1 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: All right, how about a skunk ape story. Here we go, 2 00:00:12,439 --> 00:00:16,559 Here we go. This man says, I was driving north 3 00:00:16,600 --> 00:00:20,839 on Highway two fifty nine toward Diana, Texas, when I 4 00:00:20,879 --> 00:00:23,719 saw a hairy creature squatting by one of the creeks 5 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:28,399 five miles south of town. I turned around and crossed over, 6 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:32,039 and I went back to investigate. I exited the highway 7 00:00:32,039 --> 00:00:34,439 and took a ramp down to an area used by 8 00:00:34,439 --> 00:00:37,479 a fisherman, where I was surprised to see an old 9 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,560 Chevy pickup truck and a guy by the water fishing 10 00:00:40,600 --> 00:00:45,719 for brim. I apologized for interrupting his fishing time and 11 00:00:45,880 --> 00:00:48,280 was about to leave when behind him in the woods, 12 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,960 I saw a large, hairy creature that I had seen 13 00:00:51,039 --> 00:00:54,600 from the road. It was covered in brownish red fur, 14 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:57,240 and it was raising a rock over its head to 15 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:03,119 throw it at the fisherman. Hey man, watch out. The 16 00:01:03,200 --> 00:01:06,239 man grabbed his bucket of fish and ran for his truck, 17 00:01:06,439 --> 00:01:08,519 just as the rock landed in the creek with a 18 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,599 big splash. The creature had a dumbfounded look on its face, 19 00:01:13,799 --> 00:01:17,159 like an actor and Harry and the Hendersons, and then 20 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,799 it ran off in the thicket. The fisherman turned to 21 00:01:20,799 --> 00:01:24,079 me and he asked, what was that thing? I said, Man, 22 00:01:24,159 --> 00:01:26,359 I don't know, but I was thinking it was a 23 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,560 skunk akee. I haven't seen this guy fishing in the 24 00:01:29,599 --> 00:01:32,599 creek since then, nor have I seen the creature, but 25 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:36,359 I have smelled a pungent odor in my barn. It's 26 00:01:36,359 --> 00:01:42,120 the same smell I notice that night on that creek bank. Hey, everybody, 27 00:01:42,120 --> 00:01:44,640 welcome to the podcast. My name's Cam Buckner. This is 28 00:01:44,719 --> 00:01:48,079 the what If It's True? Podcast. Thanks for clicking on 29 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:50,840 the podcast. And I had something I wanted to tell you, 30 00:01:51,480 --> 00:01:53,400 but I can't remember what it was, so we're just 31 00:01:53,439 --> 00:01:55,920 gonna forget it and move on with these stories. I 32 00:01:55,959 --> 00:02:00,359 hope you enjoy this podcast. All Right, here we go. 33 00:02:00,439 --> 00:02:03,319 All right, here's a black panther story. And some people 34 00:02:03,319 --> 00:02:06,599 will click away because it's not a sasquat story, But 35 00:02:06,680 --> 00:02:09,560 I think you're gonna find this very interesting, so hang 36 00:02:09,639 --> 00:02:15,159 with it. The writer says, I am from Northwest Tennessee 37 00:02:15,280 --> 00:02:19,000 and I live in a small town called Bagoda. Now 38 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:22,919 if you read that word, you might say it's bogatah. 39 00:02:23,120 --> 00:02:25,719 But I lived in West Tennessee most of my life 40 00:02:25,719 --> 00:02:31,280 and I'm guaranteeing you. It's called Bagoda Bogta. I'm a 41 00:02:31,360 --> 00:02:34,599 law enforcement officer and I have been for the last 42 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:39,199 thirty years. My mother is the youngest of fifteen children 43 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:43,159 and my father is the oldest of five. My roots 44 00:02:43,240 --> 00:02:46,240 run deep in this part of the world. Both sides 45 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,599 can be traced back to the eighteen nineties. Here. I'm 46 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,080 fifty two years old now, and I'm proud to say 47 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:54,479 that I grew up in the late seventies and eighties. 48 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,280 That was a great time to be alive. All kids 49 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,639 wanted to do was play outside, fish and hunt, and 50 00:03:01,719 --> 00:03:06,319 explore and ride three wheelers. This area of the world 51 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:10,280 is the Mississippi River, bottomland and hills. We have Real 52 00:03:10,319 --> 00:03:13,599 Foot Lake to our north, Fort Pillow State Park to 53 00:03:13,639 --> 00:03:17,000 our south, pens and Mounds to our east, and the 54 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:21,479 Mississippi River to the west. We've had black bear sidings 55 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:24,960 along the o'biden River, and even gators and wild hogs 56 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:29,319 spotted near the Chickamauga River. There are also things that 57 00:03:29,439 --> 00:03:33,199 are not discussed with out of towners, for example, the 58 00:03:33,319 --> 00:03:37,080 dog Man of the Hatche Wildlife Refuge and Real Foot Lake, 59 00:03:37,719 --> 00:03:40,560 and the large hery man that was spotted wading through 60 00:03:40,599 --> 00:03:44,479 the cypress trees at Fort Pillow. I've done stories on 61 00:03:44,639 --> 00:03:49,039 all three of those places, and they were dog man's stories, 62 00:03:49,759 --> 00:03:52,199 and I also did a story at Fort Pillow. I 63 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:55,400 did a Steve Lilly story in Fort Pillow too. Anyway, 64 00:03:55,520 --> 00:03:59,719 sorry to digress here. Growing up in northwest Tennessee made 65 00:03:59,759 --> 00:04:03,199 boy tough. In the summer. We would get up at daylight, 66 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:06,520 we'd grab some breakfast, We'd tell Mama and Daddy where 67 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,000 we were going, and they would tell us to remember 68 00:04:09,039 --> 00:04:11,199 to check in every four or five hours or so, 69 00:04:12,039 --> 00:04:14,919 and most importantly, we had to be back home before dark. 70 00:04:16,079 --> 00:04:18,959 My best friends at the time were Shane and Bryant. 71 00:04:19,319 --> 00:04:21,199 We were all the same age, and we went to 72 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:25,240 the same school but go to elementary and our mascot 73 00:04:25,399 --> 00:04:29,319 was the Panther. Now, Shane and I had three wheelers, 74 00:04:29,399 --> 00:04:32,319 and Bryant would constantly be on the back of one 75 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:35,600 of our three wheelers. We would ride along the Old 76 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:39,639 Ye and the Mississippi Rivers. Every day. We'd fish, and 77 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,120 we'd build bonfires, and we'd make traps and we'd swing 78 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:47,000 from tree vines. We used to love to find black 79 00:04:47,079 --> 00:04:50,759 racer snakes and have them chase us. Those things are 80 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:54,399 really fast too, and we would hop the bob wire 81 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,720 fence and chase the cows near the Elbow, even though 82 00:04:57,759 --> 00:05:02,000 in truth they chased us more than we'd chase them now. 83 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:04,399 The Elbow is the name of an ox bow lake 84 00:05:04,519 --> 00:05:07,600 