1 00:00:10,640 --> 00:00:13,119 Speaker 1: Hello. My name is Kathy and I live in Charleston, 2 00:00:13,160 --> 00:00:17,199 West Virginia. I too have an encounter with a creature 3 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,559 I could not explain. It was here in the mountains 4 00:00:20,559 --> 00:00:23,160 of West Virginia back in nineteen eighty when I was 5 00:00:23,199 --> 00:00:27,559 fifteen years old. Back then, I would go Jensen hunting 6 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:31,160 with my dad my grandpa out on my grandfather's homestead 7 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:35,280 near the Clay and Nichols county line. The place was 8 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:38,359 called Wilson Ridge, near the mining town of Wide And, 9 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:42,799 West Virginia. On the day in question, we started early, 10 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:45,920 but it was already hot and muggy. My dad had 11 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,679 ventured off the ridge, and my grandfather and I went 12 00:00:48,799 --> 00:00:52,960 in the opposite direction on a trailhead going downhill towards 13 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:56,679 the creek where we would be in the shade. Papaul 14 00:00:56,799 --> 00:00:59,079 had trained me to be a good woodsman, and I 15 00:00:59,159 --> 00:01:01,920 had been to the area we were in many times, 16 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,799 so when he decided to venture out further on the mountaintop, 17 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,239 he felt comfortable instructing me to go on down towards 18 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:13,000 the water. I'd been walking along this path for about 19 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,959 thirty minutes looking for Jensen when I came across some 20 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:21,400 golden thread. It was also in season, so I stopped 21 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,640 to pick some. I was down on my knees digging 22 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:27,760 out the roots when I heard someone or something walking 23 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,640 in the woods above me. I looked up, but I 24 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:35,200 couldn't see anyone through the scrub brush. I called out, hey, 25 00:01:35,239 --> 00:01:39,400 who's up there. The walking stopped, but there was no response. 26 00:01:40,079 --> 00:01:42,840 I listened for what was probably just a minute, but 27 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,680 it felt like an hour. The woods were so quiet, 28 00:01:46,799 --> 00:01:50,079 not even a bird was chirping. I finally shrugged it 29 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:52,959 off and got back to digging. I carried a little 30 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,560 transistor radio with me, so I pulled it out of 31 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:58,439 my bag and I turned it on as I finished 32 00:01:58,480 --> 00:02:01,640 clearing out that patch, and then I moved to another one. 33 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:05,439 As I worked, I sang along with the country music 34 00:02:05,480 --> 00:02:07,799 that cracked and popped out of the speaker of the 35 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,159 little radio. I had turned it up loud, so I 36 00:02:11,199 --> 00:02:14,199 guess that's why I didn't hear anything walking up on me. 37 00:02:15,319 --> 00:02:17,439 All of a sudden, the hair began to stand up 38 00:02:17,479 --> 00:02:20,120 on the back of my neck, and I was overwhelmed 39 00:02:20,159 --> 00:02:24,159 by the feeling of being watched. No one was supposed 40 00:02:24,159 --> 00:02:27,400 to be out there on that property except me, my dad, 41 00:02:27,479 --> 00:02:32,000 and Paul. Paul, that's not funny, Dad, I yelled, and 42 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:35,479 from somewhere to my right, a five pound rock flew 43 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,639 out of the underbrush and landed about two feet from me. 44 00:02:39,479 --> 00:02:43,000 That got my attention. I stood straight up, and I 45 00:02:43,039 --> 00:02:45,840 whistled really loud for Dad or Paupa to hear me. 46 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:51,560 As an answer, a growling scream erupted from the underbrush 47 00:02:51,599 --> 00:02:55,400 from where the rock had been thrown. I burst into action, 48 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,520 running down the hill as fast as I could. I 49 00:02:58,599 --> 00:03:01,840 left everything behind me, my tools, my bag of golden 50 00:03:01,879 --> 00:03:06,560 thread and ginseng, even my radio. I didn't stop until 51 00:03:06,599 --> 00:03:08,639 I got down to the creek where my dad had 52 00:03:08,680 --> 00:03:12,680 parked the truck. I reached under the back tire, where 53 00:03:12,719 --> 00:03:15,960 a key was hidden and kept in a magnetic box. 54 00:03:16,000 --> 00:03:18,439 I grabbed it and I got inside, and I locked 55 00:03:18,479 --> 00:03:23,039 the doors. As I did, I started tapping out sos 56 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:26,039 on the truck's horn until I heard three shots from 57 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:29,639 my dad's twenty two pistol. We didn't have cell phones 58 00:03:29,680 --> 00:03:33,280 back then, so we had other more creative ways of communicating. 