I had a disappointing weekend in some respects in regard to my camera trapping project. I was due to refresh Cameras #1 and #2. Yesterday (Saturday) I was not able to get out at all due to some pretty heavy thunderstorms. This pretty much killed any chance I would have to get both cameras refreshed this weekend.
Today's weather wasn't much better but I was itching to get out and do something positive (watching the Cowboys on television sure wasn't a positive experience today). So, I loaded up with some fresh bait, film, and new batteries and set off to get Camera #1 refreshed. If you have been following this project, you will recall that the location of Camera #1 is very near my home. The location was chosen due to an alleged sighting of a large long-tailed cat crossing the road nearby. The camera is set near a dry creek bed and is usually not too difficult to access. However, today the "dry" creek was anything but dry. The creek was overflowing and the surrounding area was a virtual bog. I should have taken one look at this mess and turned around and gone home. However, I decided to plunge into the brush and get the job done. I slogged through the slop, at times sinking ankle deep in mud, and made my way to the camera. I was pleased to see that 20 shots had been taken. However, since the film I've been using has 24 exposures, I needed to manually rewind the film. The camera refused to rewind. I tried everything I could think of to no avail. So, I pulled the camera completely and trudged through the thorny brush and mud back to my truck.
I guess I will take the camera into my photo processor and ask them to remove it in their darkroom. This will probably not be a big deal this one time but will not be a practical solution long-term. It could be that this camera is done.
So, today there was a lot of walking, rain, mud, and frustration. Hopefully, the camera is not dead and will continue to be useful. If not, well, my birthday is coming up. Maybe I can upgrade to a digital model. I will update again once I have the pictures developed.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Saturday, October 3, 2009
The "Hairy Man" of Round Rock
My friend, and fellow TBRC member, Jeremy Wells alerted me to an interesting article on the Texas Tripper website. The article discusses the legend of the "Hairy Man" of Round Rock. I live in Central Texas and try hard to stay up on local legends and folklore but this is one story with which I was unfamiliar. The legend goes that the "Hairy Man" lived along Brushy Creek and harassed travelers there until being run over by a stagecoach and its team of horses as he tried to block the road one fateful night. One version of the story claims the "Hairy Man" was an old hermit who, as a child of early Texas settlers, had been separated from his parents. He grew up alone along the banks of Brushy Creek and came to view that area as his own. Locals still claim the ghost of the "Hairy Man" is seen and heard from time to time along the lonesome stretches of the road adjacent to Brushy Creek.
The "Hairy Man" was said to be covered in hair from head to toe. The locals seemed to believe this was an adaptation that became necessary as the lost child outgrew his clothing. To make the leap from hair covered hermit to the sasquatch is not too difficult. Could the early Texas settlers of the Round Rock and Brushy Creek areas have been seeing a sasquatch all those years ago? I guess we'll never know.
Apparently, this is a pretty big deal in Round Rock. There is a Hairy Man Road in Round Rock and a yearly "Hairy Man Festival" held in October. The article is really more about the festival than the legend but does give the basic background of the legend albeit in a tongue in cheek manner. You can access the story here. You can also access the "Hairy Man Festival" website here.
So, if you aren't doing anything this month and find yourself in Central Texas you might want to stop by and see what the "Hairy Man Festival" is all about. I might have to make that short drive myself.
The "Hairy Man" was said to be covered in hair from head to toe. The locals seemed to believe this was an adaptation that became necessary as the lost child outgrew his clothing. To make the leap from hair covered hermit to the sasquatch is not too difficult. Could the early Texas settlers of the Round Rock and Brushy Creek areas have been seeing a sasquatch all those years ago? I guess we'll never know.
Apparently, this is a pretty big deal in Round Rock. There is a Hairy Man Road in Round Rock and a yearly "Hairy Man Festival" held in October. The article is really more about the festival than the legend but does give the basic background of the legend albeit in a tongue in cheek manner. You can access the story here. You can also access the "Hairy Man Festival" website here.
So, if you aren't doing anything this month and find yourself in Central Texas you might want to stop by and see what the "Hairy Man Festival" is all about. I might have to make that short drive myself.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Update on Orang-Pendek Sighting
Loren Coleman has updated the story of the orang-pendek sighting in the rainforest of Sumatra over at his Cryptomundo site.I will not summarize it here as you are all capable of reading it for yourself. It is quite interesting. So far, things look promising.
Check the story out here.
Check the story out here.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
2009 Texas Bigfoot Conference Wrap-up
I just returned from the Texas Bigfoot Conference in Tyler, Texas. I've got to say that the line up of speakers was sensational. Attendees were treated to a virtual who's who in the field of serious sasquatch research. Some of the highlights are summarized below.
Primate biologist Esteban Sarmiento gave a very informative talk on great ape anatomy. He discussed physical characteristics of chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans and then compared what is known about these great apes versus physical characteristics and locomotion demonstrated by the sasquatch filmed by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin at Bluff Creek in 1967.
