Bulk otways activity. Need advice

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Hi, im from geelong and have been going out to the otways recently to do some very basic research, in other words just gettin out there to look around. Ive been interested in the subject
For a few years but wasnt keen on going alone. My mate recently became interested so off we went about 4 weeks ago. We know the otways pretty well due to our fishing addiction, so we headed to some pretty remote parts.. immediately we started finding "signs" like sticks big and small, thick and thin driven at least 100mm into the ground besides roads and tracks , we noticed the further you get away from civilization the more of these sticks, and majority seem to be at an easy access to some steep valleys, although weve found em at heaps of other spots. My first effort of reasoning what it is, was maybe hikers. But after seeing literally hundreds of these not just on roads but deep in the scrub, i doubt it. We also noticed x markers stuck in the ground like the sticks, usually at an entry point to the valleys. I have photos if anyone is interested. Also along with arches, tee pees, and very unnatural things like sticks stuck sideways into tree trunks way off track, plus thick weaved logs etc...
we felt we were onto some areas with potential.
This is where things got pretty full on, now i dunno if we got lucky or unlucky. But we walked down a secluded track for ages then we both heard a knock. Our eyes lit up and both said, hear that?. So we went towards the sound into the forrest and down the valley a little bit, and found a big dead tree and knocked back.. straight away we got multiple knocks back and this went back and forth at least 10 times each of single knocks through to 6 or 7, until we heard the most intense growl/groan/grumble vocal. It was NOT a koala, this came from a big animal. I s#@t myself and we decided to leave.
Now weve been back 6 times since, and have got more knocks every time except 1. And every time we return something or someone has added sticks driven in the ground in the way of our entry point to the big dead tree we knock on. Theyve even pulled a tree across the secluded track and drove two sticks in the ground to make an x in front of it! Every visit there is new unnatural obstacles in our way. The last two visits ive noted them becoming wayyy more active. Constant knocks from at least 4 directions, sometimes all around us. They sound pretty close but its hard to tell. Now the most recent visit which was yesterday, i took a mate that is or was pretty skeptical. As soon as i knocked . We heard that brutal growl but this time it sounded super close, the look on my mates face told the story. Then followed plenty of growls and knocks but the knocks sounded more vocally than usual. The difference in this trip was wayyy more growls and their efforts to block our entry point was obvious. So i have a question for anyone that thinks they can help. Are they trying to warn us or let us know to basically piss off? Is it getting to a point its not safe? Or are they playing and communicating? We get more activity each time and i believe they are coming closer. Is it trust or something more sinister? I know there is no "correct" answer. Just looking for opinions. I msg'd a couple of people on here looking for advice and took it all on board so if any of yous read this, dont think i didnt listen. I just wanted to hear from some others aswell and share our crazy last month of seriously confusing events that im struggling to explain. The fishing addiction has a serious contender. Cheers

[Wolf]

Can you post some photos of the Yowiesign?

Sounds to me like they are trying to tell you to piss off, but yes, they are very curious animals.
Try going out with a decent camera, not so much for footage but for sound capture.

You might find once they see the camera you get no activity though.

[Slats]

Hey Otways
In my opinion I believe the sticks are territory markers. If a stick is on an angle, the end off the ground will point towards human activity. I've had stomping and a tree slap near a large thicket of parrot bush (a possible WA food source) and I took it as a bugger off.

I think you'll know yourself when you have overstayed your welcome. If you're entering by the same route every time, our hairy mates know what you're up to there may be something there that they're trying to protect i.e. food source or juveniles.

Maybe at the first obstacle stop, do a knock and announce your intentions and see how you go from there. If you get more growls leave if you don't move to the next one and try again, at least if you methodically work your way in you won't have as far to leave if you have to and you may establish a territory border they are happy with youto approach to.

Cheers
Slats

[theOTyoWAYS777]

No worries i will post photos when i get home. Ive never done it on here so i might need a bit of help cheers.

