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?

The gadgets & gizmo series ... the Henry H010 .45-70 and NEBO Tools’ iPROTEC LG170

Meet my new brush gun ... Henry!

     Howdy-do!  Hope everyone is enjoyin’ this awesome spring weather and gettin’ back to doin’ some more time in the grime.  I’ll be headin’ back to Caddo Lake shortly, as well as hittin’ The Big Thicket with my buddy big David Riojas hopefully sometime soon.  And speakin’ of big … a couple of months back I had decided that it was time for me to step-up the caliber of long-gun I use for runnin’ ‘round out there in them woods.  After renovatin’ my vintage 1952 Tula SKS, it seemed that those pointy ‘lil 7.62 by 39mm’s looked a bit minuscule.  Now don’t get me wrong, they can definitely drill a brick as well as pack a Helluva wallop!  But, considerin’ that there are much bigger critters out there than feral hogs, I thought I might need to even-up the odds in my favor just in-case …

     After doin’ lots of research, I chose the Henry H010 .45-70 … “Made in America, Or Not Made At All”.  Folks, let me tell y’all what; when I finally decided on gettin’ a Henry over the Marlin Guide Gun, I was not disappointed!  This gun was a perfect fit for me, and I felt much more comfortable holdin’ it … shoulderin’ it and crankin’ that lever than I did with the competition’s arm.  The Henry has a pistol-gripped American walnut stock with an extremely ergonomic rubber butt-plate which fit perfectly when shouldered.  The overall length of this long-gun ain’t really that long at all; at a mere 39”, it’s the perfect sized brush-gun for throwin’-down on somethin’ big, hairy and chargin’ in heavy cover.

     The Henry weighs only 7.08 lbs. unloaded, and holds 6 rounds … 5 in the tube and 1 chambered.  Matter of fact, the biggest hurdle for me was choosin’ Henry’s tube-feed over a loadin’ port.  Although awkward when I took it to the range for the first time, my buddy Tod Pinkerton suggested I get some of them Pachmayr Snap-Caps to practice my loadin’ skills on.  That was a big help, and I can now do it blindfolded.  Really!  My wife laughs, but I constantly practice sittin’ in my new Browning Strutter huntin’ chair while blindfolded on our livin’ room floor.  Hey, laugh if you may … but I can chamber a round and be fully loaded and ready to shoot in seconds.  The addition of an Uncle Mike’s neoprene butt-stock 6-shell holder helped; which, by-the-way does not slide out of position.  With good shot placement, I don’t reckon any animal could survive takin' a round of .45-70, but havin' another 11 rounds at the ready damn-sure boosts my comfort level!

The .45-70 round dwarfs most loads ...

     My Henry’s first day at the range was memorable; I was slightly unnerved due to the caliber, but even more-so due to my unfamiliarity with this particular gun.  The tactical crowd was already rockin’ & rollin’ … but as soon as Tod and I took our first shots, every head on that range turned to see just what in the Hell we were shootin’.  I had no problem shoulderin’ this beast, which was like unleashin’ the Hammer of Thor!  I went through an entire box of Remington 405 gr., but those loads rainbowed as far as I was concerned.  Tod turned me on to the Hornady FTX LEVERevolution he was usin’, which was only 325 gr. but seemed much-more accurate.  I was shootin’ open sights and did not have any tools to adjust the windage or aperture.  My shot placement was low and to the right, but I noticed immediate shot correction as soon as I fired the Hornady.  Tod had also let me shoot a couple of rounds of his Buffalo Bore 420 gr., but even after shootin’ almost 40 rounds total for the day … I wasn’t a bit sore, nor did my right shoulder bruise any the next mornin’.

A dab of day-glow green is
easier seen by older eyes!

     The Henry is equipped with an XS Ghost Ring rear sight, and a bladed sight on the end of its 18.43” barrel.  I painted the blade’s groove a fluorescent green so it’s easier for me to view.  Tod had a Bushnell TRS-25 Red Dot Sight mounted on his Marlin, and after watchin’ him shoot, I thought it might be a nice future addition for my Henry.  While my groupin’ that day was definitely nothin’ worth mentionin’ here; in my defense, I was firin’ a new gun with open-sights.  Tod was well-grouped within an inch, which sold me on the idea of gettin’ that Red Dot sooner than later.  But before I purchase one, I’ll have to find a Weaver 63B mount, which is what my Henry is tapped for.  I’m currently sittin’ on 6 boxes of the Hornady to help me become more proficient on the range.  I also picked up some Bufallo Bore 350 gr. JFN's, and the Grizzly .45-70 +P 350 gr. BCFP for out in the field.  No, I ain’t goin' to be huntin’ bear; but with these particular loads blastin’ outta my Henry, what doesn’t kill me ... better friggin’ run!

     Lately, the majority of my sloughstalkin’ has transpired at night, so for Christmas before last … my beautiful bride had bought me a Redline Select Titanium flashlight from NEBO Tools.  I liked it so much that I decided to pair the Hammer of Thor with the Green Lantern … so y’all check-out NEBO’s iPROTEC LG170!  This high-powered green light clamps onto the loadin’ tube of my Henry and is activated by pressin’ a sealed dual-mode pressure switch.  This awesome green light has four modes: High = 795 LUX for 8 hrs. at 240’, Medium = 330 LUX for 14 hrs. at 115’, Low = 75 LUX for 15 hrs. at 70’, or a high-powered tactical strobe = 330 LUX LED for 72 hrs. at 240’!  The NEBO iPROTEC is powered by three AAA batteries … is water resistant and the bulb’s life is rated for 110,000+ hours.  Check-out https://www.nebotools.com/ for more details.

iPROTEC mounted with the least amount of wire exposed ...

     As usual, I just cain’t seem to use any gear that’s fresh outta the dang-box, so I had to make a slight modification to my new green light.  Due to my decision on where to position the pressure-switch, the cord runnin’ to the light on my new NEBO was just way too friggin’ long.  The last thing I needed was to snag the cord while in the field.  Carefully dismantlin’ the back of the light, I noticed that the wires were simply soldered to a switch plate.  After measuring, I cut off the excess cord, spliced the wirin’ and then ended-up spendin’ an inordinate amount of friggin’ time tryin’ to re-solder them tiny-ass wires back on to that dang switch plate!  Well now ... it was simply insufferable tryin’ to solder those two friggin’ wires, which were less than a ¼” apart on a switch-plate that was smaller than the diameter of a nickel.  Short of havin’ a mini-man melt-down, the wires finally held and I was able to seal everything back up.  But the hassle and temporary rush of high blood-pressure was well worth the outcome.

     Again, I ain't hawkin' any of this stuff, but when I come across guns, gear, gadgets & gizmos that I think are field-worthy, I'll be sharin' ‘em with y'all right here.  To be quite honest, so far I’ve only tested this new combo by standin’ on my back porch at night.  In new moon conditions, I had shouldered my Henry and lit-up the back fence-line with the iPROTEC … testin’ all four of its modes.  We’re on just over an acre, and that brilliant green light makes everything stand-out.  The real test will happen out in the field at night in a real-live huntin’ situation.  Let’s just assume that if anything fails, whether it's poor aim, bad shot placement or a failed light ... I dang-sure won’t be able to blog about it!  But, I am very confident in this gear as well as my skills, enough to go up against any quarry I may encounter.  Hopefully, that’ll be real dang soon …

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!