Baylor University sociology professors Chris Bader and Carson Mencken presented the results of two different surveys they undertook regarding the demographics of those who casually believe the sasquatch is a real animal versus those who seriously research the sasquatch phenomenon. This survey will be available soon online at the TBRC website and, hopefully, here on this site. The results were quite interesting and in direct contrast to the way researchers are often portrayed in the media.
Wildlife biologist and naturalist John Mioncynzski spoke about the strategies he and Dr. Jeff Meldrum of Idaho State University are using in their North American Ape Project. He spoke about plant surveys which can help indicate if there is enough food in a given area to support an animal the size of a sasquatch, discussed advantages of gigantism for survival, and several other fascinating tidbits which really got me thinking about some ways to tweak existing research strategies. I was also privileged to hear about Mioncynzski's own encounter with what he believes was a sasquatch back in the early 1970s. This encounter was featured prominently on The History Channel's Giganto: The Real King Kong. His story of having his tent collapsed by the creature and then having pinecones lobbed at him from the brush for the rest of the evening was mesmerizing.
Maybe the true high point of the conference was the banquet that evening featuring adventurer, wildlife author, and naturalist Peter Matthiessen as keynote speaker. Matthiessen is revered by wildlife experts the world over for his research on the snow leopard of the Himalayas. Matthiessen held the audience rapt with stories of his adventures. He discussed his own sighting of what may very well have been a yeti in a remote and, at that time, previously unexplored Himalayan valley, his work with early bigfoot researchers such as John Green and Rene Dahinden, and his plans for writing a book on the subject of the sasquatch. It was truly a once in a lifetime chance to hear this man speak.
Other conference speakers were Daryl Colyer, Alton Higgins, Jerry Hestand, Bill Draginis, Dr. John Bindernagle, and Loren Coleman. All of these speakers did an outstanding job and only added to the professional and scientific nature of the conference.
One special treat was a guest appearance by none other than Bob Gimlin. Gimlin was present when Roger Patterson filmed what is generally considered the most compelling video evidence of a sasquatch ever captured. The film has been dissected ad nauseum over the years. It has supporters and detractors. For various reasons I've always felt it was likely genuine. Hearing Gimlin personally recount the events of that day was a once in a lifetime experience. I can also tell you that Bob Gimlin is one of the nicest people I've met anywhere.
The conference rejuvenated me to a large degree. It is so easy to become jaded and fed up with the shenanigans that go on in this field. Things like the Georgia hoax, negative media portrayals of the subject, and Biscardiesque snake-oil salesmen hoping to exploit the phenomenon for a buck all take their toll on those of us who try to go about documenting this animal in a serious and scientific manner. It is so easy to become discouraged. I find the fire in my belly rekindled. I can't wait to get back out in the field.
In addition, the conference gave me several ideas for future entries. I think, too, I will do a series of write-ups on "The Classics" of sasquatch encounters over the years. In addition, I would also like to do a series of write-ups on the most commonly used arguments used to dismiss the possible existence of this animal and my thoughts on whether said arguments are valid.
So, I guess I will be hanging around and doing this a little while longer. It continues to be a fun ride.
Primate biologist Esteban Sarmiento gave a very informative talk on great ape anatomy. He discussed physical characteristics of chimpanzees, gorillas, bonobos, and orangutans and then compared what is known about these great apes versus physical characteristics and locomotion demonstrated by the sasquatch filmed by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin at Bluff Creek in 1967.
Baylor University sociology professors Chris Bader and Carson Mencken presented the results of two different surveys they undertook regarding the demographics of those who casually believe the sasquatch is a real animal versus those who seriously research the sasquatch phenomenon. This survey will be available soon online at the TBRC website and, hopefully, here on this site. The results were quite interesting and in direct contrast to the way researchers are often portrayed in the media.
Wildlife biologist and naturalist John Mioncynzski spoke about the strategies he and Dr. Jeff Meldrum of Idaho State University are using in their North American Ape Project. He spoke about plant surveys which can help indicate if there is enough food in a given area to support an animal the size of a sasquatch, discussed advantages of gigantism for survival, and several other fascinating tidbits which really got me thinking about some ways to tweak existing research strategies. I was also privileged to hear about Mioncynzski's own encounter with what he believes was a sasquatch back in the early 1970s. This encounter was featured prominently on The History Channel's Giganto: The Real King Kong. His story of having his tent collapsed by the creature and then having pinecones lobbed at him from the brush for the rest of the evening was mesmerizing.
Maybe the true high point of the conference was the banquet that evening featuring adventurer, wildlife author, and naturalist Peter Matthiessen as keynote speaker. Matthiessen is revered by wildlife experts the world over for his research on the snow leopard of the Himalayas. Matthiessen held the audience rapt with stories of his adventures. He discussed his own sighting of what may very well have been a yeti in a remote and, at that time, previously unexplored Himalayan valley, his work with early bigfoot researchers such as John Green and Rene Dahinden, and his plans for writing a book on the subject of the sasquatch. It was truly a once in a lifetime chance to hear this man speak.
Other conference speakers were Daryl Colyer, Alton Higgins, Jerry Hestand, Bill Draginis, Dr. John Bindernagle, and Loren Coleman. All of these speakers did an outstanding job and only added to the professional and scientific nature of the conference.
