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The Black Coyote -A New Photo And The Mysterious Red Wolf Connection

January 30, 2025 Chester Moore Leave a comment

“Can you ID this caught on a trail came in Polk County, TX this morning?”

I received that text yesterday along with the following photo.

This is a melanistic -black coyote.

Black (melanistic) coyotes, distinguished by their striking black coats, are a rare and captivating occurrence within coyote populations, particularly in the eastern half of the coyote’s range.

This unique coloration results from a genetic mutation that increases the production of eumelanin, the pigment responsible for black and brown pigments in mammals.

Back in 2021, I wrote of a black coyotes after my friend Todd Jurasek captured a video of one in Southeastern Oklahoma. I wrote the following.

With recent evidence showing red wolf DNA in coyote-like canids on the Texas Coast, it would be interesting to have a DNA sample from this black one.

The red wolf which was native from Texas/Oklahoma to the eastern seaboard had a subspecies called the “black wolf”.(Canis niger). Niger means black in Latin.

In fact, “black wolf” was a term commonly used throughout the South for what is now known as the red wolf due to the presence of black individuals.

This is a red wolf from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service captive breeding program. It’s a little confusing whether Canis niger was considered a subspecies or was actually the name of the red wolf. Either way the link is undeniable.

I have a copy of the 1946-47 Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Biennial Report that goes into detail about wolves in the Bayou State.

Under the headline “Predator Control” the following information is given.

“The Legislature of 1946 increased hunting license fees to $2.00. Twenty five percent of these funds (the increase) were dedicated to predator control.”

Interestingly, the article shows the above photo of a predator control officer with a dead “black wolf”.

The red wolf was declared extinct in the wild in 1980 due to hybridization with coyotes.

In a 2024 article over at deerassociation.com the author notes the first discovery of black coyotes.

During the 1950s, Arthur Halloran of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) was the first to document the appearance of black coyotes in Oklahoma as coyotes replaced the extirpated red wolf.

The article goes on to say that Philip S. Gipson, then with the University of Nebraska, was the first person to investigate melanism in eastern coyotes during the mid-1970s, when they were first making inroads into Arkansas.

Gipson reported that nearly 8% of coyotes in Arkansas were melanistic, with most black coyotes occurring in the northern areas of the state. Because many of the black canids could not be differentiated from typical coyotes, Gipson attributed some of the occurrence of melanism to hybridization with red wolves in Oklahoma and Texas.

It seems my theory from a years ago about black coyotes having a red wolf link way down the line may hold some water. At least it seems the extirpation of red wolves paved the way for melanistic coyotes.

Fascinatingly, in a study you can read here, researchers say that behaviorally, melanistic coyotes exhibit notable differences from their lighter counterparts. Research has shown that black coyotes have larger home ranges, averaging 10.5 square miles compared to 6.7 square miles for standard coyotes. They also demonstrate a stronger preference for areas with substantial canopy cover and shadows.

I saw a black coyote about two miles from my home with (oddly enough) Todd Jurasek who captured the aforementioned black coyote video in Oklahoma.

I had heard about it being spotted near a refinery and we saw it one night on the side of the road near that refinery.

A few weeks later, I was giving a wildlife seminar and a man who lived about 1/2 mile from this spot walked up with a picture of what was no doubt that same animal dead. He had shot it in his backyard (which is perfectly legal by the way.)

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Here’s the truly interesting part.

This all happened within about three miles of a location where some of the last “pure” red wolves were captured from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service’s captive breeding program in 1979-80 timeframe.

I started my career writing my first published column about red-wolf like animals in the area back in the 1990s.

It seems the presence of red wolves at least in the past and black coyotes is one we can no longer igmore. It’s a fascinating look into the removal of the red wolf and show’s that nature is very resilient.

Seeing a black coyote is a real treat and I am glad I got to see this Texas specimen taken by trail camera.

Have you ever seen a black coyote? Do you have photos? I would love to see them. Email chester@chestermoore.com.

Chester Moore

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Feral Primates In America!

January 1, 2025 Chester Moore Leave a comment

In a new ideo, we dive into a fascinating theory: could feral primates in America—such as escaped or thriving populations of orangutans, chimpanzees, or other apes—be behind some Skunk Ape and Bigfoot sightings?

Watch our mini documentary on feral primates in America.

We present:

*Verified photos of feral primates thriving in the wild.

*A mysterious roadkill photo from Louisiana that raises more questions than answers.

*Eyewitness reports of baboon-like creatures spotted in Texas and Louisiana.

This video explores the possibility that some Skunk Ape and Bigfoot-like reports could stem from encounters with escaped or feral apes.

Could these sightings explain some of the more ape-like descriptions of these elusive creatures? Watch and decide for yourself!