that was left after the Army Corps of Engineers changed 85 00:05:07,600 --> 00:05:10,319 the course of the Obion River for a few miles 86 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,399 to assist with flood control. It was close enough to 87 00:05:14,439 --> 00:05:16,759 home that we could be there in just a few minutes, 88 00:05:17,399 --> 00:05:21,720 and checking in at home was easy. Many days were 89 00:05:21,759 --> 00:05:25,319 spent at the Elbow, fishing, hunting, and enjoying the freedom 90 00:05:25,360 --> 00:05:30,000 that only country folks can relate to. Our neighborhood consisted 91 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:33,360 of three blocks of houses. There was a general store 92 00:05:33,439 --> 00:05:35,959 that was also a place for the older gentlemen to 93 00:05:35,959 --> 00:05:39,639 play dominoes, and there was a small post office built 94 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:43,199 into the side of the cafe. It was safe, and 95 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:47,240 it offered a feeling of protection. Small town warmth and 96 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:51,879 carrying that helped shape some good men and women. We 97 00:05:52,079 --> 00:05:55,279 are a large farming community, and the older men would 98 00:05:55,319 --> 00:05:57,759 always be at the store before the sun came up 99 00:05:57,759 --> 00:06:02,160 to have coffee before going to the field. At lunchtime, 100 00:06:02,199 --> 00:06:04,560 they would gather at the store for something to eat 101 00:06:04,600 --> 00:06:07,560 and some ice for their coolers before riding back to 102 00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:10,879 the fields to get to work. When the weather was 103 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,079 bad or the ground was wet, the farmers and the 104 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:16,000 older men would gather at the store and spend some 105 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:19,759 of the best tales you have ever heard. Most stores 106 00:06:19,800 --> 00:06:23,639 would be about hunting and fishing. They talk about politics 107 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:26,600 and who won the pool tournament or the card game. 108 00:06:27,519 --> 00:06:30,560 But on rare occasions there would be stories of the 109 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:34,759 Great flood and the war, and someone who came up missing, 110 00:06:35,560 --> 00:06:40,639 or the panther in the woods. You always knew when 111 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:43,839 one of those stories was being told just by how 112 00:06:43,959 --> 00:06:48,279 quiet and serious the tone was of the storyteller. If 113 00:06:48,319 --> 00:06:51,279 an out of towner stopped in to pay for gas, 114 00:06:51,759 --> 00:06:55,120 not a word would be said until the stranger left, 115 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:58,839 and when the story resumed, everyone in the building would 116 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,160 remain as still as a church mouse until it was finished. 117 00:07:03,040 --> 00:07:06,360 Those stories were told by serious salt of the earth men, 118 00:07:07,120 --> 00:07:10,240 men who had lived through hard times, who'd had hard 119 00:07:10,319 --> 00:07:14,600 lives and survived to share their experiences with neighbors and family. 120 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,360 Now I remember one of those stories told by mister Don. 121 00:07:20,199 --> 00:07:23,199 Mister Don was a farmer. He had a large family 122 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:25,959 and he was telling how he and his boys were 123 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:30,120 working the field on the backside of four Corners. They 124 00:07:30,120 --> 00:07:33,240 had finished reaping wheat and getting ready to burn the 125 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:36,120 fields so that they could plant beans, and the boys 126 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:39,040 were moving the combines and the bob trucks back to 127 00:07:39,079 --> 00:07:43,040 the gravel road. He was on the Obion riverside and 128 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,040 moving toward four corners in the field was burning nicely. 129 00:07:48,759 --> 00:07:51,360 He watched a good size of dough jump from the 130 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:54,199 field and began to run toward the tree line, when 131 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:57,319 a big black animal jumped from a large white oak 132 00:07:57,360 --> 00:08:02,360 tree and tackled it. And then this black figure walked 133 00:08:02,399 --> 00:08:05,800 off with the dough in its teeth, and it disappeared 134 00:08:05,839 --> 00:08:10,399 into the treeline. Right when it disappeared, he heard screaming, 135 00:08:10,639 --> 00:08:13,399 and it made all the hairs on his arms stand up. 136 00:08:14,319 --> 00:08:17,079 After that he left, and neither here the boys came 137 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:19,720 back to the field until daylight or the next day. 138 00:08:21,240 --> 00:08:25,120 Now we were all watching mister John, our jaws open 139 00:08:25,199 --> 00:08:27,879 at his tail. When he looked me in the iron 140 00:08:27,839 --> 00:08:30,639 and he said, you stay out of those woods around 141 00:08:30,639 --> 00:08:33,399 here at night. It's out there and it's big, and 142 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:39,000 it'll get you. One summer on a Friday, Shane Bright 143 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:41,720 and I decided to spend all day at the elbow. 144 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:46,080 Now those days seemed to last forever. The sun was 145 00:08:46,200 --> 00:08:49,559 up before six and it wasn't dark until nine, and 146 00:08:49,639 --> 00:08:52,840 we fished that morning and we did pretty good. We 147 00:08:52,879 --> 00:08:55,240 had caught some crappie and some brim, and we cleaned 148 00:08:55,279 --> 00:08:57,320 them up and we went to my house for lunch. 149 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,399 We showed off our catch to my parents, and then 150 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:04,600 we cleaned up and we ate, and when we were done, 151 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,039 we went back and built a fire and cooked our fish. 152 00:09:08,399 --> 00:09:11,240 Shane had a machete wrapped around the handlebars of his 153 00:09:11,399 --> 00:09:14,919 Honda big red three wheeler, and as the fish was cooking, 154 00:09:15,120 --> 00:09:17,000 we went to the edge of the field and began 155 00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:21,399 to cut cane stalks to make fishing poles. We were 156 00:09:21,399 --> 00:09:24,159 only there for a few minutes when the most blood 157 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:28,759 curdling scream we have ever heard carried across the countryside. 