Yowie food; for thought? (Pun Intended)

[Slats]

G'day All
I have been reading up previous threads and reports regarding what yowie's eat. Now, IF they are F&B (and I don't discount the "paranormal" evidence as it all builds a picture) it would be a safe assumption to say they are omnivorous. I also believe that they would forage similarly to the aborigines as well as hunt/scavenge meat as required.

Has anyone tried tracking/searching by way of seasonal/regional food sources?

I ask because I haven't found any previous threads regarding this information and I think that it would be an interesting line of investigation.

[Rusty2]

Hey Slats , a previous member on here from years ago (Mr x) found what he believed to be a yowie scat .

He sent it to me and I examined it . From memory it had Wallaby , deer , pig , rodent and possum hair in it . It also had 2 types of beetle shells and wild fig seeds in the scat .

He also sent it to Dr Brunner (Hair ID) who found it very interesting that an animal would have such diverse eating habits .

Neil frost once found a very large scat with bird seed in it which came from the neighbouring property . We both speculated that it would be possible to track them via their stomach IF you could find the scat .

[Slats]

Hi Rusty, I think it would be possible and I'm theorizing by following seasonal food resources for example spring/summer you might see an increase in foraging for wild flowers and native fruits and autumn/winter and increase in hunting/scavenging for animals.

I starting looking further into it after I purchased a bush tucker book for South-Western Australia. I noticed in the book a particular shrub we have here called parrot bush, the nectar can be sucked directly from the flower. This discovery added some extra depth to possible encounter I had when out one night. On the opposite side of a parrot bush thicket as I approached the location I heard what I believe to be a "stamp stamp slap" needless to say I didn't stay to long after that. I also couldn't get into the area to check it out for any sign (I reckon every shrub over here wants to spike you with something).

This posed a more questions about the encounter for me.
If it was a yowie did I disturb it foraging?
And if so, was it trying to protect it's food source?
And why not just let me pass by?

[Simon M]

This is an intriguing line of enquiry!

[Rusty2]

Interesting , I suppose if you were to map out where each edible plant or food source is then you may be able to predict where activity might be more likely in each season . Water would play a big part in it .

For me stomping is a dead give away , you can hear the weight and know it's heavier than you . I've had it happen a number of times and generally got the idea that it just meant don't come any closer , I suppose you may have interrupted his dinner .

[Slats]

So from what I can gather our hairy mates seem to be nomadic within a home territory. This territory is often within mountainous or steep hilly terrain and is in close proximity to a large water source.

Sightings in WA don't seem to follow any seasonal patterns i.e. sightings occur in different locations at similar times of the year. This would suggest they have a home territory. The size of the said territory is unknown and would differ from individuals to family groups.

Information about habituation situations from the eastern side of the country is suggestive that habituation only happens during certain months of the year. This seems to be indicative of a nomadic existence.

Reported sightings in WA are within a reasonable travelling distance to a water source. However water sources would definately include springs and underground water which would be difficult to pin down.

So within any given location research could be conducted into previous flora and fauna surveys that have been conducted in the area. Further survey would need to be conducted to find and mark edible flora, locations of condensed fauna activity and times of the year that this may occur. Estimates could be made to the size of a home territory but would only be speculative.

Like you suggested Rusty it may be possible to predict activity locations by season.

I think it could possibly produce more physical evidence like scat or hair because I would be following food sources in a location and then looking for common signs rather than just searching with a bit blind luck to come across evidence or chance a sighting.

And at the end of the day it would help further hone your bush craft skills!

[Slats]

This is an intriguing line of enquiry!

Hi Simon
I think so too. I haven't been able to find if any other researchers have looked into it. If we keep doing the same things we won't move forward.

Cheers

[Rusty2]

Information about habituation situations from the eastern side of the country is suggestive that habituation only happens during certain months of the year.

I fed mine for 16 months staright , didn't miss 1 weekend delivery . The thing was , for 4 or 5 weeks out of the whole year during the coldest part of winter they weren't there to greet me with their stomping . BUT they still came and collected the tucker at a time that was convenient for them .

I'm guessing but I'd reckon they moved into a cave to escape the cold .

Things may be different in more arid parts of the country where food and water isn't so plentiful .

[Slats]

Wow that's awesome Rusty might throw my nomadic theory out the window.
If I can ask why did you stop?

[Rusty2]

might throw my nomadic theory out the window.

Nah I wouldn't . It would seem to me that they would have their own personalities . So , some loners or groups of loners may wander nomadically .

If I can ask why did you stop?

It had taken a lot of time and money to create a friendship (mostly one sided) and I didn't want to screw them over because I wanted something .
I needed to find another way and I did .

[Zed]

That's a really good idea, I had wondered the same thing myself.

If each of us researched a particular plant and someone with more programming knowledge than me created a map, we might see a "food source" pattern.

Zed

[Slats]

So I think for this to work I'm going to have to choose a location that has current or previous activity. Then spend the time researching previous surveys and conducting my own surveys and marking locations of food resources on a map or gps (when I get a new one 'coz my old one died). During this period of time using audio recorders to confirm activity including duration within the location.

