Higher Calling Wildlife

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Uncategorized

Shark Camp For Kids Returns to Port Arthur (Moore to Teach Two Days)

June 1, 2026 Chester Moore Leave a comment

Sharks have a unique way of capturing the imagination of young people. For some children, that fascination becomes the first step toward a lifelong appreciation for wildlife and conservation.

That is one reason the Museum of the Gulf Coast’s upcoming Shark Camp is such an exciting opportunity for Southeast Texas families.

From June 15–18, children in 1st through 5th grade will spend four mornings immersed in shark education, ocean exploration, conservation lessons, and hands-on activities designed to make learning fun and memorable.

Topics include:

Bull Sharks of Sabine Lake
Great White Shark conservation
Ocean ecosystems
A special “Swim with Sharks” green screen experience

Wildlife journalist and conservationist Chester Moore will teach two sessions during the camp, sharing stories and insights from years of shark research and outreach efforts along the Gulf Coast.

Moore has long believed sharks can serve as ambassadors for marine conservation and inspire young people to become more interested in wildlife stewardship and the natural world around them.

The excitement does not stop when Shark Camp ends. On June 20, the Museum of the Gulf Coast will host the free “Great White Sharks in the Gulf Family Day,” a shark-themed event featuring conservation exhibits, educational displays, interactive activities, and a screening of the documentary Gulf Great White Sharks.

Following the film, Moore will take part in a live Q&A session and host a signing for his new book, Gulf Great White Sharks: Their Return and Other Large Sharks of the Forgotten Sea, which officially debuts at the event.

The family day celebration is free and open to the public and highlights the growing interest in great white sharks and other large shark species found in Gulf waters.

Shark Camp Details:
June 15–18
10 a.m.–12 p.m.
Museum of the Gulf Coast
Cost: $20 per child

To register:
Call Dana at (409) 982-7000
Email: mogc.educator@gmail.com

Opportunities like this remind us that conservation starts with education—and sometimes all it takes is one shark encounter to change a young life forever.

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Jaguars

Jaguars Released In Texas? We Have The Real Story

May 25, 2026 Chester Moore Leave a comment

Have you heard the rumors?

Stories about jaguars supposedly being secretly released into Texas have been spreading rapidly online. Social media posts, supposed trail camera photos, mysterious sightings, and dramatic claims about predators roaming South Texas are everywhere right now.

But how much of it is real?

And how much of it is something else entirely?

Listen via Podbean here.

In this episode of Dark Outdoors, I investigate the growing wave of viral predator stories flooding the internet and examine how artificial intelligence, fake wildlife content, bot-driven social media pages, and fear-based engagement farming are reshaping the way people view wildlife.

The deeper I looked into these jaguar rumors, the stranger things became.

Some images appear convincing at first glance. Certain stories are being shared thousands of times. Entire pages seem dedicated to spreading predator panic. And mixed into all of it are real questions about jaguar history in Texas, modern conservation efforts, and whether people can still tell the difference between authentic wildlife encounters and manufactured fiction.

This episode dives into viral jaguar release rumors in Texas, AI-generated wildlife hoaxes, fake predator sightings and trail camera photos, social media misinformation campaigns, AI bot networks, predator fear culture online, the real history of jaguars in Texas, and how fake wildlife stories can damage legitimate conservation efforts.

As AI-generated content becomes more realistic by the day, the line between truth and fiction is getting harder to recognize—and wildlife may be one of the first places where people completely lose trust in what they’re seeing.

Or worse… stop caring whether it’s true at all.

Listen to this episode of Dark Outdoors and decide for yourself:

Cocaine Sharks!

Cocaine sharks are real!

In this interview, over at gulfgreatwhites.com environmental engineer and science communicator Dr. Tracy Fanara explains what scientists are actually discovering about sharks, pharmaceuticals in the ocean, and how chemical exposure could be affecting marine life.

From trace contaminants in coastal waters to broader questions about water quality, we explore how human activity is changing ocean ecosystems—and what that could mean for sharks, fish, and other wildlife.

Check out the article & interview I did about cocaine sharks here.

How do substances like pharmaceuticals—and even drugs—end up in the ocean? What impact can they have on marine animals? And are these changes something new, or something we’re only just beginning to detect?

This conversation goes beyond the viral idea of “cocaine sharks” to look at the real science behind pollution, behavior, and the future of ocean life.

Chester Moore

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Garfish

“12-Foot Trinity River Alligator Gar” Viral Post Debunked By Official Sources

May 15, 2026 Chester Moore 2 Comments

A viral social media graphic claiming a 12-foot alligator garfish made an epic journey up the Trinity River is spreading rapidly online,

To verify the claims, I contacted Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) media branch directly.

