WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.120 --> 00:00:03.759 You're listening to Big for Society, and I'm Jeremiah Byron 2 00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:06.559 Tonight's story doesn't come from a seasoned researcher or a 3 00:00:06.639 --> 00:00:09.279 lifelong believer. It comes from a retired cup and a 4 00:00:09.320 --> 00:00:13.359 former federal law enforcement officer who thought Bigfoot was just 5 00:00:13.439 --> 00:00:16.280 a myth. That is, until the woods of North Georgia 6 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:20.440 came alive. A broad shoulder figure crossed the road in daylight, 7 00:00:20.679 --> 00:00:23.359 a truck shook, a tent was approached, and somewhere in 8 00:00:23.399 --> 00:00:27.679 those Appalachian foothills, the believers became the hunted. This is 9 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:30.199 the story of Scott and Shila Granger and the night 10 00:00:30.239 --> 00:00:33.200 Bigfoot came calling. So stay with us, all right, Big 11 00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:35.560 for Society. You've got the privilege of talking to Scott 12 00:00:35.600 --> 00:00:39.880 and Shila Granger today. Scott and Shila are involved with 13 00:00:40.359 --> 00:00:44.079 Squatch Fishing outfitters down there in l J, Georgia, up 14 00:00:44.159 --> 00:00:47.079 there in Northern Georgia. And now listeners of the show 15 00:00:47.359 --> 00:00:50.920 might have heard of that area already. If you haven't, 16 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.759 it's an extremely active area up there in Northern Georgia. 17 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:56.759 So welcome to the show, guys. How's it going today, 18 00:00:58.399 --> 00:00:59.119 It's going great. 19 00:00:59.200 --> 00:01:00.960 Thank you for having Thank. 20 00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:06.200 You for absolutely. I've been looking forward to this one 21 00:01:06.239 --> 00:01:10.239 for a while. How did you guys get involved with, uh, 22 00:01:10.840 --> 00:01:14.239 with Bigfoot to begin with and start up this, uh, 23 00:01:14.319 --> 00:01:16.319 this outfitters business that you have. 24 00:01:18.280 --> 00:01:22.439 Okay, let's see years ago in South we lived in 25 00:01:22.480 --> 00:01:26.400 South Georgia. Uh, I'm retired police officer for a little 26 00:01:26.400 --> 00:01:32.079 over twenty years. Scott's retired federal law enforcement. You know, 27 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:35.079 we would we would watch all this stuff on television 28 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:38.280 and the biggest thing was Legend of Boggy Creek. That 29 00:01:38.359 --> 00:01:40.359 was my favorite movie. He had never seen it, and 30 00:01:40.400 --> 00:01:44.120 so I had him watch it and you know, talked 31 00:01:44.120 --> 00:01:46.959 about the NonStop back then. Did I thought it was 32 00:01:47.040 --> 00:01:49.719 just like like a unicorn, you know what I'm talking about, 33 00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:53.359 Like it wasn't couldn't be really real. But you know, 34 00:01:53.439 --> 00:01:56.000 we we ended up moving up here to North Georgia 35 00:01:56.079 --> 00:02:00.239 about eight years ago, and I've seen an opportunity did 36 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:02.200 to go on a big fit expedition, and I was 37 00:02:02.319 --> 00:02:04.519 just I lost my mind, you know, begged him to go, 38 00:02:04.599 --> 00:02:09.080 let's go, let's go. He finally consented, and uh we 39 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.919 went on that expedition and that kind of like snowball 40 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:12.400 from there. 41 00:02:13.159 --> 00:02:17.599 Did you know it was? It was kind of unique. 