My only concern is that our hairy mates are going to catch on to what I'm up to if I'm frequenting an area constantly.

Rusty
That's great that you think that way. I hope others would do same if faced with a similar problem.

Zed
That's my hope by conducting this line of research. My other problem being in WA there is not alot of other field researchers around to assist but if it proves to work it could be reproduced in any location and hopefully increase the broader knowledge base.

Time will tell

[hillbilly]

Has anyone ever been left a gift from a Yowie? I am wondering this because at the bush area I frequent, where there has been growls, trees pushed and wood knocks, there are often beetles stuck on barbed wire fence barbs.
If you think about a beetle, a Christmas beetle for example, and picture it impaled on a barb on a fence. But not just one beetle. Perhaps six over fifty metres of fence. Always on the top rung of barbed wire.
Or do crows do this for fun? Are the beetles inedible? Any thoughts?

[TheBlackStump]

Hi hillbilly

That is interesting and weird about the beetles on barbed wire.

About beetles being edible. Beetles were/are part of the Aboriginals bush tucker diet. Perhaps there may be some beetles they avoid that may be poison or taste bad.

Also I have a family/cackle of Kookaburras that visit me multiple times daily for some 5 years now. Any beetles , cicadas I find I save for burras and hand feed them and they do eat all kinds of beetles without hesitation. Usually 2-3 crunches with their beak and down the hatch. So to burras beetles are not poison.

[Slats]

Hi Hillbilly
Rusty mentioned that MrX found what he believes was a yowie scat and that contained two types of beetles (mentioned earlier in this thread) it's believed they are omnivorous so I personally would think that they would eat them a bit of extra ruffage maybe.

Regarding gifting, I remember watching a YouTube episode of The Yowie Chronicles he believes that he was gifted to by the ones that are around his property.

Next time you see the beetles, maybe take them and leave something in return, not necessarily food but something shiny and interesting. It can't hurt I wouldn't think.

[Yowie bait]

Hi Hillbilly
Rusty mentioned that MrX found what he believes was a yowie scat and that contained two types of beetles (mentioned earlier in this thread) it's believed they are omnivorous so I personally would think that they would eat them a bit of extra ruffage maybe.

Regarding gifting, I remember watching a YouTube episode of The Yowie Chronicles he believes that he was gifted to by the ones that are around his property.

Next time you see the beetles, maybe take them and leave something in return, not necessarily food but something shiny and interesting. It can't hurt I wouldn't think.

Good point Slats. If the bugs are gifts then they need to be taken or preferably eaten as to not to offend the hairys. Most likely dead things stuck on barbed wire would be possibly from butcher birds?
I was feeding something i assume were yowies for nearly a whole year with the exception of a few very hot weeks in summer. It was always taken so whatever it was was still checking the spot.

Some notable things were rocks left in place of food and rock stacks in the adjacent creekbed being removed and changed around. The few times i left packaged food, it wasnt taken and the choc nut bars i left were thrown about unopened as if someone had a tantrum with a few i couldnt account for. It was suggested to me that they could be allergic to peanuts.

The only times the food wasnt taken, it was eaten there but mostly taken.

Whatever it was, was incredibly fussy and wouldn't take sub par fruit. I sampled all the fruit and it was fine but some corn for example was left to rot with only one cobb eaten or sampled while more expensive corn was taken. If any food was left, it wasnt eaten by anything and left to rot which i found odd as you would think the possums would eat it?

In the end i started leaving gemstones instead of food. I hid them really well and they were taken.
After awhile i was getting blocked out of the area and had to crawl in. Id been told not to overstay any one area but i persisted and experienced what i would call bad vibes or felt repelled in the end when i went in there. Hope thats a help!

[Ray Doherty]

I personally believe that there understanding this facet is key to tracking them, in our experience they are Omnivores, especially around bush fruits, bulb plants, and all other things Rusty has mentioned..........and that has led us to some amazing experiences

[Slats]

Thanks YB and Ray
It's great to get the feedback that I'm on the right track. I personally think that I may be able to get more information about habits centred around territory and maybe migration/nomadic patterns which hopefully will help to validate experiences and encounters others have had.

You never know maybe we can get some "mainstream science" to start looking aswell. Fingers crossed!

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Hi Hillbilly
Rusty mentioned that MrX found what he believes was a yowie scat and that contained two types of beetles (mentioned earlier in this thread) it's believed they are omnivorous so I personally would think that they would eat them a bit of extra ruffage maybe.

Regarding gifting, I remember watching a YouTube episode of The Yowie Chronicles he believes that he was gifted to by the ones that are around his property.

Next time you see the beetles, maybe take them and leave something in return, not necessarily food but something shiny and interesting. It can't hurt I wouldn't think.

Good point Slats. If the bugs are gifts then they need to be taken or preferably eaten as to not to offend the hairys. Most likely dead things stuck on barbed wire would be possibly from butcher birds?
I was feeding something i assume were yowies for nearly a whole year with the exception of a few very hot weeks in summer. It was always taken so whatever it was was still checking the spot.