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Hey Otways
In my opinion I believe the sticks are territory markers. If a stick is on an angle, the end off the ground will point towards human activity. I've had stomping and a tree slap near a large thicket of parrot bush (a possible WA food source) and I took it as a bugger off.

I think you'll know yourself when you have overstayed your welcome. If you're entering by the same route every time, our hairy mates know what you're up to there may be something there that they're trying to protect i.e. food source or juveniles.

Maybe at the first obstacle stop, do a knock and announce your intentions and see how you go from there. If you get more growls leave if you don't move to the next one and try again, at least if you methodically work your way in you won't have as far to leave if you have to and you may establish a territory border they are happy with youto approach to.

Cheers
Slats

Cheers for the input. So do you think the low grumble growls are a sign of aggression? I assumed itd be more of a scream if they wanted to get rid of me. But yeah the blocking of our entry point seems to be a hint that weve seen enough. We usually push a little bit deeper into the valley each time. Last time i think we went too far as they stopped. Then we walked back 15 metres and they started knocking again. I took that as your sweet there but no closer. Im in 2 minds about whether i keep pushin it or not.

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Can you post some photos of the Yowiesign?

Sounds to me like they are trying to tell you to piss off, but yes, they are very curious animals.
Try going out with a decent camera, not so much for footage but for sound capture.

You might find once they see the camera you get no activity though.

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Thats just a few random ones.. there's heaps more

[Shazzoir]

By no means am I an expert in such things, but it seems likely that currently, they know you're there, and yes, they are putting physical objects in your path in to the site, in an effort to get you to understand they are barring your way. At the moment, they have remained hidden, but the fact they have growled at you would seem to indicate some unhappiness at your presence. If you continue to push on, in hopes of seeing something, you may get your wish, but at the risk of having them begin to more vigorously defend 'their territory', perhaps by rock throwing, or actually physically revealing themselves, in an attempt to have you leave.

You may have stumbled on an area that they use to hunt or gather food, or be getting close to a home territory, with females and young they wish to protect, as someone else mentioned. If this is the case, they may become a lot more agitated.

Be careful out there.

Shazz

[Slats]

Very interesting photos especially the one with the bark peeled and used as a lashing it shows a huge amount of dexterity. The stick stuck in the tree is amazing too the force required would be immense.

Great work mate.

Thinking more about it, if you do go back maybe leave an "offering" of some kind at the first obstacle to say thanks and move on to another location for awile.

Cheers

[theOTyoWAYS777]

By no means am I an expert in such things, but it seems likely that currently, they know you're there, and yes, they are putting physical objects in your path in to the site, in an effort to get you to understand they are barring your way. At the moment, they have remained hidden, but the fact they have growled at you would seem to indicate some unhappiness at your presence. If you continue to push on, in hopes of seeing something, you may get your wish, but at the risk of having them begin to more vigorously defend 'their territory', perhaps by rock throwing, or actually physically revealing themselves, in an attempt to have you leave.

You may have stumbled on an area that they use to hunt or gather food, or be getting close to a home territory, with females and young they wish to protect, as someone else mentioned. If this is the case, they may become a lot more agitated.

Be careful out there.

Shazz

I agree with everything you said. Interestingly though me and my mate had only ever heard one growl in the first five trips and that was the very first one. The next 4 trips besides one (no action) were all knocks. On one trip my partner tagged along and it took alot longer to get a reply and once we did we only managed about four rounds of knocks, they seemed stand offish. She still s#@t herself haha. The very next morning me and my original mate went back and got over thirty knocks back and forth all around us. No growls. But on this most recent trip i took a completely different mate and not my original mate and it was mainly all growls with the odd knock.. i cant help but wonder if 3 people made them a bit stand offish when my partner came. And then maybe unsettled them when i changed it up with a different person. I dunno, just a thought.