42 00:02:18.280 --> 00:02:20.280 She she wanted to go, you know, and I'm one 43 00:02:20.280 --> 00:02:22.840 of them fellers that I tried to do everything and 44 00:02:22.879 --> 00:02:26.280 do to satisfy your wife and all, you know, because 45 00:02:26.599 --> 00:02:28.520 I like to eat, you know, I'm like everybody else. 46 00:02:28.520 --> 00:02:30.840 I'm not going to miss a meal over by doing 47 00:02:30.919 --> 00:02:36.280 what she wants to do. Nice but so so I 48 00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:39.639 went on the expedition with her, and we had a 49 00:02:39.639 --> 00:02:42.479 few things happen, you know that kind of opened my 50 00:02:42.560 --> 00:02:46.039 eyes on that outing. And you know, because I was 51 00:02:46.080 --> 00:02:47.919 probably the biggest skeptic in the world, you know, I 52 00:02:48.080 --> 00:02:51.319 was that guy that I tell you QUI you know, men, 53 00:02:51.439 --> 00:02:53.599 I have hunting and fish and the river bottoms and 54 00:02:53.599 --> 00:02:58.000 the swamps all my life. I truly have. And I 55 00:02:58.039 --> 00:02:59.800 did see a lot of things during those times, you 56 00:02:59.840 --> 00:03:02.599 know it, and heard things that I couldn't really explain, 57 00:03:02.719 --> 00:03:04.599 but I never put two and two together about it. 58 00:03:05.800 --> 00:03:09.599 And after going on that first hiding, you know, and 59 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:12.840 getting to hear some things, I opened my mind a 60 00:03:12.840 --> 00:03:14.439 little bit more and said, you know, that could be 61 00:03:14.479 --> 00:03:18.199 something to this. And that's kind of how it got 62 00:03:18.199 --> 00:03:18.719 started off. 63 00:03:18.960 --> 00:03:22.000 That one weekend. You know, we heard several things. Just 64 00:03:22.840 --> 00:03:25.360 if I had not been there and heard it with 65 00:03:25.400 --> 00:03:28.439 my own ears. Somebody could have told me that, I 66 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:31.599 would have thought, man, you're nuts, you're crazier or whatever. 67 00:03:32.240 --> 00:03:34.240 And you know, I wanted to believe so bad. We 68 00:03:34.240 --> 00:03:36.680 were so excited about it, but I kept telling Scott, 69 00:03:36.719 --> 00:03:38.680 you know, I'm just I'm not going to say there's 70 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:42.080 such thing as biga until I see it with my 71 00:03:42.159 --> 00:03:44.800 own eyes. And I'm one hundred and ten percent sure that, 72 00:03:45.080 --> 00:03:47.560 you know. That's when I all admit it, and lo 73 00:03:47.759 --> 00:03:49.879 and behold. It was a few months later. I got 74 00:03:49.960 --> 00:03:54.400 the opportunity during the day, at two o'clock that afternoon, 75 00:03:55.199 --> 00:03:58.639 about twenty five yards away, I saw a bigka and 76 00:03:58.719 --> 00:04:00.599 from that point on and I went from in I 77 00:04:00.639 --> 00:04:02.560 believe her to a knower one percent. 78 00:04:02.879 --> 00:04:04.919 Oh man, it's okay. So there's a lot a lot 79 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:08.280 of stuff that happened to you guys pretty quick. I 80 00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:12.280 want to I want to hear what kind of vocals 81 00:04:12.520 --> 00:04:14.680 you guys heard on that expedition, Like what kind of 82 00:04:14.719 --> 00:04:15.960 things were you running into? 83 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:24.560 First? Yeah, what what happened? We had a friend that 84 00:04:24.680 --> 00:04:26.439 was on this outing with us that we had met, 85 00:04:26.439 --> 00:04:30.480 you know, a good bit prior to this outing and 86 00:04:32.120 --> 00:04:36.600 the night before the actual expedition, started. We all loaded 87 00:04:36.680 --> 00:04:38.959 up in my truck and we take off of the 88 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:40.600 woods day. He's want to show us a couple of 89 00:04:40.639 --> 00:04:44.639 different areas. So we're we're heading up there, and she 90 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:47.279 will see something go across the road in front of her, 91 00:04:47.360 --> 00:04:49.920 in front of us. Well, when she saw that go 92 00:04:49.959 --> 00:04:51.360 across the road in front of was you know, I 93 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:54.480 got on the brakes, stopped, and we all bail out 94 00:04:54.519 --> 00:04:57.279 of my truck. And it's a full At that time, 95 00:04:57.319 --> 00:04:59.639 we had a full size ram, so we had five 96 00:04:59.680 --> 00:05:04.279 people in there. And I'm standing right in front of 97 00:05:04.319 --> 00:05:08.279 the truck and Sheila and our friend he goes on 98 00:05:08.600 --> 00:05:11.319 on up ahead. We're whatever crossed the road up there. 