1 00:00:06,040 --> 00:00:09,480 Speaker 1: My grandfather worked for the Forestry Service all his life. 2 00:00:10,000 --> 00:00:12,279 He and my grandmother lived on the edge of the 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,960 Sam Houston National Forest in East Texas. I grew up 4 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:19,600 in Dallas, but often spent summers with them when I 5 00:00:19,679 --> 00:00:23,879 was younger. My grandfather knew the name and benefits of 6 00:00:24,039 --> 00:00:28,879 every tree, flower, plant, and critter in the forest. He 7 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:31,600 could read the soul and tell exactly what it was 8 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:34,799 made of and how long it had been there. He 9 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:37,079 knew what the weather was going to be like days 10 00:00:37,119 --> 00:00:41,520 in advance, and could identify birds by their calls. I 11 00:00:41,679 --> 00:00:44,320 was certain he knew almost as much as God did 12 00:00:44,359 --> 00:00:47,799 about all those woods, and to my reckoning, my pap 13 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:51,039 Paul was better than Sanna, the easter Bunny, and the 14 00:00:51,079 --> 00:00:54,799 tooth Fairy all rolled up into one. He was my 15 00:00:54,920 --> 00:01:00,119 hero then and he still is today. The summer and 16 00:01:00,159 --> 00:01:04,159 I turned ten began like many had before it. My 17 00:01:04,239 --> 00:01:08,079 mother drove me from Dallas to Trinity, Texas. After school 18 00:01:08,159 --> 00:01:12,040 was out. I had two suitcases stuffed with nothing but 19 00:01:12,159 --> 00:01:16,959 t shirts, shorts, and flip flops. I decided that since 20 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,680 I was practically an adult, I should be able to 21 00:01:19,719 --> 00:01:22,480 go to work with my grandfather in the woods instead 22 00:01:22,519 --> 00:01:27,519 of staying inside with my grandmother all day. I nagged 23 00:01:27,560 --> 00:01:30,760 her relentlessly until one day she finally agreed to let 24 00:01:30,760 --> 00:01:34,159 me go to work with my grandfather. She packed us 25 00:01:34,200 --> 00:01:37,120 both a lunch and issued several dire warnings from my 26 00:01:37,239 --> 00:01:40,159 grandfather about what would happen to him if he brought 27 00:01:40,159 --> 00:01:43,959 me back with even a single scratch. He listened to 28 00:01:43,959 --> 00:01:47,439 her and promised to return me in one piece. As 29 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:49,640 we walked to the door, he winked at me and 30 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:53,480 whispered that sometimes she did enough talking for three women. 31 00:01:54,159 --> 00:01:57,359 My grandmother hollered. I heard that, and we both ran 32 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,319 laughing to the truck before she could come after us 33 00:02:00,359 --> 00:02:04,400 with her spoon. As we drove off towards the woods, 34 00:02:04,439 --> 00:02:07,200 I asked him all sorts of questions about the types 35 00:02:07,239 --> 00:02:10,599 of trees we were passing, what types of clouds those 36 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:13,759 were up in the sky, and anything else that came 37 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:17,599 to my curious mind. He listened to and answered all 38 00:02:17,639 --> 00:02:20,000 of my questions, even though I'm sure I must have 39 00:02:20,080 --> 00:02:24,240 tried his patience with my chattering. By the time we 40 00:02:24,319 --> 00:02:26,879 reached the point where we would have to walk, it 41 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:29,439 was later in the morning, so we decided to take 42 00:02:29,479 --> 00:02:32,159 our lunches with us and have a picnic. When we 43 00:02:32,240 --> 00:02:35,960 found a good spot. My grandfather walked ahead of me 44 00:02:36,199 --> 00:02:39,759 in the overgrown path, pointing out things of interest along 45 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,479 the way. Suddenly he stopped and turned to me as 46 00:02:43,520 --> 00:02:47,319 he brought one finger to his lips. Well excitement rose 47 00:02:47,360 --> 00:02:50,599 in my chest because I knew from past experience this 48 00:02:50,759 --> 00:02:54,639 meant he had something he wanted me to see. It 49 00:02:54,759 --> 00:02:58,360 was usually some type of animal or an insect. On 50 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,159 