Believe!

Gatherin’ …

An awesome Oklahoma sunset as seen from behind The Bowman Lodge ...

     Howdy, y’all!  I've just had the privilege to attend a gatherin’ of investigators and associate members of the North American Wood Ape Conservancy in eastern Oklahoma this past weekend.  Yet again, I was humbled to be amongst some of this country’s cuttin’-edge field researchers to discuss our past & future efforts to provide science the definitive proof needed for the existence of this mystery primate.  Members from across the U.S. drove from as far north as Montana, Minnesota and Illinois to be there!  Others of us came from Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas to attend our NAWAC Annual Retreat, which was held at The Bowman Lodge.  This venue was as magnificent as the attendees who met there, and we could not have been blessed enough ... not only by the gorgeous weather, but by the camaraderie experienced by all!

     I opted to camp along with a few other members, and we could not have picked a better weekend for our retreat.  Folks, I’m not tryin’ to sound derogatory, but this was not some sort-of “Bigfoot” conference; we don’t sell anything, play campy movies, ruminate historical sightings or share experiences in some town hall fashion.  What we had discussed this past weekend is what we have personally documented in our area of research over the past several years, and strategized on how we hope to bring it to the next level.  NAWAC members are a serious "boots on the ground" bunch doin’ some serious time in the grime ... and I mean serious enough to have had the foresight to have documented everything.  What documentation, you may ask?  Again, if you have not already done so … I urge y’all to go to our Web site at http://www.woodape.org and read the NAWAC’s Ouachita Project Monograph.  This free, downloadable PDF details several years of study performed by our members.  These folks have all volunteered serious time, effort and personal finances to try and provide definitive proof of the existence of this yet undiscovered mystery primate.  And after this goal is attained, we'll be gatherin' steam and goin' all-out to preserve the species and its habitat.

Dr. Angelo Capparella discusses future research opportunities with members of the North American Wood Ape Conservancy ...

     I cannot emphasize enough what a game-changer this will be; the discovery process of this species will be the scientific news of the century.  Period.  And you, too could become a part of this process as well!  It's a team effort, and the North American Wood Ape Conservancy welcomes volunteers who can bring their talent to the table for this epic quest.  Keep in mind this group does not participate in or plan any paid “Bigfoot” expeditions ... or random weekend campouts in the woods in the disguise of serious research.  The NAWAC is, however, a very seriously focused group of like-minded volunteers who are working for a non-profit conservation organization with a specific mission.  None of us are, or for that matter ... claim to be any kind of experts.  As a matter of fact, there are no experts in what we are doin’, and we find on a regular basis that we all learn somethin’ new quite often!  The fact of the matter is, we all have worked quite hard as a team to get where we are at this point, as far as our knowledge of these animals and our experiences with them goes.  Commitment and the ability to work as part of a team are the most critical traits for any applicant; so, if you have what it takes to contribute, please step-up to the plate!  I won’t guarantee you a wood ape sightin’ … but I’d be willin’ to bet that you will most probably experience things that most folks couldn’t even dream of!  There is a Membership tab at the top, right-hand corner of our Web site which tells how you can possibly help us with our efforts.

Alton Higgins (left) and Daryl Colyer (right) both presented to the group on our past accomplishments and future strategies.

     I genuinely wish that I could share with y’all what-all I have learned over the past weekend; however, those sorts of things are for our members, associates and investigators only.  The closest I can get is to tell y’all to keep-up with our Web site, our Facebook page, podcasts and again, to read the Ouachita Project Monograph.  After listenin’ to the presentations by the likes of Alton Higgins, Dr. Angelo Capparella & Daryl Colyer … I cannot wait for an opportunity to finally get back into the field in Oklahoma.  God willin’ … I hope to be available for whatever is asked, whether that task be site maintenance, documentation or any other type of support.  Until then, I have a few things planned for the next few months, such as gettin’ back into the Big Thicket, and then possibly another trip to the Ozarks that will be solely ape-related.  Also, I am just about finished gatherin’ all the pertinent info that I can share with y’all about my second week spent in Area X back in July of 2015.  But before I post anything, I’ll need my other two team members to substantiate my written interpretation of how it all went down prior to publication; so, y’all just hang tight!  Until then, take care, be careful out there and … y’all come back now, ya hear?

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?

Huntin' ... Part 3

Those lush, thick Ouachita woods remind me of a tropical rain forest ...