Verified photos of feral primates thriving in the wild. A mysterious roadkill photo from Louisiana that raises more questions than answers. Eyewitness reports of baboon-like creatures spotted in Texas and Louisiana.

While we don’t think feral apes are the answer to Bigfoot, this video explores the possibility that some Skunk Ape and Bigfoot-like reports could stem from encounters with escaped or feral apes.

Could these sightings explain some of the more ape-like descriptions of these elusive creatures? Watch and decide for yourself! 💬 What do you think? Are feral primates a plausible explanation for some Bigfoot or Skunk Ape reports? Let us know in the comments!

Chester Moore

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My Uncle And The Rock Apes Of Vietnam

September 11, 2024 Chester Moore 2 Comments

When I was a kid, my Uncle Jackie Moore used to tell us stories about his time in the Vietnam War, and one story, in particular, has stuck with me.

He would never tell us detailed battle stories or anything involving killing.

In fact, he would say quite often, “If someone starts talking about all of their confirmed kills, rest assured they were a cook and never saw combat. The real guys don’t talk about it.”

He would however, talk about his friends and things he saw there.

He said the scariest thing that ever happened to him wasn’t being shot at or navigating through the dense jungles; it was being set up on an ambush and feeling something hit him in the back. When he turned around, expecting to see an enemy soldier, he was shocked to see what he described as a “rock ape” throwing stones at him.

As a child, I imagined these were some kind of apes native to the Vietnamese jungles, but as I grew older, I learned that Vietnam has no native great apes.

What my uncle described was essentially a cryptid—a creature not proven by science. Sightings of these so-called “rock apes” were so common among soldiers that one of his friends in the troop earned the nickname “Rock Ape” because of his muscular build, reminiscent of the mysterious creatures they encountered.

He never spoke of it like a “yeti” or anything but like it was just a normal animal they saw quite a bit in country. It was described as the size of an extra large chimpanzee.

The dense jungles of Vietnam, filled with unknown flora and fauna, have been the backdrop for many stories and myths, especially during the time of the Vietnam War. Among the most intriguing tales are those recounted by Vietnam veterans about their encounters with the ‘Rock Apes’ – mysterious creatures said to inhabit these enigmatic landscapes.

The ‘Rock Apes’, locally known as the Nguoi Rung, have been a part of Vietnamese folklore for generations. Described as small, bipedal creatures covered in hair, these beings are said to be more than just figments of imagination. The stories from soldiers who served in Vietnam add a compelling layer to this legend.

Many veterans who returned from the war brought back tales that go beyond the typical war stories. Among these are numerous accounts of encounters with the Rock Apes. These stories often involve sightings of creatures observing them from a distance, strange noises in the night, and even confrontations.

Some veterans recall moments when they spotted figures moving swiftly through the trees. At first, these were dismissed as enemy soldiers, but the agility and unfamiliar sounds made them think otherwise. These encounters were often brief and left the soldiers puzzled and sometimes frightened.

There are more intense stories where soldiers describe being attacked by these creatures. These confrontations usually occurred at night, with the Rock Apes reportedly throwing rocks or screaming from the darkness, causing confusion and fear among the troops.

While these accounts are fascinating, they are often met with skepticism. Some suggest that the stress and strains of war might have led to hallucinations or misidentifications of known wildlife like monkeys. Yet, the consistency in the descriptions of the Rock Apes by different individuals adds a layer of mystery to these claims.

The stories of Vietnam veterans encountering Rock Apes add a fascinating, albeit eerie, dimension to the history of the Vietnam War. They remain a captivating part of the war’s legacy, reminding us of the untold mysteries that war-torn jungles might hold.

Have you ever heard of rock apes? Did you have an encounter with one in Vietnam?

I would love to hear your stories. You can email chester@chestermoore.com.

Chester Moore

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You can read the story and see the pics here at KBMT.

About That Cougar In Port Arthur

August 16, 2024 Chester Moore 6 Comments

A recent photograph from Port Arthur, TX has sparked debate about whether the animal captured on camera is a cougar (mountain lion) or just an ordinary domestic house cat.

Southeast Texas is within the cougar’s range, despite some state officials downplaying their presence over the years.

They are not common here but they do inhabit the greater Southeast Texas area and are technically native to all of the Lower 48. Actually, they’re native from Canada all the way to Argentina.

A cougar looking quite intense. (Photo by Chester Moore)

Upon close inspection of the photo in question the animal in my opinion is a large domestic cat, made to appear more imposing due to its distance from the camera.

Jan. 2025 Update: Photographic proof of cougars in East Texas. Click here to see.

Perspective can play tricks, and this in my opinion is a classic case of misidentification—a phenomenon I’ve encountered many times in my investigations of alleged cougar sightings.

People make mistakes in identifying things in blurry pictures. It happens.