99 00:05:11.879 --> 00:05:16.000 We're standing there, we're talking amongst ourselves, and the prettiest 100 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:20.079 whoop you ever wanted to hear come from less than 101 00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:24.160 fifteen yards away from us, right to the left of us. Well, 102 00:05:24.160 --> 00:05:26.680 we're in an area that we had never been in. 103 00:05:28.040 --> 00:05:31.160 And and I say that telling you about that ram, 104 00:05:31.240 --> 00:05:34.399 because the ram has a really good set of headlights 105 00:05:34.439 --> 00:05:36.480 on it that shine the way out to the sides. 106 00:05:38.480 --> 00:05:41.079 And I'm looking over there where this whoop come from, 107 00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:44.680 and I look back at another young lady that's standing 108 00:05:44.680 --> 00:05:46.480 out there beside me. In her eyes are about his 109 00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:49.240 bag as saucers, And she said, did you hear that? 110 00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:55.879 And I said, of course, so we're looking for it 111 00:05:55.920 --> 00:05:58.600 and never did see anything, but I mean we got 112 00:05:58.639 --> 00:06:02.879 to hear it. And Shela and our friend, you know, 113 00:06:02.879 --> 00:06:05.079 they're up there. They're looking at her. Whatever it was 114 00:06:05.120 --> 00:06:07.839 crossed the road, and some limbs are still wiggling in 115 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:13.360 the in the way there where it crossed. After that. 116 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.480 Our buddy, he said, he told us, he said, you know, 117 00:06:18.839 --> 00:06:21.199 he said, these things are up here, pretty pretty thick, 118 00:06:21.319 --> 00:06:24.720 and he says, they they're real good to mimic things. 119 00:06:25.600 --> 00:06:28.600 Now what I'm fixing to tell you, if there hadn't 120 00:06:28.600 --> 00:06:31.079 have been five other, you know, five of us up 121 00:06:31.160 --> 00:06:33.839 there to witnessed this, I would never tell it. 122 00:06:34.519 --> 00:06:36.120 And if I hadn't hurt it myself, I wouldn't have 123 00:06:36.120 --> 00:06:36.519 believed it. 124 00:06:37.759 --> 00:06:42.439 She gets two rocks, and he classes me together flies 125 00:06:43.720 --> 00:06:46.879 and right down from us, probably not thirty to thirty 126 00:06:46.879 --> 00:06:53.079 five yards, there's a small stream running something. Class two 127 00:06:53.160 --> 00:06:57.240 rocks back twice, and he eggles a little bit, and 128 00:06:57.279 --> 00:07:01.480 he class some rocks again two more times, and right 129 00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:04.399 off the bat, something down there clacks those rocks. 130 00:07:04.079 --> 00:07:08.399 Twice, so he's playing with that a little bit, and 131 00:07:08.439 --> 00:07:11.879 he said, I wonder so he's done the shave and 132 00:07:11.879 --> 00:07:14.639 a haircut deal, you know that don't don't it, don't don't, 133 00:07:15.000 --> 00:07:19.240 don't don't clax with those rocks, and we're all sitting 134 00:07:19.279 --> 00:07:23.040 there and this whatever it is, mimics that back with 135 00:07:23.240 --> 00:07:24.079 rock clacks. 136 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:27.959 And at this point we're all, you know, like an 137 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:31.240 amazement and everything, and we are up here in the 138 00:07:31.240 --> 00:07:34.560 middle of absolutely nowhere in these mountains. There is no 139 00:07:34.759 --> 00:07:37.639 other person up here where we're at to you know, 140 00:07:37.720 --> 00:07:42.040 do anything like this back at us. And then we're 141 00:07:42.079 --> 00:07:45.040 all talking and he says he he's telling us. He says, 142 00:07:45.079 --> 00:07:48.680 you know, these things are extremely over c d about things, 143 00:07:48.720 --> 00:07:53.160 and he does the don't don't, don't don't and he 144 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:55.959 doesn't do it anymore. And down at the creek it 145 00:07:56.120 --> 00:07:57.879 goes clack clack. 146 00:07:58.160 --> 00:07:58.959 It finished it. 147 00:07:59.000 --> 00:08:03.480 It finished it, no way. Yeah, yeah, And I'm telling you, 148 00:08:03.519 --> 00:08:06.639 if if there happen to been as many people standing 149 00:08:06.680 --> 00:08:09.480 there that all heard and witness this, I would never 150 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:10.319 tell that story. 