1 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: All right, we got a Bigfoot story. Sure enough, show 2 00:00:10,880 --> 00:00:14,119 enough Bigfoot. All right, here we go. I'm a seventy 3 00:00:14,160 --> 00:00:18,640 eight year old young woman living in Ontario, Canada. I 4 00:00:18,719 --> 00:00:21,800 was fascinated by the stories of the Yetti when I 5 00:00:21,879 --> 00:00:25,160 was in my teens in the nineteen fifties, and I 6 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:29,359 read everything I could find about them at the time. Now, 7 00:00:29,359 --> 00:00:33,240 back then, libraries and National Geographic were the only references 8 00:00:33,280 --> 00:00:36,679 we had about the anomalies in the world. I was 9 00:00:36,719 --> 00:00:40,759 always a believer in the possibility of this creature. Although 10 00:00:40,759 --> 00:00:44,399 I did not speak openly of this, I'd have been 11 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,359 ridiculed to know en. I was secure in knowing that 12 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:53,280 I knew, and I felt no need to convince anyone. 13 00:00:53,399 --> 00:00:56,359 I had an odd experience in the summer of nineteen 14 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,759 sixty six. We were vacationing with my mother at a 15 00:01:00,799 --> 00:01:04,760 cottage one hundred miles north of Toronto. The woods of 16 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,879 Ontario are thick and lush and quite undeveloped, and our 17 00:01:08,920 --> 00:01:13,959 cottage was rustic and remote. My boyfriend drove up from 18 00:01:14,000 --> 00:01:16,480 Toronto to spend the day with me and to enjoy 19 00:01:16,519 --> 00:01:19,879 the energy of the forest and the river beside us. 20 00:01:20,920 --> 00:01:24,359 After a nice lunch, my mom encouraged us to go exploring, 21 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:26,959 and so we took the boat and traveled up the river. 22 00:01:28,239 --> 00:01:32,439 The further we went, the narrower and shallower the river became. 23 00:01:33,239 --> 00:01:36,680 At some point we came to a slightly wider spot, 24 00:01:36,719 --> 00:01:41,280 bordered on one side by a gravel beach. We decided 25 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:44,000 to stop there for a while before turning around and 26 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:47,719 going back. We pulled the boat up on the bank 27 00:01:47,879 --> 00:01:50,519 and ran the docking rope to a stump that had 28 00:01:50,680 --> 00:01:54,560 washed up on the river's rocky edge. I wandered around 29 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:59,200 looking for interesting stones, pausing at one point for an embrace, 30 00:02:00,200 --> 00:02:03,120 and right then there was a huge splash in the 31 00:02:03,159 --> 00:02:05,920 middle of the river, halfway between us and the other 32 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,960 wooded shore. The splash was sunned and loud, as if 33 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,960 a large flat rock had hit the surface, and it 34 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,360 shocked to both of us. We could see waves from 35 00:02:16,439 --> 00:02:21,400 the impact visible and meandering toward us. At first we 36 00:02:21,479 --> 00:02:25,159 thought somebody was playing around, maybe some hikers, catching us 37 00:02:25,159 --> 00:02:28,360 in our embrace. But the trees on the other shore 38 00:02:28,560 --> 00:02:31,159 came right down to the water's edge and with no 39 00:02:31,280 --> 00:02:34,680 bank to speak of, and that big rock hit midstream. 40 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:38,960 Now this made no sense, but we still thought it 41 00:02:39,000 --> 00:02:42,319 was someone playing with us, and we were not alarmed. 42 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:47,759 My boyfriend attributed it to a big fish jumping. We 43 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:50,080 sat on the bow of the boat and we talked 44 00:02:50,120 --> 00:02:52,800 for a little while, and the splash was no longer 45 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:57,800 much of a concern. And then it happened again. Something 46 00:02:57,840 --> 00:03:01,479 crashed into the water and landed midstream. This time it 47 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,479 was bigger and louder than the first, and we watched 48 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,280 the water settle into ripples, and I knew it wasn't 49 00:03:07,319 --> 00:03:11,120 a fish. Well, we took the hint and we left. 50 00:03:11,919 --> 00:03:15,240 I wasn't afraid, I was intrigued, but my boyfriend didn't 51 00:03:15,240 --> 00:03:19,240 say a word I since we were being watched, not 52 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:23,400 by hikers. My boyfriend never talked about it again, but 53 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:28,639 I never forgot that encounter. As the stories of Bigfoot 54 00:03:28,719 --> 00:03:31,840 became more and more common, I came to realize that 55 00:03:31,879 --> 00:03:34,960 this was my encounter. It's not a big story, but 56 00:03:35,039 --> 00:03:39,080 it did happen, and I'm grateful for it. The forests 57 00:03:39,199 --> 00:03:43,400 in the nineteen sixties in Ontario, Canada were as rugged 58 00:03:43,520 --> 00:03:47,199 as any They still are in many places where they 59 00:03:47,240 --> 00:03:51,960 have not been decimated by logging in urban development. Growing 60 00:03:52,039 --> 00:03:54,719 up in the nineteen forties, in the nineteen fifties. The 61 00:03:54,759 --> 00:03:57,360 woods at the end of my street were a playground 62 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:02,000 of adventure, and I distinctly remember the sensation of being watched, 63 00:04:02,639 --> 00:04:06,240 not in a creepy way, just being watched. Thank you 64 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:09,560 for reading my story. I thoroughly enjoy your podcast and 65 00:04:09,599 --> 00:04:12,639 I love knowing that for all these years, I wasn't alone. 