Over the years, I’ve analyzed numerous photos that were believed to depict cougars. In many instances, these turned out to be domestic cats or even bobcats, their true size exaggerated by camera angles or distances.

Something I noticed about the animal in the photos is the size of the paws. They are domestic cat size in proportion to the body.

Cougars have big paws from juveniles to adults. I have included a photo of me when I filmed with a young cougar in 2013 at a zoological facility.

See how big the paws are?

I have a full body cougar mounted in my office that I inherited years ago. The cat was probably 120 pounds. Notice the paws in comparison to my fairly large hand.

I cast a cougar track around 2010 in Orange County and had a sighting there when I was a teenager at a very close range that I have documented here.

These cats will show up in our area but I am in agreement with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department official consulted by the news agency here.

They said it was most likely a domestic house cat.

I believe it is one as well.

And this comes from someone who has written many articles about these cats in East Texas.

I just don’t believe we’re looking at one here.

I will be glad to be proven wrong with clearer photographic evidence but I don’t see that happening in this situation.

Chester Moore

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Get your tickets and more event details here!

Presenting On Feral Apes & Primates This Weekend!

August 5, 2024 Chester Moore Leave a comment

I”m exciited to be speaking at the Tennessee Wildman & Cryptid Con this weekend.

For those of you who have been following my research, you know that I have a deep interest in feral apes and primates.

I’ve long believed that these creatures play a much bigger role in the cryptozoological narrative than they’ve been given credit for.

At the conference, I’ll be diving into the evidence that suggests these primates are not only real but that they have exist in America for much longer than we might think. I’ll explore historical accounts, modern-day sightings, and the biological plausibility of such creatures surviving in the wild. My goal is to shed light on how these feral apes could be the missing link in our understanding of unusual sightings.

My good friend Randy Hutchings puts on a great event and has been kind enough to help a very special family connected to our Wild Wishes® program come to his events.

Here are the details for my talk and the event:

Event: Tennessee Wildman & Cryptid Con 2024
When: Aug. 10 (9 a.m.-5 p.m.)
Where: Milner Recreation Center, 500 Garfield Street, McMinnville, TN 37110

I hope to see you there and look forward to diving into this intriguing topic together!

Chester Moore

If you would like to contribute to Higher Calling Wildlife’s next expedition in the Smoky Mountains you can donate here.

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So A Guy Said He Saw An 18 Foot Garfish

May 7, 2024 Chester Moore Leave a comment

The mysterious waters of the southern United States have always been a source of fascination and intrigue, especially when it comes to the tales of giant garfish sightings.

These elongated, prehistoric-looking fish have been a part of the region’s folklore for centuries, with old records, alleged sightings, and remarkable captures painting a picture of these freshwater giants.

My Dad had an encounter with a monster he snagged in a gillnet when that was still a legal fishing method in the late 1960s in the Sabine River. He was in a 14-foot aluminum boat and said the gar was 11-12 feet long and had a head nearly as long as his arm.

It finally tore through the net but it lingered in his memories his entire life.

Old Records and Early Accounts

The earliest records of giant garfish in the southern states trace back to the indigenous tribes, who revered these creatures as mystical beings. The Choctaw and Chickasaw tribes in Mississippi and Alabama shared stories of garfish so large they could easily capsize a canoe. In Louisiana, Cajun folklore spoke of garfish that lurked in the murky waters of the bayous, growing to lengths that exceeded the length of a pirogue.

Alleged Giant Gar Sightings

Over the years, there have been numerous alleged sightings of giant garfish that have captivated local communities. In Texas, a fisherman near the Trinity River once claimed to have seen a garfish that was as long as his 18-foot boat. Similarly, in the swamps of Florida, tales emerged of a monstrous gar, dubbed the “Okeechobee Ogre”, which was said to be over 15 feet long.

Record-Breaking Catches

While many of the stories about giant garfish are anecdotal, there have been some remarkable catches that have set records in each state.

Texas: The Lone Star State holds the record for one of the largest alligator gar ever caught. In 1953, a massive gar weighing 302 pounds was reeled in on the Rio Grande. This catch still stands as one of the heaviest verified garfish catches in the United States.
Louisiana: In the bayous of Louisiana, a legendary catch was made in 1991 when a fisherman hauled in a 279-pound alligator gar from the waters of Lake Pontchartrain. This gar measured over 8 feet in length and was considered a behemoth by local standards.
Oklahoma: The waters of Oklahoma’s Lake Texoma were home to a historic catch in 2012. A local angler caught an alligator gar that weighed 254 pounds, setting a state record.
Arkansas: The Arkansas River yielded a record-setting catch in 2004. An alligator gar weighing 240 pounds was caught, astonishing both local fishermen and wildlife officials.
Mississippi: In the deep waters of the Mississippi River, a fisherman caught a 327-pound alligator gar in 1935. This catch is often cited as one of the largest garfish ever caught in North America but like many old records its hard to verify.
Alabama: The Alabama River was the site of a notable catch in 2009, where a fisherman reeled in a 231-pound alligator gar, setting a state record.
Florida: Known for its rich fishing heritage, Florida recorded its largest gar catch in the St. Johns River in 1995, where an angler caught a 209-pound specimen.