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Very interesting photos especially the one with the bark peeled and used as a lashing it shows a huge amount of dexterity. The stick stuck in the tree is amazing too the force required would be immense.

Great work mate.

Thinking more about it, if you do go back maybe leave an "offering" of some kind at the first obstacle to say thanks and move on to another location for awile.

Cheers

Yeah cheers man. Some of the stuff we've seen is simply unexplainable. The big thick horizontal weaved logs are unquestionable in my opinion. Its the little things that i find interesting though. Like a complete random branch that doesnt belong in the tree is horizontally placed weaved and locked into an impossible position . Its pretty cool. Yeah we left food originally. They didnt take it. Probably a trust thing.

[Simon M]

Excellent work, and the photos are intriguing, but please do be careful. It's impossible to know ahead of time when or if you're heading into serious danger.

[Yowie bait]

[quote="theOTyoWAYS777"]the knocks sounded more vocally than usual.


Yowie bait wrote:
This is interesting! Good luck with it. You are sure to have an encounter with whatever your dealing with eventually.

[Mad Academic]

Hi Otways,

Well done for making the effort to get out and look and for sharing your results.

For what my opinion is worth, given the overt signs of occupation and audible warnings, you must know you are encroaching on "their" territory. Although violent reactions are very rarely reported, they are a possibility so why risk it by pushing further?

You have tried a food gift which has not tempted them. Perhaps they do not yet trust you that much.
Why not try something else, such as some polished stones, colored glass or a child's toy?
Another thing to try might be a sound recording of children, such as children playing in a schoolyard. There are many anecdotal reports of them being attracted to the laughter and voices of children.
Of course, if they do respond, you need to consider what your response would be!

Keep us posted!

MA

[paulmcleod67]

I sent this map data to theOTyoWAYS777 for reference and thought it may be useful in the topical discussion

Cheers

[theOTyoWAYS777]

I sent this map data to theOTyoWAYS777 for reference and thought it may be useful in the topical discussion

Cheers

Much appreciated paul, your dedication is phenomenal

[Merlin Power]

Hi Otways.

Some of the things you mention really took me back 14 months or so when I had my encounter below. The Otways are definitely an area of activity. It was one if those experiences you will never forget.

I think my photos will interest you too. Cheers.

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=5343

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Hi Otways.

Some of the things you mention really took me back 14 months or so when I had my encounter below. The Otways are definitely an area of activity. It was one if those experiences you will never forget.

I think my photos will interest you too. Cheers.

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=5343

Yeah i remember reading your post as soon as it came out. Awsome story... i went straight out there and checked out the teepee. Pretty cool.. its a different vibe that sabine falls track.. i feel a bit uneasy there.. my other spot seems like theyre interested in us, but im starting to lean toward that theyre intrigued rather than angry. Theres no doubt in my mind its all real . Ive taken a couple of pretty skeptical ppl out recently. Blew their mind and changed their reality. Heading out this weekend. Cant wait. Cheers

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Hi Otways,

Well done for making the effort to get out and look and for sharing your results.

For what my opinion is worth, given the overt signs of occupation and audible warnings, you must know you are encroaching on "their" territory. Although violent reactions are very rarely reported, they are a possibility so why risk it by pushing further?

You have tried a food gift which has not tempted them. Perhaps they do not yet trust you that much.
Why not try something else, such as some polished stones, colored glass or a child's toy?
Another thing to try might be a sound recording of children, such as children playing in a schoolyard. There are many anecdotal reports of them being attracted to the laughter and voices of children.
Of course, if they do respond, you need to consider what your response would be!

Keep us posted!

MA

Thanks man. Ill keep yous posted for sure. Last time i went i got zero. Only second time its been dead. Ah well. Bring on this Saturday. Ps if i randomly stop posting, my fears came true, haha. Ah well, gotta go out to remove the doubt!