151 00:08:10.399 --> 00:08:12.759 Yeah. And it's still kind of like people are not 152 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:15.600 gonna believe this, and I wouldn't believe. I wouldn't blame 153 00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:16.160 them at all. 154 00:08:16.480 --> 00:08:18.600 No, not at all. I mean, because if somebody told 155 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:20.199 me that, you know, right off the bat, my first 156 00:08:20.199 --> 00:08:22.639 thing was saying, he said, I believe your cheese is 157 00:08:22.680 --> 00:08:27.639 just about slipped off your cracker use. But you know 158 00:08:28.560 --> 00:08:31.839 that happened, and uh, we were there to witness that. 159 00:08:31.959 --> 00:08:35.759 And then we go on up the road. You have 160 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:39.320 to kind of picture some of these mountain off the 161 00:08:39.360 --> 00:08:41.799 way roads. We get to the top of it and 162 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:44.360 there's kind of like a cold to sack are in there. 163 00:08:44.759 --> 00:08:46.840 Dead end into just nothing but woods. 164 00:08:47.039 --> 00:08:50.559 Yeah, and we get my truck turned around be where 165 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:54.159 we're pointed out in the event something does have for anything, 166 00:08:54.159 --> 00:08:57.720 we need to get out of there quick. And then 167 00:08:57.799 --> 00:09:01.240 she listening out behind my truck, probably twenty yards away 168 00:09:01.279 --> 00:09:04.519 from my truck and our friend, a couple of people. 169 00:09:05.200 --> 00:09:08.799 They go on down a little trail. Well we can 170 00:09:08.840 --> 00:09:10.679 see their red head lamps and every thing as they're 171 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:13.639 going down the trail. As they get on down the 172 00:09:13.679 --> 00:09:17.399 trail out of sight, we noticed this area up here 173 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:22.240 has like a like a next level down off the 174 00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:27.559 edge of it. Something extremely heavy starts walking around this 175 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:28.879 terrace of the stock. 176 00:09:29.000 --> 00:09:31.600 You can feel the percussion and hear it boom. 177 00:09:31.360 --> 00:09:34.759 Boom, and as it's walking, you know, you think like 178 00:09:34.919 --> 00:09:39.600 something it's stomping. It was walking so hard, and it 179 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:42.919 gets around toward the front of our truck and you 180 00:09:42.919 --> 00:09:45.679 could hear it walk up toward us a little bit. 181 00:09:45.720 --> 00:09:47.519 And I told she loved that time. I said, let's 182 00:09:47.519 --> 00:09:51.600 see he's on towards the truck and she was like 183 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:55.960 a why, and I said, well, I don't want whatever 184 00:09:56.080 --> 00:10:00.120 this is to get between us and our vehicles. So 185 00:10:00.120 --> 00:10:03.639 we started easing towards the truck. And uh, our buddy 186 00:10:03.639 --> 00:10:07.399 had to laid his cell phone on record on the 187 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:10.080 hood of my truck. And as we're easing to the truck, 188 00:10:10.200 --> 00:10:14.840 that phone lights up, and which I didn't think a 189 00:10:14.840 --> 00:10:17.919 whole lot about that at that point in time. It 190 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:21.840 you know, it wasn't nothing either way to me. But 191 00:10:21.919 --> 00:10:25.639 we get up there and when they get back, I 192 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:27.440 tell him that, you know, you must have missed a 193 00:10:27.480 --> 00:10:31.600 text or something, you know, your phone lied up. Well, 194 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:34.559 he looked, he looks at the phone. He says, that 195 00:10:34.600 --> 00:10:39.759 phone doesn't light up unless you touch it, and uh, 196 00:10:39.799 --> 00:10:42.240 and he showed me that that phone doesn't light up, 197 00:10:42.279 --> 00:10:47.480 you know, unless it gets touched, and which was pretty unique. 198 00:10:47.799 --> 00:10:50.639 You know, to say the least about that point right there. 