59 00:03:34,719 --> 00:03:37,919 A few minutes later, Dad came flying down the ridge, 60 00:03:37,960 --> 00:03:41,039 having fully understood that his little girl was either in 61 00:03:41,159 --> 00:03:45,360 trouble or injured. He found me crying and screaming and 62 00:03:45,439 --> 00:03:48,759 making very little sense. It took him a good half 63 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,080 hour to calm me down enough to get the story 64 00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:54,840 out of me, and by then Paul Paul had joined us. 65 00:03:55,680 --> 00:03:58,199 Once I was able to make it clear what had happened, 66 00:03:58,240 --> 00:04:00,759 Paul Paul jumped into the driver's eat and drove us 67 00:04:00,759 --> 00:04:04,240 out of there without another word. We across the river 68 00:04:04,360 --> 00:04:06,639 and we're a half mile from home, which put us 69 00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,000 a good ten miles from whatever this thing was. When 70 00:04:10,039 --> 00:04:13,280 Grandpa finally spoke and he said, I guess the old 71 00:04:13,319 --> 00:04:15,560 man of the mountain doesn't want us back up there. 72 00:04:16,040 --> 00:04:19,839 I guess we won't be going back. But my dad 73 00:04:19,879 --> 00:04:22,439 did go back the very next day. He went to 74 00:04:22,480 --> 00:04:26,079 get my tools, my bag, and my radio. He found 75 00:04:26,120 --> 00:04:28,279 them in the place where we'd parked the truck the 76 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:31,800 day before. My radio was still turned on and playing 77 00:04:31,959 --> 00:04:36,000 John Denver's Country Roads Take Me Home. Of all things. 78 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:38,519 I'm not afraid to go back in the woods, but 79 00:04:38,600 --> 00:04:41,560 I do have a respect for all the sentient beings 80 00:04:41,639 --> 00:04:45,560 living there. After that encounter, my dad, Paul Paul, taught 81 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:47,959 me to look for signs of the old Mountain people, 82 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:51,600 as they called them. I know now to recognize their 83 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:56,000 territory and steer clear of it. Knowledge I've since passed 84 00:04:56,040 --> 00:05:00,000 on to my two sons. They're both good, strong mountain 85 00:05:00,160 --> 00:05:04,480 men who also respect the law of the mountains. Thank 86 00:05:04,519 --> 00:05:07,160 you for your time and God bless you. Signed Kathy. 87 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:10,199 Oh wow, that was a great story. Let's see that 88 00:05:10,399 --> 00:05:14,600 was in nineteen eighty. That's the year I graduated high school, 89 00:05:14,639 --> 00:05:17,279 so Kathy and I are about the same age. That's 90 00:05:17,319 --> 00:05:19,920 a scary story, but it's good that you guys kind 91 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,639 of learned what was going on, and you know what 92 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,519 to do, and you know to look for signs, and 93 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:27,720 you know to get out when it's time to get out. Kathy, 94 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:33,560 that was so good. Thank you, ma'am. See my name 95 00:05:33,680 --> 00:05:36,920 is Rod and I'm from Des Moines, Iowa. I want 96 00:05:36,959 --> 00:05:39,439 to start by saying I did not see a bigfoot, 97 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:43,800 but I think my dad may have. The encounter happened 98 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:47,000 in the summer of two thousand on the Des Moines River. 99 00:05:47,879 --> 00:05:51,800 I was eleven or twelve years old. My father, his cousin, 100 00:05:51,879 --> 00:05:55,560 and me were night fishing for catfish. It was late 101 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:58,439 or possibly early morning, and we had taken the boat 102 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:01,680 several miles up the river shut off the motor and 103 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,160 were drifting back down with the current. When we got 104 00:06:05,199 --> 00:06:08,360 about a mile from the Birdland Marina, we started hearing 105 00:06:08,439 --> 00:06:11,879 some branches and sticks breaking on the bank, like someone 106 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:16,959 was walking alongside us. My dad and his cousin periodically 107 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,959 checked the bank with their large spotlights, but they didn't 108 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:24,319 see anything. After about ten minutes, a small rock was 109 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:26,920 thrown at us and it landed in the water five 110 00:06:27,040 --> 00:06:30,160 feet from the boat. It was dark out, but there 111 00:06:30,199 --> 00:06:32,800 was enough moonlight to see the ripples in the water. 