66 00:04:13,439 --> 00:04:18,040 And she signs the email Maxine. She didn't say not 67 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:21,279 to use your name, So thank you. Maxine, seventy eight 68 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:25,800 year young woman in Ontario, Canada. And I probably got 69 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:28,639 this story a couple of years ago. She's probably eighty 70 00:04:28,720 --> 00:04:32,199 or eighty one now. And Maxine, thank you for sending this. 71 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:38,040 I really appreciate it. Welcome to the What If It's True? Podcast. 72 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,600 My name is Cam Buckner, and all we do is 73 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:46,560 tell stories from real people about weird incidents in their lives, 74 00:04:46,759 --> 00:04:54,560 namely cryptid's ghosts, paranormal experiences, UFO sightings, anything you can 75 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,879 think of. We do stories on And I was going 76 00:04:57,959 --> 00:05:00,000 to tell you something else, but I forgot what it was, 77 00:05:00,079 --> 00:05:02,480 So let's go on with the podcast. All right, here 78 00:05:02,519 --> 00:05:10,439 we go. My cousin and his girlfriend were on their 79 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:13,800 way home after visiting her family when her car broke 80 00:05:13,839 --> 00:05:16,959 down They were only a mile or so from her 81 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,839 family's farm, and she knew there would be fuel there, 82 00:05:19,959 --> 00:05:23,759 so they decided to walk. While they were passing by 83 00:05:23,800 --> 00:05:27,120 a large patch of woods, they heard something moving between 84 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:30,920 the trees. He had a brass whistle he kept on 85 00:05:30,959 --> 00:05:33,879 his keychain to scare animals off, but he said it 86 00:05:33,879 --> 00:05:37,959 did the exact opposite. Instead of running off, the thing 87 00:05:38,120 --> 00:05:40,920 ran right toward them like a freight train, and it 88 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,000 stopped just short of the tree line, and it roared 89 00:05:44,079 --> 00:05:46,759 so loud it shook his chest and scared him so 90 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:51,839 bad that he was frozen solid. Once he snapped out 91 00:05:51,839 --> 00:05:54,079 of it, he looked for his girlfriend, but she had 92 00:05:54,079 --> 00:05:57,759 taken off running toward the farm. They ended up sleeping 93 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:00,439 at her family's house that night, both of them too 94 00:06:00,480 --> 00:06:04,360 afraid to go back to the car. I grew up 95 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:07,439 outside a small town in the middle of nowhere. It 96 00:06:07,519 --> 00:06:10,160 was a Friday night and my father and the neighbor 97 00:06:10,240 --> 00:06:14,000 had taken off to the bar. The neighbor's wife came 98 00:06:14,079 --> 00:06:16,839 over as she usually did, and one hang out at 99 00:06:16,839 --> 00:06:20,800 our place until their husbands came home, and around midnight, 100 00:06:20,879 --> 00:06:23,720 she decided to stay the night because the guys probably 101 00:06:23,759 --> 00:06:26,639 weren't coming back, and she asked me to go with 102 00:06:26,759 --> 00:06:29,399 her oldest son to get her things from their place. 103 00:06:30,079 --> 00:06:33,959 It was a quarter mile away. Well, we jumped at 104 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,600 the task and we took off down the road. It 105 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,079 was much colder than I expected, and I was under dress, 106 00:06:40,240 --> 00:06:43,800 so about halfway there, I started walking backward to keep 107 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:47,360 the cold wind out of my face. That's when I 108 00:06:47,519 --> 00:06:52,399 noticed red glowing eyes. I was fixated on them, trying 109 00:06:52,439 --> 00:06:54,959 to figure out what I was looking at. When they 110 00:06:55,079 --> 00:06:59,040 moved and stood up. I took off running and my 111 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:02,759 friend following close behind, and when we got to his house, 112 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,920 I told him what I'd seen. Neither of us wanted 113 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:08,879 to go back the way that we came, so we 114 00:07:08,920 --> 00:07:11,439 did a circle in the field behind the houses to 115 00:07:11,519 --> 00:07:15,399 avoid the road. I often think about that, and I 116 00:07:15,439 --> 00:07:21,199 still cannot wrap my head around it. Later in life, 117 00:07:21,560 --> 00:07:23,920 in a different town, my wife and I were renting 118 00:07:23,959 --> 00:07:27,279 a house with thousands of acres of mostly timber behind 119 00:07:27,319 --> 00:07:31,519 the property. I had become friends with the elderly neighbors 120 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:35,199 and they allowed me to hunt their hundred acres. I 121 00:07:35,240 --> 00:07:38,360 was excited because it had not been hunted for many years, 122 00:07:38,399 --> 00:07:42,600 and I was the only one who had been given permission. Well, 123 00:07:42,639 --> 00:07:45,759 the season started and I hunted it a few times. 