Michael Mayes
Former Chairman of the North American Wood Ape Conservancy, Author, Researcher, and Blogger
Welcome
Welcome to my official website. I'm glad you stopped by for a visit.
I thought I'd provide a quick update to what I've been up to the last six weeks , or so.
The biggest news is that my latest book, Life in the Middle, has been published and is now available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle. The book is a memoir of sorts, I suppose, but I like to think of it as the "greatest hits" from my more than two decades career as a middle school teacher and coach. The book features funny and poignant stories from my time wrangling those funny littel beings we call "middle schoolers." It is an easy read and I believe it would be a great gift for the teachers and/or coaches in your life. I'd be honored if you would pick up a copy here.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to do an interview at Palmetto State Park for a segment to be aired on Texas Country Reporter. The program is doing a series on the state parks of Texas and what makes each unique. Palmetto State Park is well-known for the "Ottine Thing," a sasquatch-like beast said to roam the marshy areas along the San Marcos River between Luling and Gonzales. I was asked to contribute my thoughts on the matter and a bit of background. I do not know an exact air date but was told "late January or early February." Keep your eyes peeled for that.
Dr. William Lester is at it again. He has added his distinctive voice to a narration of a piece I wrote for the Texas Cryptid Hunter blog way back in 2013 called "The Swamp Monsters of Cajun Louisiana." You can listen to his presentation here. As usual, Dr. Lester makes the piece sound great.
If you would like to have me come speak to your group, class, or organization on Texas folklore and/or matters of a cryptozoological nature, shoot me an email at Texascryptidhunter@yahoo.com. There are few things I enjoy more than getting out and meeting people as interested in mysteries of the natural world as I am.
My best,
Michael C. Mayes
News and Schedule of Events (2023-24)
My newest book, Life in the Middle, is now available. The book is a collection of humorous and touching stories from my more than two decades as a middle school teacher and coach. Grab a copy for the teacher in your life here.
Listen to the oral presentation of my 20113 blog post, "The Swamp Monsters of Cajun Louisiana," by Dr. William Lester of Blackwater Media for his Shadowlands Radio Show. Click here to listen.
My short story, "The Witch of Bell Falls," has been published in the online literary journal Darling Lit. Read the story and an interview with me here.
I will be speaking at the Ice House Museum in Silsbee, Texas on Friday, 12/8 and Thursday, 12/9 on the topics of black panthers and bigfoot in Texas
My latest blog post, "Historical Black Panther Sighting, a Lesson Learned, and a Photo" is now available. Click here to read.
Blog post, "Was the Tshul'gul' of Cherokee Legend a Sasquatch?" Click here to read.
Listen to the audio/reading presentation of my recent blog post, "The Pebble Thrower of Peach Creek," by Dr. William Lester of Blackwater Media for his Shadowlands Radio Show. Click here to listen.
Two new blog posts are now available. Check out "The Phantom Bull of the Huana" and "The Pebble Thrower of Peach Creek".
Listen to my latest interview with Doug and Alex Hajicek of Untold Radio here.
Listen to my latest interview with Tim and Dana of "The Bigfoot Influencers" podcast. You can listen and watch here.
New on the blog, a sasquatch story unlike any other: "The Kindly Phantom of Wilson Creek." Click here to read.
I recently spoke at the Ice House Museum in Silsbee, TX. The event was covered by several reporters. Read the stories written about the night's activities at the Beaumont Enterprise and Houston Chronicle.
My latest blog post details one of the strangest accounts in Texas history: the tale of the lobo girl of the Devil's River. Could wolves have really adopted and raised an orphaned girl in west Texas in the early 1800s? Click here to find out.
My new book, Valley of the Apes: The Search for Sasquatch in Area X, is now available. Get your copy here or wherever online books are sold. For personalized signed copies, contact me directly.