VALDOSTA —
Before you go get all trigger happy and decide that a skunk ape would make a nice addition to your trophy collection, you might want to reconsider.
The question about whether skunk apes are real or not is being debated rather heavily these days. The Times keeps receiving reports about sightings of the foul-smelling creature all around the region.
Whether you believe in the possibility of there being a creature with long hair haunting the woods around the area’s swamps or not, there is definitely another type of creature that you should be on the lookout for. The hunter in the ghillie suit.
One caller espoused a theory that the ghillie suits often worn by hunters who want to be completely unseen and invisible to their prey are perhaps responsible for some of the sightings. Maybe not all of the sightings, but perhaps some.
Ghillie suits are a step above camouflage, as the body is covered not only in camouflage colors but in long strands of camouflage fabrics as well. Could the strands of fabric be mistaken for hair?
Certainly, at a distance. And the odor associated with skunk apes? It could be some of the repellents and unusual odors that hunters use to mask their scent.
So before you decide to try shooting that hairy monster, give a shout out and make sure it’s not just a local hunter or outdoorsman out for a day of sport. And if it doesn’t answer? Well, maybe it’s a skunk ape after all.
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