The Graveyard, Old, secluded and over-grown. Possible Sasquatch hiding place. Options

[Dantallus]

Last weekend I went out to visit my folks in rural Southeast Tx. As many of you know I grew up on a farm about 60 miles north of Houston, bordered by the Sam Houston National Forest. Late Saturday evening I got on my four wheeler and road the 3 miles down the old dirt road, unlocked the gate and proceeded down to the old graveyard. Its overgrown with weeds and brush. It hasnt been mowed or cleaned ud up in about 4 years I later found out from my mother. The cemetery is surrounded by a 10 foot game fence to keep deer from the neighboring game preserve out of it. But I found some interesting signs of possible Sasquatch visitations inlcluding a section of fence that had been pulled up in the corner for easy entry as well some foot impression and possible bedding area. There are wild berries and wild tomatos growing there as well, pecans from two trees that reside there and some strangely stacked shells along with a pair of rocks for cracking them open en-masse I suspect. I found no human footprints of any kind in the dry soil, nor did I find any deer tracks inside the graveyard. I did find some coon tracks on top of a table that sits under the aluminum awning but that's all. Noone had been down here in years and as I sat there for more than an hour just listening I started to get that creeped out feeling when a very quiet series of wood knocks started. I thought about responding with my own but decided to just let things play out so to speak. The grass there is shoulder high to me at 5'10" and the ground has a gentle roll to it down and away from where I sat. From where I was perched I could barely see the top of the game fence on the opposite side of the cemetery and when I heard the wires being pulled in order for something to make it under the fence and into the graveyard with me I had about enough and quickly skirted the field and got some distance. Whoever it was wanted to get up close and personal and I wasnt about to have a face to face with old Squatchy there with no place to run and seriously limited visibility.

I road down the lane a bit and stopped the engine, looking back and listening. I didnt see anything but I heard the corrogated aluminium roof of the old funeral arbor thrum loudly as if something hit it, or threw something at it. I hadnt told anyone where I was going and then decided I had best make my way out of there since dusk was settling. I'm a combat Marine, but I know my limitations, especially being unarmed and amost certainly an unwanted intruder.

I did find some "other" impressions. I'll post the pics as soon as I upload them.

This post has been edited by Dantallus: Nov 6 2009, 10:22 AM

[Dantallus]

Some of the pics I took while researching in the cemetery



An older impression that was protected from the elements because it was under the awning.



This one is a little confusing. I could find no evidence of a tread pattern as in the shole of a shoe or boot but it seemed so smooth. I wish I had casting materials with me for ID of possible DR's.



Another print found near the inside perimeter of the fence.



Bedding area, the grass here is very pressed down and near the section of fence that had been pulled up into a low arch. I found no traces of hair or skin of any type on the fence.



The game fence. Nearly 9 feet high in this section, 10ft in others




The view I had from beneath the arbor. As you can see the growth is very high. I heard the noise of the fence wire being lifted directly across from me beyond the magnolia tree pictured. The tall grass was very matted and pressed down under this tree as well. Excellent concealment.




A view of the lone tree from the other side, you can see the roof of the arbor in the background




Plenty of wild food growing to eat

This post has been edited by Dantallus: Nov 6 2009, 11:41 AM

[FanofSquatch]

Perhaps some BigTex cameras are in order. Do you have a game cam you can put there?

[Dantallus]

Perhaps some BigTex cameras are in order. Do you have a game cam you can put there?

I do own two reconix IR cameras. Both of which have spent time at two other research areas on the San Jacinto and Trinity Rivers with no conclusive photos of anything Sasquatch rleated. After having them in the field for nearly two years I am beginning to fall into the category of researchers who believe the IR or electronic mechanisms in the camera are somehow detectable and that Sasquatch are leary of them, the fact that they have no idea what they actually do is irrelevant. And if you place the camera too far away from the target area all youre going to get is a highly disputable, inconclusive blobsquatch.

Mechanically triggered standard cameras are the only way to go in my opinion. I'll have to get something rigged up and put in place out there ASAP.

Maybe this weekend I can take the SEVTEC down to the river and make the run to go pick up at least one of the RECONIX cams I have setup there and bring it back to my folks.

[Flashman]

Mechanically triggered standard cameras are the only way to go in my opinion. I'll have to get something rigged up and put in place out there ASAP.

Well if it's the high frequency flash squeal that's a problem, or just the appearance or smell of manmade objects, then they will work "just as good" as the other cams.



