WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.599 --> 00:00:08.199 Sometime between nineteen ninety nine. In two thousand and one, 2 00:00:08.439 --> 00:00:12.919 I was hunting on a wildlife management area in central Florida. 3 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:16.359 It was archery and muzzloder hunting for deer only in 4 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:20.559 wild hog I was hunting alone, but I've never minded that. 5 00:00:21.480 --> 00:00:23.760 I was a shift worker at the time and enjoyed 6 00:00:23.760 --> 00:00:27.640 the solitude, and until that trip in September, I had 7 00:00:27.679 --> 00:00:31.600 never had a bad experience in the woods. I had 8 00:00:31.640 --> 00:00:34.759 built and placed a twelve foot conduit tree stand in 9 00:00:34.840 --> 00:00:37.280 a new area on the south side of the lake 10 00:00:37.520 --> 00:00:41.399 days prior to hunting the new location. I was using 11 00:00:41.439 --> 00:00:44.159 a compound bow and I could shoot roughly sixty to 12 00:00:44.240 --> 00:00:47.799 seventy yards. I had a sweet spot attached to a 13 00:00:47.840 --> 00:00:50.960 pine tree on the edge of a pine platte bordering 14 00:00:51.039 --> 00:00:54.399 a small oak hammock and myrtle trees that acted as 15 00:00:54.399 --> 00:00:59.240 a natural hedge of camouflage. Around two PM, I parked 16 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:02.000 my truck a mile from the stand and walked in 17 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.920 for an evening hunt. Soon after settling in, I heard 18 00:01:06.920 --> 00:01:10.480 some concerning sounds, and coming from my left near the 19 00:01:10.519 --> 00:01:14.000 myrtle trees about ten to fifteen feet high, I could 20 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:18.280 hear growling in a very deep breathing. I had first 21 00:01:18.319 --> 00:01:20.879 thought it was an alligator because the paper map I 22 00:01:20.959 --> 00:01:24.040 was using indicated that it was near a lake, even 23 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:27.319 though I couldn't see the lake. At that point, the 24 00:01:27.400 --> 00:01:30.439 sounds were loud enough that I figured my hunt was over, 25 00:01:30.840 --> 00:01:34.879 so I decided to mimic the sounds. I was answered 26 00:01:34.879 --> 00:01:38.680 by deep, raspy growling that I could feel as much 27 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:42.519 as I could hear. Surprisingly, it got quiet for the 28 00:01:42.560 --> 00:01:45.480 next several minutes. I was sure they were coming from 29 00:01:45.519 --> 00:01:48.920 the woods, so I started looking intently in that direction, 30 00:01:49.079 --> 00:01:53.319 trying to find and identify the source. I was getting 31 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.879 pretty concerned about the growls when too deer meandered through 32 00:01:56.920 --> 00:01:59.640 some brush about one hundred yards off to my left. 33 00:02:00.560 --> 00:02:03.719 They didn't seem alarmed or panicked in any way, as 34 00:02:03.719 --> 00:02:07.040 if they hadn't heard the sounds just a few minutes ago. 35 00:02:07.680 --> 00:02:10.520 As they calmly moved toward the myrtle trees to my 36 00:02:10.719 --> 00:02:14.120 left and coming within range of a clean shot, I 37 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:16.960 slowly began to knock an arrow on the bow and 38 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:21.080 positioned myself to take the shot. I mean, I was 39 00:02:21.120 --> 00:02:26.560 there to hunt, not identify strange sounds. The first deer 40 00:02:26.639 --> 00:02:29.039 had just come into full view and one of the 41 00:02:29.080 --> 00:02:32.240 two foot pile metow bushes and tall grass. When all 42 00:02:32.280 --> 00:02:36.439 hell broke loose. There was an enormous loud crack like 43 00:02:36.479 --> 00:02:40.639 a wooden branch hitting another object, and then wrestling ensued 44 00:02:40.680 --> 00:02:44.000 in the brush just beyond my line of sight. The 45 00:02:44.080 --> 00:02:47.360 second deer turned and ran in the direction it had come, 46 00:02:47.599 --> 00:02:50.960 blowing and jumping over brush as it high tailed it 47 00:02:51.000 --> 00:02:54.240 out of there. I watched it for a minute before 48 00:02:54.280 --> 00:02:57.280 turning my focus back to the location of the attack. 