112 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,399 My dad could tell that I was getting scared, and 113 00:06:36,439 --> 00:06:38,720 he told me that it was just a fish jumping 114 00:06:38,879 --> 00:06:43,240 so that I would quit asking him questions. I kept fishing, 115 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,600 and so did they, but we were all a little 116 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:50,240 on edge. After a few minutes, we were greeted by 117 00:06:50,279 --> 00:06:54,959 a basketball sized boulder being thrown at us. My dad 118 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,680 and his cousin quickly started scanning the bank with their lights. 119 00:06:59,240 --> 00:07:01,240 I didn't get to see see what he saw, but 120 00:07:01,319 --> 00:07:04,319 as fast as my dad dropped his light, he started 121 00:07:04,360 --> 00:07:08,560 the motor and we were moving. My father has flaws, 122 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:11,279 but fear is not one of them. I know my 123 00:07:11,399 --> 00:07:14,639 dad believes in Bigfoot, and although he would never tell 124 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:17,800 me so, I believe that is what he saw on 125 00:07:17,839 --> 00:07:21,399 the bank that night. It would be several years before 126 00:07:21,439 --> 00:07:24,399 I got interested in bigfoot and would learn that rock 127 00:07:24,480 --> 00:07:27,519 throwing is one of their habits. I know this is 128 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,480 not an exciting or action packed story, but that's my 129 00:07:30,639 --> 00:07:37,199 story as I remember it almost twenty years ago. Okay, 130 00:07:37,279 --> 00:07:40,920 an anonymous writer, and this is about a bigfoot and 131 00:07:41,040 --> 00:07:46,079 he says this is true, absolutely true. I hail from 132 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:49,759 the deep southern Pines of Mississippi, where I grew up 133 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:55,000 in the small community of steep Hollow. After my parents 134 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:57,839 separated when I was ten, my sister and I would 135 00:07:57,839 --> 00:08:01,160 spend weekends with our dad. He was living on his 136 00:08:01,279 --> 00:08:04,720 sister's land at the time. We enjoyed going there because 137 00:08:04,759 --> 00:08:07,680 my aunt's kids were around our age, which meant plenty 138 00:08:07,759 --> 00:08:11,959 of playmates. My oldest cousin and I were of an 139 00:08:11,959 --> 00:08:15,600 age to wheel pellet rifles and had therefore deemed ourselves 140 00:08:15,759 --> 00:08:20,560 skilled hunters. Early one winter morning, we got up and 141 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,399 dressed without waking anyone else, and then headed out on 142 00:08:23,439 --> 00:08:27,399 a hunting excursion. We left my aunt's house at the 143 00:08:27,439 --> 00:08:29,680 top of the Big Hill and followed a gravel road 144 00:08:29,759 --> 00:08:32,720 down toward the family fish pond At the midway point. 145 00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:35,879 We passed the pond and kept going until the hill 146 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:39,919 leveled out into a large field. On the other side 147 00:08:39,919 --> 00:08:42,879 of that field was a tree line where Crane Creek 148 00:08:43,039 --> 00:08:46,639 ran through the property, and beyond that, my aunt's land 149 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:51,279 continued for several more acres into the woods. We went 150 00:08:51,320 --> 00:08:54,120 into the tree line and followed the creek, plinking at 151 00:08:54,120 --> 00:08:56,799 old coke cans and whatever little birds we thought we 152 00:08:56,840 --> 00:09:00,440 could hit, but we never did. We both knowed a 153 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,200 rancid smell in the air. It was nauseating. It was 154 00:09:04,240 --> 00:09:08,799 a combination of rotting, death and earth. Nevertheless, we carried 155 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:13,840 on exploring and plinking. We were surrounded by the natural 156 00:09:13,879 --> 00:09:17,440 sounds of the woods. Birds were singing, and the creek 157 00:09:17,519 --> 00:09:21,919 gently babbled alongside of us as we explored. A short 158 00:09:21,960 --> 00:09:25,240 while later, we set up two pine cones for target practice, 159 00:09:25,279 --> 00:09:29,000 and I was taking aim when a bone chilling, blood 160 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,399 curdling scream like nothing we had ever heard before split 161 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:39,759 the air. Petrified, we froze in place. Growing up in 162 