158 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:31,200 I looked over at Shane, thinking that he had cut 159 00:09:31,279 --> 00:09:34,000 himself with a machete, and he was looking at me 160 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,399 like I was in pain. And then Bright yelled, hey, 161 00:09:37,399 --> 00:09:42,480 are y'all okay? And then we heard it again. We 162 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,320 looked south where the scream had come from, and couldn't 163 00:09:45,360 --> 00:09:49,080 believe what we were seeing. It was a big, black, 164 00:09:49,399 --> 00:09:54,879 sleek animal moving faster than anything we'd ever seen. Well, 165 00:09:54,879 --> 00:09:57,720 we ran to the three wheelers like the devil themselves 166 00:09:57,799 --> 00:10:00,639 was after us, and we cranked on the first try, 167 00:10:01,000 --> 00:10:03,720 and we were kicking up rooster tails of dust as 168 00:10:03,759 --> 00:10:07,120 we headed out of there. We hit the gravel road 169 00:10:07,159 --> 00:10:10,720 without slowing down and sliding and fish tailing, and we 170 00:10:10,759 --> 00:10:13,840 turned into my driveway and jumped off the three wheelers 171 00:10:13,840 --> 00:10:18,000 before they even stopped. And my mother was cooking some 172 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,600 fried chicken and taters in the kitchen and she saw 173 00:10:21,679 --> 00:10:24,960 us and immediately ran over to check on us. She 174 00:10:25,080 --> 00:10:27,399 felt and she patted us all over looking for some 175 00:10:27,559 --> 00:10:31,200 type of injury, and when she couldn't find any, she said, 176 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:35,639 all right, what kind of trouble are you boys into now? Well, 177 00:10:35,639 --> 00:10:38,000 then Dad came into the kitchen and we told them 178 00:10:38,039 --> 00:10:41,320 both what had happened. Dad looked at Mama and he 179 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,919 didn't say a word. He didn't have to. Mama looked 180 00:10:44,919 --> 00:10:47,159 at us and said, y'all go wash up and get 181 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:50,799 ready for supper. We didn't have to be told twice. 182 00:10:51,320 --> 00:10:54,840 Chicken and fried taters were amazing, and we ate like 183 00:10:54,919 --> 00:10:59,559 we were going to the electric chair. Bright and Shane 184 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,279 were out to stay the night, and the next morning 185 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:05,120 we were up at dawn. Daddy was already up and 186 00:11:05,200 --> 00:11:08,000 drinking coffee in the kitchen, and we each grabbed a 187 00:11:08,039 --> 00:11:11,679 biscuit and slapped some jelly on it and we started eating. Now, 188 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:13,440 I want you boys to ride up to the store 189 00:11:13,440 --> 00:11:15,240 with me so I can get you some gas for 190 00:11:15,279 --> 00:11:18,759 you three wheelers. He told us. Yes, sir, we said, 191 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,240 free gas for the day's adventure. Heck you, this was 192 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:24,960 going to be a good day, and we couldn't wait 193 00:11:24,960 --> 00:11:28,000 to get back fishing. We got our gas tanks filled up, 194 00:11:28,039 --> 00:11:30,679 and we went inside the store where Daddy was waiting 195 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:35,159 for us. The place was quiet as a cemetery. Every 196 00:11:35,240 --> 00:11:38,919 farmer where tyree and fishermen and hunter and family man 197 00:11:39,039 --> 00:11:43,480 was inside and they were waiting on us. The mood 198 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:46,559 was very ominous, and we knew that something bad had 199 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:49,240 happened and that we must be in some kind of trouble. 200 00:11:49,759 --> 00:11:51,720 And it kind of looked like a courtroom with the 201 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:54,720 judge and the jury sitting there waiting to render our 202 00:11:54,799 --> 00:11:57,759 guilty verdict. Now, you boys, come on over here for 203 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:01,360 a minute, my dad told us. We sat down in 204 00:12:01,440 --> 00:12:04,279 the three empty chairs in the middle of the neighborhood men, 205 00:12:04,399 --> 00:12:07,360 and we looked at mister don Now, I want you 206 00:12:07,399 --> 00:12:09,840 boys to stay away from the elbow for a week 207 00:12:09,960 --> 00:12:12,320 or so. We have some things that we need to 208 00:12:12,360 --> 00:12:15,200 take care of down there. Your daddy'll tell you when 209 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:19,120 you can go back. Now, do you all understand me? Yes, sir, 210 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:23,200 we said. We did not dare ask any questions. We 211 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:27,000 were just glad we weren't in any trouble. Why don't 212 00:12:27,039 --> 00:12:29,279 y'all ride around a barbed wire and miss him for 213 00:12:29,320 --> 00:12:31,360 about a week and just stay out of the fields 214 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,480 and crops? Okay, Dad told us again. There was a 215 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:38,320 big yes, sir from all three of us. We ran 216 00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:40,679 out of the store and away from those men like 217 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,840 the building was on fire. Then we went over to 218 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:46,039 the barbed wire and missed him for the next week. 219 00:12:46,720 --> 00:12:49,519 There were some nights that Dad didn't come home until 220 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:53,879 real late, but I never asked any questions. I think 221 00:12:53,919 --> 00:12:56,279 it was around ten days later he took us back 222 00:12:56,320 --> 00:12:58,840 up to the store for more gas, and when we 223 00:12:58,879 --> 00:13:02,000 walked in every he was there again this time, only 224 00:13:02,080 --> 00:13:05,559 this time the store was normal and folks were playing 225 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:09,519 dominoes and farmers were eating and spinning yarns, and Neil 226 00:13:09,679 --> 00:13:13,080 was even playing the pinball machine, and mister Don was 227 00:13:13,159 --> 00:13:16,000 there too. All right, boys, y'all can go back to 228 00:13:16,039 --> 00:13:19,919 the elbow again. Same rules as before. No hunting, and 229 00:13:20,080 --> 00:13:23,159 stay out of my fields and don't be out after dark, 230 00:13:23,279 --> 00:13:27,480 he told us. Yes, sir, we said, and straight to 231 00:13:27,559 --> 00:13:30,799 the elbow we went. We didn't ask what they had 232 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:33,919 been doing there for the last ten days. We didn't 233 00:13:33,919 --> 00:13:37,600 ask about the black panther that we all saw. It 234 00:13:37,679 --> 00:13:39,639 was a need to know type of thing, and we 235 00:13:39,759 --> 00:13:43,799 did not need to know, apparently, Besides, we had other 236 00:13:43,879 --> 00:13:46,840 things on our minds. There were fish to be caught 237 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:54,440 and cane poles to be cut. Here's another sysquatch story. 238 00:13:55,639 --> 00:13:59,840 This is a pretty good one. Around nineteen eighty eight, 239 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:03,200 it was very hot and humid. It was typical for 240 00:14:03,279 --> 00:14:06,360 that time of year. I was twenty years old and 241 00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:10,519 I lived in Huntsville, Alabama. It was cool to live 242 00:14:10,559 --> 00:14:12,919 there because I got to meet so many neat and 243 00:14:13,039 --> 00:14:17,320 interesting people, especially the military types, since we had the 244 00:14:17,360 --> 00:14:21,600 Red Stone Arsenal nearby. I've always been a weapons and 245 00:14:21,639 --> 00:14:25,519 a survival enthusiasts, so it was a given that I 246 00:14:25,639 --> 00:14:29,120 enjoyed hanging out with the military guys. One of my 247 00:14:29,200 --> 00:14:33,759 friends was an Army ranger named Raymond. Another was named Shepherd. 