previous trips into the wood woods, I had seen deer 51 00:03:01,199 --> 00:03:05,919 and raccoons, rabbits, possums, snakes, a bobcat, turkeys, and even 52 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,919 a sounder of feral hogs. He crouched low in the 53 00:03:10,960 --> 00:03:14,000 long grass and pointed down the embankment, through an open 54 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:17,520 space in the brush, to a pond below. He was 55 00:03:17,599 --> 00:03:21,800 pointing at a figure hunched over by the water. At 56 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,159 first I thought he was looking at a hobo washing something, 57 00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:29,000 but when my grandfather handed me the binoculars, I saw 58 00:03:29,039 --> 00:03:31,800 that it looked more like a bear or a gorilla. 59 00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:36,240 It had shiny black fur that glittered in the sun. 60 00:03:37,039 --> 00:03:40,879 Its arms were fur covered too. I could see a 61 00:03:40,919 --> 00:03:43,960 white patch of fur on its left shoulder that looked 62 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,199 like a scar, and I stared at the creature. Searching 63 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,360 my mind for something I could connect it to something 64 00:03:50,439 --> 00:03:55,400 I recognized, but I couldn't make it fit. Lowering the binoculars, 65 00:03:55,439 --> 00:03:58,039 I looked at my grandfather for an answer, and he 66 00:03:58,159 --> 00:04:01,319 mentioned that we should quietly go back to the truck. 67 00:04:02,680 --> 00:04:04,960 We had walked quickly for a quarter of a mile 68 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:07,560 when he asked if I might like a hamburger for 69 00:04:07,639 --> 00:04:11,439 lunch instead of the food my grandmother had prepared. He 70 00:04:11,479 --> 00:04:15,919 didn't have to ask twice. I agreed immediately. My Pappaul 71 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:18,720 took our paper sack lunches and left them on the 72 00:04:18,759 --> 00:04:21,600 side of the path, and then he let out a 73 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,000 long whistle that sounded a little like a bob white 74 00:04:25,079 --> 00:04:28,079 quail call, mixed with a little warble at the end. 75 00:04:29,000 --> 00:04:32,000 A few seconds later, the sound was returned from where 76 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:35,600 we had just been, and my Papa smiled and turned 77 00:04:35,639 --> 00:04:39,720 and began walking back to the truck. I thought him silently, 78 00:04:39,879 --> 00:04:44,639 knowing he would explain everything eventually. Later, as we enjoyed 79 00:04:44,639 --> 00:04:48,360 our burgers, he told me what we had seen. He said, 80 00:04:48,399 --> 00:04:51,240 what we saw today is something that not many people 81 00:04:51,279 --> 00:04:54,519 have had a chance to see. Those animals live in 82 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:57,439 the forest and have probably been here much longer than 83 00:04:57,439 --> 00:05:00,959 people have. We share this world with them, the same 84 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:04,720 way we share the earth with all of God's creatures. Well, 85 00:05:04,759 --> 00:05:08,240 I ask what are they called? Well, some people call 86 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:12,560 them boogers, he said, boogers? What's a booger? Why didn't 87 00:05:12,560 --> 00:05:15,759 that try to kill us? I don't think it would 88 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:18,399 hurt us unless it was scared or in pain, or 89 00:05:18,439 --> 00:05:21,720 trying to protect its babies. It's always best to leave 90 00:05:21,759 --> 00:05:25,120 them be, he said, and we sat for a while 91 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:30,879 in silence. Papa, I asked, well, what is it? June Bug? 92 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,319 That was his nickname for me, and I loved it. 93 00:05:33,879 --> 00:05:38,079 How come you never told me about the boogers before? Well? Now, 94 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:41,120 sometimes the things you know are see are like secrets. 