WEBVTT 1 00:00:06.040 --> 00:00:09.480 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.