248 00:14:34,000 --> 00:14:37,000 He was a Green Beret. And I had also become 249 00:14:37,039 --> 00:14:39,120 good friends with a guy who ran of this and 250 00:14:39,240 --> 00:14:43,440 that army surplus store in town. I just happened to 251 00:14:43,440 --> 00:14:46,600 be in this in that store when the news came 252 00:14:46,639 --> 00:14:49,639 on the TV about two guys from the Grant Mountain 253 00:14:49,759 --> 00:14:54,840 area escaping from prisons somewhere up north. They were considered 254 00:14:55,000 --> 00:14:58,200 armed and dangerous, and they had carjacked and killed a 255 00:14:58,240 --> 00:15:01,559 couple of people who owned the VA. There was a 256 00:15:01,639 --> 00:15:05,759 twenty five thousand dollars reward for their capture, dead or alive. 257 00:15:07,159 --> 00:15:10,639 The news switched to another story, and the old Vietnam 258 00:15:10,759 --> 00:15:13,799 vet who ran the store told me that he had 259 00:15:13,879 --> 00:15:17,000 heard that those two escapees were holed up at the 260 00:15:17,039 --> 00:15:22,519 closed Cathedral caverns in Marshall County, Alabama. Now that wasn't 261 00:15:22,639 --> 00:15:26,360 very far from Huntsville, and I got to thinking, and boy, 262 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:31,279 that twenty five thousand dollars sure was calling my name. There. 263 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:35,440 I was twenty years old, full of enthusiasm, and I 264 00:15:35,559 --> 00:15:39,320 was already spending that reward money. I started to make 265 00:15:39,360 --> 00:15:42,320 a plan. I called Ship and Raymond and I told 266 00:15:42,360 --> 00:15:45,000 him about the two men and the bigger reward, and 267 00:15:45,039 --> 00:15:48,639 they were on board in a blink. By that time, 268 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:50,759 I had figured it out in my head like this. 269 00:15:51,559 --> 00:15:54,200 I would get Ship and Raymond to go along. I'd 270 00:15:54,240 --> 00:15:56,799 get them to do the physical work, and they would 271 00:15:56,840 --> 00:16:00,559 capture these two guys. Meanwhile, I would give them the 272 00:16:00,639 --> 00:16:04,399 intel AKA, I would tell them what the Vietnam vet 273 00:16:04,480 --> 00:16:07,759 told me. And hey, all three of us gets a 274 00:16:07,759 --> 00:16:10,480 fair cut, right, All I had to do was go 275 00:16:10,519 --> 00:16:12,840 along for the ride and lead them to the bad guys. 276 00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:17,200 How much simpler could that be? We gathered up what 277 00:16:17,279 --> 00:16:20,080 supplies we thought that we would need, and we left 278 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,200 next of ken names and phone numbers at Shep's place 279 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,799 in case the worst case scenario happened, and we headed 280 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,919 out fully dressed in camo and face paint and armed 281 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:34,279 to the teeth with the knives. You heard me, we 282 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:38,039 had knives. It turned out neither of my buddies owned 283 00:16:38,039 --> 00:16:41,600 a gun. While shocked and worried at the same time, 284 00:16:42,240 --> 00:16:44,919 but male pride being what it is, and greed being 285 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:48,600 even more of a burden on common sense, I figured 286 00:16:48,639 --> 00:16:51,440 these guys were trained in hand to hand combat and 287 00:16:51,519 --> 00:16:56,200 lethal weapons with their very bodies. We got to the 288 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,960 main road leading into the park and we stopped about 289 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,720 a half mile from the end entrance, which was closed 290 00:17:01,759 --> 00:17:05,599 with a steel gate. The old caretaker kept a pack 291 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:08,960 of dogs at his house near the park's entrance. If 292 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:12,160 he heard any noises, he would release those mean junkyard 293 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:16,640 dogs to chase off anyone sneaking up. Shep and Raymond 294 00:17:16,680 --> 00:17:20,039 had done recon on this place. It was a little 295 00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:22,480 bit up in a wooded area, and we thought we 296 00:17:22,519 --> 00:17:25,279 could sneak past without him ever knowing we were there. 297 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:28,920 So there we went, the three of us, heading into 298 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:32,759 the park. It was cloudy with a full moon, and 299 00:17:32,799 --> 00:17:35,480 we got maybe a quarter of a mile in when 300 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:38,400 suddenly we heard the bang of a pack of dogs. 301 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:42,880 The old man had set his hell hands loose after us. 302 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:47,160 I was about to freak out of my mind. A 303 00:17:47,200 --> 00:17:50,440 few years later, I had been attacked by neighbors. Rotweler 304 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:52,319 and I spent the best part of a night in 305 00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:56,599 the er, having hundreds of dog bites sewn up. Shep 306 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,759 and Raymond had told me the caretaker had two Doberman's 307 00:17:59,759 --> 00:18:03,319 and a couple of mixed pits I had already found 308 00:18:03,319 --> 00:18:06,440 out the hard way what one dog could do, and 309 00:18:06,480 --> 00:18:09,039 I did not want to learn what five dogs could do. 310 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,759 And I was not exactly a lightweight. I was not 311 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:16,599 in shape, even for a young man of twenty No, sir, 312 00:18:16,720 --> 00:18:18,880 I weighed about two hundred and forty pounds of good 313 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,720 old fashioned, over indulgent, fluffy twenty year old. And I 314 00:18:22,799 --> 00:18:26,079 was going to be a buffet for these dogs. Now 315 00:18:26,119 --> 00:18:29,920 these dogs were charging. Time was running out, and panic 316 00:18:30,079 --> 00:18:33,559 was rising, and my dreams of splitting that twenty five 317 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:38,440 thousand dollars were gone. Raymond whispered loudly to us that 318 00:18:38,519 --> 00:18:40,559 there was a fallen tree off the side of the 319 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:44,319 road inside the woods, and he added, remember the Alamo, 320 00:18:44,559 --> 00:18:48,079 and he took off. That didn't make me feel any better, 321 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,680 but Raymond always did have a very dark sense of humor. 322 00:18:52,960 --> 00:18:55,920 We got settled quickly behind the fallen tree, and we 323 00:18:56,000 --> 00:18:59,119 drew our knives, and we waited for the approaching hounds 324 00:18:59,160 --> 00:19:03,119 from Hell. And as the dogs neared our position behind 325 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:06,440 the tree, I was terrified. I couldn't help thinking that 326 00:19:06,519 --> 00:19:09,440 I was about to die a horrible death, being torn 327 00:19:09,440 --> 00:19:13,240 apart by this rabid pack of dogs. I was so 328 00:19:13,480 --> 00:19:16,920 terrified that I had tonal vision, and it was almost 329 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:20,440 like slow motion, and I swear those dogs looked like 330 00:19:20,519 --> 00:19:23,960 they had slobber trails behind them on the ground, and 331 00:19:24,039 --> 00:19:27,880 fur bristling a foot into the air and teeth six 332 00:19:27,920 --> 00:19:32,759 inches long. I realized my imagination may have gotten away 333 00:19:32,759 --> 00:19:35,440 from me in my moment of terror, but it sure 334 00:19:35,519 --> 00:19:39,400 as hell felt real to me. The dogs got about 335 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:42,599 thirty feet from our tree, and over my left shoulder, 336 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,640 I heard a sound unlike anything I'd ever heard before. 