Last weekend was awesome as I got to do a seminar on the Ladybird Lake deaths at Texas Frightmare Weekend. We appreciate their support of this media platform.
This is all about raising awareness and keeping people safe in the great outdoors. We featured a Missing in the Wild segment in every episode. This week is the case of Vincent Beradi from the Fort Worth area who went missing in the Davy Crockett National Forest.
Hog attacks are rare. Hog attack fatalities are even rarer but they do happen.
Hogs are misunderstood animals and in reality many people underestimate them which is leading to problems since both hog and human populations are skyrocketing in America.
Hear about the hog attack tragedy in Anahuac TX and why experts believe a sounder of hogs was to blame. Learn why dogs can be a liability in hog country and hear about a case of a legitimate predator hog that pursued humans. Also, learn what to do if attacked by a hog. Y
To subscribe to this blog and get weekly cutting edge wildlife news and commentary, enter your email at the prompt on the top right of the page
Subscribe to the Dark Outdoors and Higher Calling Wildlife podcast directly at Podbean or via all major podcasting platforms such as Spotify, Iheartradio, Apple, etc.
Just when you thought things couldn’t get stranger in the Texas wild, it gets strange.
Madison County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the death and mutilation of cattle along TX-OSR.
“Ranchers advised a 6-year-old longhorn-cross cow had been found lying on her side, deceased, and mutilated on their ranch.
A straight, clean cut, with apparent precision, had been made to remove the hide around the cow’s mouth on one side, leaving the meat under the removed hide untouched. The tongue was also completely removed from the body with no blood spill.
It was noted there were no signs of struggle and the grass around the cow was undisturbed. No footprints or tire tracks were noted in the area.”
To subscribe to this blog and get weekly cutting edge wildlife news and commentary, enter your email at the prompt on the top right of the page
Subscribe to the Dark Outdoors and Higher Calling Wildlife podcast directly at Podbean or via all major podcasting platforms such as Spotify, Iheartradio, Apple, etc.
My plan for the Dark Outdoors podcast season two was to kick it off April 25, but due to the situation on Lady Bird Lake in Austin and all of the interest there I just posted the first episode.
Four bodies have been found in the former Town Lake in one month. And although officials say there have been no signs of foul play it fits a pattern of deaths that has been observed all around the nation involving young men.
To subscribe to this blog and get weekly cutting edge wildlife news and commentary, enter your email at the prompt on the top right of the page
Subscribe to the Dark Outdoors and Higher Calling Wildlife podcast directly at Podbean or via all major podcasting platforms such as Spotify, Iheartradio, Apple, etc.
Paul Fuzinksi of Aptitude Outdoors captured a powerful, inspiring wildlife conservation message by Higher Calling Wildlife® founder Chester Moore.
It took place at the second annual Hunt-Fish Podcast Summit.
If you love wildlife and want to do something about it future, this is a must watch.
Don’t Miss This Intense, Informative Podcast!
My new podcast Dark Outdoors has officially made its debut.
The first episode is calledApex Predators: Ted Bundy And Serial Killers in America’s Forests. And it features an interview with the New York Times best-selling author who sat across from Bundy for six months interviewing him. You can click the image below to listen.
The mission is to save lives and make people of aware of what’s really going on. The outdoors media won’t touch this stuff and mainstream media doesn’t know how to report on it from an outdoors perspective.
You can help by sharing the episode on social media.
I’m excited to debut my new media platform-Dark Outdoors. The mission is to raise awareness to human dangers, animal attacks and strange weather patterns that impact hunters, anglers, campers, backpackers and hikers.
Since you signed up for my blog you will get access to the podcast episodes a day before they are announced to the general public.
It’s called Apex Predators: Ted Bundy And Serial Killers in America’s Forests. And it features an interview with the New York Times best-selling author who sat across from Bundy for six months interviewing him.
I’ve been investigating the dark side of the outdoors experience. In this photo I’m standing at the site of one of of the Moonlight Murders in Texarkana made famous by the 1977 film “The Town That Dreaded Sundown”. Our mission is to share info that can save lives. (Photo by Paul Fuzinksi of Aptitude Outdoor)
The mission is to save lives and make people of aware of what’s really going on. The outdoors media won’t touch this stuff and mainstream media doesn’t know how to report on it from an outdoors perspective.
You can help by sharing the episode on social media.
In my home state of Texas, hundreds of thousands of hunters will take to the field in the morning for the opening of the general whitetail deer season.
That includes yours truly who is excited about the prospect of killing a whitetail or feral hog for the freezer. Venison has nearly sacred status in the Moore household.
Since 2018 I have been writing extensively on what I call Deep Woods Dangers, which are human threats in the great outdoors. The number one in my opinion is encountering unsafe hunters.
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Photo
Most hunters are smart, ethical and sober-minded but annually upwards of 1,000 hunters are shot in incidents in the United States and Canada annually with around 75 of those fatal. This is according to the International Hunter Education Association.
