Arkansas 1981

I don't know how much room I have so I will keep it short. Me and an old buddy who saw That I made a little money trapping wanted to go with me to run my trap lines which were set on tracts of timber the logging outfit I worked for was cutting pulpwood at the time and I would get to work early before anyone else and run my traps during the work week and drive my jeep on weekends to keep them checked and not have any chew their leg off like a bobcat had done before. We were in the Saline River Bottoms and I told my buddy I thought we could limit out on Squirrels on the next tract of timber when we reached the end of my trap line and we were on foot where I usually took a skidder with me but I didn't want to get into trouble etc. So we were a good mile or better and it was cloudy that day and we took off and we were flanking the river to where it had some hills and de ep draws where I shot several squirrels and when we were at the top of this taller ridge that was 50-60 maybe 80 ft above the shoreline below us straight down the cliff and I told Jody to break out some snacks and soda and take us a break .I was right on the edge of the cliff and leaned against a tree that was there and decided to get on my belly and look over the edge to see in a safer way and noticed that it was an overhang and I got up to get back to the tree and told jody about what was down there when I noticed a trail of bubbles that were moving away from a big churning spot like a big fish or whatnot and then there was a waaah sound that I heard when on the ground that sounded like aa cough sort of and there it was again the big rolling churn in the river that was right against the bank below us and the bubbles were going down river and about 200yds away two black objects that I assumed to be Beavers popped up and I raised my rifle a Remington 552 with a scope to get a look and lead on them and Jody heard me click off the safety and said what are you going to shoot and when I said shhh be quiet I saw these two heads climbing out of the water and I had a bead on one or cross hairs and let a round go and they both up and jumped turning back around and went back underwater and didn't come back up for air once and almost at the same place the churning was at the bubbles stopped and it churned out a big roll of water and you could hear the Waaah! through the water and that was it after that we headed downhill to the first draw and made a bee line through the woods back to the jeep and didn't even slow down to catch our breath. I can't say for sure they were anything but they were standing upright and at least 6-7ft tall as the knees were covered in the river still at the last we seen and it made me look at being out in the woods differently when I saw something that I wouldn't want to be out there with alone and I don't take naps anymore in t he woods and I try to be out of the boondocks before dark anymore. My Mama used to say "you better get back before it gets dark, The Booger man will get ya"and I always figured it was a little smoke being blown up my donkey but I'll never look at this world like I did before after seeing those two things and my buddy never went hunting with me or anyone again, he passed in 2015.


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