199 00:10:52.399 --> 00:10:55.399 The rest of the weekend went off, you know, small 200 00:10:55.399 --> 00:10:57.840 things happened, and not not a whole whole lot. 201 00:10:58.039 --> 00:11:01.120 Well we had we were this is our first camping, 202 00:11:01.159 --> 00:11:03.639 real big camping, you know, we were brand new to it. 203 00:11:03.720 --> 00:11:08.799 But later that night we were in our tent and 204 00:11:10.200 --> 00:11:13.080 heard I heard something he did to walking across the 205 00:11:13.200 --> 00:11:16.960 river towards our campsite. And you know, I'm like Scott, Scott, 206 00:11:17.120 --> 00:11:19.360 he says, I hear it, I hear it, and it 207 00:11:19.440 --> 00:11:21.600 comes to the little table we had it there. We 208 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:25.039 had been cooking bacon earlier in the evening, you know, 209 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:27.639 and you could hear it. You could hear it, and 210 00:11:28.799 --> 00:11:30.679 I'm kind of freaking out over there. And this is 211 00:11:30.720 --> 00:11:32.919 no joke because we had no idea of what to speak. 212 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.240 I heard Scott reach over there and unsnap his you know, holster, 213 00:11:37.440 --> 00:11:39.759 which that wouldn't have done any good, I assure you. 214 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:42.360 And this thing is right beside the tent and it 215 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:46.440 lets out this big, like exasperation kind of thing, you know, 216 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:49.519 and just turned around and started walking off. And again 217 00:11:49.600 --> 00:11:52.679 you could hear the boom boom. Let me tell you something, 218 00:11:52.679 --> 00:11:55.120 I was so scared. Had that thing touched that tent, 219 00:11:55.240 --> 00:11:56.919 I would have jumped up and ran with a tint 220 00:11:57.000 --> 00:11:59.440 and everything, probably laid myself out with a tree. But 221 00:12:00.480 --> 00:12:01.279 I was terrified. 222 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:04.759 But that, you know, that kind of sets up the 223 00:12:04.799 --> 00:12:08.480 tone here. That was our first outing for this, and. 224 00:12:08.399 --> 00:12:10.879 They say, you know once you start down that, I'm 225 00:12:10.879 --> 00:12:12.960 gonna tell everybody, if you start down this rabbit hole, 226 00:12:13.039 --> 00:12:16.039 be prepared for more questions you will ever have answers 227 00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:20.159 to either you're going to be addicted to it like 228 00:12:20.279 --> 00:12:22.360 we are, or you're probably never gonna go in the 229 00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:22.879 woods again. 230 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:26.519 Absolutely, yeah, I agree, one hundred percent. I'm makingness. 231 00:12:26.840 --> 00:12:27.120 Wow. 232 00:12:28.840 --> 00:12:31.399 So from what you guys had, the way you've been talking, 233 00:12:31.440 --> 00:12:33.919 it sounds like this is this is more of like 234 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:36.000 a private expedition. 235 00:12:37.879 --> 00:12:41.120 That one was it was, and that we went on 236 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:47.679 and we wound up after that helping that group out 237 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:48.799 a good. 238 00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:51.120 Bit and just going out with friends we'd made from 239 00:12:51.120 --> 00:12:51.639 that group. 240 00:12:52.440 --> 00:12:55.799 And the more we helped out with that group and everything, 241 00:12:56.440 --> 00:13:00.480 the more we've seen how things were going in that group. 