124 00:07:46,759 --> 00:07:49,279 One day, I shot a nice buck and I heard 125 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:53,000 him crash nearby, and I waited a little while, and 126 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,439 I snuck out of my stand to go eat dinner, 127 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:57,680 and then I called a buddy to come help me 128 00:07:57,759 --> 00:08:02,240 retrieve the deer. We found the blood trail almost immediately. 129 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:05,759 I was using rage broadheads at the time, and the 130 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:10,040 arrows did the job. We followed the blood trail for 131 00:08:10,079 --> 00:08:13,399 fifty yards and found a massive puddle of blood, but 132 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,879 there was no deer, and the blood trail ended there. 133 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:20,399 We thought it might have doubled back, so we did 134 00:08:20,439 --> 00:08:23,120 big circles to try to pick up its trail again, 135 00:08:23,199 --> 00:08:26,519 but we found nothing. The only thing I could think 136 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:30,360 of was that someone from the neighboring property had been trespassing, 137 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:33,399 saw the deer laying there dead, and picked it up. 138 00:08:34,919 --> 00:08:37,200 A week or so later, I was hunting what I 139 00:08:37,279 --> 00:08:40,639 call the middle Stand. I had not hunted this stand, 140 00:08:40,759 --> 00:08:44,159 nor had I been back there since I said it. 141 00:08:44,159 --> 00:08:46,759 It was located in the center of an opening of 142 00:08:46,799 --> 00:08:50,600 a pine grove. About an hour into my hunt, I 143 00:08:50,639 --> 00:08:54,279 heard something big and bipedal coming through like it didn't 144 00:08:54,279 --> 00:08:57,440 have a care in the world. I thought to myself, 145 00:08:57,919 --> 00:09:02,240 this is a trespasser who stole my buck. As the 146 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:05,759 sound got closer, I got ready for a fight. No 147 00:09:05,799 --> 00:09:07,960 one was allowed to be on the property but me. 148 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,000 It got louder and closer, to the point where it 149 00:09:12,080 --> 00:09:15,240 was just ten yards away, but I couldn't see anything 150 00:09:15,279 --> 00:09:18,399 at all. I started to feel like I was losing 151 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,960 my mind. I was standing and turning around to look 152 00:09:22,000 --> 00:09:25,639 for whatever was making the sound, and I saw absolutely nothing. 153 00:09:26,919 --> 00:09:29,559 It occurred to me all at once that something wasn't right. 154 00:09:30,159 --> 00:09:33,399 I got a horrible feeling, and as soon as the 155 00:09:33,519 --> 00:09:37,759 sound stopped, I left those woods and never went back. 156 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,159 All right, I'm just going to give you a hint 157 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:46,080 what this story is about. Steve Lily has been spotted. 158 00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:50,240 I guess that's all I need to say. It was 159 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:54,159 late August and Georgia, and the freshly cut field was 160 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:59,080 bustling with tractors and pulling rakes in every direction. It 161 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,440 was Haysey's and and the weather had put a rush 162 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:03,639 on us to get it cut and secured it in 163 00:10:03,679 --> 00:10:08,000 the barns. A storm was approaching Florida in two days 164 00:10:08,039 --> 00:10:11,720 and could drastically change all our plans. For the coming weeks, 165 00:10:12,240 --> 00:10:14,639 so my brother Quincy, and I wanted to put the 166 00:10:14,679 --> 00:10:18,840 task behind us. I came round the bottom of the 167 00:10:18,879 --> 00:10:21,399 field and my side by side I headed toward the 168 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:25,519 tree line on the for southern field, banned it by 169 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:28,240 Jack Russell Terrier was in the seat next to me. 170 00:10:29,440 --> 00:10:31,559 My brother had been on the tractor there for four 171 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,000 straight hours and I was coming to replace him. I 172 00:10:35,039 --> 00:10:38,559 needed him to tend to another tractor with a mechanical problem. 