95 00:05:41,399 --> 00:05:44,199 If you keep them to yourself, then it's more special 96 00:05:44,399 --> 00:05:47,199 than if you were to go and tell everyone. People 97 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:50,800 don't always like learning new things. Sometimes they can get 98 00:05:50,839 --> 00:05:53,600 scared or mad if they don't understand something. Do you 99 00:05:53,680 --> 00:05:57,839 understand what I mean? Yeah, Papa, I think so. I 100 00:05:57,839 --> 00:05:59,800 think this is going to be our secret, just you 101 00:05:59,879 --> 00:06:03,279 and me and the booger. He laughed and put his 102 00:06:03,360 --> 00:06:06,399 big work callust hand on top of my head, messing 103 00:06:06,399 --> 00:06:09,759 my hair up. I think so too, June bug, he said, 104 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:14,079 still laughing. During the rest of that summer, we often 105 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,319 heard those same bird calls on our walks, and when 106 00:06:17,360 --> 00:06:20,079 we did, my Papa always left our lunches on the 107 00:06:20,160 --> 00:06:23,680 side of whatever path we were on, and he whistled back. 108 00:06:24,879 --> 00:06:27,120 I was grateful to the booger because it meant that 109 00:06:27,199 --> 00:06:30,519 we would be having burgers for lunch that day. He 110 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,759 said it was his way of making friends. He said, 111 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:36,480 you should never pass up a chance to share a 112 00:06:36,519 --> 00:06:39,680 little good will, because it will always bring you blessings 113 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:46,120 in return. My grandfather was a wise man. Years later, 114 00:06:46,319 --> 00:06:50,079 after both of my grandparents had passed away, I returned 115 00:06:50,079 --> 00:06:53,399 to those same woods. I hadn't been back there in 116 00:06:53,439 --> 00:06:56,800 a very long time, but it was largely unchanged from 117 00:06:56,800 --> 00:07:00,079 what I remember. I still knew the names of the 118 00:07:00,120 --> 00:07:03,519 plants and the trees and animals and insects my grandfather 119 00:07:03,639 --> 00:07:06,920 had taught me, and soon I was lost in the 120 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:12,160 happy memories of our summer walks. Ironically, I had brought 121 00:07:12,199 --> 00:07:15,079 a lunch that was very similar to the ones my 122 00:07:15,160 --> 00:07:19,240 grandmother had packed so long ago. I had a thermos 123 00:07:19,279 --> 00:07:22,959 of cool sweet tea, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, 124 00:07:23,199 --> 00:07:27,240 an apple, and some fig newtons for dessert. I had 125 00:07:27,279 --> 00:07:32,160 inherited my grandfather's love of those cookies. I found a 126 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,920 nice shady spot and was about to sit down to 127 00:07:35,079 --> 00:07:37,839 enjoy my food when I heard what sounded like a 128 00:07:37,879 --> 00:07:40,920 Bob White call, with a little warble at the end. 129 00:07:41,879 --> 00:07:44,759 I immediately froze and felt my heart skip a beat. 130 00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:48,879 I was confused by my reaction at first, but then 131 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:52,439 the memory of that day so long ago came rushing back. 132 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,920 I could almost feel the presence of my grandfather in 133 00:07:55,959 --> 00:08:00,600 those moments. Without any hesitation, I returned and the call. 134 00:08:01,279 --> 00:08:03,560 I left my lunch on the ground and began to 135 00:08:03,639 --> 00:08:07,560 walk back to my car. After what I thought was 136 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,680 about fifty yards, I turned to look back. The booker 137 00:08:11,800 --> 00:08:13,879 was there in the middle of the path with my 138 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,759 sack lunch in its huge hand. I guess that he 139 00:08:17,839 --> 00:08:20,480 must have been about eight to ten feet tall, but 140 00:08:20,600 --> 00:08:23,720 he was stooped over a little bit, like an elderly man. 141 00:08:24,879 --> 00:08:27,639 He had hairy arms, and his head seemed almost too 142 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:32,039 small for his shoulders and massive chest. His eyes were 143 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,919 the color of honey but were cloudy with age. He 144 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,039 had a broad, flat nose and lips that were very 145 00:08:39,159 --> 00:08:42,759 human looking. The skin on his face was wrinkled and 146 00:08:42,799 --> 00:08:47,159 looked like sun bleached leather. His eyebrows and the hair 147 00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:50,639 around his mouth were gray, like an old dog. I 148 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,759 saw him move to the side, as if he were 149 00:08:52,799 --> 00:08:56,120 trying to see behind me. Maybe he was looking for 150 00:08:56,240 --> 00:08:59,799 my grandfather. Maybe this was the same booger we had 151 00:08:59,799 --> 00:09:04,240 seen that day. I wasn't afraid. We looked at each 152 00:09:04,279 --> 00:09:07,200 other for a few seconds. I saw him open the 153 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:12,480 bag and carefully remove the sleeve of fig newtons inside. 154 00:09:12,519 --> 00:09:15,320 He removed the plastic and began to eat them slowly. 155 00:09:16,200 --> 00:09:19,039 I swear I saw his lips curve into something like 156 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:22,840 a smile. As he turned and started to walk back 157 00:09:22,879 --> 00:09:25,360 into the woods. I saw he had a white patch 158 00:09:25,399 --> 00:09:30,039 of fur on his left shoulder. I returned several days 159 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,679 later to leave some more fig newtons for the booger 160 00:09:33,480 --> 00:09:35,360 in the spot where I had left my lunch the 161 00:09:35,399 --> 00:09:38,519 previous time. I saw something glittering on the crook of 162 00:09:38,559 --> 00:09:42,200 an old oak tree. When I got closer, I saw 163 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:45,519 that it was a beautiful crystal quartz stone that had 164 00:09:45,559 --> 00:09:49,000 been polished to a high shine. When I held it 165 00:09:49,039 --> 00:09:51,919 in my hand, it felt heavy and warm, as if 166 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:55,759 it carried the memory of thousands of days in the sun. 167 00:09:56,080 --> 00:09:59,080 It was a gift from the bugger. I whistled like 168 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,480 a Bob white Well and added a little extra warble 169 00:10:02,759 --> 00:10:06,639 at the end, and then I waited, hoping for a response, 170 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:11,679 and I was not disappointed. It's true what my pau 171 00:10:11,799 --> 00:10:15,559 Paul said about secrets being more special when they are kept. 172 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,039 I've kept our secret for over fifty years until today. 173 00:10:21,120 --> 00:10:23,759 I think he would approve of my sharing it with 174 00:10:23,879 --> 00:10:31,519 you now. Until August of twenty twenty, I had really 175 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:35,759 never paid attention to Bigfoot or necessarily bought into the 176 00:10:35,840 --> 00:10:39,559 fact that it's real. I've always liked the totem poles 177 00:10:39,639 --> 00:10:43,159 and the occasional tales, and of course the jerky commercials. 178 00:10:43,759 --> 00:10:46,559 Although I was never a non believer, I hadn't really 179 00:10:46,559 --> 00:10:51,000 given the subject much thought. That all changed last summer. 180 00:10:51,480 --> 00:10:54,639 I didn't have a sighting, but the event and circumstances 181 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:57,080 are hard to make sense of without going down the 182 00:10:57,120 --> 00:11:02,720 Bigfoot path. Owned five acres and a getaway cabin on 183 00:11:02,759 --> 00:11:05,679 the sky Comish River. I'm sure I pronounced that wrong. 184 00:11:05,799 --> 00:11:11,200 Sky Commish River off Highway to just outside of gold Bar, Washington. 185 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,600 It is a beautiful parcel of peace and quiet that's 186 00:11:15,639 --> 00:11:19,759 about forty five minute dry from the sprawling suburbs of Seattle. 187 00:11:21,000 --> 00:11:23,879 Last summer, my girlfriend and I were relaxing by the 188 00:11:23,919 --> 00:11:27,879 campfire next to the river bed just as dusk set in. 189 00:11:28,799 --> 00:11:32,000 We were watching the spawning salmon slap at the eddy 190 00:11:32,080 --> 00:11:34,600 on the other side of the river. It's a perfect 191 00:11:34,679 --> 00:11:38,039 holding point for the salmon and steelhead, as a huge 192 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:41,120 spawning flat is the next thing waiting for them up 193 00:11:41,200 --> 00:11:45,360 the river from this pool. We were sitting there enjoying 194 00:11:45,399 --> 00:11:47,840 the evening when we heard