     This is the third installment chroniclin’ my time spent in the North American Wood Ape Conservancy’s research area in the Ouachita Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma.  Again, these are just a few of the things that I personally experienced while there, and these were just from my first trip.  I would spend yet another week in late July to hunt the next full-moon ... but I’ll get around to that trip later.  As for now, I had left-off with me sittin’ in a cabin just before 6:00 A.M. and not the best state of mind.  I had just spent the past 3½ hours in a tree-stand, where I was s’posed to be the hunter for an animal that had basically turned the tables on me.  I had one of the most powerful big-game rifles cocked and tightly clutched while these animals were basically right under me, and I friggin’ blew-it.  I knew all along that these animals were real, even before it got way too friggin’ real while sittin’ up there in that tree.  That night was like a carnival ride; I was strapped-in and could not get off until the ride was over.  But this was why I was here; so now it was time for me to tighten-up, ‘cause losin’ it any further would just be too costly for everyone involved.  This is how it went down:

     After Alton recorded what happened, I felt something crawling across my left cheek.  I scratched and removed a large unfed tick, mashin’ it between my fingernails then grindin’ it into the floor.  Travis broke the silence and said that he was goin’ out on patrol, so I asked if I could go.  I thought to myself, Hell; you just got bucked-off so the best way to remedy the situation was to hurry-up & jump back on ... and I immediately asked to go along.  He agreed and said he wanted to do a very slow stalk, but for me to stay at least 20 to 30-yards behind him at all times, lookin’ in all directions.  I quickly crawled outta my tree-stand harness, guzzled a bottled-water … buckled my fanny-pack over my holster and waited for Travis to get well ahead of me.  No talkin’ and no noise, so it was goin’ to be a slow and quiet hunt as we headed west towards the creek.  I waited for Travis to get well ahead of me, then cocked the .45-70 … placin’ my index finger over the trigger-guard.  It was eerily quiet without the usual chorus of Carolina wrens or the hauntin’ serenade of a wood-thrush to break the silence.  The mornin’ mist hung low as we began our scout …

My vantage at trail's bend ... although it was much darker that mornin' on my stalk.

     After a hundred yards or so, the ATV trail made a bend to the right and then back to the left.  At that point, I briefly lost sight of Travis for a few minutes until I finally wound my way around the bend.  By the time that I got to the property gate at the creek, I was immediately overcome by a very strong “zoo smell”.  In my opinion, that meant that somethin’ was close.  I remembered thinkin’ to myself, Holy sh¡t! This animal just made its way between Travis and me, and neither one of us heard or saw it.  After crossin’ the creek, I finally caught up with Travis who, to me … had looked like he was motionin’ me to go to the right.  He stood there for a while, and then eventually proceeded to stalk to the left down the creek.  I headed to my right, along a trail that paralleled the base of the mountain.  I quietly walked through a shallow-water crossin’, pausin’ for a couple of minutes.  I was almost to the next shallow-water crossin’ when I heard somethin’ way off in the distance … ahead and above me to my right … possibly even up on the mountain.  What I heard was a faint but long yell, which sounded like someone screamin’, “Aaaaaahhh …” that seemed to continue for at least 30-seconds until it faded-out.  I could not even begin to explain what this was.  It sounded as if I were in a stadium and heard someone yell; However, due to echo I could not quite tell exactly where it had come from.

     At that exact moment, Travis radioed me … and I just about squirted a friggin’ grape!  The ear-bud was still in my front right breast pocket, but the sound startled me.  He asked where I was, and I whispered that I was headin’ towards the trail that went up the mountain.  He then asked, “Why?”  I responded that I thought that he had signaled me to go right; in which he responded, “Nope … I signaled you to stop.”  I asked where he was, and he said that he was along the creek headin’ to the cabin.  I asked if he had heard that yell, and he replied, “Nope … all I can hear is runnin’ water.”  He said that he was gonna follow the creek and then head-back to the cabin, so I told him that I would turn around and start the slow walk back.  At this point, I was probably about 300-yards away from the cabin, but was basically on my own.  Unlike hours earlier, at least now I could see ...

     I slowly made it to the gate within a few minutes, but smelled nothin’.  I started makin’ my way around the bend on the road when I noticed somethin’ standin’ in front of me.  Not 40-yards ahead was a solitary doe … just standin’ there eatin’ the grass growin’ between the ruts on the ATV trail.  We just stood there starin’ at each other, and she didn’t seem to even care that I was there.  She continued to feed, standin’ there chewin’ as her tail swished from side to side.  At that moment our silence was broken; I heard what was either a rock shift or a dull stick break off to my left, and that doe immediately looked to her right.  She immediately froze, puttin' one front hoof down two to three times in succession.  Her tail flashed and she bolted past me at a dead-run into the woods to my right!  My heart-rate accelerated as I stood there tryin’ to see what had startled her.  She didn't mind in the least that a man with a gun had just walked-up on her, but whatever it was that she saw caused her to flee for safer grounds!

My view into those thick woods from the trail ...