173 00:10:39,879 --> 00:10:41,919 I pulled up on the top edge of the field 174 00:10:41,960 --> 00:10:44,120 in the shade and waited for him to notice me. 175 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:46,919 I had his tool box on the back of my 176 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,679 side by side to save him some time, and a 177 00:10:49,720 --> 00:10:52,279 cooler beside me in the seat with a bag of food. 178 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,720 He was all smiles when he saw me, his little sister, 179 00:10:56,879 --> 00:11:00,159 happy for a meal and a break, and then he 180 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:04,919 saw his toolbox. He inhaled the food and the drinks, 181 00:11:04,919 --> 00:11:07,759 and I told him the tractor in the eastfield had 182 00:11:07,759 --> 00:11:12,000 a carburetor problem. We sat there gazing over the field 183 00:11:12,039 --> 00:11:15,559 in front of us, drinking something cold and talking about 184 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:19,399 the upcoming hunting season. When five quick shots rang out 185 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:23,919 behind us. Well our heads whipped around toward the sound. 186 00:11:24,360 --> 00:11:27,200 The two more shots rang out, followed by the loudest, 187 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:31,120 most terrifying roar I had ever heard. I could feel 188 00:11:31,159 --> 00:11:33,919 it in my chest. I was about to open my 189 00:11:34,039 --> 00:11:37,320 mouth when a second, longer scream let loose, and then 190 00:11:37,399 --> 00:11:40,759 Bandit jumped off the seat and hid behind my boots. 191 00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:45,279 Hell no. Quincy said, we're out of here, Cherry. Are 192 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:49,480 you packing? I nodded. There was a nine millimeter in 193 00:11:49,519 --> 00:11:53,000 the glove box and a rifle behind the seat. Suddenly, 194 00:11:53,039 --> 00:11:55,720 four more shots rang out from the woods, much closer, 195 00:11:55,799 --> 00:11:58,960 this time, sending the limb of an oak tree tumbling 196 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:02,679 to the ground. Quincy jumped to the wheel and we 197 00:12:02,759 --> 00:12:05,039 tore through the tree line to see who was wreaking 198 00:12:05,080 --> 00:12:09,799 havoc on our land. We crossed the creek and Quincy 199 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,000 stopped and turned off the motor. He looked at me 200 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:15,519 and held his finger to his lips and pointed up 201 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:18,799 the bank. He grabbed a nine mil and we started 202 00:12:18,879 --> 00:12:21,600 up the hill on foot, him looking ahead and me 203 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:26,840 watching our backs. Everything was still in quiet. Quincy held 204 00:12:26,879 --> 00:12:30,440 up two fingers in motion. Toward the tree line. There 205 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:34,159 were two men. I stepped closer. I was quiet and 206 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:37,840 slow until I saw him. I'm going around the creek. 207 00:12:37,919 --> 00:12:41,559 Quincy whispered, give me three minutes, then come into the 208 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,360 meadow in his zigzag and lie down on the horn. 209 00:12:44,759 --> 00:12:48,360 All come out from behind and disarm them. Three minutes 210 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:52,840 start now. He disappeared around the creek and I ran 211 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,759 back to the side by side. I steered to the 212 00:12:55,799 --> 00:12:58,120 top of the meadow and I laid on the horn, 213 00:12:58,399 --> 00:13:01,879 and then I took off. One of the men jumped 214 00:13:01,879 --> 00:13:04,639 to his feet and started running straight toward me, waving 215 00:13:04,679 --> 00:13:08,879 his arms. The other stayed down. I stopped the side 216 00:13:08,879 --> 00:13:11,600 by side and I grabbed my rifle and I fired 217 00:13:11,600 --> 00:13:13,679 a shot into the dirt in front of him, and 218 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:17,360 he stopped and put his gun down. Quincy came out 219 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:21,480 a moment later, holding the other guy at gunpoint. Ma'am, 220 00:13:21,519 --> 00:13:26,679 please let me explain. The nearest man said, hold your horses, rambow, 221 00:13:26,759 --> 00:13:30,039 I said, you'll get to talk in a second. Both 222 00:13:30,039 --> 00:13:31,919 of you figure out who's going to do the talking, 223 00:13:32,080 --> 00:13:35,600 Quincy said, and explain why we narrowly got shot on 224 00:13:35,639 --> 00:13:38,480 our own property, and just what the hell was making 225 00:13:38,480 --> 00:13:42,600 that horrible noise. I added, I'm real sorry to make 226 00:13:42,639 --> 00:13:45,840 your acquaintance like this. My name is Steve Lilly. One 227 00:13:45,919 --> 00:13:49,559 of the men said, this is Lewis, and our friend 228 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,720 Hook is out there somewhere. He was tracking a faroh 229 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:57,399 boar and got turned around. Quincy shook his head. You 230 00:13:57,480 --> 00:14:01,279 expect me to believe that, yes, sir, said Steve. Mister 231 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,320 Digby hired us to get this hog problem under control. 232 00:14:04,879 --> 00:14:07,960 Y'all must be the Ward family that he told us about. 