[Mika]

I love checking out the waterfalls down that way & was at the end of the track that overlooks Sabine falls which is high above that section of river. It's one of the more remote tracks with some really dense forest yet I could hear people yelling out to each other down by the river at it's base. I was keen to check out what they were doing as I thought it must have been a better vantage point but there was definitely no way down there without a rope & machete. There was no other tracks close by & no other cars back at the car park, now I'm starting to wonder what I heard!?
I'd love to know what area you are getting your experiences but don't expect you'll give that up. I'd love to have an experience out there but I think it would be too horrifying. I'd probably never go bush again, lol!
Keep us posted of any updates, Cheers.

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Hey mika.

Are you still on here? Sorry i didnt reply. I never saw your post. Sing out if your still around and ill take you to some of the places we get action.

Its been close to a year and a half since we got any action. But last weekend we found another or same troupe in a location about 20 minute drive from where we first had ongoing communication and experiences. I guess its a fair chance its the same ones?

Unfortunately my girlfriend wanted to leave five minutes into it. Once the knocks growls and strange sounds started, she'd had enough. Shes decided she wants nothing to do with it anymore. Fair enough.

But tomorrow me and my mate are going back. For longer. Wish us luck .

Ps. Any ideas for gifting other than food? Not doing food.

[Bluedog]

Your photos are very interesting!!!
Finding these structures deep in the scrub, close to access of deep valleys, your description of the wood knocking and growling, mate looks like you are very close to where these creatures are living.
I only know what I have read and heard but it suggests to me that you have been warned, basically back off this is our place.
As the majority of us know so little about these creatures it's impossible to say how they will react if you keep on intruding into there territory.
The effect of your intrusion on individuals or a family group can't be positive, It seems these creatures go to every effort possible to avoid yowie /human interaction. Most animals when confronted flee or fight, sure wouldn't want to get into a fight with a yowie/yowies
Slats advice to back off and leave a gift is probably the way to go.
Maybe something that intrigues small children like those plastic diamonds, you know those ones from the $2 shop kids would use when playing pirates for treasure?
I imagine they would find something like this fascinating..
Looks like your onto something, those tree structures and the intricate joining of sticks is pretty cool.
Great finds, you and your mates keep safe out of there.

[theOTyoWAYS777]

Cheers for the reply man. Yeah we wont be stupid about it but we're gunna hang around a bit longer today. Might try record some of the knocks and stuff if theyre around. Ill try post it up if we get anything. Yeah i reckon we're close to a few of em but the deeper knocks and lower growls/ grumbles seem to be lower in the valley. If i had to guess id say its juveniles playing knock knock and mumma is doing the growling maybe? As you said, a warning perhaps. Dunno. Who knows. Its a crazy , crazy reality in our mountains thats all i know. Maybe one day ill finally see one and can get back to fishing. Cheers

[Outback lurker]

Some great pics and reading in this post,thanks.
As others have said,stay safe above all........perhaps a bit like a snake coiled up and hissing,then in one split second BANG you’re bitten........been there and done that and it’s not much fun
I’m not sure of your survival rate if “they” get agro and charge
Anyway,good luck and look forward to your next post.
May the Fourth be with you.
Sorry,couldn’t resist

[adventurer]

Hi theOTyoWAYS777, that question can easily be answered for yourself. If neither of you have that bad "Get out" feeling, then stay in there.Even if your worried, scared, unsure, whatever, just stay in there. You will know yourselves when its time to get the hell out.But dont venture to far in, that way when and IF u get that feeling u dont have to far to get out. Keep to the same days, same times so they expect you and keep communicating with them.
Im unsure if either of u have a weapon on you ( even a small flick knife--this may get them growling).
Numbers will always make a difference, so just 2 of you keep going out ( looks like u go out in daylight anyway.) The more people, the less activity.