According to TPWD media representative Kirk McDonnell, the department’s media office consulted with Inland Fisheries staff regarding the image and the claims attached to it.

My first question addressed the whether TPWD has satellite-tagged alligator garfish.

The post uses the word “pinged,” a term commonly associated with satellite-tracked marine animals.

In wildlife telemetry, a “ping” typically refers to a location signal transmitted from a satellite tag — particularly SPOT (Smart Position or Temperature Transmitting) tags that became widely known through shark tracking studies conducted by organizations such as OCEARCH, Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, and the Harte Institute’s Fin Finder program.

“No, the Department does not have any alligator gar satellite-tagged. There have been some acoustic tag studies throughout the last ~15 years, but never any satellite tags.”

They also addressed the specific size and movement claims made in the viral image itself.

“The world record Alligator Gar is over three-and-a-half feet shorter than the purported length of this fish and unless it is riding in the back of a truck, movement like that would be impossible. Essentially the fish would have to travel well over hundreds if not thousands of miles of river and navigate through a number of impassable dams.”

In other words, the story circulating online is not biologically realistic.

Over at GulfGreatWhites.com, I’ve had to debunk similar viral wildlife misinformation involving great white sharks. Several highly inaccurate shark movement graphics and tracking claims have circulated online over the last month and they spread rapidly.

This latest alligator gar graphic appears to follow that same pattern — a sensational wildlife claim shared widely online without legitimate sourcing, scientific documentation, or confirmation from the agencies supposedly involved.

Chester Moore

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Podcast

New Podcast Up-Women Hunt “Ignite” Podcast Host Dana Dykema Is This Episode’s Special Guest

May 13, 2026 Chester Moore Leave a comment

Higher Calling Wildlife® is back with a brand new episode featuring Dana Dykema of the Ignite podcast from the Women Hunt program of the Wild Sheep Foundation.

In this conversation, Dana talks about the growth of Ignite and how the podcast is helping communicate messages of conservation and hunter advocacy.

The episode dives into modern wildlife management and how regulated hunting helps support healthy wildlife populations and habitat conservation.

We also talk about mentorship, education, and why it is important to create opportunities for new hunters and outdoors enthusiasts to learn about conservation and hunting traditions.

As Higher Calling Wildlife returns, this episode is a great reminder that conservation is about much more than wildlife alone. It is about protecting habitat, preserving outdoor traditions, and making sure future generations have the chance to experience healthy wildlife populations and wild places.

We salute the Women Hunt program and the leadership of Chair Renee Thornton for all of their work in creating new stewards of these resources.

If you care about conservation, hunting, or the future of wildlife management, this is an episode you will not want to miss.

Plus, I got to be a guest on the Ignite podcast. You can listen to that episode wherever you find podcasts or click here.

Chester Moore

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Higher Calling Wildlife

Chester Moore Wins 5 TOWA Awards for Higher Calling Wildlife, Wild Sheep Writing, Dark Outdoors Podcast, and Great White Shark Media

May 4, 2026 Chester Moore 2 Comments

It was a strong year across the board for Chester Moore, who picked up five honors at the Texas Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft Awards in Rockport, TX May 2.

A big part of that recognition came through work published here at Higher Calling Wildlife on highercalling.net. The site has built a consistent track record, having also been named the top blog by the Press Club of Southeast Texas for four consecutive years.

At TOWA, Moore earned a first-place finish in the Outdoor Humor category for Encountering the Devil’s Boar, a story that takes a different angle on a memorable wildlife encounter. Another Higher Calling Wildlife piece, focused on the challenges facing Key deer and the ongoing screwworm issue, placed second in the Best Outdoors Blog category.

His work in other areas was recognized as well.

He took first place honors for his work in the Conservation Impact publication for the Wild Sheep Foundation (WSF) as well as placing for his Dire Wolves & Designer Sheep article for WSF.

The Dark Outdoors podcast was named Best Outdoors Podcast for the second year in a row. The show looks at the darker side of the outdoors—true crime, animal attacks, and unsolved mysteries that happen in remote places—and continues to grow its audience.

There are plans to expand Dark Outdoors in 2026, with more episodes than in the past, along with new programs and continued development of the blog at DarkOutdoors.com.

On the conservation side, the Gulf Great White Shark Society also received recognition. GulfGreatWhites.com was named Best Website for the second year in a row, and the documentary Gulf Great Whtie Sharks: Return of an Icon took first place in the video category.

Moore wrote, produced, and narrated the film, working with Paul Fuzinski, who handled videography and editing.