Beware of over-interpreting strange piles of nut shells until you've read up about "squirrel middens"

[Dantallus]

The pecans aren't what struck me as odd. It was the fact that two stones had been removed from one of the grave sites and left on the table next to the assorted nuts that intrigued me. I have more pics to post which show them. It should also be noted that my great uncle Jo Es grave has multicolored marbles arranged in the shape of a cross on the stone. 7 of these were on the table and 2 on the ground. I knew immediatly where they came from and checked his stone. 9 stones had been pulled or pryed loose. That was spooky. I'll be askiing around the family in to see if anyone remembers gathering up the loose marbles that last time they cleaned the place 4 years ago.

As for the cameras Tex has the right approach. I really liked his camera setup and I think it can deliver excellent results. All unlce hairy has to do is step on the hidden pad

This post has been edited by Dantallus: Nov 6 2009, 02:10 PM

[vilnoori]

Man I haven't heard such a scary story in a while. I do hope you persist in researching via cameras or whatever makes you feel comfortable, but don't give up there.

[FanofSquatch]

Given the area in your opinion is a homeless person a possibilty?

[Dantallus]

Highly doubtful unless they were living off the land 100%. It's feasible that someone may have stumbled across it, but I have family members that have a hard time finding it back in those woods. There are railroad tracks roughly 4 miles away that run alongside the Farm to Market road. Aside form that not really much out there.

This post has been edited by Dantallus: Nov 6 2009, 03:06 PM

[Rex Lee]

Interesting stuff for sure. Hope you will keep us posted....

[VAFooter]

Well, head out there about 1600, find a nice headstone, snuggle up to it, and....wait.

[colstonewall1]

That is creepy Dantallus. I believe i woulda got the heck outta there too my friend!!! I wish I could come down there and stake it out with you, but uh, whistle, I'm a little busy at the moment, LOL!!! Keep up the good work buddy.




And Flashman, you're killin' me with that new avatar, LOL!!! I'm an Elvis Fan too. They didn't call him the KING for nothing.

This post has been edited by colstonewall1: Nov 6 2009, 05:39 PM

[PEPPERSFARMS]

The pictures of the impressions made me think of a hog rooting, the knocking, the rocks for cracking the pecans and the impression under the tent looks interesting.

[ShadoAngel]

Very interesting stuff Dantallus, thanks for sharing!

Any chance you'll go back there [with a buddy or two and a gun] and stake the place out? I'd be willing to go, that location is only about a 4 hour drive from my place. Definitely not as far as Ouachita National Forest and about the same as a few of BigTex's spots. Let me know if you're ever interested in another set of eyes.

In either case, keep up the pictures. The rocks being moved around is honestly one of the weirder things, IMO. About how big are these? Is is something that a smaller animal like a raccoon or squirrel could have moved?

[bipedalist]

Hogs, raccoons and squirrels don't move/uproot tombstones and place them up off the ground!

This post has been edited by bipedalist: Nov 7 2009, 11:38 AM

[ShadoAngel]

The pecans aren't what struck me as odd. It was the fact that two stones had been removed from one of the grave sites and left on the table next to the assorted nuts that intrigued me. It should also be noted that my great uncle Jo Es grave has multicolored marbles arranged in the shape of a cross on the stone. 7 of these were on the table and 2 on the ground. I knew immediatly where they came from and checked his stone. 9 stones had been pulled or pryed loose. That was spooky. I'll be askiing around the family in to see if anyone remembers gathering up the loose marbles that last time they cleaned the place 4 years ago.

There are wild berries and wild tomatos growing there as well, pecans from two trees that reside there and some strangely stacked shells along with a pair of rocks for cracking them open en-masse I suspect.

Hogs, raccoons and squirrels don't move/uproot tombstones and place them up off the ground!

I don't see where Dantallus says that entire tombstones were picked up and moved. Just marbles and rocks/stones. And he doesn't say what size they are and they aren't in the pictures. I was trying to rule out possible culprits for strange behavior before arbitrarily applying it to sasquatch. Obviously if a usual graveyard size tombstone was picked up and moved, that would definitely imply human or sasquatch activity.

[bipedalist]

Yeah, I took the stones part wrong as being gravestones, but whatever moved marbles and stones enmasse? Could be coons, ravens, crows, what for?
To crack pecans? I thought there was another heavier rock found on the table for that?