00:09:39,799 --> 00:09:43,159 the southern countryside, we knew the sounds of bobcats and 163 00:09:43,200 --> 00:09:46,200 wild hogs and pretty much every animal known to exist 164 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:50,600 in those woods, But this one we couldn't identify. It 165 00:09:50,679 --> 00:09:53,279 was somewhere between a large cat and a woman screaming, 166 00:09:53,320 --> 00:09:56,879 but louder and angrier. It was almost as if it 167 00:09:56,919 --> 00:10:01,200 were raging at us, and from our estimate, it was 168 00:10:01,279 --> 00:10:03,799 doing this from not more than fifty yards away on 169 00:10:03,840 --> 00:10:06,519 the other side of the creek, a distance that any 170 00:10:06,720 --> 00:10:09,039 predator big enough to make that sound would have no 171 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:13,639 trouble closing in seconds. We didn't know what to do, 172 00:10:14,120 --> 00:10:18,080 and fear kept us frozen in place. Our eyes were 173 00:10:18,159 --> 00:10:21,279 like saucers as we stared at each other and then 174 00:10:21,399 --> 00:10:23,399 in the direction of the scream, and then back at 175 00:10:23,399 --> 00:10:27,080 each other. I don't know exactly how long we stood there, 176 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:30,440 It felt like several minutes, and then through the trees 177 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,600 we saw my father's truck flying down the hill toward us, 178 00:10:33,639 --> 00:10:37,039 with my aunt in the passenger seat. They were at 179 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:38,919 the bottom of the hill in no time, but that 180 00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,840 was the part that felt like the longest. To me 181 00:10:42,519 --> 00:10:45,600 get in the truck, my dad yelled, we didn't have 182 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:48,639 to be told twice. We jumped into the bed just 183 00:10:48,679 --> 00:10:50,960 as quick as he'd driven down the hill, and he 184 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:54,759 drove us back up to the house. We didn't know it, 185 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:57,279 but my dad and My aunt had been sitting on 186 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,799 the front porch watching us that morning. We thought we'd 187 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:04,440 slipped out of the house undetected. They were sitting there 188 00:11:04,519 --> 00:11:07,000 keeping a watchful eye on us when they heard that 189 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:10,960 same scream that terrified us. But they saw something that 190 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:16,200 we didn't. Shortly after the scream, they saw a monstrous 191 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:20,559 black figure careening across the field in our direction. It 192 00:11:20,679 --> 00:11:24,039 was running on all fours and moving faster than anything 193 00:11:24,120 --> 00:11:28,399 they'd ever seen. Well, we never saw it soon because 194 00:11:28,399 --> 00:11:31,440 of the trees, but we smelled it and we absolutely 195 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:34,759 heard it. It was a long time before we ventured 196 00:11:34,759 --> 00:11:37,679 off into the woods again, and to this day I 197 00:11:37,720 --> 00:11:41,559 can still hear that scream. I'll likely never forget it. 198 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:48,480 Oh man, you ever miss a tragedy like There was 199 00:11:48,519 --> 00:11:50,679 one time I remember when I was a kid. It 200 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:53,039 was dark. We were all out playing at night. It 201 00:11:53,080 --> 00:11:56,440 was summertime, and you know those kind of nights whereas 202 00:11:56,559 --> 00:11:58,879 kids you could just go and go and go and 203 00:11:58,919 --> 00:12:03,360 go and run full speed and your energy never ran out. 204 00:12:03,559 --> 00:12:06,720 We were playing some game I don't know, but I 205 00:12:06,879 --> 00:12:09,840 was running. You know. It was one of the games 206 00:12:09,879 --> 00:12:12,120 where you're it, you're at you try not to get 207 00:12:12,120 --> 00:12:15,159 caught I can't remember the game, but I was running 208 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:18,360 toward this magnolia tree. I was going to jump up 209 00:12:18,399 --> 00:12:21,159 in this magnolia tree. Of course, it was dark and 210 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:25,080 I couldn't see anything, but I ran at that tree 211 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:29,559 full speed and I leaped. It's like I never slowed down. 212 00:12:29,639 --> 00:12:32,799 I leaped to get on to grab onto the trunk 213 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:36,960 and shimmy up the tree. Now, magnolia branches are down low, 214 00:12:37,039 --> 00:12:39,320 but these people have had cut them off, and this 215 00:12:39,360 --> 00:12:41,919 thing had a trunk about head high to me. But 216 00:12:42,000 --> 00:12:44,840 I ran full speed at