49 00:02:58.479 --> 00:03:03.520 Something sounded like breaking, followed by dragging, and then everything 50 00:03:03.599 --> 00:03:08.800 got quiet. My heart was pounding hard as the realization 51 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:12.840 of what had just happened dawned on me. A predator 52 00:03:12.960 --> 00:03:15.680 had taken down a deer. But what kind of predator 53 00:03:15.800 --> 00:03:18.960 was it. It occurred to me that whatever it was, 54 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:22.680 it was preoccupied, and I needed to take advantage of that. 55 00:03:23.840 --> 00:03:26.680 I loaded up my backpack and bow, and I climbed 56 00:03:26.719 --> 00:03:29.840 down as quietly as I could, without taking my eyes 57 00:03:29.879 --> 00:03:32.719 off the spot where it all had happened. Now, I 58 00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:35.199 hit the ground as gently as I could and haul 59 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:37.960 my butt back to my truck at a dead sprint. 60 00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:41.719 I never got a look at the predator, but I 61 00:03:41.800 --> 00:03:44.960 know it took down the deer. It did so all 62 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:49.199 while going undetected by both the deer and me. I 63 00:03:49.199 --> 00:03:52.159 didn't have a cell phone back then or a GPS. 64 00:03:52.680 --> 00:03:55.360 I hadn't even bothered to tell anyone my plans for 65 00:03:55.439 --> 00:03:58.960 the day or where I would be hunting. No one 66 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:01.199 would have known where to look if it had chosen 67 00:04:01.319 --> 00:04:05.400 me instead of that deer. What happened that day scared 68 00:04:05.400 --> 00:04:07.680 the hell out of me, and it left me wondering 69 00:04:07.800 --> 00:04:12.280 for years. Today, I don't go hunting alone. I have 70 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:16.319 my phone with GPS activated, and I always carry at 71 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:19.240 least a side arm every time I enter the woods. 72 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:23.319 I'm fifty years old now, a lot wiser and more 73 00:04:23.519 --> 00:04:27.720 educated now. I know there are apex predators in the woods, 74 00:04:28.040 --> 00:04:31.839 and it's best to be prepared. Dean, I agree with you, 75 00:04:31.920 --> 00:04:34.240 it's best to be prepared if you're hunting down in 76 00:04:34.279 --> 00:04:38.519 Florida and there's alligators and possibly other predators in the woods. 77 00:04:38.600 --> 00:04:41.319 I think you got pigs down there, all kinds of stuff. 78 00:04:41.360 --> 00:04:44.000 But that was such an interesting story. I mean, I 79 00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:46.879 don't think I've gotten one like this where someone actually 80 00:04:47.199 --> 00:04:49.519 you didn't actually witness it, but you knew it was 81 00:04:49.600 --> 00:04:52.920 going on, that this thing grabbed a deer and killed 82 00:04:52.920 --> 00:04:55.959 it and then walked off with it. You never saw 83 00:04:56.000 --> 00:04:58.680 a thing, you just heard it all go down. It 84 00:04:58.720 --> 00:05:01.519 was kind of confirmed by the you were hearing before 85 00:05:01.560 --> 00:05:04.639 the deer came in. I think that's cool. You know, 86 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:07.240 Carrie Arnold and his bunch have been down in Florida 87 00:05:07.279 --> 00:05:10.319 and they've got all kind of footage of different things 88 00:05:10.360 --> 00:05:16.480 in Florida. Those swamps down there apparently are enough habitat 89 00:05:16.600 --> 00:05:19.399 to hold a lot of these things. And the whole 90 00:05:19.480 --> 00:05:23.519 subject of the Skunk Ape Skunk Ape is fascinating to 91 00:05:23.560 --> 00:05:26.560 me and I enjoy reading up on it, and I 92 00:05:26.560 --> 00:05:30.519 can't wait for Carrie's documentary to come out. It's going 93 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:33.759 to be really good. So anyway, I'm just rambling, dude. 94 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.879 I appreciate you sending it, Dean. You're a good writer, 95 00:05:37.199 --> 00:05:39.120 and it was a great story and we all enjoyed it. 96 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:43.399 Thank you. Man. All Right, This man didn't say whether 97 00:05:43.480 --> 00:05:45.639 I could use this name or not, so I kind 98 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:48.759 of prefer not to. I'll give you his first name. 99 00:05:48.759 --> 00:05:52.240 It's Greg, he writes, I grew up in the Bronx. 