233 00:14:08,759 --> 00:14:12,679 Just then, the radio on Steve's vest came to life. Steve, 234 00:14:12,879 --> 00:14:16,399 come in, Steve. Steve looked at my brother, you mind. 235 00:14:17,720 --> 00:14:20,799 Quincy nodded at him for her answer. Steve dropped his 236 00:14:20,879 --> 00:14:25,600 hands quickly and spoke into the mic. Hook you all right, yeah, 237 00:14:25,720 --> 00:14:29,000 Hook said, gonna need a few stitches. No sign of 238 00:14:29,039 --> 00:14:34,279 the target Roger that, Steve said, looking at Quincy again. Now, 239 00:14:34,279 --> 00:14:36,679 mister Ward, I'm real sorry to have scared y'all, but 240 00:14:36,720 --> 00:14:39,120 I got to help my man. We're staying at the 241 00:14:39,200 --> 00:14:43,000 hunting club on Digsby's property. Come by later and we'll 242 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:46,080 make it up to you. Quincy looked. At the time 243 00:14:46,559 --> 00:14:48,840 the weather was coming in. He still had to fix 244 00:14:48,919 --> 00:14:53,039 that tractor. He held out his hand. Just call me, Quincy. 245 00:14:53,360 --> 00:14:57,679 This is my sister Sherry. We finished cutting and storing 246 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:01,399 our hay, and Quincy got that old tractor fit mixed up. Later, 247 00:15:01,440 --> 00:15:04,159 we cleaned ourselves up and we rode out to Digbee's 248 00:15:04,240 --> 00:15:09,080 hunting club. Now story doesn't add up, Quincy said, thinking 249 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,600 out loud. If they were following the hogs, why were 250 00:15:12,600 --> 00:15:16,519 they shooting through the treetops. He pulled up at the 251 00:15:16,559 --> 00:15:19,159 camp at dinner time, and we were greeted by Lewis, 252 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:23,080 who was tending to a big brick grill. Steve was 253 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:26,279 digging around in the back of a giant suv, and 254 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:28,759 a tall, well built man stepped out of the cabin, 255 00:15:28,879 --> 00:15:33,440 waving and introducing himself as Hook. Had a long line 256 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,919 of fresh stitches on his shoulder. Is that from chasing 257 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:42,519 a hog, I asked, Hog, he said, confused. Steve cut 258 00:15:42,559 --> 00:15:46,080 in quickly. This dude can get hurt getting out of bed. 259 00:15:46,399 --> 00:15:48,840 He got tangled up in an old barber wire fence 260 00:15:48,879 --> 00:15:51,960 on the west side of mister Digby's property. Didn't you Hook, 261 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:56,440 Hook furd his brow and answered slowly, yeah, that's right. 262 00:15:57,799 --> 00:16:01,440 Before Quincy could ask any more questions, Lewis shouted that 263 00:16:01,559 --> 00:16:04,799 dinner was ready. He sat down to the feast that 264 00:16:04,879 --> 00:16:07,440 he had prepared for us, and we chitch headed about 265 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,519 our land and the work that we do before the 266 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:13,240 weather turned and all of us relaxed and enjoyed our 267 00:16:13,320 --> 00:16:17,879 new acquaintances. We thanked them for the meal and started 268 00:16:17,879 --> 00:16:20,279 to head out. When the friendly faces of Hook and 269 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:24,559 Lewis turned grim, Steve asked to have a serious word 270 00:16:24,639 --> 00:16:27,840 with us. He explained, they did have a contract for 271 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:32,480 mister Digby, but it wasn't for killing hogs. It's a 272 00:16:32,519 --> 00:16:35,960 government contract to remove unwanted critters that had become a 273 00:16:36,080 --> 00:16:40,559 danger to humans. He said, what did you say? Quincy asked, 274 00:16:41,600 --> 00:16:44,480 Once a control situation gets out of hand, we get 275 00:16:44,519 --> 00:16:47,639 called in to eliminate the threat. We were on your 276 00:16:47,720 --> 00:16:51,639 land trying to eliminate one of those threats. What kind 277 00:16:51,679 --> 00:16:56,000 of threat are you talking about, Quincy asked Steve. Lewis 278 00:16:56,039 --> 00:16:59,200 and Hook exchanged a glance like they were deciding if 279 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,919 it was worth tilling us the truth or a lie. 280 00:17:03,159 --> 00:17:07,680 It's a sisquatch, Steve said. I looked at Quincy and 281 00:17:07,720 --> 00:17:11,960 we both nodded. Now it made sense. A month ago, 282 00:17:12,039 --> 00:17:14,519 I was back by the creek checking fences after a 283 00:17:14,599 --> 00:17:18,599 storm dropped several trees. Quincy said, I ran up on 284 00:17:18,640 --> 00:17:21,200 a mangled dough. She had a broken leg and the 285 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:24,920 other one was missing and her head was snapped around backwards. 