[Flashman]

Yep, if we're talking a max 2 inch square colored marble decorative pieces, then I could see raccoons moving them, but anything much bigger it can't be. If they were an inch square then maybe crows or magpies would come in there too.

[FanofSquatch]

I have seen crows use altitude to crack nuts, flying fairly high and dropping them, but never a small rock to crack them. I know that crows used to steal these small decroative stones my wife kept in her potted plants but probably because they thought they were food. Racoons are crafty but would they use small stones to crack a nut? There is something going on there and no matter what or who it may be it would be cool to solve the mystery. Kind of a good exercise in field work, scouting the area, looking for signs, setting up some cameras and gathering evidence. Hobo, Bigfoot, giant racoon or maybe even Bin Laden.

[Texas Bigfoot]

Given the area in your opinion is a homeless person a possibilty?

Homeless people always leave trash. Actually most people with homes leave trash as well.

[colstonewall1]

Homeless people always leave trash. Actually most people with homes leave trash as well.

LOL. . .How true. And a good, relative point Dantillus.

[BigTex]

Hey Dantallus. hope you are well. Pretty interesting stuff here for sure........lemme know if you want me to pack up a few of my camera rigs, and head your way.

[Dantallus]

Hey Dantallus. hope you are well. Pretty interesting stuff here for sure........lemme know if you want me to pack up a few of my camera rigs, and head your way.

Sounds like a plan, I should have some time in the next couple of weeks to get out there.

[Dantallus]

The stones or rocks I should say that were moved werent tombstones. They are actually border stones that encircle one of the other graves. Basically 3 or 4 pound river rocks that we brought out to the sight for that specific purpose. I shot all the pics from my Iphone, I'll try to get back out there this weekend with my 8 Meg cam and see if I can get some more detailed shots. I have always suspected that this cemetery, as hidden and protected as it is might be a spot for possible activity, especially with it's proximity to a ready supply of Axis deer raised on the game preserve across the high fence. With the bad weather here over the weekend I wasnt able to fly out and grab my Reconix trail cams, but when I can make the trip up the river I'll get them and bring them back. I'm mulling over setting up a bate station at the graveyard as well. My bait boxes have to be physically opened denoting dexterity. Anything missing from them is a dead give-a-way for primate interaction, wether human or otherwise. Coyotes will give them a go. I have watched and photgraphed them trying to gnaw their way into them to no avail when placed on the ground. Recently I have gone to suspending the boxes at 6 feet at my other sites in an effort to further elimate possible non-human interaction with whatever happens to be placed inside the boxes. I've intentionally left the graveyard alone for years, hoping to give any possible BF's in the area a reason to frequent it, but I think now it's time to get serious about keeping an eye on it again. The portico, with its wooden beams and sturdy roof provides a great spot to hide cameras or recording equipment in it's rafters that are out of the elements, and the ground under the awning is a fine powder, as you can see from the picture I posted above. However being in the open as it is I don't think a Sasquatch would prefer to linger under it any longer than needed without good reason, mainly food in my opinion.

[FanofSquatch]

Take it slow, I think if you bomb the place with frequent visits, bait stations, and cameras that might overwhelm the big guy and spook him off. As much as you think it's a good spot, so does he. I wonder if the wood knocks were a signal to another "honey Im home" kinda thing then the arbor roof bang was done out of anger or territorial warning once it heard the ATV engine. Definatly interesting no matter what you find, please keep us posted.

[Texas Bigfoot]

Sounds like a plan, I should have some time in the next couple of weeks to get out there.

On an unrelated topic, I see you are a Marine. Wednesday is Veteran's Day, and I'd like to thank you and all the Vet's on this board for your service. I sleep quite comfortably under the blanket of freedom you provide, and I don't question your methods of providing it.

[Flashman]

Can't see any "normal" critters moving 3 or 4 lb rocks, apart from hogs or ungulates maybe just knocking them a few inches out of place rooting for a bit of protein supplementation. So it's sounding more interesting.

I'm thinking homo sapiens might pick a big rock for an anvil but for the "hammer", he'd pick something about grapefruit sized, a pound or two. Unless he was making flour, then it would be more like a "double hander" flatter rock to use with a larger flat or bowl-like anvil. So those sound more like what you'd expect for single hand "hammers" for something with bigger hands.

[goatman2448]

Enough cameras for a panoramic view from that awning perhaps.If the theory of BF being able to see or sense IR maybe enough cameras can do the trick being it is a concentrated area and not just a random camera in the middle of the woods on a game trail.Good luck Dantallus!