100 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:55.639 To me, Bigfoot was just a legend, a myth, a 101 00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:59.360 fun thing to think about. Despite growing up in the 102 00:05:59.399 --> 00:06:02.120 Bronx all he's felt like a country boy at heart. 103 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:05.160 So when I got older and married, I bought a 104 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:07.879 two acre lot, about a third of which is wooded, 105 00:06:07.920 --> 00:06:12.120 and it backs up to the Appalachian Trail. A year 106 00:06:12.199 --> 00:06:15.240 after we moved in, I hired an excavator to clear 107 00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:17.040 out a little bit in the back so we could 108 00:06:17.040 --> 00:06:20.079 put in a pool. While he was there, I also 109 00:06:20.240 --> 00:06:23.040 had him carve a little dirt track through the piles 110 00:06:23.079 --> 00:06:26.680 of dead and down trees to make a motorcycle track 111 00:06:26.720 --> 00:06:30.600 for my son. A few days after the guy finished work, 112 00:06:30.759 --> 00:06:33.720 I decided to walk back there and survey the new trail. 113 00:06:34.399 --> 00:06:38.000 To my surprise, I found several structures built out of 114 00:06:38.040 --> 00:06:42.600 cedar trees, some of which went over the trails forming tunnels. 115 00:06:44.079 --> 00:06:47.480 There were also platforms built twenty feet up in the trees. 116 00:06:47.920 --> 00:06:50.160 And these things were built much better than I could 117 00:06:50.199 --> 00:06:53.240 have ever done. That's assuming I could have budged one 118 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:56.199 of those big logs. They were all the way too 119 00:06:56.240 --> 00:06:58.759 heavy for any human to move or set in position. 120 00:06:59.759 --> 00:07:01.800 Now on Then I walked back there, and I see 121 00:07:01.879 --> 00:07:06.000 that changes have been made. Sometimes at night i'd hear 122 00:07:06.079 --> 00:07:10.600 strange noises and screams and shrieks. I couldn't identify them. 123 00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:14.240 They didn't sound like coyotes, and they didn't sound like foxes, 124 00:07:14.680 --> 00:07:18.959 but they did sound eerie. I didn't immediately think bigfoot 125 00:07:19.000 --> 00:07:21.920 when I heard them. I just knew there were noises 126 00:07:21.920 --> 00:07:26.360 I didn't have an explanation for. However, looking back between 127 00:07:26.439 --> 00:07:30.079 the strange structures and eyed sounds, my thoughts may have 128 00:07:30.120 --> 00:07:34.639 been leaning toward believing At that point there was a 129 00:07:34.680 --> 00:07:38.040 giant oak back there that was probably four feet in diameter. 130 00:07:38.639 --> 00:07:40.920 The base of this tree sloped out in a way 131 00:07:40.959 --> 00:07:44.839 that formed a perfect backrest. I've spent years under that 132 00:07:44.879 --> 00:07:48.680 tree hunting turkey and deer. Several years ago, I was 133 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:51.360 sitting there in my favorite spot with my turkey call 134 00:07:51.560 --> 00:07:55.120 mimicking a hen when I suddenly heard leaves crunching behind me. 135 00:07:56.120 --> 00:07:59.279 Something was approaching, and it sounded huge. It was way 136 00:07:59.319 --> 00:08:02.639 too big to be a big old tom I was 137 00:08:02.680 --> 00:08:06.079 trying to identify when it stopped walking and I froze 138 00:08:06.120 --> 00:08:08.319 to my spot When I realized it had come to 139 00:08:08.399 --> 00:08:12.240 a stop right behind me. It felt like I sat 140 00:08:12.279 --> 00:08:15.519 there for an eternity, waiting for whatever it was to 141 00:08:15.600 --> 00:08:19.439 pass behind me. After a minute or two, I was 142 00:08:19.519 --> 00:08:23.000 hit by a futrid smell that immediately sent me back 143 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:25.319 to the time my mom took me to the Bronx 144 00:08:25.439 --> 00:08:28.639 Zoo when I was a kid. I had gone inside 145 00:08:28.680 --> 00:08:31.120 the ape house and the smell there was so bad 146 00:08:31.399 --> 00:08:34.759 I felt like I was going to pass out. Until 147 00:08:34.759 --> 00:08:37.200 that moment, it was the worst smell I had ever 148 00:08:37.279 --> 00:08:41.399 experienced in my life. What I was smelling now, five 149 00:08:41.480 --> 00:08:45.639 decades later was every bit as bad. Until the moment 150 00:08:45.679 --> 00:08:49.000 I smelled that stenched and instantly related it to the 151 00:08:49.039 --> 00:08:52.600 smell of the zoo. I had never consciously considered that 152 00:08:52.679 --> 00:08:56.759 it might be bigfoot. Now I was terrified, knowing it 153 00:08:56.840 --> 00:08:59.879 might be a bigfoot standing behind me, it would be 154 00:09:00.080 --> 00:09:02.519 nothing for him to reach around the tree and grab me. 155 00:09:04.360 --> 00:09:07.200 After a few more minutes, the wet dog covered in 156 00:09:07.279 --> 00:09:14.559 gorilla poop sky Oh, here we go with the smell description. 