Considering there are millions of hunters in the woods those numbers are low but in my opinion one is too many, much less 1,000.
The number one thing you can do to protect yourself is to wear blaze orange. It is required on most public land but it is not required for example in Texas on private land. Wear it anyway.
I do.
I know it’s not fashionable and the boys at deer camp might give you grief, but deal with it.
Blaze orange shines through the woods like a beacon and someone wearing a full jacket and cap is easily seen. The chances of someone shooting you and think you’re deer or some other game go down dramatically when wearing blaze orange.
Make sure and not only take shots where you have no reason to believe a person or residence is behind the animal but that you can make a clean, ethical kill. (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Photo)
I hunt on a private lease and still feel the need to wear orange.
After a close call where the man next to me in a duck blind was hit with a pellet while duck hunting under the eye, I made a commitment to take hunting safety even more seriously.
He was shot by a young person in another blind not being careful and thankfully did not loose his eye. That’s a different issue than a situation where hunter orange is applicable but it made me think.
If you are shot by a deer rifle you could lose your life. Wearing orange doesn’t guarantee safety but it greatly reduces your odds of becoming a statistic.
Something else to keep in mind (especially on public land) is to keep a cool head. If someone has camped out at the spot you found and beat you there or tries to dispute an area with you let them have it before things get heated.
Tempers flare and there is no hunting location worth losing a life.
Enjoy the hunt. Only take ethical shots and share the venison with the less fortunate.
There are many in our communities these days.
Chester Moore
You can subscribe to this blog by entering your email address at the subscribe prompt at the top right of this page. You can contact Chester Moore by emailing chester@chestermoore.com. Subscribe to the podcast by visiting thehighercalling.podbean.com.
3 friends on fishing trip killed in ‘massacre,’ Florida sheriff says
That headline from last weekend shook me to the core as I just broadcast a radio program about the dangers of encountering bad people on fishing and hunting expeditions. And I have recently written a series of articles on the topic here at Higher Calling.
Polk County, Fla. Sheriff Grady Judd, who has worked at the department since 1972, described the killings as a “massacre.”
“This is a horrific scene,” Judd said in an article at Yahoo News. “I’ve been to a lot of murder scenes in my life, and this ranks among the worst.”
Three friends had gathered to go fish at a remote location and had been friends for years. The victims had been beaten and shot.
Describing the “quiet, quaint” community surrounded by groves, forest and cattle ranches, Judd said the area was “about as far out in the woods as you can get.”
I started writing the Deep Woods Dangers series and doing broadcasts on the topic at “Moore Outdoors” on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI and the Higher Calling podcast two years ago.
It was inspired by a question someone asked me at a seminar.
“Chester, what’s the most dangerous thing you’ve encountered in the woods?”
Without blinking I said, “people”.
This was because of dangerous encounters with people I have had fishing, hunting, and exploring in remote locations. Once I started sharing my stories, others came forth with theirs.
The idea is to let people know they should be extremely cautious in remote locations.
#Bad Vibes: If you feel bad about going into an area don’t go. I am a follower of Christ. I believe sometimes this is the Holy Spirit telling me to stay away. You may nota I elieve that, but just call it a “gut feeling” and go with it.
#Never Alone: As much as I love to be in the distant forest alone with my camera—don’t you do it. Always bring someone along. Preferably someone who is experienced in the woods. You are far more likely to get hurt by evil people if you are alone and in the case of these three young men, even going together didn’t help.
#Pack Heat: If it’s legal where you are then use your Second Amendment right, and carry a firearm. Make sure you are trained in its use and be prepared to do what is necessary.
Better you defend yourself against a maniac than become a statistic. Also, carry a large knife with you. In close quarters it could save your life.
#Study the Area: The Internet is a great tool for studying areas. If you find out an area is a high drug trafficker area for, for example; avoid it like the plague. Stay away!
As society continues to crumble, especially in light of COVID-19 related economic problems, more things like this will likely happen. Evil runs rampant in dark times and it is my goal to prepare good people for what is going on out there.
We should not be afraid of venturing into the woods and on the water but we need to be real and realize there are very real human dangers out there.
By the grace of God and keeping a cool head, I have made it out of several situations where I likely could have been killed.
That’s why I take this so seriously.
Chester Moore
You can subscribe to this blog by entering your email address at the subscribe prompt at the top right of this page. You can contact Chester Moore by emailing chester@chestermoore.com. Subscribe to the podcast by visiting thehighercalling.podbean.com.
Spoken somberly from a National Forest Service game warden, those words got my attention.
As we conversed at the National Wild Turkey Federation convention in Nashville, I asked if he ever worked Humboldt County, Ca.
And as I related a personal experience from there nearly 20 years ago, he recommended the six-part Netflix series.
“There are missing people, murders and drug trafficking. You were lucky to get out,” he said.
In 2002 me and my father set out on a mission to explore the Pacific Northwest after my great white shark cage dive adventure in San Francisco. I had heard a bit about pot growers in the area but nothing that seemed worse than where I live in East Texas.