286 00:17:25,480 --> 00:17:28,559 Every hair on my body stood on ind. I got 287 00:17:28,559 --> 00:17:31,240 my pistol out and I chambered around. It was all 288 00:17:31,279 --> 00:17:33,240 I could do to finish my route and get the 289 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:36,160 hell out of those woods. Well I knew right then 290 00:17:36,279 --> 00:17:39,920 something unnatural was on our land. Right about that time 291 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:43,440 I decided I needed to leave. My daughter was at 292 00:17:43,440 --> 00:17:46,279 home alone, and a damn sisquatch was on the loose, 293 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:51,240 seeming to notice my worry. Lewis chimed in. Everyone as 294 00:17:51,279 --> 00:17:55,119 secure as we speak, cook install security lines around your 295 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,720 homes and property lines. Nothing goes in or out without 296 00:17:58,799 --> 00:18:02,680 us knowing. We've been monitoring your property for twenty four 297 00:18:02,720 --> 00:18:06,240 hours since we got here. That's what you were shooting 298 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:11,920 at a sasquatch, I asked, Steve nodded. A man in 299 00:18:12,000 --> 00:18:15,799 Madison reported seeing one cross the main highway twelve miles 300 00:18:15,839 --> 00:18:18,759 away from here. We've been tracking him for the last 301 00:18:18,759 --> 00:18:20,839 couple of months, trying to get a fix on his 302 00:18:20,960 --> 00:18:25,119 clan's location. Well, it's not been easy. One of these 303 00:18:25,160 --> 00:18:28,119 things finally messed up and got greedy, helped itself to 304 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:32,000 several calves over a short period of time, showing us 305 00:18:32,079 --> 00:18:35,839 exactly where it was hanging around. Now the klan is 306 00:18:35,880 --> 00:18:38,720 in the marsh on the west end of your land, 307 00:18:38,799 --> 00:18:42,839 bordering digbies. Tomorrow we're going in, but we need your help. 308 00:18:43,400 --> 00:18:47,160 Well what can we do, asked Quincy. Well, you have cattle, 309 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,880 Steve said, it's an easy mark for a greedy squatch. 310 00:18:51,559 --> 00:18:53,480 We want to bait him in and take the rest 311 00:18:53,519 --> 00:18:56,839 of the klan with him, probably three adult females and 312 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:01,160 four or five juveniles in total. Quincy got quiet for 313 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:04,160 a moment and he thought it over. I can supply 314 00:19:04,279 --> 00:19:06,920 the bait, he said, after a minute, but we get 315 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:10,839 to help take him down. How does that sound. The 316 00:19:10,839 --> 00:19:13,599 next day Quincy and I brought the cattle to the 317 00:19:13,599 --> 00:19:17,000 front pasture. The calves were in the lunge ring in 318 00:19:17,039 --> 00:19:19,920 the center of the barn, calm and lunching away or 319 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:22,559 at a round bay of hail that we had brought in, 320 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:25,079 and the bottle babies had been brought into the barn 321 00:19:25,119 --> 00:19:29,440 and were locked into stalls for safe keeping. We found 322 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,039 a fresh road killed doe on the side of the 323 00:19:32,119 --> 00:19:34,559 road and Lewis corded it up and hung it like 324 00:19:34,759 --> 00:19:38,480 bait around the perimeter of the property. Then he had 325 00:19:38,519 --> 00:19:42,279 us move six of the calves closer to the fence line. 326 00:19:42,519 --> 00:19:45,599 Roadkill was one thing, but fresh meat was something the 327 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:49,519 greedy member of the clan would never pass up. And 328 00:19:49,559 --> 00:19:53,480 while Steven Hook left to take their positions around the perimeter, 329 00:19:54,079 --> 00:19:57,079 Lewis geared us up with radios and he checked our 330 00:19:57,119 --> 00:20:01,480 weapons well. Hook came through on the radio. One or 331 00:20:01,559 --> 00:20:06,319 two were in place. Five subjects accounted for. Take positions 332 00:20:06,319 --> 00:20:10,359 and wait until one locked and loaded. It was time 333 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:12,759 for us to get into position, and we grabbed our 334 00:20:12,799 --> 00:20:15,400 guns and set our earpieces in and we moved in. 335 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,920 Two locked and loaded. Steve's voice came through my earpiece. 336 00:20:20,559 --> 00:20:23,720 Three locked and loaded, said Louis. Four locked and loaded, 337 00:20:23,839 --> 00:20:28,160 said Quincy. Then it was my turn. Five locked and loaded. 338 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:33,559 All quiet, night vision on, Steve said. The night began 339 00:20:33,640 --> 00:20:37,519 to fill the evening sky. It was clear and nearly still. 340 00:20:38,519 --> 00:20:41,279 Steve had told us to expect the Alpha and several 341 00:20:41,359 --> 00:20:45,559 scouts to emerge and take debate. It was stationed on 342 00:20:45,599 --> 00:20:48,279 the window walk at the top of my house and 343 00:20:48,319 --> 00:20:51,839 had a good view in all directions. My main task 344 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:54,680 was to defend the barnyard and the east side of 345 00:20:54,720 --> 00:20:58,359 the property. Quincy was on the roof of the equipment 346 00:20:58,440 --> 00:21:01,799 shed with an uns dirupted view of the tree line 347 00:21:02,079 --> 00:21:04,839 and the rear barnyard in the west side of the pasture. 