157 00:09:16.279 --> 00:09:19.000 After a few more minutes, the wet dog covered in 158 00:09:19.120 --> 00:09:23.919 gorilla poop and dipped in skunk spray smell began to dissipate. 159 00:09:24.679 --> 00:09:27.679 I began to relax a little and slowly stood up 160 00:09:28.360 --> 00:09:31.559 with my twelve gage Remington eleven hundred at the ready. 161 00:09:31.919 --> 00:09:35.320 I leaned out to see what was standing there. It 162 00:09:35.480 --> 00:09:39.840 was nothing. Whatever had been standing behind me had disappeared 163 00:09:40.039 --> 00:09:44.600 along with its smell. No leaves crunching, no shuffling, nothing. 164 00:09:45.039 --> 00:09:47.120 I never got a look at it, but the way 165 00:09:47.159 --> 00:09:51.000 the leaves were disturbed, I'm pretty sure it was huge. 166 00:09:51.559 --> 00:09:55.200 This all took place about fifteen years ago in New York, 167 00:09:55.519 --> 00:09:59.039 an hour and a half north of Manhattan. I never 168 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:02.120 gave it much thought after it happened. I never told 169 00:10:02.159 --> 00:10:05.200 anyone the story because I could never bring myself to 170 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:09.559 believe in Bigfoot. I used to joke with my friends 171 00:10:09.559 --> 00:10:12.639 that Bigfoot was lurking in my backyard, but that was 172 00:10:12.679 --> 00:10:16.600 as far as it would go. And then this past summer, 173 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:20.120 I was riding my bike through the magnificent Northern Casco 174 00:10:20.200 --> 00:10:23.120 Mountains of New York, about two hours north of my house. 175 00:10:24.200 --> 00:10:27.879 It was a beautiful, windless day with spectacular views that 176 00:10:28.039 --> 00:10:31.799 stretched for miles. I have no idea where I was, 177 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.399 because I prefer to go where the back roads take me. 178 00:10:35.360 --> 00:10:37.600 I came out over the crest of a mountain to 179 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:41.000 the site of a long, straight, narrow road stretching out 180 00:10:41.039 --> 00:10:44.399 in front of me. I could see a house sitting 181 00:10:44.480 --> 00:10:46.759 by itself, with a big tree in the front yard 182 00:10:46.960 --> 00:10:50.480 that sat about seventy five feet off the road. It 183 00:10:50.519 --> 00:10:53.919 looked like the tree was shaking frantically, and when I 184 00:10:53.960 --> 00:10:57.080 got closer, I saw it what appear to be an enormous, 185 00:10:57.519 --> 00:11:02.519 pregnant orangutang sitting under it, stuffing her face with apples. 186 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:06.159 There was some kind of doodle dog with her, and 187 00:11:06.200 --> 00:11:08.840 it ran over to me and then back to the orangutang. 188 00:11:10.000 --> 00:11:13.559 Apparently they were friends. I had stopped my bike and 189 00:11:13.679 --> 00:11:17.200 was watching this creature, who was periodically glancing back at me, 190 00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:21.039 but she didn't seem threatening at all. I kept my 191 00:11:21.120 --> 00:11:24.919 hand on the throttle just in case. The dog was 192 00:11:25.039 --> 00:11:28.000 running back and forth between us and Miss Bigfoot crawled 193 00:11:28.000 --> 00:11:31.559 around and gathered up more apples. She must have decided 194 00:11:31.600 --> 00:11:34.360 that she needed more of a selection, because she stood 195 00:11:34.440 --> 00:11:36.879 up and grabbed a branch that must have been ten 196 00:11:36.919 --> 00:11:40.440 feet off the ground, and she shook it. I noticed 197 00:11:40.440 --> 00:11:44.039 her posture was much more upright than that of an orangutang, 198 00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:48.279 more like a bigfoot. She had big, powerful legs and 199 00:11:48.399 --> 