Sunday, January 1, 2017

Research Area - Audio Project Update

A few weeks ago I posted a video about a new spot I have established to leave gifts and monitor with my long duration recorder. This location is within the same general research area I've been working on for well over a year now. This will be the third time I have moved the recorder and gifting spot. At first I was concerned that moving my location every few months might cause a sense of distrust or heavy caution toward me from the family I am interacting with. However, so far this seems to NOT be the case. All three locations have been within a one mile radius of each other. The first two locations proved to be very effective in obtaining audio along with my gifts being taken, however in this third area things still remains to be seen.

Saturday (12/31/16) I visited the area and retrieved fourteen nights of audio that I am now reviewing. The honey bun I previously left was gone and the toy horse appeared to be untouched. Of course the food could have been taken by raccoons, opossums or even coyotes. I suspect most food that I do leave is taken by the common forest critter looking for a snack. Even though this may be true, I have to stick to consistency and routine. While most food may be taken by animals I highly suspect some of it is being taken by the bigfoot. By leaving food over and over I become predictable which is exactly my goal. The more predictable I become, the more trustworthy I become. Of course being predictable puts me at the "tactical" disadvantage, but so be it. This is their home, their forest...their world. I have learned things are done on their terms, not mine.

On this trip I left two cherry pies and a handful of trail mix. I also left an apple in a small tree nearby. I didn't touch the toy horse. We will see if it is eventually taken. I took a small bite out of one of the pies as a means to show they are safe to eat...not to mention I was hungry.
Fourteen 12 hour nights of audio were obtained that I am currently reviewing. On the second night of recording I picked up a pretty amazing coyote pack communicating with each other. Towards the middle of the recording you'll hear one particular coyote very close to the research area. I'm pretty sure I've seen this guy on one of my many night visits. Take a listen...