     I stood there for at least 5-7 minutes, but could see no movement nor hear anything further.  I continued my slow stalk back to the cabin where I saw Travis sittin’ there watin’ on me.  I asked him if he had smelled anything at the gate, to which he replied, no.  I elaborated about the yell/cry that I heard, and he said that he did not hear that, either.  Then I told him about the doe.  Tired, Travis said that he was goin’ to try and get some sleep and that I should do the same.  After he went into the cabin, I sat in front of my tent for a while to try and decompress.  I was too keyed-up from the events of the past several hours … so no matter how I tried, I could not sleep.  Alton finally came out of the cabin and told me to get some sleep as well.  I tried eatin’, thinkin’ I would carb-crash, but that didn’t happen, either.  I forced myself into the tent and lay down on the cot, but my mind was still racin’ so I tossed & turned for at least another hour.

     The rest of my teammates were now up and had gathered in front of my tent to discuss the previous events.  The wood-knock was definitely heard by all; however, Mason was the only one besides me that heard somethin’ smashin’ into the pile of rocks behind their tent.  I again told of what I experienced while sittin’ in my tree-stand, as well as what-all I had observed out on patrol.  I confessed to my teammates that I had failed; I had the perfect opportunity to possibly take one of these animals and I simply was not able to do it.  At that point … fear, anger and regret hit me all at once and I emotionally lost it.  I was both embarrassed & ashamed of myself, and don’t remember when I finally went into my tent to crash.  I evidentially dozed-off for a short while … gettin’ at least an hour-and-a-half’s worth of actual sleep.  I awoke sometime after noon, and we discussed our plans to go to out of the valley to get ice, water and check-in to folks via our cell-phones.  The plan was for me to drive, due to the fact that I had the largest vehicle, but more so because I needed to drive in and out to better learn those roads.  I had a few loose items that needed to be secured in the bed of my truck, such as the come-a-long, a chainsaw, extra fuel and tools, etc. but instead opted to leave them on the porch of the cabin.  We loaded our ice chests and containers for potable water, as well as a few bags of trash and headed-out.

Our Oklahoma road-block; was this simply a coincidence?

     Shortly after 2:00 P.M. we departed the valley; however, sometime after the second creek crossing, the trail was completely blocked by a large tree-fall.  I thought, how odd; Alton & I came in on Saturday, the women on Sunday and Travis on Monday … and now we mysteriously have a large tree over the road.  I suddenly remembered that I had left the chainsaw, bottle of bar-lube, fuel, tree-strap and come-a-long back at the cabin, but I did have 2 brand-new tow-straps under the back seat.  The tree was semi-rotted towards the base, but strangely it fell perfectly perpendicular across the road, which I felt was very suspect.  All of the trees on that particular side of the road had a slight lean down the mountainside; however, that tree mysteriously “fell” the opposite way.  I tried not to dwell on this, but it was what it was so I didn’t feel the need to stir-up any friggin’ drama by bringin’ it up.  After we hooked-up to it, I used my Chevy’s front tow-loops to pull the trunk in reverse to one side of the trail, and then it took all five of us to roll it to where my truck could finally pass.

     Shortly after we finally got about halfway to the highway, we all saw a very large turkey runnin’ down the gravel road just in front of my truck, and ended-up seein' a couple of roadrunners as well.  We finally made it to a gas station to get some food & ice.  While we decompressed … we each called friends & family and I made it a point to check the weather.  As per Weather Underground, storms with the high probability of rain would approach the followin’ evenin’ … and it was forecast to most likely rain through our departure on Friday.  We left “civilization” about 5:30 P.M. for the long, slow & bumpy ride back.   At a deeper creek crossin’ we stopped to refill our potable water, makin’ it back to camp about 7:00 P.M.  After we unloaded, I immediately went to the tree-stand and repositioned it … movin’ it to the left and about 2½’ higher up the tree.  Once bitten, twice shy; I was still unnerved from the previous night’s encounter.  After chow, I was told to get some sleep; however, I could not force myself to do so.   Alton made the call that I would not be gettin’ back into any tree-stand that night.  Disappointed with my head still spinnin’ … I remember bein’ awake in my tent ‘til well after midnight; but then, I don’t really remember much more until later that mornin’.

A deeper spot in the creek to the right of the frame made a nice 8' x 10' impromptu bath tub, complete with seating.

     I had first awoke at 7:00 A.M., dozed on and off ‘til 9:00 and didn’t wake again ‘til almost 11:00.  Travis and I went to the creek to bathe.  As soon as we got there, I sh¡t y’all not … there was a distant but very distinct wood-knock off to the east.  Obviously, these friggin’ animals had eyes on us the entire time we were there, watchin’ our every move.  Everything else that day was uneventful.  Alton and Graham went out to still-hunt while Travis went out on patrol, makin’ lots of noise, dischargin’ his sidearm and yellin’ loudly.  I opted for a quieter approach, slowly strollin’ back into the woods to where we had bathed earlier at the creek, and sat on a boulder for the next 2½ hours.  Via my radio, I learned that Travis would be sittin’ on the side of the mountain, about halfway back on my walk to the cabin.  I did not see him upon my return, but he said that he had watched me stalk past.  When Travis and Alton finally returned, Travis sighted-in 2 of the .45-70’s … and then we all sat in the front of my tent from chow until we would retire for the evenin’.  Knowin’ of the approachin’ rain, I had pre-packed as much of my gear as possible.  Everyone had said that I’d probably get more sleep if I stayed in the cabin, but stubbornly I wanted to be in my tent for my last night there.  My mistake …

My rock huntin' perch between the creek and the mountain ...
this spot didn't offer much cover, but gave a panoramic view.

