WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.120 --> 00:00:09.519 I don't know what we saw. If my daughter hadn't been with me and 2 00:00:09.640 --> 00:00:14.119 seen it too, i'd have chalked it up to imagination. She was with 3 00:00:14.199 --> 00:00:17.800 me, and she did see it. At the time, we were living 4 00:00:17.800 --> 00:00:22.079 in a small town south of Fort Worth, Texas. My daughter and I 5 00:00:22.120 --> 00:00:25.920 were on our way to a larger town to do some school shopping, have 6 00:00:25.960 --> 00:00:30.559 a little mother daughter time. It was close to dusk and we drove along 7 00:00:30.600 --> 00:00:34.520 the winding road through the farmland around us, but it was still light enough 8 00:00:34.520 --> 00:00:39.600 to see clearly well into the distance. Two hundred yards ahead of us was 9 00:00:39.600 --> 00:00:44.039 a flatbed truck. As we drove along, what I first assumed was a 10 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:48.560 large black trash bag flew out of the back of it and went straight up 11 00:00:48.560 --> 00:00:53.000 in the air. Most trash when it flies out the back of a truck 12 00:00:53.079 --> 00:00:56.920 will do that, so I gave it very little thought. And then it 13 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:03.520 started gliding straight toward our little Toyota Corolla. As it got closer and it 14 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:07.959 grew bigger, I began to realize that this was no trash bag. It 15 00:01:07.000 --> 00:01:11.599 had wings that were spread out, but they weren't flapping, which made me 16 00:01:11.719 --> 00:01:17.719 wonder if this was someone on a glider. It continued to move even closer, 17 00:01:17.760 --> 00:01:21.840 and as it did so, it began to lose its altitude. Now 18 00:01:21.879 --> 00:01:23.439 it was flying so low, and I thought it was going to land on 19 00:01:23.480 --> 00:01:27.519 our car. I was so sure of this that I quickly closed the window 20 00:01:27.560 --> 00:01:34.439 in the sunroof. This thing reminded me of the creature from the movie Jeeper's 21 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:38.400 Creepers. And as low as it was flying and as close to us as 22 00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:42.239 it came, it should have landed on our car. I honestly don't know 23 00:01:42.280 --> 00:01:46.680 how it didn't. And as soon as it passed over us, I looked 24 00:01:46.719 --> 00:01:49.280 in the rear view mirror to see where it had gone, but it wasn't 25 00:01:49.319 --> 00:01:55.560 there. I reopened the sunroof and I looked up. It wasn't over us 26 00:01:55.680 --> 00:02:00.159 either. It had disappeared. I looked over at my and I realized that 27 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:04.959 she was doing the same thing. She turned all the way around in her 28 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:08.560 seat looking for it. Neither of us said a word. I wasn't about 29 00:02:08.599 --> 00:02:12.439 to stop the car, so I kept my eyes on the road and kept 30 00:02:12.479 --> 00:02:15.960 moving forward. We'd gone a mile or two before I finally spoke up. 31 00:02:16.439 --> 00:02:20.560 Did you see that? Oh my god, what the hell was that thing? 32 00:02:20.840 --> 00:02:24.080 My daughter interrupted before I could finish my question. I don't know, 33 00:02:24.199 --> 00:02:30.759 I cried. We were both completely freaked out by what we'd seen, and 34 00:02:30.840 --> 00:02:35.120 neither of us could identify. It didn't look like a bird, and it 35 00:02:35.159 --> 00:02:38.639 didn't fit the description of a moth man. It appeared to have burlap and 36 00:02:38.800 --> 00:02:44.560 leathery wings, and it had a humanoid head. There was no beak, 37 00:02:44.879 --> 00:02:49.280 no feathers, and no glowing eyes. It was completely blended together, like 38 00:02:49.360 --> 00:02:53.439 it was a single entity and not a person on a glider. If I 39 00:02:53.479 --> 00:02:58.240 had been alone, I would have said it was all my imagination, it 40 00:02:58.280 --> 00:03:01.159 was a trick of the sun, or a product of watching too many scary 41 00:03:01.240 --> 00:03:07.479 movies. But I wasn't alone. My daughter was there too, and neither 42 00:03:07.520 --> 00:03:14.159 one of us to this day can explain what we saw. I'm from a 43 00:03:14.199 --> 00:03:17.280 small town in Wayne County, West Virginia. It's located in the middle of 44 00:03:17.360 --> 00:03:23.319 nowhere, but for reference, East Lynn Lake is to the west and Cavwolingo's 45 00:03:23.400 --> 00:03:29.000 State Forest is to the south. The landscape is made up of a series 46 00:03:29.039 --> 00:03:34.479 of heavily wooded hollers and ridges, with the occasional hilltop field and creek bottoms 47 00:03:34.520 --> 00:03:38.800 being the only flat spots in the whole area. Most