Reflecting on the awards, Moore said:

“I am extremely grateful and humbled to be honored by TOWA, such a great organization, and to have the opportunity to compete with such great outdoor media people. This inspires me to work even harder. This year was very special winning for something I care so much about, which is work on great white sharks.”

Taken together, the awards reflect a mix of writing, podcasting, and conservation work, with continued growth expected across all platforms moving forward

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Sharks

They’re Wrong About The “Most Dangerous Shark”

March 22, 2026 Chester Moore Leave a comment

Bull sharks have a reputation as one of the most dangerous sharks in the world.

But what if they’ve been blamed for attacks they didn’t commit?

In this video, we take a closer look at shark attacks that were quickly labeled as “bull shark incidents” — and uncover the possibility that other shark species may have been responsible.

And some of them you have probably never heard of.

From mysterious encounters in murky waters to cases where identification was never confirmed, this story challenges what we think we know about shark behavior, risk, and responsibility.

Are bull sharks truly the main threat… or have they been unfairly blamed for many attacks?

Chester Moore

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Mysterious Wildlife

Hyenas in the Wild in America?

March 10, 2026 Chester Moore Leave a comment

A story published on Louisiana Sportsman about a decade agocaused quite a stir within the wildlife community. It described both “chupacabra” sightings and that of what some described as hyenas.

The article, accompanied by an unusual game camera photograph, details a series of strange sightings reported across the state—encounters that some readers have linked to the legendary “chupacabra.”

For those unfamiliar with the term, “chupacabra,” which translates to “goat sucker,” refers to an alleged but scientifically unverified creature said to drain the blood from goats and other animals. Reports of the creature have circulated for decades, particularly in the southern United States and parts of Latin America.

Check out my lengthy assessment of alleged chupacabras.

While the photograph featured in the story does appear unusual at first glance, the article itself explains that the animal is not a mythical creature but a coyote suffering from mange. When animals lose their hair due to disease, their appearance can become dramatically altered. Over the years, I have seen numerous photographs of coyotes and foxes with mange that were incorrectly identified as chupacabras.

Although I have a lifelong interest in mysterious wildlife and believe that some unexplained creatures reported over the centuries may eventually be verified by science, I do not believe the chupacabra is one of them. Reports of chupacabra sightings only began appearing in the 1990s. By contrast, creatures such as sea serpents have been reported for centuries. Any animal allegedly as widespread as the chupacabra—from Puerto Rico to Texas—would have a much longer and more consistent history of sightings, even if known by different names.

Mangy canines are something most people rarely see, but that is changing. With game cameras now set across the landscape and the widespread use of cell phone cameras, more of these animals are being documented than ever before. As a result, images of mangy coyotes and foxes often generate media attention and public speculation.

Since the Louisiana Sportsman story appeared, I have read several interesting online comments. One hunter claimed that on two occasions he had seen animals resembling hyenas in East Texas. That immediately caught my attention, as someone once told me they had seen two “hyenas” in the Hill Country several years ago.

The usual explanation for such sightings is escaped exotic pets, but in reality, hyenas are not kept as private pets. While they exist in zoos, those facilities are well maintained, and the likelihood of multiple escapes occurring across different regions over several years is extremely low.

At a distance, a mangy coyote can indeed resemble a hyena. Though smaller in size, the posture, coloration, and lack of fur can create that illusion, especially in low light or brief encounters.

However, there are now captive hyenas in private hands at several locations in Texas. A viewer of my YouTube channel claims to have seen one road-killed in the same area he saw a road-killed warthog.

Could there be a few hyenas running around out there? It’s possible.

People who spend significant time outdoors occasionally experience strange or confusing encounters. With modern technology, those experiences are now shared widely and instantly, often fueling speculation before scientific explanations are considered.

One of the things I enjoy most about spending time in the woods is wondering what might exist just beyond the treeline.

The day I stop being intrigued by the mysteries of nature will be the day I find another pursuit in life. Fortunately, that day does not appear to be coming anytime soon. There is always something unusual, strange, or mysterious left to investigate—and perhaps even encounter.

Chester Moore

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Garfish

Bad Reputation: The Truth About Alligator Garfish

March 3, 2026 Chester Moore Leave a comment

For decades, the alligator garfish has carried a reputation as a dangerous predator—one rumored to attack humans and decimate game fish populations, especially largemouth bass.

An article by garfish expert Keith Sutton recounts a report from the May 7, 1884 edition of the Arkansas Gazette, which described a boy named Perry being pulled overboard when a garfish bit his leg as it dangled from a boat on Shoal Creek in Logan County. Though his companions rescued him, the boy suffered severe injuries.