     I had my Olympus recorder on, sittin’ on top of a storage bin in the middle of my tent when I heard what I thought was a rock hittin’ tin on the top of the cabin around 10:00 P.M.  Upon reviewin’ this recordin’ … you could plainly hear me yell, “Now, that was a f_#in’ rock.”  My teammates said otherwise, but due to the stress and sleep deprivation you could not have convinced me any other way.  My sudden burst of insubordination was obviously due to sleep deprivation, but I could do nothin’ about it at that point.  I was a wreck, and as far as everyone, includin’ myself was concerned it was time for me to get outta there.  It then started rainin’ like Hell, but by 1:00 A.M. it was friggin’ game-on again!  I began to hear movement all around me, but due to the rain … it was hard to pin-point exactly what was going on.  But even in that drivin’ rain, I could hear snorin’ comin’ from the cabin, meanin’ that everyone else was zoned-out.  At one point, I heard the approach of “splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash, splash” as ... in my opinion, somethin’ on two legs had just run past my tent.  It came from the east and ran west past the front of the cabin.  Shortly afterwards, I heard the same friggin’ thing, but this time from behind my tent … runnin’ from the east to the west behind the cabin.  Again I thought, how in the Hell could somethin’ do that in complete darkness … in hard rain … and not friggin’ trip over anything?

     But the most excitin’ activity for me to observe was yet to come.  Somewhere between 3:30 and 4:00 A.M., I started to hear that same loud breathin’ that I had heard directly under me while sittin’ in the tree-stand.  This time, however … it was between my friggin’ tent and the cabin … mere feet from my head!  Clutchin’ my cocked Henry with my .357 at my side, I knew better than to even attempt to fire any shots with my teammates sleepin’ just a few feet away.  As loud as the rain was poundin’ on my tent … I could distinctly hear this friggin’ animal breathin’ in and out.  I was paralyzed with fear, but at the same time abso-friggin’-lutely amazed that this was actually happenin’!  Either this animal was purposely jackin’ with me; or, because of all the noise from the drivin’ rain and the sounds of my teammates snorin’ … it did not think that I was awake or could hear it.  I nervously and repeatedly pressed the call button on my radio, but got no response from anyone in the cabin.  After what seemed like several minutes, I finally nutted-up and forced myself to sit straight up on my cot.  Although I never heard any movement outside … the breathin’ immediately stopped.  I got off of the cot and sat in a camp chair in the middle of my tent.  I was facin’ the rear of the tent when suddenly somethin’ was flung … either water or mud, very forcibly across the back wall of the tent.  I actually saw the moment of impact; the whole back wall of the tent moved almost 1½’ inwards!  Needless to say, I did not get any sleep after that.

L to R; NAWAC investigators Shannon Graham,
Alton Higgins, Shannon Mason, Travis Lawrence
and myself before our departure from Area X ...

     Except for the rain … I heard no other activity from my nocturnal visitors.  By first light, the rain was subsidin’ so I began breakin’ down my camp.  This was a very tedious process, because I was on-guard and constantly lookin’ in every direction with every trip to my truck.  I was the first team member to be completely packed-up and loaded and was ready to ex-fill before 9:00 A.M.  My early-bird reward was to be able to take an impromptu “bird-bath” with the remains of some potable water, and then dried-off and changed into some shorts and a t-shirt for my drive home.  Waiting for the others to depart, I stared through the drizzle at the mountain … still wonderin’ how these animals could navigate such steep, rocky terrain at night.  As I stood there, I prayed in solitude and thanked the Lord that everyone was safe, askin’ that He watch over us on our journeys home.  Selfishly though … I caught my self askin’ God if I could please just see one of these animals before I left.  Almost immediately I caught movement comin’ down the side of the mountain, and could see a brownish-gray figure emergin’ through the thick, wet, green vegetation.  I could hear nothin' as the animal moved down the steep incline and out of the cover of greenery.  Dumbfounded, I was only granted the sighting of a deer that made its way about 30-yards from me, hastily retreatin’ back up the mountain as soon as it caught sight of me.  I took that as a sign for me to count my blessings and to not ask for more, especially after I had just been given so much durin’ the past week.  I realized that I was blessed to experience things that most ordinary people would never get to experience.  We all safely departed shortly afterwards …