a loud crack like a 195 00:11:47,879 --> 00:11:51,480 tree limb breaking about one hundred yards down stream and 196 00:11:51,519 --> 00:11:55,120 across the river. We didn't pay much attention to it. 197 00:11:55,600 --> 00:12:00,399 Occasionally a tree fall isn't that uncommon some of Only 198 00:12:00,519 --> 00:12:03,840 ten minutes later we heard another limb or a small 199 00:12:03,960 --> 00:12:09,279 tree break that was odd but not especially concerning. Somewhere 200 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,159 around fifteen minutes after that, we heard a couple of 201 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:16,519 heavy splashes in the Eddy that was distinctly different sounding 202 00:12:16,679 --> 00:12:20,879 than the fish jumping. These were rocks. They were big ones. 203 00:12:22,279 --> 00:12:25,960 I've been a competitive fisherman and outdoorsman my whole life, 204 00:12:26,080 --> 00:12:28,480 and I know the difference between a fish jumping and 205 00:12:28,519 --> 00:12:32,240 slapping the water and a heavy rock splash. A big 206 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,519 enough rock will hit the bottom of the river bed, 207 00:12:34,639 --> 00:12:38,240 making a distinctive sound, and fish don't do that. They 208 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:42,080 live to tell about it. The sounds were intermittent, and 209 00:12:42,159 --> 00:12:45,879 directly across the river from where we were sitting. We'd 210 00:12:45,879 --> 00:12:48,080 hear fish slaut, and then a heavy rock or two 211 00:12:48,159 --> 00:12:50,840 plunge in right on top of the school of salmon. 212 00:12:52,080 --> 00:12:55,960 Our gaze was now fixed on that spot. We were 213 00:12:56,000 --> 00:13:00,200 asking ourselves what the heck was going on. Suddenly we 214 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:02,360 saw a rock that was at least as big as 215 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:05,759 a grapefruit, but probably more like a bowling ball, fly 216 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,399 out of the trees and hit where the fish were jumping. 217 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:12,000 We first thought, who would be over there heaving small 218 00:13:12,080 --> 00:13:16,159 boulders at salmon just before dark? And then it occurred 219 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:18,559 to me to wonder how they would have gotten there. 220 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:21,919 I could see half a mile up and down the river. 221 00:13:22,279 --> 00:13:25,720 If anyone had crossed, I would have seen them, even 222 00:13:25,759 --> 00:13:28,720 if I'd missed them. The terrain is next to impossible 223 00:13:28,759 --> 00:13:32,440 to stand in, let alone walk through for that distance. 224 00:13:33,519 --> 00:13:37,399 That side of the river is extremely steep, nor is 225 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:41,240 there any reasonable access from behind. There's just miles and 226 00:13:41,279 --> 00:13:46,759 miles of mountains, evergreens and undergrowth. As this continued, my 227 00:13:46,879 --> 00:13:49,440 curiosity got the better of me, so I walked out 228 00:13:49,480 --> 00:13:52,080 across the dry portion of the river bed to see 229 00:13:52,120 --> 00:13:57,279 what was up. You got your gun, my girlfriend asked nervously. Well, 230 00:13:57,320 --> 00:14:00,000 of course I did. I'm never without it these days. 231 00:14:01,559 --> 00:14:03,600 It's about one hundred yards to the edge of the 232 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,919 river bed from my property during the summer, and about 233 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:09,879 another twenty yards across the river to where the rocks 234 00:14:09,879 --> 00:14:13,600 were flying. I got there and fixed my eyes on 235 00:14:13,639 --> 00:14:18,279 a spot where the rocks were being catapulted. Everything ceased, 236 00:14:18,919 --> 00:14:23,480 even the birds went quiet, total silence. There was only 237 00:14:23,519 --> 00:14:26,639 the sound of running water. Well. I stood there for 238 00:14:26,679 --> 00:14:29,440 a good twenty minutes or more. Nothing happened other than 239 00:14:29,480 --> 00:14:33,159 the occasional salmon jumping. I walked up and down the 240 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:36,200 river bank, changing my levels and vantage point to see 241 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:38,320 if I could get a glimpse of what or who 242 00:14:38,399 --> 00:14:43,120 was doing this. I never saw anything. After ten minutes 243 00:14:43,240 --> 00:14:45,759 or so, I turned and walked back to the campfire. 