This is the best time to head out going by my records. But remember keep the audio recorder on. Let us know how you go.Dee

[sensesonfire]

Hi theOTyoWAYS777,
looks like you have encountered a colony (my terminology) of Yowie wood knocking, arranging of sticks and the growling now that is a definite threat. They are watching you even if you can't see them. Those stick arrangements definitely have a meaning and a warning to anybody wandering into their environment. You say you have a mate accompanying you if you intend to venture further inland try adding one more I believe 3 is the relatively safe number.
Try not to bring along weapons easier said than done I know but they would perceive you as an immediate danger if you are armed.
Any initial response from them would probably be from the invisible Yowie - rock/stick throwing all telling you to get the hell out of there any further encroachments onto their territory would mean a possible confrontation with the physical Yowie.
Now if you do have a rifle do not fire as you cannot kill them if you did fire and hit one it would only enrage them and they are likely to tear you apart limb from limb sounds a little dramatic I know. I am sure you are aware of all of the above but there is a limit to their tolerance. I believe there is only one way to possibly save your life if it came to that but I can't discuss it here as it may be off topic. But above all be very cautious .

[thehairyone]

Hi Senses, id be interested in knowing your thoughts on surviving an attack , could be a good new thread , but ive always thought if any of my "friends"
were to go me , id basically be eyes down , assume a small stature ( easy to kiss my ass goodbye ) , n hope then is a good time to find God , knowing I cant outrun them , I cant out fight them , I wouldn't know what else to do , any thoughts to save my butt would be greatly appreciated
Cheers Greg

[sensesonfire]

Hi Greg,
Probably more suited on the Yowie controversial section but the advice I would give is if everything is pointing towards you being the next Yowie ''spitroast'' (luckily they don't appear to like fire) not only is it a good time to find God but he can actually save your butt as well. Invoke the name of Jesus Christ and mean it. Command them to leave in his name and they will tremble at the knees.
It has proven a success many a time in the US when in such a situation facing Bigfoot and Dogman. I hope Aussies can heed the advice although we're such an irreligious lot I think they would rather be dismembered.

[Yowie bait]

Hi Senses, id be interested in knowing your thoughts on surviving an attack , could be a good new thread , but ive always thought if any of my "friends"
were to go me , id basically be eyes down , assume a small stature ( easy to kiss my ass goodbye ) , n hope then is a good time to find God , knowing I cant outrun them , I cant out fight them , I wouldn't know what else to do , any thoughts to save my butt would be greatly appreciated
Cheers Greg

Hey Greg. Great question. Dunno how many on here could tell you and im not sure either but i can say from an aggro encounter to try not make eye contact and act aggressive and just make your way out of there respectfully.

I think they dont enjoy being looked at, at all!

Id say you wouldn't get close enough anyway and would probably get an advanced warning like a walk by or roar if you were in the wrong and probably would have been warned off by now.

The few visual encounters I've had have involved what I assume to be juveniles so I'm mot sure if they bring the juvies out for a look or what but the aggro encounter was a total set up by them as in there was plenty of advanced warning and little things to get us interested and then the full scale psycho " shock and awe" thing.

One "nice" encounter involved a smaller one ( i think?) then a bigger one walked out which i assume was to distract and confuse me which it did. That's how i interpret it anyway( after thinking about it over and over )unless they can change size. That was very confusing and not scary in any way.

Ive also seen a very small one on it's own and didn't think of it at the time but again I'd assume there was another larger one around unless there are very tiny yowies running around..if thats what it was!

I understand thats all just circumstantial evidence but hope its a help.

I doubt a nice bloke like yourself, leaving food etc would have a nasty encounter anyway but yeah who knows?

[thehairyone]

Thanks YB, ive often thought about it , but if it ever happens I think I would keep my eyes down , I know apes etc don't like eye contact , and slowly back away whilst talking to them , when I have talked to them in the past feelings of dread seem to pass , in saying this I go out by myself a lot both for day trips and overnight and ive never felt threatened , even when I know they are about , maybe they know I mean no harm or they know they could crush me like a worm if they want , im hoping the first choice
Cheers Greg