     While I estimate that I only got between 1½ to 1¾ hours of sleep the night before, I’d only stopped twice between Oklahoma and League City, Texas … arriving home by 7:15 P.M.  Once there, I unloaded and unpacked, fixed a Crown & Coke … shaved and finally took a long, much-needed hot shower.  After finishin’ my third cocktail, I was still wired from my trip.  Wide awake, I couched-it in front of the TV and was up ‘til at least 2:30 A.M. … only to be awakened before sun-rise on Fourth of July.  Our family had previous plans to join some good friends in Crystal Beach for food, fun & fireworks.  Thank God that my wife drove, even though I rarely sleep in a vehicle.  I would still not fall asleep until well after 1:30 A.M. or so that Sunday.  After everyone else had retired, I had found myself starin' at the moon through a cloudy night on the upstairs porch of that beach house.  The couch on that porch was deep, and a stiff gulf breeze kept the relentless skeeters at bay.  I again found myself awakened before sun-up … and my lack of sleep pattern continued on that track for the next week or so.

     Folks, this was the final installment of my first trip to a place the North American Wood Ape Conservancy calls “Area X”.  Again, I urge everyone to visit our Web site at http://www.woodape.org and read the NAWAC’s Ouachita Project Monograph … detailin’ several years of study performed by our members.  Remember, we ain’t sellin’ y’all nothin’.  Period.  No guided trips or “Bigfoot” related merchandise … no phishing, ads or pop-ups.  We all volunteer our time and personal finances to try and provide definitive proof of the existence of this yet undiscovered mystery primate.  Once that is finally accomplished, we will work just as diligently to fulfill our goal of protectin’ this species and its habitat.  Meanwhile, I’ll be postin’ what-all happened to me on my second trip in “X” … and to say that things got hairy that trip is a bit of an understatement!  Folks, let me clarify somethin’ here; this ain’t some exercise in creative writin’ …‘cept for maybe typin’ all this in “redneck-eze”.  Not in my wildest friggin’ dreams could I even begin to make any of this sh¡t up!  It has definitely taught me that there are things out there in this world that we don’t yet understand, and we shouldn’t take anything for granted.  Hell, this old man’s just been schooled, so remember … the truth is still out there!  Until next time, try and keep yer eyes & ears open while runnin’ ‘round out there in them woods.  Y’all come back now, ya hear?

Huntin' ... Part 2

A view of the thick woods growin' up the mountain just behind my tent ...

     The followin’ account is a continuation of events that I logged over the time I had spent in the North American Wood Ape Conservancy’s research area, deep in the Ouachita Mountains of southeastern Oklahoma.  Again, these are just a few of the things that I personally experienced while there, and I was both privileged and humbled to be among our team of veteran field researchers.  I had little doubt of what my son and I had witnessed back in 2009, but doubted that I would be blessed enough to encounter one of these animals on my first trip into “Area X”.  Bein’ wrong sometimes is a good thing; however, over the past few months, I often wonder whether it was an actual blessing or a curse.  I'd trained for several months prior to going out there, conditionin’ my body to endure the heat and harsh terrain, droppin’ over 20 lbs. and packin’ on some muscle.  But what actually happened to me out there was just way outta my comfort zone, because I cannot ever remember feelin’ so alone or vulnerable at any time in my entire life.  I’d always thought that what didn’t kill me was supposed to make me stronger …

     Well, since I’ve been back ... I had started smokin’ cigarettes again and gained back those 20 lbs. by endulgin’ myself in way too many beers on a regular, nightly basis.  Finally, towards the end of September I snapped out of it; I promised myself that, I was no longer goin’ to be weak and to put away my vices; or, in my case crutches … and to no longer do this to my body.  Even though what didn’t kill me had really friggin’ screwed with my head, I finally came to terms that this was their intention durin’ both of my trips.  I use the word, “their” in reference to the wood apes … who simply toyed with us, tryin’ to elicit responses to their ongoin’ escapades.  These animals were unlike anything I’d ever encountered, and in my opinion, they are way smarter than we give ‘em credit for.  But they are however, just animals … not monsters.  Those things that were goin’ bump in the night weren’t “haints” … but flesh and blood animals, albeit mischievous ones at that.  And at any time while I was out there, if any one of these animals had seriously wanted to hurt me, y’all simply wouldn’t be readin’ this.  Sometimes, things that happen are simply out of one’s control, so here’s what happened next:

     Alton Higgins came out of the cabin around 7:45 A.M., and I told him what-all I had heard from the night before … as well as what I’d observed that mornin’.  When the others awoke, Graham confirmed that she too had heard the rock slide at 3:15 A.M. as well.  By this time, my teammates could hear my now nervous tone, and told me that I needed to get some sleep.  Sleep deprivation is not good for anyone … especially in such a remote and dangerous environment.  And with everything that I had experienced so far, I needed to keep my wits about me … not only for my safety but for that of my team.  I finally retired to my tent about 10-ish, but was awakened by movement at noon; I watched Alton walkin’ away from my tent towards the east, and I then noticed Lawrence and Graham movin’ out about 15-minutes later.  I fixed a snack and noticed that Mason was still in camp.  Apparently, Alton was brushed-up to still-hunt in one position, Travis in another and Graham had just come back from doin’ her time in the grime.  The three of us were sittin’ in front of my tent at about 2:15 P.M. when we all heard three loud metallic soundin’ bangs or slams echo throughout the woods in front of us.  After confirmation and discussions with our team over the radios, Graham and I decided to make the rounds in separate directions to see if we could flush-out anything towards Alton or Travis.  While I did a slow stalk to the west, Graham had observed a doe feedin’ in a clearin’ durin’ her patrol to the east.  Other than that, I had only heard a slight rustlin’ through them woods, but nothin’ else.