244 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,759 My girlfriend and I were dumbfounded. We thought it was 245 00:14:49,799 --> 00:14:52,919 weird and somewhat freaky, but we couldn't figure out what 246 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:57,200 had thrown the rocks. A few minutes later it started again. 247 00:14:57,840 --> 00:15:00,840 The rocks weren't massive, but they weren't small all baseball 248 00:15:00,919 --> 00:15:04,759 sized rocks either. I estimated them to be the size 249 00:15:04,799 --> 00:15:08,720 of grapefruits and bowling balls, and they were being thrown 250 00:15:08,879 --> 00:15:13,600 with velocity. I started thinking, how could anybody be that strong? 251 00:15:14,919 --> 00:15:17,679 Earlier that year, I had been on the bank of 252 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:21,039 the river with my two sons. They're nineteen and twenty one, 253 00:15:21,120 --> 00:15:23,320 and we were throwing big rocks, a sort of a 254 00:15:23,399 --> 00:15:27,960 macho man competition. None of us could heave rocks like that. 255 00:15:28,840 --> 00:15:31,519 My sons are six foot five and six foot eight, 256 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:35,679 the latter being a four A All Conference defensive end 257 00:15:36,120 --> 00:15:40,000 and a four A All Conference offensive lineman with Division 258 00:15:40,080 --> 00:15:43,679 Ie offers. Yes, he played both sides of the ball 259 00:15:43,679 --> 00:15:46,960 and never took a playoff. He's been referred to as 260 00:15:47,000 --> 00:15:50,279 a gorilla in a man suit. I tell you this 261 00:15:50,399 --> 00:15:52,679 because even he could not throw rocks as big as 262 00:15:52,759 --> 00:15:56,879 bowling balls. The rock throwing went on for a few 263 00:15:56,919 --> 00:16:00,279 more minutes, and then it stopped, just like that, went 264 00:16:00,320 --> 00:16:04,240 back to nothing but salmon slapping the pool. I spoke 265 00:16:04,320 --> 00:16:07,039 with a couple of different people in the area about it, 266 00:16:07,080 --> 00:16:09,919 and someone suggested that it was a tweaker over there 267 00:16:09,960 --> 00:16:14,399 doing what tweakers do. That sounded plausible, so I just 268 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,080 went with it, even though my instincts told me otherwise. 269 00:16:20,639 --> 00:16:23,840 Of the countless days and hours we've spent there over 270 00:16:23,879 --> 00:16:27,600 the last few years, we've seen only one questionable person 271 00:16:27,799 --> 00:16:31,360 on the riverbed. They were on our side and acting 272 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,799 as if they might be high. To get to the 273 00:16:34,840 --> 00:16:38,080 other side, then maneuver to the spot where the incident 274 00:16:38,159 --> 00:16:42,320 occurred would take a superhuman feet, and then to get 275 00:16:42,360 --> 00:16:45,759 back in the dark, there's a slim chance of survival 276 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:49,559 doing that. And the following days it really began to 277 00:16:49,600 --> 00:16:52,799 sink in just how much strength would be required to 278 00:16:52,840 --> 00:16:55,759 do what we saw that night. That's when I began 279 00:16:55,879 --> 00:17:00,240 to think, could this be Bigfoot? Thus my journey into 280 00:17:00,320 --> 00:17:04,279 research began. Several things jumped out at me while studying 281 00:17:04,319 --> 00:17:10,799 the subject. River slash, creek beds, salmon dusk, tree brakes, 282 00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:15,039 and rocks thrown with velocity. These were all tail tail 283 00:17:15,279 --> 00:17:20,359 signs of bigfoot. I now realize how easily things can 284 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,960 be rationalized and explained away, even when you know better. 285 00:17:24,759 --> 00:17:27,720 That sixth sense told me that it wasn't a tweaker, 286 00:17:28,519 --> 00:17:31,599 Even though I was first willing to accept that explanation. 