Boy was I wrong.
One night on our trip we set out to try out our new night vision goggles and to record night wildlife sounds in the stunningly beautiful mountains in the Trinity Alps. When I tell you this was in the middle of nowhere it might be hard for you to imagine just how far unless you’ve been to that part of the world.
We pulled up a few minutes after the sunset and planned to stay through the night.
As Dad started taking out the equipment, I walked over to a good viewing spot to look down into the valley with the night vision goggles.
The moon was full so visibility was high.
If anything came into the clearings below we should get a glimpse, I thought.
Then I saw it.
A beam of light shot up toward our position.
“Dad, did you see that?” I asked as I pulled off the goggles.
“What?”
“A light beam just shone toward us,” I replied.
“I didn’t see it,’ he said.
Neither did I now that the goggles were off.
I put them back on, and a few seconds later I could see the light beam moving up toward us. I took them off and couldn’t see the light.
Immediately I knew that someone was below, traveling with night vision and using an infrared light only visible with night vision technology.
The drug activity warning hit me and I readied to retreat. I knew whoever was down there was not listening for bugling elk like we were.
Just as I shouted for Dad to throw the gear back in the SUV, headlights of a vehicle came on about 3/4 mile ahead of us.
We were on one side of a logging road that cut across a mountain.
This was on the other side of the mountain road. Someone had been signaled.
We shoved our gear into the SUV and sped out of there, but by the time we hit the road so did the truck from the other side. They were headed straight for us. At one point I was going 80 down the mountain, and they were just a few feet away—literally an arm’s length from hitting us.
I knew that was their goal.
After what seemed like forever we got to the base of the mountain on one of the main roads going toward Willow Creek. As soon as we turned back toward that little city, they turned back up the mountain.
The author finds himself in remote locations frequently. And while they are often beautiful like this aspen-covered hill in the Rockies, danger often lurks. The biggest game is usually in the most remote locations and sometimes so are the most evil people.
Had I not went with my gut feeling, we might have been killed or at least gotten into a very tense situation.
Well, being chased down a mountain is pretty tense, isn’t it?
Over the years I have learned a few things about staying safe in the woods from people with bad intentions. Please share this with others.
It could save their lives.
#Bad Vibes: If you feel bad about going into an area don’t go. I am a follower of Christ. I believe sometimes this is the Holy Spirit telling me to stay away. You may not believe that, but just call it a “gut feeling” and go with it.
#Never Alone: As much as I love to be in the distant forest alone with my camera—don’t you do it. Always bring someone along. Preferably someone who is experienced in the woods. You are far more likely to get hurt by evil people if you are alone.
#Pack Heat: If it’s legal where you are then use your Second Amendment right, and carry a firearm. Make sure you are trained in its use and be prepared to do what is necessary.
Better you defend yourself against a maniac than become a statistic. Also, carry a large knife with you. In close quarters it could save your life.
#Study the Area: The Internet is a great tool for studying areas. If you find out an area is a high drug trafficker area for, for example; avoid it like the plague.
Stay away!
I have several areas I no longer frequent because of this issue.
#Stay Calm: If you do encounter people in the woods who seem uneasy or a bit shifty, stay calm. Getting angry or showing fear is a good way to trigger someone who has violent tendencies.
#Travel Plan: Leave your spouse or close friends a travel plan and let them know the points you plan to explore. Give them a time frame. Let them know to call for help if you have not returned by a certain time or day.
#Strategic Parking: Always park your vehicle facing out of the area as you check out. In a tight spot, you don’t want to have to back up and turn around during a retreat. Also park in a spot in a clear area that you can see from a distance. If someone is waiting on you or has moved into the spot, it will give you a chance to assess the situation and prepare.
#Don’t Try to be a Hero: If you see strangers poaching in the woods at night for example, don’t be a hero and try to stop them. They are armed and probably will use their weapons on you if you try to stop them. Call and report activity to local game wardens and get out as quickly as possible.
#Buy And Carry A Beacon: I carry a Spot-X beacon that will alert all rescue personnel at the touch of a button. Don’t rely just on a cell phone. Get a beacon of some kind too.
#Talk To Locals: Not all information is on social media. Talking to locals in a gun shop or sporting goods store can give you good intel on the local region.
Seeking wildlife in the mountains and forest is one of the most exciting things a person can do, but it has its share of dangers. Keep these tips in mind and you should be available to avoid any serious trouble.
After studying a map, I was probably 10 miles or so from the actual Murder Mountain documented in the series but deep in a county with many missing people, murders and mayhem.
Do you have any harrowing stories of running into dangerous people in the woods? If so, email me at chester@chestermoore.com.
You can subscribe to this blog by entering your email address at the subscribe prompt at the top right of this page. You can contact Chester Moore by emailing chester@chestermoore.com. Subscribe to the podcast by visiting thehighercalling.podbean.com.