The "bait" tent 20-yards in front of the cabin, and my tree-stand was another 30-yards to the right.

     No sooner than we arrived back at our camp site, we all heard two more loud metallic-soundin’ bangs.  This time, Mason went with us to try and find the source of the noise, but again we discovered nothin’ through the course of our stalk.  After arrivin’ back at the camp site, Alton and Travis had finally returned and we all had some chow.  Discussin’ our game plan for that night, it was decided that we would create a diversion by walkin’ down a trail with flashlights down towards a creek crossin’ past where I had erected my tree-stand.  I would wait a few minutes and then climb into my stand in complete darkness.  Mason and Graham would sleep in a tent just in front of the cabin and act as bait, while Alton and Travis would observe and guard them from the cabin.  I had thought that I would be able to see anything that might be comin’ down that trail or movin’ away from the cabin.  By 9:00 P.M. I was told that I had better get some sleep because it would be a very long night for me up in that tree-stand.  Travis turned-in to the cabin and I went into my tent; after tossin’ and turnin’ on my cot for an hour or so … I finally fell asleep.

     Alton woke me up around a quarter of two; already dressed except for my boots, I immediately put my tree-stand harness on and put my newly charged radio into my front left pant pocket.  I ran the ear-bud cord over my shoulder, clippin’ the mic onto my left lapel, around under my collar and tucked the ear-bud into my front right breast pocket.  I wore a shell-belt and holstered S&W .357 over the harness, with four speed-loads of 180 gr. Grizzly rounds, as well as a pouch with 14 extra rounds of 430 gr. Buffalo-Bore for the Henry.  I had a fanny-pack with a water bottle attached … and two extra bottles of water, a flashlight, extra headlamp for back-up and an Olympus sound recorder.  I checked my Henry .45-70 and tested the bright green tactical light inside of one my boots before puttin’ ‘em on and exitin’ my tent.  Upon our teams’ diversion, I crept slowly through the darkness for seventy-five paces to the tree and my stand.  At that point I could clearly hear somethin’ large movin’ through the brush well ahead of me to my right.   After a brief pause, I quietly climbed-up the tree, onto the stand and secured my safety harness to its tether and sat.

     I waited until my diversion team passed and then heard whatever this animal was to my right move out into the woods well in front of me.  At that point, I was assumin’ that it was movin’ towards them.  There was a long period of silence, and after things had settled, I reached for the fanny-pack that I’d hung from one of the ladder rungs.  Quietly unzippin’ it, I felt for my Olympus voice recorder, took it out of its case and turned it on.  In my cupped hand, I could see the glow of the screen and hit the record button, in which I saw glow red.  I then slid the recorder back into its vinyl pouch, snapped it shut and secured it with the elastic arm-band onto my left arm, slidin’ it up to the shoulder.  Reachin’ into the fanny-pack back, I realized that the 2 extra bottled-waters made a considerable amount of a crinklin’ noise … so the main 16 oz. bottle on the outside of the fanny-pack would have to suffice any thirst for my hunt.  I then got comfortable and began to settle-in for the night.  Even though there was a full moon, I noticed that I could barely see my hand in front of my face.  The trail below looked lighter, but due to the dense foliage I really was sittin’ blind … and would have to rely on my ears to alert me of anything that might be approachin’.  I also went ahead and cocked the Henry, so if anything was to get too close I wouldn’t get busted from a simple click.

I had zoomed-in for a closer view of the "bait" tent from the ATV trail just in
front of my tree-stand.  In the darkness, I could barely even see their light ...

     From my 12½’ tall perch, I could barely see light through the foliage as Graham & Mason settled into the tent.  At some point, I thought that the animal that I initially had heard was comin’ down the road, but I never heard any foot-falls.  I then started hearin’ noises in the woods to my west, as well as noises through the east, towards where our vehicles were parked.  I then heard sounds of movement coming from a trail leadin’ to the girl’s tent.  At that point, somethin’ sounded like it came out of the woods onto the road at the corner of the trail and stopped.  I then heard a slight huff, and then one long, loud inhale … followed by one long, loud exhale; loud as in whatever it was, was way bigger than I was!  All went quiet for a short time, and then I heard more movement down the road, possibly comin’ towards me … but still no discernable foot-falls.  Then at exactly 3:15 A.M., I heard a massive wood-knock … not 40’ from the right of my tree!  It sounded like somethin’ had taken a very large piece of firewood and smacked-it as hard as it could against a large tree.  As it echoed throughout the surroundin’ woods, it startled me … especially bein’ that dang close!  This was my very first experience to hear a genuine wood-knock; although, my heart sank a bit as I thought to myself, “Uh, oh … this sh¡t is fixin’ to get friggin’ real.”

