Visitors on my property

[HunterValleyYowie]

Hi everyone,
I'm looking for any advice, I live not far from Clarence town on a small property. There's not much around me other than forest and I've been here a bit over a year.

When we first moved my horse was pretty panicked (around this same time in the season). I assumed she was just stressed no longer being in a herd so got her a sheep friend.

A lot of strange things would happen that we would just think were odd but just brushed off.

My ashtray on the veranda randomly emptied but never moved in its spot (I wonder if it weirdly ate the butts) my dogs have never shown an interest in the ashtray, I kept an eye on them if they'd vomit or pass butts and the ashtray was never moved from its spot but a ring of ash around it.

Sometimes you swear it sounds like someone walking quietly on the veranda but of course by the time you get to the front door it's gone and any movement inside the house echoes outside. I can be in the yard and tell where my partner is inside the house walking around due to the floorboards being so noisy.

In the paddock near the house with no trees and undisturbed ground nice rocks about the size of baseball's would appear always in one area, no sign it was kicked up from the earth by the animals and smooth pieces of driftwood (no trees in or near this area and never fresh wood always smooth driftwood).



I never took these things and left them, they'd disappear after a while. Sometimes you'd hear a loud bang on the side of the house at night, the dogs have run for the gate at night barking and upset only to come bolting back yelping in fear. You'll hear the cattle upset in the night and whoops like in the sierra sounds.

Recently near my front gate are berriying bushes currently got berries on them , I noticed lots of large large cow poo sized shits but no cows, no grassy bits in them like cows, one being more human shaped, and under the bushes are all hollowed out with enough room for a human to walk around in. As well as tracks that have a human shape to them. This is near my gate, which I've now set up a automatic flood light, and a camera on my veranda.

When I was walking around this area looking at all of this feeling very unsettled my horse and sheep began to freak out hard. The horse was bucking and snorting and running around whineying like she wanted me out of that area even myy sheep was screaming like she was upset.

My horses rugs keep getting torn with nonsigns of being snagged and she is in a panic some mornings snorting, bucking and wide eyed and in an absolute panic. She stays in a corner of the paddock as far away from the tree lined as possible.

My thinking is this, they've left gifts. My animals are terrified but not yet hurt. They're clearly coming over to eat the berries. That doesn't mean one of my animals won't possibly get hurt and I really hope not . I don't want to cause conflict because it's a battle I don't think I'll win.

I'm considering putting up trail cams around the paddock because I've heard they may be able to se the infrared and try and avoid it.

Suggestions on what to do? I don't want to move but I don't want my animals constantly terrified and my horses rugs getting torn like something has tried to grab her really bothers me. I just don't want them coming on my property

[HunterValleyYowie]

oh another weird occurance, I use a specific whistle to my horse and one day when I was in the paddock with her I heard my whistle from the tree line, she even turned and looked and then she proceeded to start to snort and get worried

[Ron Smith]

Judging by your post the situation is becoming or has become a concern for you, I think the investment in camera's/trail cams and floodlights is a good starting point because I would want to know if anything is out there for sure, I'd also certainly be gathering any evidence as well IE: the faeces that you mention.

If it were me, I'd certainly be looking at all options, I'd look at investing in one or two Lllama if space permits, because from what you describe is the horse and sheep seem terrified, Llama's are known livestock guardians and will challenge threats, I'd also try to setup some kind of an alarm system that would make just enough noise to unsettle what I think you think it is.

I don't know, what do others think.

[David]

As far as I know they will avoid lights and InfraRed. Motion sensor lights strategically located around the house is said to deter visitors to the home. I don't have a suggestion for the paddock though. Is there any evidence of the part of your surrounding forest they might approach from? Knowing that would help with ir camera placement. It is not the first time I have heard of them interacting with livestock. Good luck.

[rowbe]

In addition to Ron's and David's suggestions. Firstly, just a couple of questions:
You mentioned your horse was stressed "around this same time in the season", does this season coincide with the berries ripening?
Do you only get the events you described around this time?

If so, your main risk could be primarily that the ripening berries are bringing the creature(s) close to your home (hazard) (that particular season). How fond of the berries are you? Knowing that berries do get out of hand, could you remove or eradicate the berry plants growing close to and in the vicinity of your house/property? Would eliminate that risk. Could be worth a try.

My only concern is that with no berries they may focus on other food sources and may increase the risk to your livestock. Not sure what others may think?

If the creatures are only in the area during berry season, then maybe wait till season is over before eradicating (if an option). They may get angry seeing you remove them. Also, be beneficial if you could have someone have a look around your general area for yowie signs regarding any potential permanent area of residence/territory. Also, locate other potential food locations (berries) that could be removed, etc.

However, due to the reported inquisitive nature of the creatures you still may have them coming around, especially if there are no other properties in the near area. Hence, the use of secondary controls such as the cameras, sensors, etc.

I'm pretty sure you did the right thing not taking the gifts (re rocks and driftwood). Potentially, taking the items maybe seen as approval for them to come onto your property/territory.

I'm intrigued by the driftwood - are they smooth whitened sticks normally found on the beach or those weathered naturally in the bush. Just interested how far you are from the coast if it is beach type driftwood. Did you take a pic of the suggested gifts (rocks/driftwood).

Agree with Ron about collecting samples (e.g. poo) and also take some pics, would be beneficial to see pics.