I also came across a reference to a 1922 article in the New Orleans Times-Picayune that went so far as to claim garfish were “more dangerous to humans than sharks.”

At the time, it was common for people to toss table scraps into the water around boat docks. Garfish became accustomed to this easy food source, and it’s likely that many of the so-called “attacks” occurred when people placed their feet in the water near feeding fish. These incidents were not acts of aggression but cases of mistaken identity. In fact, there are no verified human attacks by garfish in modern times.

The belief that garfish destroy game fish populations is just as unfounded. In 1987, Texas Parks & Wildlife Department biologist Paul Seidensticker conducted a study titled Food Selection of Alligator Gar and Longnose Gar in a Texas Reservoir at Sam Rayburn Reservoir. Using jug lines and gillnets, Seidensticker and his team collected 209 alligator gar between September and October, ranging from 18 to 156 pounds. Most had empty stomachs.

Among those that had eaten, gizzard shad made up the largest portion of the diet at 26.4 percent. Channel catfish accounted for 14.9 percent, followed by freshwater drum at 12.6 percent and bluegill at 7.9 percent. Largemouth bass comprised only 3.4 percent of the diet—hardly the devastation often claimed. Other unusual items found included two coots, several fishhooks, an artificial lure, and even a plastic bag.

“Gar really are outcasts that are misunderstood,” said Craig Springer of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “They have unlimited potential as sportfish but have unfortunately suffered in the court of public opinion.”

That misunderstanding once fueled gar-killing tournaments designed to “save” game fish populations. Author Smokey Crabtree frequently won these events by fishing the Sulphur River bottoms in Arkansas.

“We’d catch them six and seven feet long and stack them like cordwood,” Crabtree recalled. “It was a sight to behold.”

Crabtree used jug lines baited with live carp weighing two to five pounds and sometimes landed gar exceeding 200 pounds.

Today, the greatest pressure on garfish comes from commercial fishing and bowfishing. Choke Canyon Reservoir near George West was once renowned for its alligator gar population, but harvest encouragement following impoundment led to a dramatic decline. Texas Parks & Wildlife Department acknowledged this in its own lake profile, noting that the number of large alligator gar is now low due to commercial harvest.

While the official status of alligator gar in Texas remains uncertain, longtime anglers have witnessed sharp declines in many waters that once held abundant populations. Channelization and reservoir construction have contributed to an overall reduction in numbers—an issue now recognized even at the federal level.

Recent regulations have helped conserve this remarkable species. Texas remains the last state with a viable trophy alligator gar fishery, and careful management will determine whether future generations get the same opportunities.

I still remember the excitement surrounding “Big John,” the legendary alligator gar said to live in a local gully. When I was in elementary school, some high school boys devised a plan involving a nylon rope tied to a truck, baited with a whole chicken on a shark hook beneath a jug. When the jug went under, they’d start the engine and haul the fish ashore.

To us kids, it was the most brilliant idea imaginable.

The only catch was that the plan unfolded on property belonging to the high school agriculture department, off-limits to anyone else. We had to watch from the road, hoping the fish would fit in the truck bed long enough for us to glimpse it.

As the ag students suddenly scattered in all directions, our imaginations ran wild. Had the fish attacked someone? Was it even bigger than we’d imagined?

The truth turned out to be just as dramatic—they’d hooked a nine-foot alligator gar that was far from pleased about being dragged behind a truck.

That sense of mystery and awe is what makes the alligator garfish so compelling. Thanks to improved conservation efforts, these ancient giants will continue to inspire anglers and storytellers for generations to come.

Chester Moore

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Wildlife Cloning

Coyotes 70 Percent Red Wolves? Galveston “Ghost Wolves”

February 25, 2026 Chester Moore Leave a comment

On a humid stretch of prairie behind the subdivisions and beach houses of Galveston Island, something unexpected moves through the cordgrass at dusk.

Locals call them coyotes. Officially, that’s what they are.

But genetically, many of these canids are something far more complicated.

Recent testing has revealed that some of the island’s coyotes carry astonishing levels of red wolf ancestry in a few cases, as much as 70 percent.

That’s a startling number when you consider that the Red Wolf is one of the most endangered mammals in North America, with only a small, managed population remaining in the wild.

To the untrained eye, a Galveston coyote looks like any other Gulf Coast song dog: lean, long-legged, wary. But hidden in its DNA is the genetic echo of a predator that once roamed from Texas to the Carolinas.

Some researchers have started calling them the “ghost wolves” of the Gulf Coast, living remnants of a species many believed was functionally lost outside a tightly controlled recovery zone.

My latest video talks about a unique effort involving cloning to help forward the conservation of the red wolf.

Chester Moore

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