337 00:19:46,519 --> 00:19:49,680 I can't even begin to describe it. It was a 338 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:52,839 cross between a scream and a growl and a howl, 339 00:19:53,359 --> 00:19:56,759 and it was just a few feet behind us. The 340 00:19:56,880 --> 00:20:00,319 instant this thing bellowed out that god awful sound, all 341 00:20:00,440 --> 00:20:03,839 five of the on rushing dogs stopped dead in their tracks. 342 00:20:04,319 --> 00:20:07,319 They started whimpering and turning around in the circles in 343 00:20:07,400 --> 00:20:11,200 the road right in front of us. I heard heavy 344 00:20:11,240 --> 00:20:15,079 footsteps behind me. I heard it step on dead limbs, 345 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:18,559 and then it bellowed again, directly behind me. This time 346 00:20:19,799 --> 00:20:23,839 all five dogs took off, yelping, probably scared worse than 347 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:27,400 I was. And then I heard more heavy footsteps moving 348 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:32,119 to my right, and then one last lesser growl, and 349 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:36,440 then everything went silent. I was so scared that I 350 00:20:36,440 --> 00:20:39,599 couldn't move. I finally broke out of the tunnel vision 351 00:20:39,759 --> 00:20:42,200 and I turned to my left to ask Raymond what 352 00:20:42,240 --> 00:20:45,960 we should do. But Raymond was gone, and I whip 353 00:20:46,119 --> 00:20:48,680 my head to the right. The sheph was gone too. 354 00:20:49,680 --> 00:20:52,319 I had no idea where they were, and I couldn't 355 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:55,119 find them. And I finally looked back toward the dogs, 356 00:20:55,119 --> 00:20:58,240 and I saw both of my best friends deserting me, 357 00:20:58,799 --> 00:21:02,720 leaving me alone with a big foot following those dogs 358 00:21:02,759 --> 00:21:05,240 out of the park and tales of five hounds and 359 00:21:05,279 --> 00:21:09,640 two grown men tucked under. I finally came to my 360 00:21:09,799 --> 00:21:13,279 senses and I took off after them. I've never been 361 00:21:13,359 --> 00:21:16,039 much of a runner, but my goodness, you bet I 362 00:21:16,160 --> 00:21:18,960 ran faster that night than I ever had in my life. 363 00:21:19,640 --> 00:21:21,880 And when I finally got to the car, Shep was 364 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:24,920 sitting behind the wheel. He was pale as a sheet 365 00:21:24,960 --> 00:21:27,880 and he was shaken. Raymond was in the back seat, 366 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:31,079 curled up in a fetal position, mumbling to himself over 367 00:21:31,119 --> 00:21:35,160 and over about a SI squatch. Now I have told 368 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,799 this story many many times since it happened, and I 369 00:21:38,920 --> 00:21:41,279 tell it in a way to make it funny, but 370 00:21:41,400 --> 00:21:44,519 in all seriousness, it was one of the scariest things 371 00:21:44,559 --> 00:21:48,720 I have ever experienced. I never really thought about it much, 372 00:21:48,759 --> 00:21:53,440 but looking back, that sasquatch saved our lives. I've been 373 00:21:53,519 --> 00:21:57,119 laughed at, I've been called a liar, and I've been ridiculed. 374 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:00,279 And there are a few out there who actually believe 375 00:22:00,359 --> 00:22:04,279 my story. Yeah, I can't imagine why. It's kind of 376 00:22:04,279 --> 00:22:06,920 a wild story. I'm not saying I believe it or 377 00:22:06,920 --> 00:22:09,160 I don't, but it is one hell of a good story. 378 00:22:09,519 --> 00:22:13,240 Thanks to the man for writing it. I really appreciate it. 379 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:19,200 That's a good story. Okay, here's a bigfoot story I 380 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,240 thought was really good. Nine years ago. I was living 381 00:22:23,279 --> 00:22:25,960 in North Carolina, out in the middle of nowhere, in 382 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:30,000 an area all grown over with pines. One day I 383 00:22:30,039 --> 00:22:33,079 went to the creek to look for some flint for arrowheads, 384 00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:35,920 and while I was there, I noticed some tree structures, 385 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:40,519 but I didn't realize what they were. Sometimes I heard 386 00:22:40,559 --> 00:22:43,519 things that didn't seem to belong, but with the noise 387 00:22:43,559 --> 00:22:46,759 of the creek, I didn't pay it much mine. I 388 00:22:46,839 --> 00:22:49,279 was finding a lot of stuff, but it caught my 389 00:22:49,319 --> 00:22:52,680 attention that what I was seeing the most was clothes. 390 00:22:53,480 --> 00:22:56,000 There was a boot, there was a shirt, there was 391 00:22:56,039 --> 00:22:59,720 a pair of shorts and a backpack. Around five that 392 00:22:59,799 --> 00:23:02,720 after and it started getting dark, and not knowing the 393 00:23:02,759 --> 00:23:07,400 woods very well, I started back to the house. Halfway there, 394 00:23:07,440 --> 00:23:11,640 I heard something thud. There thirty yards from me, a 395 00:23:11,759 --> 00:23:16,119 tree fell across the pathway, and then everything got deathly quiet. 396 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:20,839 There were no birds singing, no animal sounds. Nothing moved 397 00:23:20,880 --> 00:23:25,119 at all. I smelled a stink like a sewer filled 398 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:27,880 with rotten meat, and off to my right I heard 399 00:23:27,960 --> 00:23:32,559 something big and heavy moving around, so I froze. Honestly, 400 00:23:32,599 --> 00:23:35,640 I couldn't move. I turned and tried to holler for 401 00:23:35,759 --> 00:23:37,920 my friend at the house, but I knew that he 402 00:23:37,960 --> 00:23:40,839 would not hear me. And when I turned back, right 403 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:43,240 there in front of me, close enough that I could touch, 404 00:23:43,279 --> 00:23:47,039 it was the biggest harrius brown creature I have ever seen. 405 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,400 I think it had to be eight feet tall. I 406 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:53,920 was so scared that my knees gave out on me, 407 00:23:54,079 --> 00:23:57,640 and it was so nasty looking and so nasty smelling 408 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:03,240 that I actually vomited. It looked down at me, and 409 00:24:03,279 --> 00:24:07,400 it got down on one knee and screamed inches from 410 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:12,519 my face, and then it laughed. It was an evil, deep, 411 00:24:12,599 --> 00:24:15,640 roaring laugh, and he pushed me to the ground and 412 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:18,839 put his foot on my head. I said, well, this 413 00:24:19,039 --> 00:24:21,240 is it. I'm going to die right here, just a 414 00:24:21,279 --> 00:24:23,559 half a mile from my house, and nobody even knows 415 00:24:23,599 --> 00:24:26,640 where I am. All I could do was wait for 416 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,160 him to do it. And I thought about the clothing 417 00:24:29,240 --> 00:24:32,000 that I had found earlier, and maybe it had belonged 418 00:24:32,039 --> 00:24:35,160 to someone else who encountered this creature too, And now 419 00:24:35,240 --> 00:24:37,759 someone else was going to find my clothes and mine 420 00:24:37,759 --> 00:24:41,920 shoes after this thing killed me. And then I heard 421 00:24:41,960 --> 00:24:45,839 something else in the woods, and another creature came out. 422 00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,319 