[HunterValleyYowie]

I'll try and remember everyone's comments and suggestions while writing this response and hopefully I don't forget or miss anyone.

I did consider livestock guardian animals, Alpaca's are great at alerting but they're quite fragile as an animal. When I was looking into putting them in with my horse my concern was even the horse injuring them, a donkey or a mule would be great. The only annoyance is we rent so jumping through the hoops for extra animals on the property. I'm not entirely isolated, the guy who owns our property we are segregated off from his farm and he has several different kinds of livestock guardian animals. But where my part of the farm is situated is near a heavy woodline and all of that runs off into a very large body of mountains so I sort of feel like I'm the main target.

I've even considered approaching him and asking if he has something spare to throw in with my animals, I've seen he has llamas and alpacas and I know he's mentioned guardian dogs and donkeys in the past. The property is so huge I've only sort of seen snippets of what he has. I know he said he's had issues with aggresive dogs attacking his sheep and says he recently shot one. surely he's aware there's something more than dogs getting around.

I'd love to question him, but don't want to appear crazy but feel surely in all his years of having a working farm he'd be aware, surely.

I didn't take any of the stool sample, honestly because I just don't know what I'd do with it and it's now been a few days and isn't as fresh so would it degrade?. I have no idea on where to send it for anaylsis and I've heard that can be pricey. I did collect hair samples from my fence that's in the area as well where the gifts kept showing up but then realised I just sorta snatched it off the fence with my hands and it would now be classed as contaminated from what I researched, there was also no root folicles on it.

It's sort of wirey but easy enough to break, definitely not horse or cow, it's similar to my Irish wolfhounds hair but longer and the fence is too high for him to be clambering over and I know he wouldn't be jumping over barbed wire and you can see the difference between the two although similar, seems to be a mix of greys and soft browns.

I did attempt some plaster casts of the footprints, but the footprints were sort of all layed over the top of each other but it still gives a general size and shape and a partial cast of some very large toe prints.

I do believe they are currently hanging around because the berries are in season, I should try and ID them. The problem is the owner has planted them all along the edge of my property as a hedge and a bit in my yard and is replacing other bushes with them. I felt if I was going to deflower the heads of them I'd definitely be waiting until the berry season is over. Across from the berry hedges there's these very convinient looking large stacks of logged trees infront of dense woods that have been there forever, some have vines clambering over them. It's like someone's cut trees and put them into piles to be burned but never burned them. I don't doubt they sit behind there and watch sometime, so I'd hate to be caught in the act destroying one of their food sources as you mentioned then they may come looking elsewhere.

I know I've heard of people growing two gardens of food plants, one for the farm home and one more in the woods for sasquatch to try and keep them out of your garden and further away. I would like to plant some of these berrying bushes further away from the house but in no way do I feel comfortable going in there, it's dense, there's a natural water source and even in the day when I'm working with my horse she will sometimes fixate on that area and begin to snort and get wide eyed so I don't doubt there's possibly often at least one hanging out and watching what the silly humans are doing.

Next pay I'm definitely going to grab a bunch of cheap trail cams from ebay and try and set them up strategically through the paddock looking out into the woodline to try and keep them away. I really like the suggestion someone had on a noise alarm to set off.

Does anyone know of something that can allow us to see infrared? Like nightvision or something, it'd be handy to be able to see any holes so to speak I may be blind to.

I don't want to make it look like to the owner of the property I've gone crazy, I almost got caught the other day making plaster casts in the bushes as one of his sons went by on the quad but didn't see me, but he always also seems very concerned we are going to just move out and now all of this is amping up again it makes me wonder if his last tenants ever had any issues and I know he even mentioned he would like to sell in the next few years.

Thanks to everyone for the tips and suggestions, every single suggestion is definitely welcomed. I definitely want to try and keep the place as lit up as I can to try and drive them away without angering them. It's a beautiful place to live despite the sudden creepy factor.

[HunterValleyYowie]

Oh and for the person asking about the driftwood.

they're often perfectly straight pieces of driftwood about say 30cm in length. I have no idea honestly if they seem like they're from closer to an ocean or a fresh water source but we do have natural water sources very close to the property and the williams river is also not far so I would assume it's from fresh water sources.

[Bluedog]

There has been reports from America of sasquatch getting shall we say amorous with livestock???
If it's true, we'll who knows!

[Weirwolfe]

I live not too far from you. Would be keen to visit and have a chat?

[yowiedan]

If you like I could bring up my parabolic and Thermal Monocular and we could sit down and listen and see what may be lurking around. You can personal message me on here or email me at [email protected]

[Bluedog]

Hello, Hunter Valley yowie.
In your previous post you mentioned an Irish wolf hound?
A very large dog. Not to be messed with?
How's your dog travelling, as a guardian animal it ticks alot of boxes?

[meghanke]

Hey, I’m just a casual reader on this forum but i’m from from nearby to you and I thought i’d mention that there was a news article a couple of years ago about a farmer in Hilldale who had consistent ongoing sightings on his property. I remember reading it in the Herald or something, and since then have thought of it often, but haven’t been able to find a trace of the article anywhere on the internet since? If you can find it that would be interesting as I’m guessing Hilldale isn’t far from you...

[Weirwolfe]

I sort of know where Hilldale is. On the back way to Dungog from Maitland?

[Bluedog]

Hunter Valley yowie seems to have dropped out.
Hope he or she comes back online.
Reads like they have alot going on???