of the roads follow 48 00:03:38.840 --> 00:03:43.319 the creeks and ridges. The first time I ever heard of Bigfoot as being 49 00:03:43.599 --> 00:03:47.400 real happened when I was thirteen or fourteen years old. Two of my cousins, 50 00:03:47.520 --> 00:03:53.800 Jason and Junior, told me their story. They were following a slow 51 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:59.080 poke old couple on Route thirty seven through East Lynn Lake State Park near the 52 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:02.439 Lick Creek boat ramp. They said, the older couple suddenly slammed on their 53 00:04:02.479 --> 00:04:09.120 brakes to avoid a giant sasquatch crossing the road in front of them. There 54 00:04:09.199 --> 00:04:13.159 was a wide spot just beyond the boat ramp and playground where the old couple 55 00:04:13.199 --> 00:04:17.519 pulled over and my cousins pulled in right behind them. The four watched as 56 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:21.920 the massive beast ran down the steep hill towards the lake. It was winter, 57 00:04:23.240 --> 00:04:26.120 so with the lake at winter Pool, it was about twenty feet wide. 58 00:04:26.160 --> 00:04:30.720 Where the creature jumped across. It ran up the hill on the other 59 00:04:30.839 --> 00:04:35.160 side at an unbelievable pace, disappearing into the brush about halfway up the opposite 60 00:04:35.240 --> 00:04:40.480 hill. I knew they were stoned when they were telling me the story, 61 00:04:41.079 --> 00:04:45.560 so I thought they were probably making it up to get a laugh. Now 62 00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.319 that I've seen and heard these things. I know they were telling the truth. 63 00:04:49.079 --> 00:04:53.959 About a year after hearing my cousin's tale, I had my first encounter. 64 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:59.839 I was on the UKC Competition raccoon hunt. My dad and I both 65 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:03.000 had dogs entered in the hunt, and we were cast out separately. I 66 00:05:03.079 --> 00:05:05.879 was too young to drive, so I had to ride with one of the 67 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:11.120 fellows i'd been cast out to hunt against. It was a great hunt for 68 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:15.040 my group, with me and my beloved blue tick coonhound way in the lead. 69 00:05:16.079 --> 00:05:19.199 Old Blue was the best dog I'd ever hunted with, and I loved 70 00:05:19.199 --> 00:05:24.759 that dog as much as a fifteen year old hillbilly could love one. We 71 00:05:24.839 --> 00:05:28.759 had about thirty minutes of alloted time left for the hunt, but had run 72 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:32.279 out of normal hunting spots. One of the hunters knew a spot close by, 73 00:05:32.560 --> 00:05:38.279 However, it required driving down a rough road to get there. It 74 00:05:38.360 --> 00:05:42.560 was about a half mile away and then straight up a rocky West Virginia mountain 75 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:46.920 all the way to the top. I don't know why this sounded like a 76 00:05:46.959 --> 00:05:51.000 good idea, but we all agreed and off we went. We drove the 77 00:05:51.040 --> 00:05:56.279 two beat up trucks up the creek bed and then slowly began ascending up a 78 00:05:56.319 --> 00:06:00.319 steep, rocky, unkept road. It was more like a four wheeler trail 79 00:06:00.399 --> 00:06:04.560 than a road. We reached the top and turned the dogs loose down the 80 00:06:04.600 --> 00:06:10.920 other side of the hill. After just a few minutes, everyone's dogs came 81 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:15.079 back except mine, and I called for Blue over and over, but to 82 00:06:15.199 --> 00:06:19.480 no avail. The other hunters were ready to go, but still Blue had 83 00:06:19.519 --> 00:06:24.199 not showed up. I told them to go ahead without me and send my 84 00:06:24.279 --> 00:06:27.879 dad back up here to get me. They acted like they didn't want to 85 00:06:27.959 --> 00:06:30.959 leave me, but I insisted now. I assured them I'd been hunting in 86 00:06:31.040 --> 00:06:34.160 the dark wood since I was a toddler, and that I would be okay. 87 00:06:35.519 --> 00:06:40.040 I wasn't afraid of the woods of the dark. After much debate, 88 00:06:40.319 --> 00:06:45.759 they all left. I stood there alone in the dark. I didn't turn 89 00:06:45.800 --> 00:06:49.279 on my light so that my eyes would adjust to the darkness. Not long 90 00:06:49.360 --> 00:06:54.480 after the tail lights disappeared into the darkness, I heard movement coming through the 91 00:06:54.519 --> 00:06:59.000 brush towards me. I quickly turned on my light and shined it on my 92 00:06:59.079 --> 00:07:04.240 best friend running towards me. I saw eye shine