287 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:35,200 I know now that it wasn't. This was not Captain 288 00:17:35,240 --> 00:17:39,079 Tweaker America. So what could a bigfoot have been doing 289 00:17:39,200 --> 00:17:42,400 trying to bonk salmon on the head with rocks? And 290 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:45,960 how could he get them? If he did? A short 291 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:49,319 way down river it flattens and widens to an area 292 00:17:49,519 --> 00:17:52,839 of thirty yards wide and only about two feet deep. 293 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:56,839 Could he have had help down stream? Waiting for the 294 00:17:56,880 --> 00:18:01,720 fish to float by the current certainly lends itself to 295 00:18:01,799 --> 00:18:07,799 that they are intelligent creatures? Are they not. Finally, earlier 296 00:18:07,799 --> 00:18:10,880 in the summer, on two separate occasions, I checked the 297 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,200 trail cams I've set up around my property for security 298 00:18:14,319 --> 00:18:17,640 and captured a strange and very distinctive orb of light 299 00:18:17,839 --> 00:18:21,720 the size of a softball. These orbs could not have 300 00:18:21,839 --> 00:18:25,119 been lens flair because the sun was behind the camera 301 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,599 at the time. I never gave it much thought until 302 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:32,799 I discovered that it is an occurrence possibly related to Bigfoot. 303 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:37,359 It may be nothing, or it may be something. Also, 304 00:18:37,640 --> 00:18:40,519 on one of the bigfoot Facebook pages I belonged to, 305 00:18:40,720 --> 00:18:44,279 someone from the town of Skykamish, which is several miles 306 00:18:44,359 --> 00:18:48,559 up river from my property, posted pictures of possible footprints. 307 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:51,839 When I asked them when the photos were taken, they 308 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,799 answered last August. It was the exact same time of 309 00:18:55,880 --> 00:18:59,960 our incident. I have a theory on the tree breaks 310 00:19:00,079 --> 00:19:02,839 that we heard. Perhaps they are a warning to other 311 00:19:02,960 --> 00:19:06,839 predators that they're coming to a food source. It could 312 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,440 make sense, and that it would be beneficial to warn 313 00:19:09,519 --> 00:19:13,519 other predators such as bears, that they're coming. Even though 314 00:19:13,519 --> 00:19:16,160 a black bear may be no match for a bigfoot. 315 00:19:16,559 --> 00:19:19,480 In nature, it is better to avoid any fight to 316 00:19:19,599 --> 00:19:23,880 risk injury. I look into the woods now with a 317 00:19:23,920 --> 00:19:27,880 different wonder than I had before. I know my story 318 00:19:28,039 --> 00:19:31,759 isn't exciting as many that you come across, but this 319 00:19:31,839 --> 00:19:34,400 is exactly what happened to me. Thank you for taking 320 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:38,359 time to read it. Signed John Well John, this story 321 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:43,119 was very exciting, man, What are you kidding me? And 322 00:19:43,359 --> 00:19:46,480 you've really thought this through and I would tend to 323 00:19:46,519 --> 00:19:51,319 agree with every conclusion you come to. I say on 324 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:54,119 this channel a lot of times that I'm a skeptic 325 00:19:54,200 --> 00:19:57,759 and I question some of these things. I question just 326 00:19:57,839 --> 00:20:02,839 the whole theory of Bigfoot, but I believe Bigfoot exists. 327 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:05,680 I really don't. I don't know why. I don't know 328 00:20:06,039 --> 00:20:09,680 unless you're like a total zealot for this topic. Some 329 00:20:09,720 --> 00:20:12,319 people think you're you're a non believer and they kind 330 00:20:12,319 --> 00:20:15,319 of brush you off, and you know, don't you appreciate 331 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,039 your audience. I don't know where people get all that stuff. 