While most families were experiencing the frustrations and aggravations of crowded highways and byways to get to Grandmas house for Thanksgiving, I chose to pack a turkey day luncheon to spend my holiday at the Anahuac National Wildlife refuge, about an hour and forty five minute drive down the road near Winnie, TX.
A thick fog and songs in the wilderness greeted me when passing through the gates of the refuge where I was soon entertained by an almost thunderous songfest of hundreds of wild geese such as Snows, Blues, Speckles, and Canadians that were spread out in a marshy coastal prairie before me. An awesome sight to see, especially within the muffling mist of a predawn fog giving the scene an almost surreal image that belonged on the canvas of an artistâs wilderness masterpiece.
Although this scene of migratory geese, rousing the mornings air with their songs of surviving their long trek down from the artic north, was fascinating to watch, my search for the Dinosaurs of the marsh would take me deeper into a swampy slough, past the plover ponds and duck marsh, along park roads that bordered the edges of thick clumps of marsh reeds with brambled stands of swamp brush lining the bayous of the swamp marsh. It was here that I began searching deep within the thickets of tangled vegetation of greens, browns, and grays to spot the tail, tale signs of North Americas only true living dinosaur that survived the ages of reconstruction, the American Alligator.
None were to be seen at first, but as the warmth of the rising sun began cutting through the chill of mornings mist, these amazing cold blooded reptiles began to stir as one by one they began popping out faster than Orville Redenbacherâs best, shuffling their way out from hidden lairs onto sun drenched bayou levees to warm their long, scaly bodies.
My searchingâs soon became like a treasure hunt when rounding each bend of the bayou would simply amaze and excite upon sighting these timeless critters of our earth. First to arrive were the four to six footers as they waddled out to lie on sun drenched earth, then the next bend revealed a striking eight foot reptile warming itself on the bank, only to be re-amazed again around the next bend where the long craggy body of a ten foot alligator was to be seen resting half in and half out of its tangle of vines and swamp brush. A strong jawed critter with the power of the dinosaur still reflecting its prehistoric character. I figured that my day had peaked with the image of this huge alligator safely tucked away in my flash-card photo file,â¦. UNTIL, …rounding the next bend put me eyeball to eyeball with a REAL MONSTER!
Startled, the monstrous 12 foot long beast stood huffing and hissing as it eyed me with toothy trepidation, before easing back into his dominant role as top predator. This monster alligator must have weighed near 1,000 pounds with a back as wide as my Chevy suburban. With only yards of water between me and the gator I slowly moved out of my vehicle to take a few photos while this critter kept a predatory eye on me as if sizing me up for a meal, just waiting for me to make a stumbling mistakeâ¦â¦ I did not!
Established in 1963 to become a link with a 540 National Wildlife Refuge system, Anahuacâs 34,000 acres of ancient flood plains created a bordering wildlife refuge around the northeast sector of Galvestonâs East Bay along the upper Bolivar Peninsula. Itâs surrounding coastal marsh and bayou structure attracts multitudes of migratory bird species such as wild geese, roseate spoonbills, great snowy egrets, white-faced ibis, mottled ducks, hawks, whistling ducks, great blue heron, falcon, and osprey, and is also an important wildlife haven for alligators, otter, raccoon, muskrat and bobcat.
By the time I took my Thanksgiving âmunch-breakâ of turkey sandwiches and cran-apple sauce with a slice of sweet potato pie, washed down with iced tea, I had spotted well over 100 alligators stretched out on the banks of this amazing National Parks bayou system. Most gators were in the 3ft to 6ft range with some 8ft and 10ft âmoss-backsâ glaring at me from safe distances. But spotting that 12 foot monster was truly an amazing stroke of luck as most âmega-gatorsâ tend to hold up in thicker marsh brush to avoid human contact. And rightfully so as man nearly wiped them from the face of the earth. But, then again, man was also responsible for bringing them back from the edge of extinction.
These beasts of our past are incredible and amazing animals to behold and if left alone will provide future wildlife enthusiasts the ultimate joy at being able to sight and watch them as they are true dinosaurs of the marsh.
I venture to say that by the time I was finishing up my Turkey Day feast that most holiday travelers hadnât even reached their destinations as yet. Where I had already enjoyed and experienced a full half day of adventurous sightings and exciting outdoor moments.
Folks, this unique outdoor adventure can be very easily shared and enjoyed with family and friends, and itâs only a short drive away.
Location:
From Houston: Take I-10 East to Exit #812 (TX -61 or Anahuac/Hankamer exit). Head south on Hwy-61 for four miles to the stop sign. Continue through. The road becomes Hwy. 562. Continue for approximately 8.5 miles to the fork in the road, which is FM 1985. At the fork, turn left and continue for an additional 4 miles to the main entrance of the refuge. Turn right on the easement road for another 3 miles. Signs will be posted.
From Beaumont:
Take I-10 West. Exit # 829 (Hwy. 73/124 or Winnie/Galveston exit). Head south on Hwy -124 for approximately 11 miles to FM 1985. Turn right onto FM 1985 and head west for nearly 11 miles to the main entrance of the refuge. Turn left on the easement road for another 3 miles. Signs will be posted.
From Jasper;
Take Hwy-96 south to I-10W then follow the Beaumont directions.
Hours; The refuge is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week and is a FREE entry facility on holidays. East Bay Bayou Tract is open from 6:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. The refuge office is open from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.
For more info on the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge contact; 409-267-3337.
This Ed Snyder/Outdoors report; sponsored by Fishing World.com- The Stump Restaurant & Club- The LFSA- Bass Buster Inn– The LSRPA-Â By: Ed Snyder / Ed Snyder Outdoors