Some notable things were rocks left in place of food and rock stacks in the adjacent creekbed being removed and changed around. The few times i left packaged food, it wasnt taken and the choc nut bars i left were thrown about unopened as if someone had a tantrum with a few i couldnt account for. It was suggested to me that they could be allergic to peanuts.

The only times the food wasnt taken, it was eaten there but mostly taken.

Whatever it was, was incredibly fussy and wouldn't take sub par fruit. I sampled all the fruit and it was fine but some corn for example was left to rot with only one cobb eaten or sampled while more expensive corn was taken. If any food was left, it wasnt eaten by anything and left to rot which i found odd as you would think the possums would eat it?

In the end i started leaving gemstones instead of food. I hid them really well and they were taken.
After awhile i was getting blocked out of the area and had to crawl in. Id been told not to overstay any one area but i persisted and experienced what i would call bad vibes or felt repelled in the end when i went in there. Hope thats a help!

Hey yowie bait, hows things. Im currently experiencing getting blocked to get into my spot, by sticks driven into ground in an x and snapped trees across my track. Its only been a month, how long is too long in your opinion?

[Yowie bait]

Hi Hillbilly
Rusty mentioned that MrX found what he believes was a yowie scat and that contained two types of beetles (mentioned earlier in this thread) it's believed they are omnivorous so I personally would think that they would eat them a bit of extra ruffage maybe.

Regarding gifting, I remember watching a YouTube episode of The Yowie Chronicles he believes that he was gifted to by the ones that are around his property.

Next time you see the beetles, maybe take them and leave something in return, not necessarily food but something shiny and interesting. It can't hurt I wouldn't think.

Good point Slats. If the bugs are gifts then they need to be taken or preferably eaten as to not to offend the hairys. Most likely dead things stuck on barbed wire would be possibly from butcher birds?
I was feeding something i assume were yowies for nearly a whole year with the exception of a few very hot weeks in summer. It was always taken so whatever it was was still checking the spot.

Some notable things were rocks left in place of food and rock stacks in the adjacent creekbed being removed and changed around. The few times i left packaged food, it wasnt taken and the choc nut bars i left were thrown about unopened as if someone had a tantrum with a few i couldnt account for. It was suggested to me that they could be allergic to peanuts.

The only times the food wasnt taken, it was eaten there but mostly taken.

Whatever it was, was incredibly fussy and wouldn't take sub par fruit. I sampled all the fruit and it was fine but some corn for example was left to rot with only one cobb eaten or sampled while more expensive corn was taken. If any food was left, it wasnt eaten by anything and left to rot which i found odd as you would think the possums would eat it?

In the end i started leaving gemstones instead of food. I hid them really well and they were taken.
After awhile i was getting blocked out of the area and had to crawl in. Id been told not to overstay any one area but i persisted and experienced what i would call bad vibes or felt repelled in the end when i went in there. Hope thats a help!

Hey yowie bait, hows things. Im currently experiencing getting blocked to get into my spot, by sticks driven into ground in an x and snapped trees across my track. Its only been a month, how long is too long in your opinion?

Hi theOTyoWAYS777
What i was told was to only go to a place once or twice. Have a look around and leave your gear etc then pick it up at a later date and dont go back to the same area. Unless of course you need some sort of comparison shot. Otherwise find a new spot.

I never heeded that advice and figured that i was interacting and helping out by feeding them..whatever they were and i was there all the time.


Like you , i walked same way in and out usually each time and one thing i noticed was that large logs i was using as markers would dissapear, as well as markers of areas of interest like large plastic bottles and logs moved to different areas once i would frequent there. Even a log i was sitting on for lunch when working in the area was covered with broken branches and an uprooted tree.

I noticed that if i followed what i interpreted as markers or blockers then i was left with a narrow area to traverse and was almost being pushed back towards the walking track.

The first time i went beyond or around these percieved markers is when i had a proper encounter or sighting which i took as a warning or just to let me know that they were around but i dont know what it meant. This only encouraged me more.


I think if you are doing proper resesrch then the one time only deal is the go but if you are going to frequent a place with intent to find them, then maybe best to heed what you may percieve as warnings.

i know that some researchers that go back again to the same place but alternate with other areas so its not every week.

I would say use your own judgement. You may percieve the growling as an interaction but lets face it. Growling is not good and i would say it means stay back!

Best to respect the hairys privacy. We dont know if theyre raising young or breeding or whatever. If thats them growling at you then that proves they are very tolerant. They could easily show themselves and scare the living hell out of you and your mate as well!

Its easy to get mixed messages, jump to conclusions and be encouraged by these signs, it is an encounter that most are after but we dont really know whats up with the hairy men so best be wary! Everyone was telling me the signs were b.s and i was imagining things then i saw a hairy in the area i " imagined" was no go. I was also told that if you feel like you shouldn't be there then leave. Trust your instincts. If they do get nasty ,theres nothing you can do. Hope thats a help!

[theOTyoWAYS777]

I never thanked you for the reply yowie bait. Cheers. Helped a lot.🖒

[Yowie bait]

No worries Otyoways. Glad i could help out!