Conservation Efforts

As impressive as these catches are, they also highlight the need for conservation efforts to protect these ancient fish. In recent years, there has been a growing awareness of the ecological role that garfish play in the aquatic ecosystem.

Several states, including Texas have implemented regulations to manage and protect garfish populations, ensuring that these living relics continue to thrive in their native waters.

Hidden Elk Populations

There are hidden elk populations in Texas and I discuss them in the latest episode of Higher Calling Wildlife the podcast. Click here to listen or subscribe to the show on Apple Music, IHeartradio, Spotify etc.

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Amazing Story Of An 11-Foot Rattlesnake

March 26, 2024 Chester Moore Leave a comment

In the latest edition of Higher Calling Wildlife® on our YouTube channel, I talk about a long forgotten giant rattlesnake photo.

On a personal level, this is a very special program because it ties into my childhood as I first heard of this photo many years ago.

Check it out here and don’t forget to subscribe.

Working Dogs For Conservation

Working Dogs For Conservation does amazing work using rescued dogs to aid wildlife conservation efforts ranging from wildlife trafficking issues to wild sheep disease.

It’s a two-parter. Check out the episodes at the link below.

Working Dogs For Conservation Pt. 1

Working Dogs For Conservation Pt. 2

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A Tiger At Lake Livingston! Or Was It In Bossier City?

March 14, 2024 Chester Moore 1 Comment

“Tiger spotted at Lake Livingston. (Livingston, TX), y’all be careful out there.”

This text accompanied a photo of a tiger in the water along a brushy area in a waterway that was posted to Facebook and shared thousands of times.

In addition, the post said, “Update: $10,000 reward for whoever can catch it or have information on where this tiger is located.”

That post might have struck my interest a little but I had already seen the same post in stead of Lake Livingston it was allegedly in Bossier City, La.

Then I found another to claimed it was in the San Antonio area.

I found a post attached to the same photos in 2019.

This is simply another example of fake wildlife news.

Photos like this are posted somewhere and for reasons that are beyond me are shared all over the place with locations and details often changed.

I have received the same supposed Texas “black panther” game camera photo on and off or five years from at least half a dozen different locations. The photo is indeed a black panther-a melanistic (black) leopard from Africa.

The tiger situations brings up a fallacy that has been floated for years that Texas has more captive tigers than exist in the wild. I’m not saying that might not have been true 30 years ago, although no one ever did a legitimate survey.

But it’s not true now in my opinion. No way.

There are tigers out there but there’s not one in every city as some have suggested.

There is however an interesting history of tiger escapes that are verified.

*There’s the case of a tiger named India found roaming around the Houston area in 2021.

*Another 2021 story details a tiger that was spotted in someone’s backyard in San Antonio.

*In 2023 a tiger was found in the Dallas area.

Unfortunately, these stories and the fake wildlife news put the focus on captive tigers and unfortunate reality television stars that have them and almost always leave out the fact wild tiger populations are critically endangered.

One of the last Caspian tigers killed in the 1930s.

It’s not as sensational but the fact is in the last 100 years we have lost two tiger subspecies (Javan and Caspian).

There is positive news that numbers have increased slightly in India, China and Russia but they still need major help as habitat loss and poaching are still major threats. Read our story on that here.

*An Amur (Siberian) tiger roaming the wild lands of China. (Photo Feline Research Center of National Forestry and Grassland)*

I believe it’s important to dispel fake wildlife news and that any attention we pay to tigers should be focused on saving the habitat and conserving wild populations.

In my opinion, tigers are the most beautiful animals on the planet.

I would love to see one of the wild, but it’s not about to happen at Lake Livingston any time soon.

Chester Moore

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Ranking The Black Panther Sighting Suspects

February 19, 2024 Chester Moore Leave a comment

In the final installment of our series on black panthers, I rank the seven candidates for what people are seeing in the wild.

It will be controversial, but it is what I truly believe is going on out there.

Please share this video and let people know the interesting work we’re doing on YouTube and here at highercalling.net

Crazy Deer Poaching Case

On my Higher Calling Wildlife® podcast we talk about the most insane poaching story we’ve ever heard. It includes a man posing as a female wildlife photographer on Facebook to get info on urban whitetail buck locations.

Click here to listen or catch on Spotify, Apple Music, IHeartradio, etc.

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