00:11:52.200 was covered in orange red hair, except for her face, 200 00:11:52.559 --> 00:11:56.679 which was a lot less hairy. I tried to communicate 201 00:11:56.720 --> 00:11:59.960 with her by saying things like hey, mama, hi mama, 202 00:12:00.559 --> 00:12:03.320 but all she did was give me an inquisitive look 203 00:12:03.519 --> 00:12:06.879 and then glanced away. It was like she was used 204 00:12:06.919 --> 00:12:10.240 to seeing people and having people see her. And then 205 00:12:10.320 --> 00:12:12.519 she bent down and picked up a few apples and 206 00:12:12.600 --> 00:12:16.480 started rolling them toward me. When she stood up again, 207 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:19.799 I noticed her head was about two feet below that 208 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:24.759 ten foot branch. She took a few steps toward me, 209 00:12:25.039 --> 00:12:28.679 and that was my cue to leave. I politely said goodbye, 210 00:12:28.919 --> 00:12:32.720 and I waved and quickly left. A few miles down 211 00:12:32.720 --> 00:12:35.399 the road, I had to pull over and calm myself down. 212 00:12:36.600 --> 00:12:39.080 My phone was in my bike bag and I could 213 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:42.600 have taken some pretty spectacular photos, but I was too 214 00:12:42.639 --> 00:12:46.279 scared to get off the bike and do that. After 215 00:12:46.360 --> 00:12:48.960 another five miles down the road, I pulled in to 216 00:12:49.080 --> 00:12:52.399 a little gas station. The person behind the counter said, 217 00:12:52.879 --> 00:12:56.360 you look like you just saw a ghost. Well, actually, 218 00:12:56.360 --> 00:12:59.720 you wouldn't believe what I just saw. I answered, So 219 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:03.000 you saw Daryl, said the woman with a knowing grin. 220 00:13:03.440 --> 00:13:06.799 Who is Daryl? I asked, Well, that's our local bigfoot. 221 00:13:06.919 --> 00:13:09.879 She said, like it was a normal sight in these parts. 222 00:13:10.279 --> 00:13:13.399 But keep it under your hat. She added, well, that 223 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:16.360 won't be a problem, I assured her. As I thought 224 00:13:16.360 --> 00:13:19.960 to myself. Evidently they don't know Daryl is a girl. 225 00:13:23.360 --> 00:13:26.840 The following accounts come from the husband of someone who 226 00:13:26.960 --> 00:13:30.919 I work with. She knows about people sharing their stories 227 00:13:30.919 --> 00:13:33.399 with me, so she asked if I'd like to meet 228 00:13:33.399 --> 00:13:37.799 her husband. What follows is an example of his strange 229 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:44.080 and unexpected encounters while hunting. During the second week of October, 230 00:13:44.120 --> 00:13:47.320 my brother in law arrived at our hunting location just 231 00:13:47.440 --> 00:13:51.080 after five am. It was still dark out and I 232 00:13:51.240 --> 00:13:53.600 like to get out and just settle in to allow 233 00:13:53.639 --> 00:13:56.759 my eyes to adjust to the darkness before I head out. 234 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:02.320 As I slowly made my way past empty homestead horse corrals, 235 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:05.960 I was looking for an opening or clearing to just stop, 236 00:14:06.320 --> 00:14:10.879 look and listen. That's when I first smelled it. The 237 00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:14.320 odor reaped so bad. It was worse than any bare 238 00:14:14.480 --> 00:14:17.759 or mountain lion that I've ever smelled, and that's when 239 00:14:17.759 --> 00:14:21.360 I felt like I was being watched. I slowly turned 240 00:14:21.360 --> 00:14:25.120 around and suddenly all the hair on my body stood up. 241 00:14:26.039 --> 00:14:29.080 That caused me to chamber around in my rifle, and 242 00:14:29.120 --> 00:14:32.159 I also unsnapped my holster so I could pull out 243 00:14:32.200 --> 00:14:36.000 my pistol in case I needed it. Ten to fifteen 244 00:14:36.120 --> 00:14:39.080 yards ahead of me I heard a tremendous roar that 245 00:14:39.240 --> 00:14:43.480 was so loud it shook my entire body. The timber 246 00:14:43.639 --> 00:14:46.200 was dark and it was still dark out, so all 247 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:50.320 I saw appear to be a large, dark shadow. I 248 00:14:50.360 --> 00:14:53.399 could see it standing upright and moving just near the 249 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:56.519 