     Shortly afterwards, I heard more rustlin’ through the brush, comin’ from the area behind the girl’s tent.  Then came the mouth-pops; I can now clearly remember hearin’ those sounds … as if someone were to put their finger into their mouth against the inside of their cheek and then pull their finger out abruptly.  (After viewin’ Alton’s video, I remember now that I had overlooked this upon the de-briefing with my team; but ever since that night I still cannot forget those sounds.)  At first, I heard one in one direction in front of me, and then one across from me, one well behind me and one or two more come from down the road to my right.  They seemed to be close, but between the tree-knock and now the mouth-pops, I suddenly realized that it was now game-on.  I also had the sudden realization that there were several animals movin’ through the pitch-black woods with ease and in my opinion were communicatin’ each other’s position.  Only a mere hundred feet or so from my team and the cabin, I suddenly felt very alone and very friggin’ vulnerable.  I also remember wonderin’ what the women were thinkin’ sittin’ alone out there in that tent …

These are one of a few piles of rocks in those woods, just behind and to the left
of the bait tent.  These were probably the rocks that I heard scatterin' that night.

     After a short while, I heard the animals move closer-in towards the tent.  I then heard rocks shiftin’ … rocks clackin’ together and other sounds as if rocks were bein’ tossed, but not thrown, very close to their tent.  Shortly afterwards, the next thing that I heard were rocks bein’ smashed, soundin’ as though somethin’ had thrown a very large rock into a pile of rocks … as the ones that were impacted scattered!  If that wasn’t unnervin’ enough, I immediately got this overwhelmin’ feelin’ that somethin’ was movin’ directly under me.  I felt this huge rush of adrenaline, worse than any buck-fever that I had ever experienced after years of deer huntin’!  My heart rate escalated, so I immediately started to try and control my breathin’ … but simply could not.  Within a few seconds, I began to shudder like a scared child; I put my left hand over my mouth, but it did not help stifle any noise.  I tried to cover my mouth with the crook of my left elbow but that did not help, either.  I then craned my head straight back against the tree, starin’ skyward, which seemed to help a bit … but not for long.

     The next thing that I heard was very heavy, steady breathin’ directly under me; it sounded like this animal was inhalin’ through its nostrils, not its mouth.  What I heard was loud, steady inhales and exhales, about 2 to 3 seconds apart, and it wouldn’t stop.  It sounded massive ... like a bull, but not a snort; it was just breathin’ steadily and loudly in and out.  My heart began to pound outta my chest, and I’m really surprised I didn’t have a friggin’ heart attack.  I again craned my head straight up, tryin’ to calm my breathin’ but I could not control myself.  I put my head back down tryin’ to see anything below me, but it was just pitch black.  I noticed that when I had craned my head straight up, I could see lighter patches of twilight sky, with the foliage well above me bathed in moonlight.  But lookin’ down I could not see a thing … just blackness.  I remember thinkin’ that this animal could surely hear my breathin’ ...

     At that point, the cocked .45-70 was my security and my right finger was across the trigger-guard.  My right hand had a solid grip on the stock of the Henry, and my left hand was grippin’ the fore-stock as the weapon lay across my thighs.  My left index finger was restin’ on the button of my mounted tactical light, so all I really had to do was to stand-up and try to light this animal up.  I wanted to see it so bad, but because it was directly under me, I would have had to have stood-up and leaned out a ways just to try to light it up; while at the same time tryin’ to aim through the foliage below my stand and then possibly attempt to shoot.  By then, my legs were shakin’ so bad I simply could not stand, and I still could not control my breathin’.  What alarmed me more than anything was that I did not hear this animal approach.  Period.  It was just suddenly there; nor, did I smell it.  I was in total shock, caught like a deer in the headlights.  How in the Hell could somethin’ that friggin’ big git-up on me like that?  I never heard any foot-falls!  Did it crawl or knuckle-walk?

