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We think this is where the alligators den up in the Winter time

Now you know why it takes me all day to do two or three miles .

There are some serious fish in here

No way to take a 4-wheeler through here.

One of those places

While I was in the Swamp looking for subjects to photo (i.e.: wildcats or black bear) it became painfully clear that in the open, in this forest I may never see another Bobcat out and about. I spent a week searching 1400 acres for tracks of bobcat, bear, deer, pig or anything. There were a couple of fair sized hoof prints from a deer. Keep in mind the canopy of trees was so thick, the older GPS had a hard time tracking. Three times, I walked the two miles of shoreline to the swamp along side of the forest. If any of you have tried to traverse an area this size and of indigenous plant on foot, you know the dilemma. A four-wheeler just will not cut it. You almost need a crew to clear the path just to walk. Yea, it was cold, too, the day after Thanksgiving. One of the locals stated that I would have better luck trying to photo any animal after 10 A.M. Of course, he was speaking for the swamp animals in Central Louisiana . He said the fish was like that too. No wonder I could never catch fish in Black Lake . I was always too early.

Therefore, I chocked this trip up to Murphy. More research or different strategy; something has to give. Know who Murphy is?

Although the population of humans is not that evident in the swamps that I visit, their presence has evidently made a negative impression and created pressures on the animals to move away. There is a multitude of duck blinds on the lake. However, the ‘duck’ here is the winner. The cover is thick and unforgiving.

I found a 10 -12 foot in diameter circle of cypress stumps that was partially submerged. I could not tell if someone had pushed them into the lake floor or they had been planted that way and when grown, cut at all the same height. The size and symmetry of the eight stumps and circle was neat. I have pictures from earlier visits when the water just covered the tops of the stumps. I am hoping for a Spring visit will allow more time for investigation of the phenomena.