that trunk, and just as 217 00:12:44,919 --> 00:12:48,600 I bear clawed that trunk and was fixing the shemy up, 218 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,360 there was a branch poking out of that magnolia tree 219 00:12:52,759 --> 00:12:57,120 and it hit me right at the corner of my eyebone, 220 00:12:57,159 --> 00:13:01,159 the outside of my eyebone, and it elected to the 221 00:13:01,200 --> 00:13:04,639 outside of my head towards my ear. It kind of 222 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:06,960 went above my ear, but it put a pretty good 223 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:09,080 cut in my eye. I mean, it wasn't didn't need 224 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:13,039 stitches or anything. But I was going so fast. If 225 00:13:13,080 --> 00:13:16,840 I had been an eighth of an inch closer to 226 00:13:16,919 --> 00:13:20,519 my right, that stick would have gone straight in my 227 00:13:20,639 --> 00:13:23,720 head and in my brain and kill me. It's one 228 00:13:23,759 --> 00:13:28,799 of those deals where you avoided a tragedy by micro 229 00:13:29,200 --> 00:13:33,200 inches and you always remember it. And this is what 230 00:13:33,240 --> 00:13:38,000 this story reminds me of. It's like this thing was 231 00:13:38,120 --> 00:13:40,559 barreling through the field at them. I don't know how 232 00:13:40,600 --> 00:13:43,720 the parents got there fast enough before whatever this was 233 00:13:43,840 --> 00:13:47,279 running on all fours got to these boys. But man 234 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:49,559 that you know, you look back on things like that 235 00:13:49,679 --> 00:13:52,960 and you think maybe maybe God has a plan for 236 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:55,919 my life or something, because he didn't kill me then, 237 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:59,240 but he almost did. But that that's what that reminded 238 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:01,320 me of. Oh wow, I told you all that. But 239 00:14:01,799 --> 00:14:03,720 it's the first thing that popped in my head. And 240 00:14:03,799 --> 00:14:06,080 you know me, if it pops in my head, I'm 241 00:14:06,120 --> 00:14:08,159 gonna say it all right. Thank you to the writer 242 00:14:08,279 --> 00:14:13,759 for the story. It was really good, really good. Back 243 00:14:13,759 --> 00:14:17,759 in the nineteen eighties, when my uncle was living in Davy, Florida, 244 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:20,879 he was driving to my aunt's house one evening for 245 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:25,279 a family get together. It was nearing dusk, and at 246 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:29,000 the time there were parts of Davy that were still undeveloped. 247 00:14:29,039 --> 00:14:32,519 Those city planners had already established traffic lights on the 248 00:14:32,559 --> 00:14:36,360 outskirts ahead of the urban sprawl that was advancing towards 249 00:14:36,399 --> 00:14:39,919 the outlying pastures and wooded areas that framed the town. 250 00:14:41,159 --> 00:14:44,879 My uncle was stopped at one such intersection when in 251 00:14:44,919 --> 00:14:48,000 the distance he thought he saw a creature covered with brown, 252 00:14:48,159 --> 00:14:53,240 cinnamon colored hair stroll across the road. It was walking 253 00:14:53,320 --> 00:14:56,720 upright like a man. Its gate was enormous, and it 254 00:14:56,799 --> 00:15:00,600 seemed to cross the road in two strides. From my 255 00:15:00,679 --> 00:15:04,279 uncle's vantage point, he estimated it to be eight feet tall, 256 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:09,720 with wide shoulders and lengthy arms, resembling a gorilla. It 257 00:15:09,759 --> 00:15:13,480 had some sort of animal carcass slung over its shoulder. 258 00:15:14,879 --> 00:15:18,559 The creature strode over a five foot tall barbed wire 259 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:22,320 fence that separated the pasture from the road and cleared 260 00:15:22,360 --> 00:15:25,559 it effortless lee. That's a hard word for me to say, 261 00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,600 effortless lee. It stopped briefly to lock eyes with my uncle, 262 00:15:30,919 --> 00:15:35,639 staring him down as if to establish its dominance. It 263 00:15:35,759 --> 00:15:38,840 let out a roar that my uncle felt at his chest, 264 00:15:38,879 --> 00:15:42,360 like the low rumble of a stereo speaker blasting from 265 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:46,240 a passing car. The creature turned and disappeared into the woods. 