242 00:13:01.080 --> 00:13:08.879 And it's a big group and uh, very costly and 243 00:13:09.120 --> 00:13:12.960 actually had done that for a pretty good while. We 244 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:15.080 would always have people when people would find out that 245 00:13:15.159 --> 00:13:17.960 we had went on these things and had been on 246 00:13:18.039 --> 00:13:22.080 them things that a lot of folks had a lot 247 00:13:22.080 --> 00:13:23.759 of interest in it and really wanted to go, but 248 00:13:23.840 --> 00:13:26.399 they weren't willing to drop that kind of money on 249 00:13:27.039 --> 00:13:31.279 doing that. And we sit back and we thought about 250 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:32.919 it for a lot and said, you know what, what 251 00:13:32.960 --> 00:13:36.360 would we actually do one of these four for people 252 00:13:37.000 --> 00:13:40.200 and uh and make it where there's not as many 253 00:13:40.240 --> 00:13:44.879 people there and you know, get away with money wise 254 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:48.600 and at least break even. So we did that and 255 00:13:49.559 --> 00:13:51.399 that's how squat Fish Outfitters got bare. 256 00:13:51.960 --> 00:13:53.799 It took a while, over a year and a half 257 00:13:53.799 --> 00:13:56.639 to get everything we needed to get, but it's pretty 258 00:13:56.720 --> 00:13:57.440 much our life now. 259 00:13:57.720 --> 00:14:01.360 Yeah, that's wow. How cool is that? I mean, it's 260 00:14:01.399 --> 00:14:05.759 a thing where it's obviously you guys love love going 261 00:14:05.759 --> 00:14:08.279 out there and to make it a part of your 262 00:14:08.279 --> 00:14:10.360 life in that way. So now now I got to 263 00:14:10.360 --> 00:14:12.639 get it out there and it's just that's awesome. 264 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:13.600 How cool. 265 00:14:15.440 --> 00:14:19.480 We we've met so so many good people and become 266 00:14:19.639 --> 00:14:22.200 friends with so many people. I mean, we have a ball. 267 00:14:22.559 --> 00:14:25.799 Yeah, We've had people leave an outing with us and 268 00:14:25.919 --> 00:14:30.320 be become lifelong friends with other folks that were there. Oh, yeah, 269 00:14:31.200 --> 00:14:33.120 you know, that's that's a lot of what it's all about. 270 00:14:33.919 --> 00:14:37.639 We also also guide fly fishing and we try to incorporate. 271 00:14:37.720 --> 00:14:43.399 That's how the name Squashed Fishing Outfitters come about. We're 272 00:14:43.399 --> 00:14:46.000 trying to find something where it incorporated both of them 273 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:48.360 into it, and she looked come up with it one day, 274 00:14:48.440 --> 00:14:52.279 she said it, and it stuck from that point. Yeah, 275 00:14:52.679 --> 00:14:57.559 I love it. Our our mannerism of doing things is, 276 00:14:58.080 --> 00:15:00.840 you know, the group we had been asociated with and 277 00:15:00.960 --> 00:15:03.000 going off with, they would they would take a lot 278 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:07.679 of folks on outing, and it seemed like when we 279 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:10.120 were there, prior to all the other people getting there, 280 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:14.360 there would be a good activity happening and everything. 281 00:15:14.639 --> 00:15:17.399 Big for society who would be right back after these messages. 282 00:15:33.440 --> 00:15:36.519 As soon as all the folks showed up, everything would 283 00:15:36.639 --> 00:15:41.080 kind of quiet down, which stands to reason you started 284 00:15:41.080 --> 00:15:44.039 introducing a whole lot of folks into the forest that 285 00:15:44.679 --> 00:15:47.720 all the animals and everything are still there, they just 286 00:15:47.799 --> 00:15:50.639 kind of honker back and sit back and watch and 287 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:54.759 remain quiet. So we drawed it down before. We only 288 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:59.039 take ten participants at a time, and you know, smaller 289 00:15:59.039 --> 00:16:02.320 group of group large enough to be safe, but a 290 00:16:02.360 --> 00:16:05.960 group not so large to where it overwhelms the forest. 291 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:09.639 Yeah, I think last year's was it last year, the 292 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:13.639 very last last excussion. We had a We had a 293 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:16.879 guy that was doing a documentary, Greg Ogle, was a 294 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:20.600 very nice guy. Him and his his the young guy 295 00:16:20.600 --> 00:16:24.240 that helps him. We were going out out to where 296 00:16:24.240 --> 00:16:26.480 we were going to go hunting that night, right, and 297 00:16:26.600 --> 00:16:28.879 so Scott was in the Lee Troit. We had like 298 00:16:28.919 --> 00:16:31.799 three or four vehicles. Scott was driving, Greg was in 299 00:16:31.799 --> 00:16:35.159 the passenger seat and his friend was in the back seat. Uh, 300 00:16:35.399 --> 00:16:37.720 and had one run right across the road in front 301 00:16:37.759 --> 00:16:38.039 of them. 302 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:42.799 Oh yeah, both of the eyes got to see it, 303 00:16:41.720 --> 00:16:47.639 the weak they were. And you know, and here it is. 304 00:16:47.679 --> 00:16:54.080 We're filming a documentary and everything, and it's no cameras rolling. 