It was a female, and she came bursting out through 423 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:53,279 the trees, talking with whistles and clicks. The male took 424 00:24:53,279 --> 00:24:55,759 his foot off my head and got into it with 425 00:24:55,799 --> 00:25:00,240 her and having some sort of altercation I guess. Started 426 00:25:00,279 --> 00:25:03,200 crawling away when I heard another roar, and the next 427 00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:05,480 thing I knew, I was swept off the ground by 428 00:25:05,519 --> 00:25:08,960 the female. She was running so fast that I got 429 00:25:09,000 --> 00:25:12,559 dizzy watching the trees go by. It seemed like just 430 00:25:12,599 --> 00:25:15,079 a few seconds, and then she put me down by 431 00:25:15,079 --> 00:25:18,519 the side of my house. I lay there a minute 432 00:25:18,519 --> 00:25:21,240 in shock, afraid the male was going to show up 433 00:25:21,279 --> 00:25:24,279 again and come after me and kill me. And then 434 00:25:24,359 --> 00:25:27,400 nothing happened, and I took off my clothes and I 435 00:25:27,480 --> 00:25:31,359 tossed them into the fire barrel. The next morning, at light, 436 00:25:31,559 --> 00:25:34,119 I left and didn't never go back. And I have 437 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:40,160 not told anyone what had happened. It was all too traumatic. Okay, 438 00:25:40,799 --> 00:25:43,079 I got you a pretty good story. I love the story. 439 00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:45,640 It's an awesome story. That's all I'm gonna say about it. 440 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,559 But I really appreciate the writer sending it. It was 441 00:25:48,799 --> 00:25:55,039 very entertaining. Thank you. Okay. Gonna drop a couple of 442 00:25:55,079 --> 00:25:58,200 stories from the vault, done four or five years ago. 443 00:25:58,400 --> 00:26:00,279 Some people may not have heard them. If you and 444 00:26:00,319 --> 00:26:02,720 I hope you enjoy. If you have heard him, maybe 445 00:26:02,759 --> 00:26:05,319 you can enjoy him again. All right, here we go 446 00:26:05,359 --> 00:26:11,079 with two archive stories from the Vault. Hey, y'all, Steve 447 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:14,559 Lily has been spotted. Thought i'd share this email with 448 00:26:14,599 --> 00:26:17,599 you that a truck driver sent me. Here's what he writes. 449 00:26:18,279 --> 00:26:20,839 I'm an over the road truck driver with a dedicated 450 00:26:20,960 --> 00:26:24,440 route from York, Pennsylvania to Miami, Florida that I run 451 00:26:24,519 --> 00:26:28,119 twice a week. Normally, I leave out with my first load. 452 00:26:28,160 --> 00:26:31,480 Around two thirty am on Mondays and I head south 453 00:26:31,519 --> 00:26:34,319 for nine hours before stopping for fuel and a bike 454 00:26:34,400 --> 00:26:37,559 to eat at the Flying Jay just south of Rocky Mountain, 455 00:26:37,559 --> 00:26:41,160 North Carolina. On this occasion, I didn't need to fuel 456 00:26:41,240 --> 00:26:43,359 up at that point, so I kept going until I 457 00:26:43,440 --> 00:26:46,759 hit South Carolina, by which time both my truck and 458 00:26:46,799 --> 00:26:50,240 my belly needed to be filled. I found a nice 459 00:26:50,279 --> 00:26:53,480 little truck stop with the Dennis within walking distance, so 460 00:26:53,519 --> 00:26:56,160 I topped off and swung my rig around to the 461 00:26:56,200 --> 00:27:00,240 truck parking area. I combed my hair and put on 462 00:27:00,279 --> 00:27:04,000 a clean shirt and headed over to Denny's. The moon over, 463 00:27:04,079 --> 00:27:07,039 my hammy Special, and a cup of black coffee were 464 00:27:07,039 --> 00:27:10,720 calling my name. I got a booth by the window 465 00:27:10,720 --> 00:27:13,680 where I could see easily who was coming and going, 466 00:27:13,720 --> 00:27:16,519 and more importantly, I could see the station where my 467 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:20,640 rig was parked. Once I placed my order, I started 468 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,119 staring out the window, not really thinking much of anything 469 00:27:24,240 --> 00:27:26,960 except the road ahead and how long it would be 470 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:29,720 before I was back in my own bed. And as 471 00:27:29,799 --> 00:27:32,200 luck would have it, I ran into a friend that 472 00:27:32,279 --> 00:27:34,880 I had met on the road. I saw this guy 473 00:27:34,960 --> 00:27:38,319 maybe twice a year. At this Denny's, we struck up 474 00:27:38,319 --> 00:27:42,079 a friendship, and the topic of conversation were podcasts and 475 00:27:42,200 --> 00:27:46,880 audio books that we enjoyed while cranking out the miles. Well, 476 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,839 our food arrived and we started comparing notes on the 477 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:53,240 podcast and audio books that we have in common, and 478 00:27:53,279 --> 00:27:57,960 we talked about our favorite episodes. About that time, an 479 00:27:58,039 --> 00:28:01,799 excursion pulled in that wouldn't have drawn my attention for 480 00:28:01,839 --> 00:28:04,400 a minute if not for all the extra lights and 481 00:28:04,519 --> 00:28:08,000 hardware on it. What in the hell, billy heaven is that, 482 00:28:08,240 --> 00:28:11,920 I thought with a chuckle. I hadn't even finished the 483 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:14,599 thought when three men crawled out of it. That sent 484 00:28:14,640 --> 00:28:18,480 a chill down my spine. I'm not a small man. 485 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:21,640 I can handle just about anything that comes my way. 486 00:28:22,279 --> 00:28:24,599 But what stepped out of that truck were three guys 487 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,680 that tough guys talk about. They were the kind of 488 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:31,680 men who wear their denims out from the inside. Well, 489 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,119 my blood ran cold as I watched them cross the 490 00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:37,079 parking lot. Now, I turned my attention back to my 491 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:40,039 friend and he looked at me without saying a word, 492 00:28:40,039 --> 00:28:42,240 but I could see by him rolling his eyes that 493 00:28:42,319 --> 00:28:44,960 he noticed the men walking in through the parking lot. 494 00:28:45,839 --> 00:28:49,319 We went back to eating and talking, and the conversation 495 00:28:49,599 --> 00:28:54,039 turned to the recent Steve Lily podcast. Well, the conversation 496 00:28:54,200 --> 00:28:59,680 became lively as we laughed at Steve Lily's crew's antics. Apparently, 497 00:28:59,680 --> 00:29:03,359 the men who had just walked in overheard us, and 498 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:05,680 I could see them looking over at our table and 499 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:08,359 then leaning closer to talk so that no one would 500 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:12,880 hear them. The largest of the three caught me staring 501 00:29:12,920 --> 00:29:15,519 at them, and he made a motion to his buddies, 502 00:29:15,640 --> 00:29:19,519 letting them know that they were being watched. Again. I'm 503 00:29:19,559 --> 00:29:21,920 six foot three and I weighed two hundred and forty 504 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:25,880 five pounds, and I'm pretty solid, but this enormous black 505 00:29:25,920 --> 00:29:28,119 man that was looking at me made me feel like 506 00:29:28,200 --> 00:29:32,039 a little kid. Well, I dropped my eyes to the table, thinking, 507 00:29:32,359 --> 00:29:36,279 oh man, this isn't good. I put my head down 508 00:29:36,319 --> 00:29:38,759 and I started eating, hoping they would see that I 509 00:29:38,839 --> 00:29:42,480 was minding my own business. My friend, whose back was 510 00:29:42,519 --> 00:29:45,119 to their table, turned to see what had shut me up. 511 00:29:46,240 --> 00:29:48,720 I hadn't taken three bites. When one of them walked 512 00:29:48,759 --> 00:29:51,799 over to our table, I got the idea that he 513 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,880 was their leader. My eyes moved up his frame until 514 00:29:55,920 --> 00:29:58,200 the bill of my ball cap forced my head up. 515 00:29:58,799 --> 00:30:01,200 I don't know what I was exp at that point, 516 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:03,880 you mind if I sit with you for a minute, 517 00:30:04,160 --> 00:30:09,279 he asked. I wasn't about to say no. My name's Steve, 518 00:30:09,599 --> 00:30:12,880 he said, with a slow Southern drawl. Are you a 519 00:30:12,920 --> 00:30:17,480 truck driver? My company's logo is blazed across the front 520 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:20,119 of my ball cap. Even if I wanted to, I 521 00:30:20,160 --> 00:30:23,400 don't think I could have said no. A lump in 522 00:30:23,440 --> 00:30:26,440 my throat that I was pretty sure wasn't food kept 523 00:30:26,440 --> 00:30:30,640 me from talking, so I just nodded, yes, you over 524 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:34,960 the road are local? I swallowed hard again and said, 525 00:30:35,519 --> 00:30:38,640 now I drive from Pennsylvania to Florida twice a week. 526 00:30:40,240 --> 00:30:42,960 He studied me for a second, as visions of my 527 00:30:43,160 --> 00:30:46,720 dead body being dragged out of some nameless swamp danced 528 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,160 through my mind. Well, I stared back into his face, 529 00:30:50,200 --> 00:30:53,359 and I saw intelligence behind that good old boy demeanor, 530 00:30:54,240 --> 00:30:58,160 another cold wave, of course through my veins. You ever 531 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:04,000 see anything strange while you had in these roads, he asked, nonchalantly. Yeah, 532 00:31:04,000 --> 00:31:06,680 I see all kind of weird and strange people. I said, 533 00:31:07,079 --> 00:31:10,960 not quite understanding yet what he meant. No, I mean 534 00:31:11,200 --> 00:31:16,519 strange things, he repeated, with deliberate emphasis on the words strange, 535 00:31:17,240 --> 00:31:19,599 like things you wouldn't tell anyone for fear of being 536 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:24,640 carted off to the funny farm. That kind of strange. 537 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:27,839 The light in my brain clicked on, and I suddenly 538 00:31:27,880 --> 00:31:32,240 knew what he was asking. Well, yeah, I said, looking 539 00:31:32,279 --> 00:31:36,359 around a little self consciously, I glanced over to where 540 00:31:36,400 --> 00:31:39,480 the other two men were seated. They weren't looking directly 541 00:31:39,519 --> 00:31:41,359 at me, but I had no doubt that they were 542 00:31:41,400 --> 00:31:45,079 studying me. I've seen lots of things at night over 543 00:31:45,119 --> 00:31:48,440 the years, I said. My voice broke a little as 544 00:31:48,480 --> 00:31:50,960 I spoke. I hoped he didn't take that as a 545 00:31:51,000 --> 00:31:55,279 sign of weakness. All right, you see anything recent, say, 546 00:31:55,319 --> 00:31:59,920 within the last six months, he asked, Now, nothing recent, 547 00:32:00,240 --> 00:32:03,319 I said. I was doing my best to sound relaxed 548 00:32:03,359 --> 00:32:06,880 and comfortable with our conversation, but I suspected that I 549 00:32:07,039 --> 00:32:12,000 was failing miserably. Steve sat quietly for a minute or so, 550 00:32:12,119 --> 00:32:15,160 studying some more, and then stood up and handed me 551 00:32:15,240 --> 00:32:18,599 his card and said, well, I'm Steve Lily, and over 552 00:32:18,640 --> 00:32:22,759 there that's Lewis and Hook. I looked back across the restaurant, 553 00:32:22,759 --> 00:32:25,200 and I saw the other two smiling openly at me. 554 00:32:26,039 --> 00:32:30,160 It did nothing to alleviate my fears. Then he dropped 555 00:32:30,160 --> 00:32:31,920 a card on the table and he went back over 556 00:32:32,000 --> 00:32:35,599 to join his friends. Apparently they had ordered their food 557 00:32:35,640 --> 00:32:38,119 to go, and they walked out and headed for their vehicle. 558 00:32:39,559 --> 00:32:42,680 After they left, I picked up the card. The front 559 00:32:42,720 --> 00:32:46,160 of it said Steve Lily, had a phone number printed 560 00:32:46,240 --> 00:32:48,960 underneath it, and on the back of the card were 561 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:53,119 a pair of footprints. I looked across the table to 562 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,480 my brother driver and I said, this guy's for real. 563 00:32:56,839 --> 00:33:00,240 Look at this card. Now, what are the chances and 564 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:03,119 how random could this be that a man would show 565 00:33:03,200 --> 00:33:06,079 up here and introduce himself like he did as Steve 566 00:33:06,160 --> 00:33:09,400 Lily and then just hand me this card. Well, my 567 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:11,640 buddy fiddled with a card and he handed it back 568 00:33:11,680 --> 00:33:14,680 to me. Well it looks legit to me, he said, 569 00:33:15,720 --> 00:33:20,319 Holy shit, we just met Steve Lily. As I walked 570 00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,599 back to my rig, and thinking about those three guys, 571 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:27,319 I gave a low whistle and I thought, man, I'd 572 00:33:27,319 --> 00:33:29,880 hate to be a sasquatch, knowing those three guys are 573 00:33:29,880 --> 00:33:34,720 looking for me. I live in Maine. I'm a forty 574 00:33:34,799 --> 00:33:42,359 two plus year registered master main guide whose license includes mountaineering, 575 00:33:42,519 --> 00:33:46,799 open ocean and blue water canoeing and kayaking. In addition, 576 00:33:46,880 --> 00:33:52,880 I'm a wilderness emergency medical instructor. I've shared my expertise 577 00:33:52,960 --> 00:33:56,519 with many people from Maine to Antarctica. Now include this 578 00:33:56,599 --> 00:33:59,559 information only to validate that I'm very comfortable in that 579 00:33:59,599 --> 00:34:02,799 out door. I've never had a reason to be afraid. 580 00:34:02,920 --> 00:34:07,960 A bit concern at times, but never afraid. My story 581 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,400 takes place in Maine, along where two rivers meet and 582 00:34:11,559 --> 00:34:15,800 merge with the Umbagog Lake, on the western border of 583 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:19,519 Maine and New Hampshire. The area is known as the 584 00:34:19,639 --> 00:34:25,119 Umbagog Wildlife Sanctuary. My ancestors migrated to the region in 585 00:34:25,199 --> 00:34:29,639 seventeen forty two from Ireland. Back in the nineteen thirties, 586 00:34:29,639 --> 00:34:32,519 a woman named Louise Rich wrote a book about growing 587 00:34:32,599 --> 00:34:35,119 up in the area called We Took to the Woods. 588 00:34:36,960 --> 00:34:41,159 There are a few roads, mostly rough logging trails, and 589 00:34:41,320 --> 00:34:43,559 canoeing is the best way to see all the wonders 590 00:34:43,599 --> 00:34:48,480 of this beautiful and pristine area. Umbagog is teeming with 591 00:34:48,599 --> 00:34:53,400 wildlife bears, moose, bald eagles, and common loons. Around here, 592 00:34:54,199 --> 00:34:57,320 I've even seen mountain lions and at night, I have 593 00:34:57,480 --> 00:35:00,760 heard many strange sounds around camp, but most of those 594 00:35:00,800 --> 00:35:05,079 are identifiable. It may come as a surprise to many 595 00:35:05,159 --> 00:35:08,360 listeners of your podcast, but I have never carried a 596 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:11,480 gun in my career as a guide, even though I 597 00:35:11,519 --> 00:35:13,800 grew up in the gun culture, where I was taught 598 00:35:13,840 --> 00:35:17,079 the skills by my father and uncles. But I choose 599 00:35:17,159 --> 00:35:20,440 not to carry. The way I see it is I 600 00:35:20,559 --> 00:35:23,360 work with nature now. I've learned to pay attention, and 601 00:35:23,400 --> 00:35:25,920 I know my wild neighbors, and yes, I have been 602 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:29,880 ten feet from black bears. I even stood my ground 603 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:33,880 while a one thousand pound twenty four point bull moose 604 00:35:34,000 --> 00:35:37,920 and rut stood his ground at twenty five feet of distance. 