266 00:15:47,279 --> 00:15:50,120 When my uncle arrived at the get together, he pushed 267 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:53,279 past us towards the bathroom, where we could hear the 268 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:58,080 muffled sounds of him throwing up. I only heard the 269 00:15:58,159 --> 00:16:01,399 story in bits and pieces. I was a boy at 270 00:16:01,440 --> 00:16:03,720 the time, and the family felt the details of my 271 00:16:03,879 --> 00:16:08,320 uncle's experience might be too graphic for young ears. They 272 00:16:08,360 --> 00:16:12,360 sent me off to a spare bedroom. I quickly found 273 00:16:12,360 --> 00:16:14,840 an ashtray and cupped it to the closed door so 274 00:16:14,879 --> 00:16:18,919 I could eavesdrop on their conversation. It was obvious to 275 00:16:19,000 --> 00:16:23,159 me that my uncle had seen something, but the members 276 00:16:23,200 --> 00:16:27,440 of the family thought otherwise. To them, his story was 277 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:32,720 a joke, something closer to an April fool's prank. They 278 00:16:32,720 --> 00:16:35,519 weren't falling for it. They mocked him until I heard 279 00:16:35,559 --> 00:16:38,039 him shout, if you guys are going to keep this up, 280 00:16:38,200 --> 00:16:40,600 I'm out of here, and I heard the front door 281 00:16:40,639 --> 00:16:44,159 slam and the sound of tire squealing. I didn't see 282 00:16:44,200 --> 00:16:49,200 my uncle until the next day. No one can hurt 283 00:16:49,240 --> 00:16:54,080 you like family. Whatever he saw that night, my uncle 284 00:16:54,320 --> 00:16:57,960 never brought it up again. Years went by, and the 285 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:02,320 incident was largely forgotten by all but me. When I 286 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,160 got him to open up about that night some twenty 287 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:10,519 years later, every detail remained, just as both of us remembered. 288 00:17:11,640 --> 00:17:15,279 Whoa what a great story. This is like a I 289 00:17:15,839 --> 00:17:19,279 don't even know how to describe it. It's because it's 290 00:17:19,319 --> 00:17:21,839 early in the morning and I'm not thinking clear at 291 00:17:21,839 --> 00:17:24,640 the moment. Although I do have a hot cup of 292 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,440 coffee in my hand, it hadn't kicked in yet. But 293 00:17:27,559 --> 00:17:31,279 this is a good story because this man saw something. 294 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,640 He came back to his family. He pleaded with him 295 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:37,200 pretty much to believe him, and they just made fun 296 00:17:37,240 --> 00:17:39,839 of him. They thought it was a prank and they 297 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:43,119 mocked him, and he finally just says, I'm out of here. 298 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:47,200 You know that happens a lot of times with these incidents. 299 00:17:47,559 --> 00:17:51,559 I don't know why families seem to I have people 300 00:17:51,599 --> 00:17:54,960 in my family that way and they make fun of 301 00:17:55,200 --> 00:17:58,400 other people in the family for some kind of idea. 302 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,359 It doesn't have to be a story like this. It 303 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:05,759 could be just I'll give you an example. It would 304 00:18:05,799 --> 00:18:08,559 be like me saying, Hey, I'm going to start a 305 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,839 YouTube channel and tell weird stories. I got laughed at 306 00:18:12,839 --> 00:18:17,160 for that from people in my family. I don't know 307 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:20,880 what it is about family. It's funny how we do that. 308 00:18:21,200 --> 00:18:24,079 And if you are not one of these people who 309 00:18:24,119 --> 00:18:28,960 can break out of that and follow your passions, and follow, 310 00:18:29,319 --> 00:18:31,440 you know, just live your own life and do what 311 00:18:31,519 --> 00:18:34,720 you want to do. Then you're always kind of closed 312 00:18:34,799 --> 00:18:37,920 up in that box that family members put you in. 313 00:18:38,559 --> 00:18:41,440 You never do anything, and eventually you become like them, 314 00:18:41,759 --> 00:18:44,960 and if you do, you will be the one making 315 00:18:45,039 --> 00:18:49,240 fun of your kids for having an idea of doing 316 00:18:49,279 --> 00:18:53,839 something unconventional or that would be unconventional to the way 317 00:18:53,839 --> 00:18:58,039 they see the world. And so that's I don't know, 318 00:18:58,079 --> 00:19:01,680 that's my little commentary. And maybe maybe in an encouragement 319 00:19:01,720 --> 00:19:04,599 to people, I tell you what I did. I just 320 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,839 forgot what people in my family were telling me, and 321 00:19:08,079 --> 00:19:11,480 I knew I loved doing this, and I just kept 322 00:19:11,519 --> 00:19:14,279 doing it. And it's been over a little over four 323 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:17,519 years now and I'm just doing what I love. I 324 00:19:17,559 --> 00:19:21,319 love sharing these stories and reading these stories and producing 325 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:25,160 some level of quality in a video so that people 326 00:19:25,599 --> 00:19:28,680 can sit around the dinner table or lay in bed 327 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:32,279 at night, or truck drivers on a