tree line. As I turned to look at it, it 250 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:59.840 was looking at me. By this point, it was less 251 00:15:00.200 --> 00:15:04.120 twenty five feet away. As I knelt down to take 252 00:15:04.200 --> 00:15:06.759 aim at it, I couldn't find it in the scope 253 00:15:06.840 --> 00:15:10.120 it was too dark. While on my knees, I popped 254 00:15:10.159 --> 00:15:12.879 one of my three hundred wind mag rounds out of 255 00:15:12.919 --> 00:15:16.000 the magazine and onto the ground so I could retrace 256 00:15:16.279 --> 00:15:19.480 my tracks when it was light out. That's when the 257 00:15:19.519 --> 00:15:23.120 creature started moving down through the bush and trees towards 258 00:15:23.159 --> 00:15:26.360 the creek. When it took the first step, it was 259 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:30.080 long and a deliberate step in a direction away from me. 260 00:15:30.840 --> 00:15:34.000 I could feel the ground shake when it took that step. 261 00:15:34.480 --> 00:15:37.480 I quickly retreated the three to four hundred yards back 262 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:39.879 to my truck, where I found my brother in law 263 00:15:39.960 --> 00:15:43.919 still inside. He was holding his pistol up and close 264 00:15:43.960 --> 00:15:46.919 to his chest. I tried to open the door, but 265 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:50.159 it was locked. Opened the door, I told him, but 266 00:15:50.240 --> 00:15:53.000 he shook his head and he said no way. He 267 00:15:53.000 --> 00:15:55.720 heard it too and grabbed his gun. He said it 268 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:58.159 made the hair on his body stand straight up, just 269 00:15:58.320 --> 00:16:01.600 like me. We remained in the truck talking until the 270 00:16:01.679 --> 00:16:04.399 sun started to come up and we could see Butter. 271 00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:07.840 It took some doing, but I convinced him to come 272 00:16:07.919 --> 00:16:11.159 with me to where I saw this creature. After we 273 00:16:11.240 --> 00:16:14.720 reached the spot, I located that three hundred wind mag 274 00:16:14.879 --> 00:16:18.159 round and showed it to him. This is where it happened, 275 00:16:18.200 --> 00:16:21.279 and I pointed to a tree where it was. Now 276 00:16:21.320 --> 00:16:23.919 that it is light out, I could also gauge how 277 00:16:24.000 --> 00:16:27.720 tall it was standing beside the tree. I'm thinking it 278 00:16:27.759 --> 00:16:31.279 was nine feet tall. I told my trembling brother in law. 279 00:16:31.960 --> 00:16:35.559 We could also see and follow its tracks in the grass, 280 00:16:35.799 --> 00:16:38.360 as it was so heavy, it packed the grass down 281 00:16:38.440 --> 00:16:41.720 pretty good. So we followed the tracks along the road 282 00:16:41.799 --> 00:16:45.000 for a ways before I noticed that it curiously never 283 00:16:45.120 --> 00:16:49.600 stepped onto the road. It always walked alongside in the 284 00:16:49.679 --> 00:16:52.039 grass all the way down to the creek, where the 285 00:16:52.080 --> 00:16:55.919 ground turned to a really hard clay like black dirt. 286 00:16:56.879 --> 00:16:59.519 You could tell it was really heavy when we could 287 00:16:59.519 --> 00:17:04.240 see then in that hard soil that was an awful feeling. 288 00:17:05.519 --> 00:17:08.799 The creature's tracks continued across the creek and up into 289 00:17:08.839 --> 00:17:11.279 the dark timber on the other side of the meadow, 290 00:17:11.960 --> 00:17:15.599 and that's as far as we dared go. As strange 291 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:18.599 as it sounds, we continued hunting the rest of the day, 292 00:17:18.759 --> 00:17:22.279 but didn't get anything. The next day, however, I had 293 00:17:22.319 --> 00:17:25.519 to remind my brother that we loved hunting for bull elk, 294 00:17:25.960 --> 00:17:28.599 and we could even see the elk about four hundred 295 00:17:28.680 --> 00:17:31.799 yards to the east. He agreed with me, so we 296 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:36.279 spent the day tracking elk, only to see cows no bulls. 