332 00:20:19,279 --> 00:20:21,720 I'm just reading the stories lighting up. I mean, we 333 00:20:21,880 --> 00:20:25,240 just had another story earlier in this podcast of huge 334 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:27,880 rocks being thrown in a creek where a man and 335 00:20:27,920 --> 00:20:31,079 his son's were on a hike. Now here's the same thing, 336 00:20:31,240 --> 00:20:34,839 that the rocks are not as big. What's fascinating to 337 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:38,119 me is that you put together, Uh, he's throwing the 338 00:20:38,240 --> 00:20:41,839 rocks in the middle of a school of salmon or 339 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:44,960 where they're congregated in a pool while the water's low 340 00:20:45,480 --> 00:20:48,119 and there's still a current. There's you know, the water's 341 00:20:48,119 --> 00:20:52,039 still moving, and could there be another one downstream collecting 342 00:20:52,160 --> 00:20:55,119 fish that he hit as they as they float down 343 00:20:55,160 --> 00:20:57,799 the strap And that's a brilliant way to think about that. 344 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,559 I would have never come up with that. But all 345 00:21:00,599 --> 00:21:03,400 in all, this was an awesome story. It's very exciting 346 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:08,200 and I love these stories, these anecdotal kind of evidence, 347 00:21:08,359 --> 00:21:12,440 especially when the writer does a lot of thinking and 348 00:21:12,519 --> 00:21:16,799 critical thinking and puts these things together, and now he 349 00:21:16,880 --> 00:21:19,839 walks into the woods with a wonder he had never 350 00:21:19,920 --> 00:21:22,799 had before. Did you guys hear that? And that's what 351 00:21:23,440 --> 00:21:28,599 the woods. Being a part of this story reading project 352 00:21:28,759 --> 00:21:34,440 and learning about everybody's experiences, how I look at the 353 00:21:34,440 --> 00:21:37,039 woods in a different way. Now. I'm not afraid of them. 354 00:21:37,039 --> 00:21:40,119 I don't ever carry a weapon unless I'm hunting, which 355 00:21:40,160 --> 00:21:43,359 I don't really hunt much anymore. But I'm not really 356 00:21:43,440 --> 00:21:45,799 afraid of anything out there. I just have a great 357 00:21:45,839 --> 00:21:48,400 time in the woods, my dogs and I and I 358 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,200 don't live in the Pacific Northwest. I live in the 359 00:21:51,240 --> 00:21:55,039 southeastern United States, which is you know, we just don't 360 00:21:55,039 --> 00:21:59,119 have predators down here. Just car dogs or coyotes don't 361 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:01,960 get after you. There's nothing here that will really, you know, 362 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,799 big predators. And there's snakes, and you know, there's I 363 00:22:05,799 --> 00:22:08,799 don't even think there's any spiders. I ride through spider's 364 00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:11,720 nest every morning. I'm covered with spiders. When I get 365 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:13,680 back to the house, my wife has to brush them 366 00:22:13,680 --> 00:22:16,039 all off of me. And some of them will bite you. 367 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,000 I mean, they buy it, but they're not venomous. But 368 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,319 there's really no big predators here, but I do when 369 00:22:22,359 --> 00:22:24,920 I go on rides and I, you know, we've been 370 00:22:25,119 --> 00:22:29,599 riding four wheelers on different trails and stuff and going 371 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:33,279 deep into the Holly Springs National Forest and I look 372 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:35,880 through the woods and I'm like this, man, I have 373 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:39,240 a new sense of wonder after doing this for three years. 374 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:41,759 And it's a good feeling. It's a it makes me 375 00:22:41,799 --> 00:22:43,960 feel like a kid again going through some of these 376 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,920 woods and having those feelings. And so that's one benefit 377 00:22:48,039 --> 00:22:50,559 to doing this. It's kind of it's kind of changed 378 00:22:50,559 --> 00:22:52,359 the way I look at things and made things a 379 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:55,960 lot more fun for me when I'm away from this microphone. 380 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:59,720 But listen, I really appreciate you guys listening to this 381 00:22:59,759 --> 00:23:02,839 few And hopefully this week work will slow up a 382 00:23:02,880 --> 00:23:05,279 little bit and I can get a couple out. But 383 00:23:05,319 --> 00:23:07,119 I appreciate you listening, and we'll see you on the 384 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:08,599 next podcast. Thank you.