behind him. Blue rushed 93 00:07:04.240 --> 00:07:10.480 into my arms with an urgency that told me something was wrong. I snapped 94 00:07:10.519 --> 00:07:14.240 the lead onto his collar and then turned the light back on in the direction 95 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:17.800 from which he had come. About fifty feet or so away from us stood 96 00:07:17.800 --> 00:07:23.079 a large man with wide set eyes that glowed when the light hit them. 97 00:07:24.120 --> 00:07:28.959 Except this was no man. He was way too big. His brownish red, 98 00:07:29.079 --> 00:07:32.360 three inch long hair moved in the breeze as my heart sank into my 99 00:07:32.480 --> 00:07:38.920 stomach. In a soft tone, I said hello, but there was no 100 00:07:39.079 --> 00:07:42.839 reply. And then I said, I've got a gun, so don't come 101 00:07:42.879 --> 00:07:46.920 any closer. I was bluffing. I didn't have a gun, and Blue 102 00:07:46.959 --> 00:07:51.759 positioned himself between me and the enormous thing that was now moving towards us, 103 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:57.920 its hand up to block the light from its eyes. Stop right there, 104 00:07:58.000 --> 00:08:01.279 I said, a little louder. I'll shoot you if you come any closer. 105 00:08:01.879 --> 00:08:05.680 I started backing down the road, pulling my dog with me. I 106 00:08:05.759 --> 00:08:11.800 was never more frightened in my life. I felt the warm stream of urine 107 00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:16.519 run down my leg as I continued to back away from the beast. I'm 108 00:08:16.519 --> 00:08:20.000 going to die right here, right now, I thought, and I knew 109 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:24.360 I was helpless to prevent it. I started praying out loud Lord, God, 110 00:08:24.519 --> 00:08:28.279 please just let me out of here, and I'll never sin again. 111 00:08:28.959 --> 00:08:33.759 I was bargaining, I'll obey your commandments. Please just don't let this thing 112 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:39.639 kill me. The creature turned and I saw another one behind it. It 113 00:08:39.679 --> 00:08:43.840 was a smaller, darker one, possibly black. I could almost make out 114 00:08:45.039 --> 00:08:50.000 breasts, so I assumed it was a female. They chattered between themselves while 115 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:54.919 I kept slowly backing away, never taking my light off of them, and 116 00:08:54.960 --> 00:08:58.399 in a flash, one went right and the other went left, and I 117 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:01.759 lost sight of both of them. I shined the light around in every direction, 118 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:07.440 but I couldn't see anything. I couldn't hear anything either. I turned 119 00:09:07.480 --> 00:09:11.279 off my light and tried to let my eyes adjust to the darkness, and 120 00:09:11.360 --> 00:09:16.080 after a few minutes I started walking down the road towards the creek. I 121 00:09:16.120 --> 00:09:18.960 heard the movement on both sides. As I walked, I would stop and 122 00:09:20.039 --> 00:09:22.879 turn my light in the direction I heard the sound, but I couldn't see 123 00:09:22.919 --> 00:09:28.399 anything, and when I stopped to listen, the sound stopped. I turned 124 00:09:28.440 --> 00:09:33.759 the light back on the rocky road and kept walking towards the creek. I 125 00:09:33.840 --> 00:09:37.559 decided at that moment that there would be nothing I could do if they wanted 126 00:09:37.600 --> 00:09:41.320 to kill me, so I just walked as normally as I could down the 127 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:46.440 uneven road. Blue, who normally walked in front of me, was behind 128 00:09:46.519 --> 00:09:48.480 me, then on my right, and then on my left for a few 129 00:09:48.519 --> 00:09:52.519 seconds, and then behind me again. He didn't growl, he acted as 130 00:09:52.559 --> 00:09:58.279 scared as I was. Somehow I managed to make it to the creek, 131 00:09:58.360 --> 00:10:03.519 but I couldn't take it anymore. The tears poured from my eyes like a 132 00:10:03.559 --> 00:10:07.720 faucet, and I cried out, thank you God in a loud and confident 133 00:10:07.840 --> 00:10:11.519 voice. I wasn't out of the woods yet, but I felt like these 134 00:10:11.559 --> 00:10:18.000 creatures knew God, like they wouldn't touch me only because of God. And 135 00:10:18.039 --> 00:10:22.960 I splashed down the creek fearlessly, knowing they wouldn't touch me. I pulled 136 00:10:22.960 --> 00:10:26.360 Blue, who was still scared to death and walking with his tail between his 137 00:10:26.480 --> 00:10:30.120 legs, all the way to the main road, and then I stood there, 138 00:10:30.200 --> 00:10:33.399 soaking wet from the urine and the creek water, and I