297 00:17:37.480 --> 00:17:39.720 While we were stalking the herd of elk. I told 298 00:17:39.799 --> 00:17:42.000 my brother that on the way back we could keep 299 00:17:42.039 --> 00:17:45.160 looking for sign from that creature, but he really didn't 300 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:49.279 want to. He was still scared from that roar. The 301 00:17:49.319 --> 00:17:53.559 man continued the story that the following weekend, another hunter 302 00:17:53.680 --> 00:17:57.839 he knows well went hunting in the same area. In fact, 303 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:00.480 the man's father in law owns the ranch we've all 304 00:18:00.519 --> 00:18:04.119 been hunting on where these stories took place. I didn't 305 00:18:04.160 --> 00:18:07.200 tell him anything about what happened the week before. This 306 00:18:07.319 --> 00:18:10.319 guy came back after the first day, all scared, saying 307 00:18:10.400 --> 00:18:13.839 something was out there roaring and yelling at him. It 308 00:18:13.960 --> 00:18:16.640 evidently scared him so bad he said he's never going 309 00:18:16.720 --> 00:18:20.200 to hunt again. At this point I interjected with the 310 00:18:20.240 --> 00:18:22.440 story of the team of the men who were cutting 311 00:18:22.480 --> 00:18:25.240 fuel wood and left everything up the mountain as they 312 00:18:25.279 --> 00:18:27.880 fled back down the mountain that would have been in 313 00:18:27.920 --> 00:18:32.400 your marathon number ninety six. He said that location where 314 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:35.079 it happened and where he's been hunting were only three 315 00:18:35.119 --> 00:18:39.119 miles apart. As the crow flies. He proceeded to tell 316 00:18:39.119 --> 00:18:42.039 me about another incident where he was scouting in an 317 00:18:42.079 --> 00:18:45.200 area not far from where the sasquat scared him and 318 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:48.519 his brother in law. And here's what he said. While 319 00:18:48.559 --> 00:18:51.359 hiking in an area where these are remnants of old 320 00:18:51.519 --> 00:18:55.079 gold mines from the lake to mid eighteen hundreds, I 321 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:58.799 noticed a deer stuck up in a tree. Its head 322 00:18:59.039 --> 00:19:01.720 was stuck in a way edge, and its hindquarters were 323 00:19:01.759 --> 00:19:05.680 shredded apart. I look for any sign of a mountain lion, 324 00:19:05.759 --> 00:19:08.640 but I couldn't see any tracks, drag marks, or even 325 00:19:08.759 --> 00:19:11.440 claw marks. The cat would leave struggling to get the 326 00:19:11.480 --> 00:19:15.279 deer up the tree. Nothing, So how did the deer 327 00:19:15.359 --> 00:19:18.240 get up the nearly fifteen foot into the tree. And 328 00:19:18.319 --> 00:19:21.640 what animals shredded it up. It was not picked at, 329 00:19:21.839 --> 00:19:25.440 it was shredded. On another trip, a friend in I 330 00:19:25.599 --> 00:19:29.799 stumbled upon a large teepee structure made out of large trees. 331 00:19:30.519 --> 00:19:33.200 The two of us tried moving the smallest of the trees, 332 00:19:33.240 --> 00:19:37.279 but we couldn't budget. Then, in a more heavily wooded area, 333 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:41.000 we found one twice at size. It would take a 334 00:19:41.079 --> 00:19:44.839 helicopter or heavy equipment to build such a thing, the 335 00:19:44.920 --> 00:19:48.960 trees were that big. He added that he has several 336 00:19:49.000 --> 00:19:52.960 friends who are veterinarians and taxidermists and they want to 337 00:19:52.960 --> 00:19:55.160 go out with him to see what they can find, 338 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:58.960 as he finds some really strange stuff. He went on 339 00:19:59.000 --> 00:20:01.440 to say, for example, during one trip, one of my 340 00:20:01.480 --> 00:20:05.319 friends discovered some strange hair. We had it tested, but 341 00:20:05.359 --> 00:20:09.839 the results came back unknown. I told him about Josiah's 342 00:20:09.880 --> 00:20:12.359 hike where he had the stones thrown at him while 343 00:20:12.359 --> 00:20:16.039 he sat inside the teepee. He knew that area well 344 00:20:16.119 --> 00:20:18.839 and continued with a couple of more experiences from the 345 00:20:18.880 --> 00:20:22.640 same area that Josiah hiked. He went on to say, 346 00:20:22.680 --> 00:20:25.920 while turkey hunting with my cousin, I told him that 347 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:28.839 something big below us was making a lot of noise, 348 00:20:29.079 --> 00:20:32.839 but I couldn't see what it was. Together, we decided 349 00:20:32.880 --> 00:20:35.039 to pack it up and venture down the mountain to 350 00:20:35.079 --> 00:20:38.319 where the loud, thudding and grunting noises