One special treat was a guest appearance by none other than Bob Gimlin. Gimlin was present when Roger Patterson filmed what is generally considered the most compelling video evidence of a sasquatch ever captured. The film has been dissected ad nauseum over the years. It has supporters and detractors. For various reasons I've always felt it was likely genuine. Hearing Gimlin personally recount the events of that day was a once in a lifetime experience. I can also tell you that Bob Gimlin is one of the nicest people I've met anywhere.
The conference rejuvenated me to a large degree. It is so easy to become jaded and fed up with the shenanigans that go on in this field. Things like the Georgia hoax, negative media portrayals of the subject, and Biscardiesque snake-oil salesmen hoping to exploit the phenomenon for a buck all take their toll on those of us who try to go about documenting this animal in a serious and scientific manner. It is so easy to become discouraged. I find the fire in my belly rekindled. I can't wait to get back out in the field.
In addition, the conference gave me several ideas for future entries. I think, too, I will do a series of write-ups on "The Classics" of sasquatch encounters over the years. In addition, I would also like to do a series of write-ups on the most commonly used arguments used to dismiss the possible existence of this animal and my thoughts on whether said arguments are valid.
So, I guess I will be hanging around and doing this a little while longer. It continues to be a fun ride.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Expedition Sights Orang Pendek
The report below was posted by Loren Coleman at Cryptomundo.
“Yeti sighted in Jungle !!!! Two team members have sighted the Yeti while we were in the jungle. I heard a large animal moving towards us. Subsequently the creature was then sighted by team member Dave Archer and Sahar Didmus, a forest ranger. I have a sworn affadavit from Sahar to that effect. It hid from us by a tree, before moving rapidly and bipedally through the jungle. Dave describes the OP [Orang Pendek] as looking almost chimpanzee-like. Sahar was so upset and disturbed he began sobbing, and I had to comfort him. We have taken hair samples found at the site, and bagged some rattan which it was eating. We will have these analysed by Todd Disotell. Numerous tracks also found……………!!!!!!!!” ~ Adam Davies (enroute out of Indonesia via Singapore)
If true, this could be a ground breaking event which opens the door to more extensive research on cryptids the world over. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the evidence Adam Davies brings home is strong enough to prove the existence of these creatures.
More as details roll in...
“Yeti sighted in Jungle !!!! Two team members have sighted the Yeti while we were in the jungle. I heard a large animal moving towards us. Subsequently the creature was then sighted by team member Dave Archer and Sahar Didmus, a forest ranger. I have a sworn affadavit from Sahar to that effect. It hid from us by a tree, before moving rapidly and bipedally through the jungle. Dave describes the OP [Orang Pendek] as looking almost chimpanzee-like. Sahar was so upset and disturbed he began sobbing, and I had to comfort him. We have taken hair samples found at the site, and bagged some rattan which it was eating. We will have these analysed by Todd Disotell. Numerous tracks also found……………!!!!!!!!” ~ Adam Davies (enroute out of Indonesia via Singapore)
If true, this could be a ground breaking event which opens the door to more extensive research on cryptids the world over. Let's keep our fingers crossed that the evidence Adam Davies brings home is strong enough to prove the existence of these creatures.
More as details roll in...
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Big Cat Project Update
I fought off some unseasonably hot September Texas weather and a stomach virus in order to go out check on Camera #3 this past weekend. I removed the old film, loaded the camera with a new roll, and refreshed the batteries. I had the film developed that afternoon and found I only captured photos of deer and a raccoon.
I was excited, however, by the fact that the camera fired 89 times. I am limited to only 24 pictures due to it being a 35mm film camera but the number of shots triggered tells me that I am in a good spot with this camera. I might have done better as far as the variety of animals photographed if bad weather had not come through the area two days after I deployed the camera. The severe weather, no doubt, caused a lot of swaying of vegetation and trees which triggered the camera quite a few times. Unfortunately, this ate up most of the 24 exposures on the roll of film. I am quite curious as to what I missed once the camera ran out of film. I plan on upgrading to digital cameras as soon as possible. This spot will be where I place the first upgrade.
I was excited, however, by the fact that the camera fired 89 times. I am limited to only 24 pictures due to it being a 35mm film camera but the number of shots triggered tells me that I am in a good spot with this camera. I might have done better as far as the variety of animals photographed if bad weather had not come through the area two days after I deployed the camera. The severe weather, no doubt, caused a lot of swaying of vegetation and trees which triggered the camera quite a few times. Unfortunately, this ate up most of the 24 exposures on the roll of film. I am quite curious as to what I missed once the camera ran out of film. I plan on upgrading to digital cameras as soon as possible. This spot will be where I place the first upgrade.
The Top 5 Scariest Cryptids
I came across a fun post on The Gralien Report blog-site where the writer lists the five scariest cryptids in the world. None of the cryptids listed roam the Lone Star State but it is a fun post. I was especially interested in the "batsquatch" of Washington State. Supposedly, this creature was photographed. I will try to find online images of these photos.
You can check out the list here.
You can check out the list here.
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