear it.  We just need to dig-in deeper than an East Texas tick and hold on.  Let’s be civil and put our heads together and come up with a plan that benefits all parties involved.  But to force-feed us horsesh¡t and tell us it’s just grits & syrup just ain’t goin’ down so well.  If y’all are feelin’ blindsided and wanna help out, gimme a shout.  Please forward the link to this entry to any duck hunter you know.  I'm not sellin' anything, I'm just tryin' to get the word out!  If you think I’m wrong for expressin’ my point of view … bite me.  Seriously, if you feel I’m off base (or off balance) please shoot me a comment or rebuttal and I’ll be more than happy to print your side of the story here.  I know that TPWD reads this-here blog … and I truly appreciate their readership as well.  More to come …