cried while 139 00:10:33.399 --> 00:10:39.080 I waited for my father to arrive. Twenty minutes later, I saw that 140 00:10:39.159 --> 00:10:43.039 old Dodge pull up. I was never so happy to see my dad in 141 00:10:43.120 --> 00:10:48.399 my life. Normally I had to pick that stubborn blue tick up to get 142 00:10:48.480 --> 00:10:52.200 him in the truck bed, but not that night. He leaped up on 143 00:10:52.279 --> 00:10:56.960 the tailgate and dove into his safe, warm dog box. I walked around 144 00:10:56.000 --> 00:11:00.159 the truck and I opened the door, but before I got in, I 145 00:11:00.200 --> 00:11:05.039 took one last look towards the creek. They were standing there watching me in 146 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:09.120 the glow of the tail light, and I waved to them and I jumped 147 00:11:09.120 --> 00:11:13.039 in the cab. My father took one look at me and asked, what 148 00:11:13.279 --> 00:11:16.840 happened to you. I must have had a little accident, I said, 149 00:11:16.840 --> 00:11:20.639 with a smile. He handed me an old jacket and told me to sit 150 00:11:20.720 --> 00:11:24.320 on it, adding that he didn't want that peacemel all over his truck. 151 00:11:26.279 --> 00:11:30.559 I'm crying right now as i'm writing this. It's so hard to tell anyone, 152 00:11:30.759 --> 00:11:33.879 and that's why I'm telling everyone. Until now, I've never told a 153 00:11:33.960 --> 00:11:37.360 soul, not my dad that night, nor my best friend, or even 154 00:11:37.399 --> 00:11:43.200 my wife. I remember what I thought of my cousin's story, and I 155 00:11:43.200 --> 00:11:46.919 didn't want others to think the same about me. I've kept it bottled up 156 00:11:46.960 --> 00:11:52.240 for all these years, and now at least it's out. I didn't make 157 00:11:52.279 --> 00:11:54.519 good on my promise to God either, but I'm sure he forgives me. 158 00:11:56.799 --> 00:12:01.519 That was the only hardcore visual I've ever had of these preachers or people. 159 00:12:01.639 --> 00:12:05.159 I know. They're people. They have a soul just like we do. 160 00:12:05.720 --> 00:12:11.120 They know God just like I do, No, probably better than I do. 161 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:15.480 I think they have a relationship with God that we can't even comprehend. 162 00:12:16.879 --> 00:12:20.320 A few years later, when I was nineteen, my mom and dad told 163 00:12:20.320 --> 00:12:24.200 me a story about a big, skinny bear they saw on a cemetery road 164 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:28.000 near Capelingo State Forest. Mom said it didn't look like a bear. She 165 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:33.600 said, it looked like a bigfoot. Dad quickly interrupted and said it was 166 00:12:33.679 --> 00:12:37.240 a bear, a skinny bear that crawled low to the ground on its belly, 167 00:12:37.279 --> 00:12:41.440 trying to hide. I didn't act like I thought it was a sasquatch, 168 00:12:41.480 --> 00:12:45.399 but I knew it was. Later Mom told me she thought it looked 169 00:12:45.399 --> 00:12:50.320 more like a bigfoot than a bear. I had one more encounter when I 170 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:54.440 was twenty seven years old. I was camping with an old girlfriend and her 171 00:12:54.519 --> 00:13:00.279 kids at East Lynne Lake. It was a weekend after school had started back 172 00:13:00.279 --> 00:13:05.000 in the fall, so there weren't any other campers. We picked the last 173 00:13:05.000 --> 00:13:09.000 campsite at the end of the campground. Her kids fell asleep in the pop 174 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:13.399 up camper. Around eleven PM. My girlfriend and I were sitting at the 175 00:13:13.440 --> 00:13:18.879 fire when acorns and small pine cones started landing in the fire, and then 176 00:13:18.919 --> 00:13:24.480 they started hitting us. I got a flashlight and scanned the area looking for 177 00:13:24.600 --> 00:13:28.720 pranksters, but I didn't see a thing. No one was around anywhere. 178 00:13:28.639 --> 00:13:33.120 The hills on the side of us were steep, really steep, and we 179 00:13:33.120 --> 00:13:37.360 were at the last campsite, and the acorns and pine combs were coming from 180 00:13:37.399 --> 00:13:41.919 those hills. We got scared and we went inside, but then they started 181 00:13:41.960 --> 00:13:46.600 hitting the camper, heard chatter coming from up the hill behind us. It 182 00:13:46.639 --> 00:13:52.399 all sounded so familiar. The memory of that night raccoon hunting came flooding back 183 00:13:52.440 --> 00:13:56.320 to me. I knew who it was then, and I told my girlfriend 184 00:13:56.360 --> 00:14:01.080 it was raccoons, and she believed me. I started praying and it stopped, 185 00:14:01.279 --> 00:14:05.159 like turning off the switch. It was pretty cool, but scary.