Mystery Help needed

[paddlecouple]

The wife and I paddled the Ouachita river this weekend at Felsenthal. We would go back in wooded areas (flooded tree line) and as we paddled deeper in things would fall off the branches and make a big splash. Like it would see us long before we could see what it was. We never Did. But one splash we did see and the branch it came from was high up like 12 feet off the water. There were multiple ones and loud. As if a bowling ball dropped from that height into the water. Anyone know what it could be. If snakes, they would have to be large to make that loud splash we heard. A Nutria would fit the BIG size splash we heard but I don't know if they climb up trees that high, then jump off? Any ideas? Thanks in advance.

[paddlecouple]

Still researching here. This could be a possibility, from a forum member here.

"Lake Chicot, Lake Village, AR watch the over hanging branches, I've seen 10-15 venomous snakes sharing a tree. When 1 falls they all fall"
http://looknfishy.blogspot.com/p/launch ... st-ar.html

[Jim Krueger]

Years ago I was paddling through a large stand of ancient Tupilo Gum trees on Saline Bayou near Arkadelphia when multiple sticks and small branches started falling in the water around me. It was then I noticed that I was paddling under a large colony of nesting Egrets high above in the tree tops. The birds were easier to see after I finally moved far enough to one side or the other to see directly up.
On other occasions, there would be numerous turtles sunning on an inclined log unseen by me, and they would all seem drop off the log at the drop of a hat with a big splash.
I only wish I could offer more suggestions. Let us know if you solve the mystery, I'm always curious.

Best Regards
Jim

[Jetlab67]

Skunk apes for certain.

[caseyriggan]

Tree gators

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[Cowper]

The sound you describe is totally turtle. What fits is, turtles will drop before you see them, snakes often "freeze" and you'd be much more likely to see it still in the tree, or close enough to see it drop. If there is a sloped tree trunk, you'd be amazed how high they can get. Snakes also make less noise, even when they do drop.

One of the interesting things Debbie and I have noticed is in some of these "blackwater" paddles, the turtles will stay on a log if we're in a loud motorboat, but if we're paddling quietly in a canoe, they'll spook and drop in. Either they just don't know what canoes are and it scares them more (they've seen fishermen by the hundreds over their lifetime), or, they have learned that the slow, quietly moving boats are the ones who might be trying to shoot or catch them.

I'll also throw out that it is possible that most of what you heard were turtles, and the one that came from 12 feet up in a tree could have been something else.

And of course, another animal that makes a similar sound is a beaver slapping it's tail as it dives. I'm not 100% clear from your post, but it sounds like you never actually saw a falling body, just heard the splash when near the tree lines. From the number you describe, that sounds more like turtles, which are pretty thick in there, than beaver, which you would be lucky to see more than one or two of.

[paddlecouple]

Yes,Correct, never saw a falling body, just heard the splash when near the tree lines. Thanks for taking the time to reply, appreciate it. It does make sense that the higher up fall could have been something else but the rest simply turtles. But turtles higher climbed up than we have seen in the past. Beaver tail is something else we never thought of. So the grand combination of those tree things make sense. We Paddled a number of weekends in a row but this one specific area, it only occurred in, is the reason for posting this topic. Anyone else feel free to post anything interesting you've seen here if you feel like it.

[Cowper]

Debo and I have only been to Felsenthal a few times, due to distance from our home base. My generalized impressions included that there were several more areas that deserved exploration, and that the potential paddling opportunities were going to vary widely with the fluctuating water levels created by the way they manage the levels via the lock and dam system. I think the marked water trail was chosen largely because it is one of the spots that remains passable at all water levels or at least the widest range of levels, but if you live close to the area I would say don't limit yourself to the marked trail. Get a GPS, go wandering, and see what else is out there!

[RDLIVIN]

Turtles! They see you way before you see them usually