305 00:16:54.600 --> 00:17:02.240 Yeah that's the age old story. Yeah, something truly amazing 306 00:17:02.360 --> 00:17:05.880 happens and you're there doing this specific thing, but you 307 00:17:05.920 --> 00:17:08.799 don't have any cameras throwing. But we did get footprints, Yes, 308 00:17:08.839 --> 00:17:09.240 we did. 309 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:11.680 Went up beside the ridge. Footprints we got I think 310 00:17:11.680 --> 00:17:14.359 it was eighteen half inches seventeen and a half. 311 00:17:15.319 --> 00:17:19.799 It was awesome and you know, those guys were shocked 312 00:17:19.880 --> 00:17:23.440 and everything, and it's it was very good outing. 313 00:17:24.160 --> 00:17:26.759 But we you know, the best thing I enjoy We've 314 00:17:26.839 --> 00:17:28.319 done this for a few years now. The best thing 315 00:17:28.359 --> 00:17:31.799 I enjoy is when new people come, you know, with expectations, Ah, 316 00:17:31.880 --> 00:17:34.720 this is bull crap, this is not real, blah blah blah, 317 00:17:34.839 --> 00:17:38.960 and then something happens. I'm thinking about the last last year, 318 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:41.400 we had a gentleman, you know, he believed in it, 319 00:17:41.400 --> 00:17:43.960 but he's never seen anything. And we told him these 320 00:17:44.039 --> 00:17:46.559 jokers up here like throw stuff. So he was standing 321 00:17:46.599 --> 00:17:50.440 there and all the rockets get thrown and he loses 322 00:17:50.519 --> 00:17:52.200 his mind. 323 00:17:51.880 --> 00:17:58.480 He did, and it's that's you know. We have a 324 00:17:58.480 --> 00:18:01.839 a pair has been a wife team. They're both Dennis, 325 00:18:03.119 --> 00:18:05.960 and she drug him to one of our addings. They 326 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:09.480 come on a very regular basis, super great people, and 327 00:18:09.559 --> 00:18:12.240 she was the believer. He was the sure enough just 328 00:18:12.319 --> 00:18:17.039 like me, big skeptic and uh. But he wound up 329 00:18:17.079 --> 00:18:22.680 in See One first through through a thermal and after 330 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:25.319 that moment right there, now he's ready to get up here. 331 00:18:25.319 --> 00:18:26.480 Ever since he gets now. 332 00:18:26.960 --> 00:18:29.440 It was it was so funny because after he's seen it, 333 00:18:29.440 --> 00:18:31.519 he come back down to the campfire and he sat 334 00:18:31.559 --> 00:18:34.119 there and didn't say a word. I said, you okay, 335 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:36.799 He said, yeah, I'm just I'm trying to absorb what 336 00:18:36.839 --> 00:18:39.279 I just saw. You know, you get quiet because your mind, 337 00:18:39.319 --> 00:18:41.240 I know in my mind, you know, it sent me 338 00:18:41.279 --> 00:18:44.240 about three days. I was trying so hard to convince 339 00:18:44.279 --> 00:18:45.960 myself they had to be a bear, They had to 340 00:18:46.000 --> 00:18:47.440 be a bear, but I knew it wasn't a bear. 341 00:18:48.079 --> 00:18:51.079 Are you guys going all over North Georgia then? Or 342 00:18:51.640 --> 00:18:55.039 you probably have to keep locations a little bit, you know, 343 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:58.079 in the back pocket. But is it all over like 344 00:18:58.160 --> 00:18:59.839 that l J area or. 345 00:19:02.119 --> 00:19:06.920 It is we spanned out? Uh, we spanned out from 346 00:19:06.920 --> 00:19:12.480 a little Jay all the way over to Rayburn County, Okay, 347 00:19:12.960 --> 00:19:15.559 and uh, you know in that in that region right there. 