long haul or 328 00:19:32,799 --> 00:19:35,119 people on a vacation. Those are all the people I 329 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:39,200 kind of envision listening to these stories, and it's kind 330 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:42,480 of a mind numbing thing that you actually pay attention to. 331 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:45,720 I love doing it, and I don't feel like I'm 332 00:19:45,759 --> 00:19:49,319 doing anyone a favor. It's mainly for me. It's mainly 333 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:53,640 for my enjoyment and my gratification. But if other people 334 00:19:53,759 --> 00:19:57,079 enjoy it, it makes it. It encourages you to keep 335 00:19:57,119 --> 00:19:59,440 doing it. And I love it. And so I don't 336 00:19:59,440 --> 00:20:03,160 know why this story sparked that conversation, because it's early 337 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:05,079 in the morning, and that's just the first thing that 338 00:20:05,119 --> 00:20:08,119 popped in my head. So I'll quit rambling. Let's move 339 00:20:08,160 --> 00:20:10,240 on to the rest of the podcast. How about that 340 00:20:14,079 --> 00:20:17,960 the Bigfoot community folks are an interesting lot. They can 341 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:21,160 be just as interesting to study as the creature itself. 342 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:25,880 Bigfoot expeditions are more entertaining as a people watching event 343 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:29,880 than for what they reveal about Bigfoot. Here are my 344 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:35,079 thoughts on the diversity of the community. First, there are 345 00:20:35,119 --> 00:20:38,279 the knowers. These are people who claim to have seen 346 00:20:38,319 --> 00:20:41,799 a Bigfoot or had some sort of encounter they claim 347 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:45,880 proves the creature's existence. These can be people who say 348 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:49,119 they actually saw a Bigfoot, though they may or may 349 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:52,480 not have misidentified it, all the way down to people 350 00:20:52,480 --> 00:20:56,240 who saw two sticks pointing in the same direction or 351 00:20:56,440 --> 00:21:01,920 a tree structure. There is absolutely no reasoning with these people. 352 00:21:02,640 --> 00:21:06,279 Once they get the bug, then everything is evidence. Many 353 00:21:06,279 --> 00:21:09,599 people are like this. If they see a hairball in 354 00:21:09,640 --> 00:21:14,480 their shower, they believe a sasquatch has been there. Next, 355 00:21:14,559 --> 00:21:17,200 there are the people who have never had an encounter 356 00:21:17,279 --> 00:21:20,680 but are fascinated with the subject. They are open to 357 00:21:20,759 --> 00:21:25,519 the idea but remain fundamentally agnostic to it. These people 358 00:21:25,599 --> 00:21:29,599 have not lost their minds yet, but they're getting close. 359 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:33,319 They walk a tight rope between rabbit hole fiction and 360 00:21:33,400 --> 00:21:39,079 true skepticism. The third group are the so called skeptics. 361 00:21:39,599 --> 00:21:43,240 They hide behind the moniker skeptic with a religious zeal 362 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:47,319 because they mistakenly think the term connotes a scientific mindset 363 00:21:47,400 --> 00:21:50,640 when applied to them. In other words, it is an 364 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,480 ego thing with them. In reality, their mindset is far 365 00:21:54,519 --> 00:21:58,079 removed from the meaning of skeptic in the context of academia. 366 00:21:58,880 --> 00:22:02,359 These are people who use use the term blobsquatch. They 367 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:06,880 are grammar and pronunciation Nazis and repeatedly degrade and make 368 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:11,640 fun of others. In short, they are emotionally defective and 369 00:22:11,720 --> 00:22:17,799 they remind me a lot of our ruling class political leaders. Fourth, 370 00:22:18,079 --> 00:22:21,200 there are the hoaxers. Now, these are the assholes who 371 00:22:21,279 --> 00:22:24,359 drink cheap beer. They dress up like monkeys, and they 372 00:22:24,440 --> 00:22:28,279 run across the highway in front of oncoming traffic. They 373 00:22:28,319 --> 00:22:31,599 trespass onto hunting leases at night, dressed in a guerrilla 374 00:22:31,720 --> 00:22:35,400 suit to get their photo taken on trail cams. Not 375 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,799 not too hard on these folks, because they're just trying 376 00:22:37,839 --> 00:22:41,000 to have a good time and sometimes they create quite 377 00:22:41,079 --> 00:22:47,240 humorous moments. Fifth are the Charlatans. Now, these jackasses report 378 00:22:47,319 --> 00:22:50,680 false sightings in an attempt to profit from the phenomenon 379 00:22:51,039 --> 00:22:54,960 and the popular interests they're in. They take advantage of 380 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:59,400 people's curiosity and ignorance. If you follow the topic, you 381 00:22:59,559 --> 00:23:03,559 know who the hoaxers are. Some of them have podcasts 382 00:23:03,599 --> 00:23:08,680 and television shows. And last there are the Bigfoot hunters. 