605 00:35:38,679 --> 00:35:41,960 I don't advise this for your listeners. They will kill 606 00:35:42,000 --> 00:35:45,559 you twice and you have to stay still. It is 607 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:48,480 said that a bull moose is the most dangerous animal 608 00:35:48,519 --> 00:35:52,880 in the forest. One roll to Volkswagen bug over fourteen 609 00:35:52,960 --> 00:35:58,320 times was sixteenagers trapped inside. My story goes back to 610 00:35:58,400 --> 00:36:02,400 nineteen ninety one. My girlfriend and I were canoe camping 611 00:36:02,440 --> 00:36:08,280 along the mc galloway River. Guys, on these pronunciations, I've 612 00:36:08,360 --> 00:36:11,039 just quit caring if I get them right, because I 613 00:36:11,079 --> 00:36:13,079 know five hundred people are going to correct me in 614 00:36:13,119 --> 00:36:16,000 the comment section. But I'm pretty sure that means that 615 00:36:16,039 --> 00:36:20,280 word is mcgalloway. We made camp and cooked a great 616 00:36:20,320 --> 00:36:23,199 meal and settled in for a nice day. We were 617 00:36:23,239 --> 00:36:26,280 waiting for the evening before we paddled onto the outlet 618 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:31,760 of the Umbagog Lake for some stargazing. There would be 619 00:36:31,760 --> 00:36:35,840 a full moon that night. There is no light pollution there. 620 00:36:36,320 --> 00:36:39,000 The water is calm, and if we sat still, we 621 00:36:39,039 --> 00:36:42,119 could see the heavens above and below reflected on the lake. 622 00:36:43,159 --> 00:36:45,239 It was as if we were floating in the sky 623 00:36:45,360 --> 00:36:50,840 in our tiny watercraft. I call that awesomeness. We continued 624 00:36:50,880 --> 00:36:54,000 paddling as the moon rose over the horizon, lighting the 625 00:36:54,039 --> 00:36:57,559 shoreline as it climbed into the starry sky, and we 626 00:36:57,639 --> 00:37:00,000 paddled close to the shore to see if any ducks 627 00:37:00,079 --> 00:37:03,639 were nesting what ducks loved this area, as there are 628 00:37:03,719 --> 00:37:07,119 many nesting boxes placed for them by the wildlife management. 629 00:37:08,199 --> 00:37:10,880 As we neared the shoreline, we were startled when we 630 00:37:10,960 --> 00:37:14,280 suddenly were showered by a barrage of rocks and sand, 631 00:37:15,000 --> 00:37:18,159 and my girlfriend thought she saw a shadowy figure on 632 00:37:18,280 --> 00:37:22,760 the shore. She started freaking out and I spun my 633 00:37:22,840 --> 00:37:24,719 canoe around to get a better look at what was 634 00:37:24,760 --> 00:37:28,360 throwing rocks at us. I saw what I thought was 635 00:37:28,360 --> 00:37:31,599 a bear, but then it stood up, and I've seen 636 00:37:31,639 --> 00:37:34,400 bears stand on their hind legs as they sniff out 637 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,960 an area. But this bear, when it stepped toward the 638 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:40,960 forest edge and did not drop down on all fours, 639 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:45,679 both of us heard a deep guttural growl. My girlfriend 640 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:50,599 was going into hysterics, demanding that we leave now. I 641 00:37:50,639 --> 00:37:54,199 pulled on my paddle, propelling the canoe away from the shore, 642 00:37:54,679 --> 00:37:57,920 and as soon as we were in motion, everything went quiet. 643 00:37:58,599 --> 00:38:01,559 We paddled back to camp and left that night, and 644 00:38:01,599 --> 00:38:04,280 as we drove, my girlfriend seemed to be cursed with 645 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:08,239 a case of fear induced insanity. I called her crazy, 646 00:38:08,280 --> 00:38:11,280 which didn't help matters, and she told me that I 647 00:38:11,320 --> 00:38:13,960 was a crazy one for night carrying a gun, and 648 00:38:14,000 --> 00:38:16,480 things between us got so heated that we broke up 649 00:38:16,559 --> 00:38:19,800 that night. I took her home and went back to 650 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:22,920 my place, and after a bad night's sleep, I decided 651 00:38:22,960 --> 00:38:26,400 that I needed answers. I had just lost my girlfriend 652 00:38:26,760 --> 00:38:29,559 and I had to know what we experience. So I 653 00:38:29,679 --> 00:38:32,960 drove back to the Umbigogue, where our campsite was still 654 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:36,159 reserved for one more day. I paddled back to where 655 00:38:36,199 --> 00:38:39,280 our encounter took place and a anchor just off the bank. 656 00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:43,599 As evening came and darkness fell. I sat waiting for 657 00:38:43,639 --> 00:38:47,159 whatever we saw to come back. At some point I 658 00:38:47,199 --> 00:38:50,440 began to hear a buzzing, a metallic sound above me. 659 00:38:51,639 --> 00:38:55,599 The air seemed electrified. I felt a migraine coming on, 660 00:38:55,800 --> 00:38:58,000 and I started to go into what felt like some 661 00:38:58,119 --> 00:39:01,000 sort of a seizure. When I came out of it, 662 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:05,519 I didn't remember much afterward. The sun was lighting up 663 00:39:05,519 --> 00:39:08,639 the eastern skies. I pulled on my paddle and headed 664 00:39:08,679 --> 00:39:13,079 back to camp. My mind was preoccupied with strange images 665 00:39:13,159 --> 00:39:16,559 of things that I did not understand, and after an 666 00:39:16,599 --> 00:39:19,239 hour or so I saw my campsite come into view 667 00:39:19,920 --> 00:39:22,320 and there were people milling around, and I thought, how 668 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:27,039 rude they were messing with my stuff. A main game 669 00:39:27,119 --> 00:39:30,480 warden pulled the bow of my canoe onto the shore 670 00:39:30,559 --> 00:39:34,039 as he asked me for my name. I still didn't 671 00:39:34,119 --> 00:39:39,480 grasp this situation. His fellow officer swarmed around me with 672 00:39:39,599 --> 00:39:43,199 communication devices, and when I asked what the fuss was 673 00:39:43,239 --> 00:39:46,960 all about, it was revealed that the officers were in 674 00:39:47,159 --> 00:39:49,599 search and rescue, and that they had been looking for 675 00:39:49,679 --> 00:39:54,320 me for the past two days. I have no recollection 676 00:39:54,559 --> 00:39:58,039 of those supposed lost days. And when the warden took 677 00:39:58,079 --> 00:40:01,320 my statement. I couldn't tell if he believed me or not. 678 00:40:02,199 --> 00:40:05,480 I'm not sure I believe what happened. Since then, I 679 00:40:05,519 --> 00:40:09,559 have only fleeting memory flashes of strange images and sounds. 680 00:40:10,519 --> 00:40:13,639 I still don't carry a weapon that would not have 681 00:40:13,760 --> 00:40:17,239 changed a thing. Thank you for listening to this podcast. 682 00:40:17,280 --> 00:40:20,079 I appreciate the fact that you stayed this long, and 683 00:40:20,119 --> 00:40:23,480 if you're hearing this, you have listened to the whole podcast. 684 00:40:24,199 --> 00:40:26,280 I really appreciate you, and we will see you guys 685 00:40:26,360 --> 00:40:27,599 on the next one. Thank you.