348 00:19:15.599 --> 00:19:19.680 And the big thing is we have several areas that 349 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:25.079 we keep monitor We monitor very closely, and this isn't 350 00:19:25.119 --> 00:19:27.960 a weekend thing for us, you know, this is a 351 00:19:28.000 --> 00:19:31.400 four to six day a week thing we do. And 352 00:19:31.480 --> 00:19:35.079 we keep real close observation on these areas and that's 353 00:19:35.119 --> 00:19:38.480 how we determine where we're carrying folks, you know, on 354 00:19:38.519 --> 00:19:42.559 our next outings and everything, because we may have two 355 00:19:42.640 --> 00:19:45.359 areas that are very active at that point in time 356 00:19:45.400 --> 00:19:49.319 and we have to we always want to carry folks. 357 00:19:49.359 --> 00:19:51.640 You know, to the area that's the most active at 358 00:19:51.680 --> 00:19:54.839 that point in time, you know, to afford them the 359 00:19:54.880 --> 00:19:57.839 opportunity and are the best opportunity and chance to get 360 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:01.880 to experience you having a experience or even possible sighting. 361 00:20:03.480 --> 00:20:07.400 Now we've we've taken people out before and had to leave. 362 00:20:07.640 --> 00:20:10.480 You know, of course, if you see a mama bear 363 00:20:10.720 --> 00:20:12.799 with cubs, you know you don't want to stay in 364 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:16.000 that area, or if something you get that feeling, or 365 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:19.160 something's being thrown, or the grouls and stuff. We're not 366 00:20:19.200 --> 00:20:21.279 trying to put anybody into any danger. 367 00:20:21.759 --> 00:20:24.799 Now. We pushed that envelope a little a little hard 368 00:20:25.039 --> 00:20:28.759 on ourselves, but when we have other folks out there, 369 00:20:28.799 --> 00:20:33.200 we maintaining the most safety as possible. 370 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:38.480 Yes, Scott, you said a phrase that it was real quick. 371 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:43.240 But you said you have a group that's that was 372 00:20:43.279 --> 00:20:45.799 something like a group that's large enough to be safe. 373 00:20:46.599 --> 00:20:47.920 What what do you mean by that? 374 00:20:48.400 --> 00:20:57.720 Yes, Well, when when situation and things like what we do, 375 00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:02.319 you want to have enough people there that enough numbers 376 00:21:02.759 --> 00:21:07.839 like to show a little bit where you have it 377 00:21:07.960 --> 00:21:11.599 de tours something from wanting to you know, encroach on 378 00:21:11.640 --> 00:21:17.519 you more. Yeah, more than one or two people. The 379 00:21:17.599 --> 00:21:20.680 but not big enough to where it makes things shut. 380 00:21:20.480 --> 00:21:25.000 Down, and we don't do this by we have a 381 00:21:25.039 --> 00:21:27.680 crew that helps us, and thank goodness for them. 382 00:21:28.039 --> 00:21:30.720 Oh absolutely. If it wasn't for them, you know, we 383 00:21:30.759 --> 00:21:34.680 couldn't get accomplished the amount of things we do. And 384 00:21:34.880 --> 00:21:39.079 that's what I mean by that. And I hope I 385 00:21:39.119 --> 00:21:39.920 answered your question. 386 00:21:40.400 --> 00:21:43.519 No, I think you did. Was there a situation that 387 00:21:43.559 --> 00:21:46.279 you guys went through where you had to learn the 388 00:21:46.319 --> 00:21:49.920 hard way, like maybe you didn't have enough people present 389 00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:52.640 and just things kind of escalated or. 390 00:21:54.720 --> 00:21:56.839 No, it happened with Well, it was me and Scott 391 00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:59.240 and a couple of others when we were out scouting. 392 00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:02.279 We weren't really weren't doing our thing yet. We were 393 00:22:02.279 --> 00:22:04.240 out scouting. We were bluff charged. 394 00:22:04.680 --> 00:22:07.039 Oh wow, Yeah, we were hard blood. We were hard 395 00:22:07.039 --> 00:22:11.240 bluff charged. And that there were four of us and 396 00:22:11.240 --> 00:22:15.079 that was it. And it weren't like we were all 397 00:22:15.160 --> 00:22:17.279 right there in a very tight knit group. We were 398 00:22:17.359 --> 00:22:21.640 kind of spread out a little bit. We're walking along, 399 00:22:21.680 --> 00:22:23.920 you know, checking out some areas and this at night, 400 00:22:25.200 --> 00:22:28.279 and we heard it coming off the ridge above us 401 00:22:28.359 --> 00:22:32.160