383 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:13,839 These people actively search for the monster. On one level. 384 00:23:13,920 --> 00:23:17,400 This group is divided into two groups, those who want 385 00:23:17,400 --> 00:23:20,960 to kill one to obtain a body for science, money, 386 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:24,119 or because they believe Bigfoot is a malignant part of 387 00:23:24,319 --> 00:23:28,440 nature that ought to be removed, and two the pussies. 388 00:23:29,200 --> 00:23:31,759 The latter of the two grieve over the mere thought 389 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,240 of killing one of these gross, inbred animals. They are 390 00:23:36,359 --> 00:23:40,599 pantheistic or believe that Bigfoot is so genetically close to 391 00:23:40,720 --> 00:23:45,279 humankind that to kill one would be murder. I personally 392 00:23:45,279 --> 00:23:50,200 believe that no kill crowd are communists. This writer is 393 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,319 in the pro kill camp. Now, obviously I'm going to 394 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,799 monetize the hell out of it. I've always been very 395 00:23:56,839 --> 00:23:59,839 open about this. But I am also of the opinion 396 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:03,400 that even if these things are genetically close to humanity, 397 00:24:04,039 --> 00:24:06,799 they are so malignant to our world that they deserve 398 00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:11,279 to be wiped out. There is not an adequate breeding population. 399 00:24:11,960 --> 00:24:17,079 This is clear. Therefore, inbreeding is rampant, and it probably 400 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:21,079 has been this way for several generations. They are a 401 00:24:21,119 --> 00:24:25,640 genetic clusterfuck, which explains why they get violent and act 402 00:24:25,799 --> 00:24:31,200 like total assholes. Bigfoot do not even take care of themselves. 403 00:24:31,680 --> 00:24:35,079 They stink. Plus they always have shit in their hair, 404 00:24:35,160 --> 00:24:38,559 caked with leaves and dirt. Have you ever heard a 405 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,960 reported sighting of one where the witness does not say 406 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:45,279 the hair looked matted and that they smell the good 407 00:24:45,880 --> 00:24:48,640 The only animals that do not clean themselves are the 408 00:24:48,720 --> 00:24:52,240 sick and feeble, But in the reported sightings they are 409 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,119 not sick and feeble. They are said to move about 410 00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:59,599 swiftly through the thick cover and over rugged terrain, So 411 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:02,960 why can't but they clean themselves. It's because they're screwed 412 00:25:03,039 --> 00:25:07,240 up in the head. It's all the years of inbreeding. Essentially, 413 00:25:07,319 --> 00:25:11,119 they are a bunch of homeless harry devians. So, as 414 00:25:11,119 --> 00:25:15,039 far as I'm concerned, Sasquatch hunting season is open year 415 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:19,039 round twenty four to seven. Even if the fringe theories 416 00:25:19,039 --> 00:25:23,400 are true the Nephilum aliens, etc. Then they are not 417 00:25:23,519 --> 00:25:27,000 of our natural world, and therefore they need to be eradicated. 418 00:25:27,799 --> 00:25:32,240 In other words, they are an invasive species. Only a sick, 419 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:38,119 godless communist wants to preserve such things. Finally, I should 420 00:25:38,160 --> 00:25:41,319 note that all the groups mentioned above in the community 421 00:25:41,559 --> 00:25:45,759 hate each other. Further, all the subsets in each group 422 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:50,240 hate each other as well. I've never understood this. There's 423 00:25:50,319 --> 00:25:54,400 absolutely nothing less scientific than being so close minded that 424 00:25:54,480 --> 00:25:57,960 you refuse to acknowledge other points of view. But to 425 00:25:58,039 --> 00:26:02,079 be sure, there have been many, many instances in history 426 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:07,440 where great scientists have had rivalries with their contemporaries. This 427 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:11,359 rival hatred thing seems to be particularly acute in the 428 00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:16,039 Bigfoot community. In my opinion, this is one of the 429 00:26:16,119 --> 00:26:19,599 aspects of the people in the community that make them 430 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:21,240 such an interesting lot.