348 00:21:05,799 --> 00:21:08,359 Lewis had taken the hunting stand in the center of 349 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:12,359 my backyard with a panoramic window all the way around it. 350 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:18,440 One here two subjects exposed, moving north, said Hook. Two 351 00:21:18,480 --> 00:21:22,200 has sight on them. Steve replied, they're heading north towards 352 00:21:22,279 --> 00:21:25,599 the tree line. Hook said four. You should be able 353 00:21:25,640 --> 00:21:28,960 to pick them up on night vision. They're separating, posting 354 00:21:29,039 --> 00:21:31,839 up about one hundred feet apart in the oaks. The 355 00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:36,440 alpha is stepping out. Four has targets acquired. Quincy said, 356 00:21:37,240 --> 00:21:39,599 I scanned the oaks with my night scope and I 357 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:43,039 saw one. I scan west and then I saw another. 358 00:21:44,279 --> 00:21:48,359 Five has two targets acquired. I whispered copy that four 359 00:21:48,359 --> 00:21:53,279 and five. Steve said, the nest is quiet and zipped up. Three. 360 00:21:53,720 --> 00:21:56,200 As soon as you acquire the alpha, we're ready to 361 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,480 make our move. I don't have eyes on the alpha. 362 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:03,559 Louis said, he's gone. He should have set off emotion censor, 363 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:07,000 but I got nothing here. All right, then we're flying 364 00:22:07,079 --> 00:22:11,880 by sight. Everyone's eyes open. Nestas still zipped up. Update 365 00:22:11,960 --> 00:22:16,759 on the scouts, Steve asked. Both scouts still in view, 366 00:22:17,160 --> 00:22:20,599 Lewis said, the Alpha is the only one I accounted for. 367 00:22:22,400 --> 00:22:26,079 The quiet of the moment was the worst, I said, frozen, 368 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:29,000 my heart beating in my throat, waiting for the Alpha 369 00:22:29,079 --> 00:22:32,000 to show up, no one knowing where he vanished to 370 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:36,160 or where he was going. Just then my phone vibrated. 371 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:39,559 I looked and my cameras had recorded movement on the 372 00:22:39,599 --> 00:22:44,319 side of the house. It was the Alpha. Three Alphas 373 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:47,960 coming your way, I said quickly. I stood up and 374 00:22:48,039 --> 00:22:51,440 saw him. He was nearly as tall as the hunting stand. 375 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:56,920 He was reaching up just at Lewis's feet. Steve was 376 00:22:56,960 --> 00:23:00,640 in our ears. All eyes on, scouts, take your shot 377 00:23:00,759 --> 00:23:06,400 in three two one. As the shots rang out, I 378 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:10,440 pulled the trigger, watched the Alpha fall. I chambered another 379 00:23:10,559 --> 00:23:12,960 round and looked back toward the scout I was watching. 380 00:23:13,480 --> 00:23:16,640 He was gone, damn. I caught him with my scope 381 00:23:16,720 --> 00:23:19,359 finally and saw him moving quickly in toward the fall 382 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:22,079 and Alpha. And I steadied my aim and I pulled 383 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:25,640 the trigger, and I watched him fall. Then my earpiece 384 00:23:25,680 --> 00:23:30,279 came alive. Three targets neutralized, nest Is all accounted for, 385 00:23:32,119 --> 00:23:35,519 It only took thirty minutes, but a black helicopter landed 386 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:39,519 on our back pasture and six trucks showed up. They 387 00:23:39,519 --> 00:23:44,319 were hauling men and women in military fatigues. They cleared 388 00:23:44,400 --> 00:23:47,400 all the creatures and cleaned up the nest, and within 389 00:23:47,440 --> 00:23:52,160 an hour everything was back to normal. The next morning, 390 00:23:52,279 --> 00:23:55,200 Quincy and I said goodbye to our new friends and 391 00:23:55,319 --> 00:23:58,200 thank one another, and welcomed them back to our property. 392 00:23:58,240 --> 00:24:02,519 Anytime Whency's good mood did not last long. When he 393 00:24:02,559 --> 00:24:06,200 saw me holding his toolbox. We may have just rounded 394 00:24:06,279 --> 00:24:09,160 up a clan of Sasquatch on our farm, but the 395 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:12,680 storm is still coming. There's still hate to be cutting stored, 396 00:24:12,720 --> 00:24:17,119 and tractors to be fixed. Let's get to work. I said, Okay, 397 00:24:17,160 --> 00:24:20,079 that's the end of his story. That's some Steve Lily 398 00:24:20,200 --> 00:24:23,160 fan fiction, and I love these. I have about a 399 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:24,880 dozen to do, and I'm going to get to every 400 00:24:24,920 --> 00:24:27,400 one of them. They're really good stories. You guys have 401 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:30,839 great imaginations, and if you want to write a Steve 402 00:24:30,920 --> 00:24:34,799 Lily fan fiction story, please write it and send it 403 00:24:34,839 --> 00:24:38,039 to me. I don't care how crazy it is. I 404 00:24:38,039 --> 00:24:41,480 don't care how funny or serious it is. I just 405 00:24:41,519 --> 00:24:44,720 think they're really fun stories. They're different. It's what I 406 00:24:44,839 --> 00:24:47,960 like about them. It's something different. So feel free to 407 00:24:48,039 --> 00:24:52,359 send Steve Lily's stories to my email, which is what 408 00:24:52,400 --> 00:24:56,920 If It's True Podcast at gmail dot com. What If 409 00:24:56,960 --> 00:25:03,880 It's True podcast All one word at email dot com. 410 00:25:04,119 --> 00:25:07,200 In the late nineteen nineties, my dad and his wife 411 00:25:07,279 --> 00:25:09,880 were on their way home after spending an evening with 412 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:15,759 friends in Reno, Nevada. At the time, they lived in Quincy, California. 