     I do not know if it could see me through the branches below my stand, but it just stayed there, breathin’.  I then heard a rock or a nut get tossed, not thrown, about 20’ to the side of me, to my right.  I could hear it penetrate the foliage and then bounce through the leaf-litter.  The next sound that I heard was a stick or piece of wood being tossed about 20’ to my left.  It hit a few branches and then I heard it flatly come to a rest in the leaf-litter.  In my opinion, my realization at that time was that I had more than one of these animals in close proximity to me, but they either did not know what I was or exactly where I was.  Or, I could be dead wrong.  In retrospect, I really think it was the worst-case scenario … they were tryin’ to flush me out.  At that point, I do remember prayin’ … prayin’ to God that I would do the right thing.  Should I try to stand and take a shot?  Could I ethically shoot blindly at somethin’ I really couldn’t see?  And then I decided, no; just sit-it-out … but if one of these friggin’ things came up that tree, then shoot!  My breathin’ started to calm, but only after I no longer heard that animal breathin’ directly below me.  That didn’t mean that I was no longer anxious; I’d say that I was more so nervous at that point, because I really did not know what was comin’ next.  I guess I really never knew true fear in my meager life; but right there and then, I pretty much-well figured-out that I’d just met it.

My tree-stand as viewed from the ATV trail; yeah, Travis ... it wasn't high enough!

     The breathin’ sound had stopped, but I never heard anything movin’-out from under me.  I did hear somethin’ movin’ towards my right, but what disturbed me more is that I now had somethin’ comin’ up from behind me.  At that point I remembered twistin’ my left wrist and glancin’ down at my watch … the luminescent hands showed that it was shortly after 5:00 A.M.  I continued to hear more movement rustlin’ through the brush, and whatever was behind me now seemed to be gettin’ closer.  I didn’t know if this animal could actually climb my stick ladder or would attempt to climb the tree; but if it did, I would have definitely unloaded the Henry!  All I had to do was twist, point straight down and pull the friggin’ trigger.  It was now startin’ to get light, enough for me, at least to see a little better.  I now was gettin’ excited about finally bein’ able to possibly see what-all I’d been hearin’ throughout the night.  The road below me was not so dark anymore, but then I suddenly realized that I was about to be able to be seen more easily as well.  I continued to hear the rustlin’ to my right as well as whatever was comin’ up behind me when I saw a flashlight comin’ towards me from the cabin.  In all of the excitement, I had completely forgotten that I had asked Travis to come and get me at 5:30 A.M.  As he approached, in warnin’ I immediately yelled, “Check my 6:00! Check my 6:00!” and we both lit-up and scanned the woods behind me with our tactical lights … but saw nothin’.  Travis did say that he saw a coon; however, there was no way in Hell that coons had been my culprits for the last 3½ friggin’ hours!

     Alton came from the cabin as well, and I was still shakin’ so bad I didn’t know if I could make it down my ladder.  I remember sendin’ the fanny-pack down on a line, and shoulderin’ the Henry to eventually climb down.  At that point I was an emotional wreck, and had a hard time tryin’ to git my sh¡t together.  Again, we briefly scanned the woods around us, and then walked straight to the cabin where Alton would interview/video me for a debriefin’.  Watchin and listenin’ to this video afterwards, I basically sounded like a scared teen-aged kid, not a 53 year-old seasoned hunter.  And right after the debriefin’ … I remember takin’ the Olympus recorder out of its pouch on my left shoulder to play the audio that would verify everything.  To my horror, I discovered that it had only recorded for less than a minute before it was inadvertently turned off!  Sh¡t!  I must have turned the damn thang off when I slid it back into its pouch, or when I snapped its pouch shut.  I was told later that this was called the “Bigfoot” curse.  This same type of ‘eff-up had happened to several others from time to time with other equipment.  My adrenaline rush had subsided a bit, but I was now amped-up with the anger from my failures.  A simple recorder, one used several times in the past; but more importantly, a perfect opportunity to possibly obtain a type specimen, blown!  All I had to do was stand-up … light-it-up and shoot.  At that exact moment I recalled; even after all of the excitement of the past 3½ hours, still hearin' my wife’s voice clearly sayin’ to me, “Be careful what you wish for.”

     This is the second installment to this blog entry.  It is an edited-down version of just a few of the many things that I personally experienced durin’ my first few days in a place that the North American Wood Ape Conservancy calls “Area X”.  And again, I urge y’all to go to our Web site at http://www.woodape.org and read the NAWAC’s Ouachita Project Monograph, which details the years of study performed by our members.  These folks have all volunteered serious time, effort and personal finances to try and provide definitive proof of the existence of this yet undiscovered mystery primate.  I will continue to keep y’all abreast of what-all happened to me on the rest of that trip; however, I’ll tell you right now, it was not pretty.  From fear to anger to sleep deprivation along with further wood ape activity, it was a serious downward spiral for me.  And if any of y’all think that any of this is bullsh¡t, you might wanna think again.  Our members as well as our Board of Directors read this blog, and would never allow any of our investigators or members to tell anything but the truth … especially concernin’ the North American Wood Ape Conservancy and its ongoin’ field research, nor would they ever allow anyone in our group to give any misinformation about wood apes.  We only report the facts.  Period.  On top of that, not only would they publicly call me out, but most of ‘em would take me to the wood-shed as well!  Remember, the truth is still out there … so until next time, y’all come back now, ya hear?