were coming from. 351 00:20:39.000 --> 00:20:43.240 After adjusting in his chair, he continued near the creek 352 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:45.880 where the water had previously been high enough for the 353 00:20:45.920 --> 00:20:48.519 spring to run off, to flood out a bit, and 354 00:20:48.559 --> 00:20:52.359 then recede. I found a large log that had recently 355 00:20:52.440 --> 00:20:55.640 been stepped on. When I saw it, I knew one 356 00:20:55.640 --> 00:20:57.960 of the noises I heard from up the hill was 357 00:20:58.000 --> 00:21:01.880 from something very large and he stepping on it. I 358 00:21:01.920 --> 00:21:05.880 heard it snap, not crack like a smaller branch would make, 359 00:21:06.359 --> 00:21:10.720 but a loud, dull, popping or crushing sound. I could 360 00:21:10.720 --> 00:21:13.440 tell it came from a thick log that was snapped, 361 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:16.880 and here it was. Part of it was stuck really 362 00:21:16.920 --> 00:21:20.240 deep into the ground. Something very heavy must have stepped 363 00:21:20.240 --> 00:21:23.000 on it, and it had to be heavier than a bear. 364 00:21:23.279 --> 00:21:27.000 And that's all I can say about it. Again, I interjected, 365 00:21:27.160 --> 00:21:29.680 Going back to the man, who, after being yelled at 366 00:21:29.720 --> 00:21:32.200 by one of these creatures, said he was going to 367 00:21:32.279 --> 00:21:35.400 quit hunting. I asked how many people he knows who 368 00:21:35.400 --> 00:21:38.799 have gone hunting in that area and had something frightening 369 00:21:38.880 --> 00:21:42.319 happen to them. He answered, I know five to six 370 00:21:42.440 --> 00:21:45.559 men who were scared so bad they've quit Darren Elk 371 00:21:45.599 --> 00:21:49.160 hunting altogether. At this point, I'd like to remind you 372 00:21:49.200 --> 00:21:52.359 in your audience that this ranch is easily within two 373 00:21:52.359 --> 00:21:55.400 to three miles from the location where the man cutting 374 00:21:55.480 --> 00:21:58.799 firewood had a rock land between him and his team. 375 00:21:59.160 --> 00:22:02.119 It's also within two to three miles from where Dan 376 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:05.920 and Josiah saw the sasquatch running along the ridge line 377 00:22:06.000 --> 00:22:11.279 after them, as well as where Little Yeti's family cabin is. 378 00:22:12.160 --> 00:22:14.680 In fact, all of the stories I've shared with you 379 00:22:14.759 --> 00:22:17.400 thus far have been within a ten mile radius of 380 00:22:17.440 --> 00:22:21.799 each other. The little Yetti story is coming up next, 381 00:22:22.240 --> 00:22:24.920 so you don't know what that is, but you're about to. 382 00:22:25.960 --> 00:22:29.960 Also remember in your marathon ninety six Billy, the boy 383 00:22:29.960 --> 00:22:33.160 who had sticks thrown at him before hearing kids giggling, 384 00:22:33.599 --> 00:22:36.759 then his dad put a can of doctor pepper outside, 385 00:22:36.799 --> 00:22:40.920 only to have it disappear. Well, that family had several 386 00:22:40.960 --> 00:22:46.200 more encounters, including his wife Tammy, having multiple close encounters 387 00:22:46.240 --> 00:22:52.119 with a large, silver haired male sasquatch, and even Ufo sidings. 388 00:22:52.720 --> 00:22:58.559 I'll be sending more of those soon. So I'm sharing 389 00:22:58.599 --> 00:23:01.519 this with you because I recently came across your channel 390 00:23:01.599 --> 00:23:05.279 on YouTube. I've noticed several similarities to what you read 391 00:23:05.319 --> 00:23:09.039 about and what happened to me eight years ago. I 392 00:23:09.079 --> 00:23:11.519 want to start off by saying I don't know what 393 00:23:11.720 --> 00:23:14.480 I saw. I can't say it was or was not 394 00:23:14.759 --> 00:23:17.799 a bigfoot, nor will I say I don't believe anymore. 395 00:23:19.200 --> 00:23:22.440 I grew up in Swiss, Missouri. At the beginning of 396 00:23:22.480 --> 00:23:25.000 the email, he gives me a little bit of a 397 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:27.799 description of Swiss, Missouri, and it sounds like a really 398 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:32.200 great place in the Ozarks. In Missouri. It's really nice 399 00:23:32.240 --> 00:23:37.240 wine country. I think sounds very appealing to me, he writes. 400 00:23:37.319 --> 00:23:40.240 While growing up a hundred and fished all over the area, 401 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:45.079