413 00:25:17,119 --> 00:25:20,440 They were driving up Lee's Summit when a bigfoot walked 414 00:25:20,519 --> 00:25:23,640 right in front of them. They were driving an astro 415 00:25:23,839 --> 00:25:26,720 van and the bigfoot was much taller than the van, 416 00:25:27,319 --> 00:25:31,240 its head reaching about eight feet. They slammed on the brakes, 417 00:25:31,240 --> 00:25:33,839 but the bigfoot didn't even look at them. It just 418 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:36,920 crossed the road in long strides. It's a big hairy 419 00:25:37,079 --> 00:25:40,559 arms swinging, and it walked right up into the snowy 420 00:25:40,599 --> 00:25:45,359 mountains with no effort. They sat there with their mouths open. 421 00:25:45,880 --> 00:25:48,720 They were dazed and confused by what they had just seen. 422 00:25:49,799 --> 00:25:52,240 They got home quickly and left again, and neither of 423 00:25:52,279 --> 00:25:55,880 them were able to relax. They went back to where 424 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:57,880 they saw it cross the road, and they looked for 425 00:25:58,039 --> 00:26:01,799 signs and they brought plaster with them to make impressions. 426 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:05,400 They found some tracks and they cast one of them, 427 00:26:05,759 --> 00:26:08,559 and my dad, being a baker at the time, made 428 00:26:08,559 --> 00:26:12,880 a mold and started selling bigfoot cookies. A week later, 429 00:26:12,960 --> 00:26:15,400 a man came into the bakery and he told them 430 00:26:15,400 --> 00:26:17,880 that he had seen a bigfoot very early in the 431 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:22,119 morning behind the store in Portola and watched it disappear 432 00:26:22,359 --> 00:26:25,759 in a ravine that runs through the town. He said 433 00:26:25,799 --> 00:26:28,680 that it moved really fast, but it didn't run. It 434 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:32,279 took long strides that showed no fear. And there are 435 00:26:32,319 --> 00:26:35,759 several national parks in the area where they live, and naturally, 436 00:26:36,079 --> 00:26:41,160 there have been many other sightings. Still, even with witnesses 437 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:44,799 and multiple local reports, it's nearly too fantastic for some 438 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:49,319 people to believe. Even my dad, not too long before 439 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:51,640 he passed away, he told me that he was the 440 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:55,759 world's biggest skeptic, and he still was. And then he 441 00:26:55,799 --> 00:26:58,799 looked at me and he said, and I even saw 442 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:06,680 a bigfoot. Okay, here is an unusual story that I thought. 443 00:27:07,079 --> 00:27:11,640 It's really different. It's a different creature, and I've read 444 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,640 I've done a couple of stories on these, but I 445 00:27:14,680 --> 00:27:18,000 thought this was really cool. So I'm putting in this podcast. 446 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,920 One cloudless summer day in our small town in Massachusetts, 447 00:27:23,519 --> 00:27:26,799 my mother and I took Nissa and Wicket, my two 448 00:27:26,960 --> 00:27:31,480 elderly shifts sues, for a walk behind my house. My 449 00:27:31,559 --> 00:27:34,680 mother and Nissa were walking ahead of Wicket and me 450 00:27:34,799 --> 00:27:38,279 about twenty feet and as soon as they reached the woodline, 451 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:42,400 everything went quiet. All the birds stopped chirping, and the 452 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:46,599 bugs stopped buzzing, and the air around us went completely dead. 453 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:49,880 I looked down and I noticed that Wicked had come 454 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:52,519 to a stop, and looked straight up into the sky 455 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:57,640 above us. A huge black shadow came over the top, 456 00:27:58,119 --> 00:28:01,960 so immense that it covered the endire area behind my house. 457 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:06,079 And as strange as that sounds, there was nothing there. 458 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:11,720 There were no clouds, no planes, just clear blue sky. Well. 459 00:28:11,759 --> 00:28:14,359 I ducked, afraid this thing was going to crash down 460 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:17,519 on top of me, and I crouched and I grabbed 461 00:28:17,519 --> 00:28:20,720 a wicket, and I screamed to my mother to grab Nissa, 462 00:28:21,039 --> 00:28:24,359 and when I looked, she was already ducking too. Nissa 463 00:28:24,440 --> 00:28:27,279 was staring straight up into the sky, just like Wicked. 464 00:28:28,720 --> 00:28:33,160 I had the overwhelming sense of being stalked. I knew 465 00:28:33,160 --> 00:28:37,559 that whatever this was, it wanted the dogs. And then 466 00:28:37,680 --> 00:28:41,799 came the massive whoosh of gigantic wings, followed by the 467 00:28:41,880 --> 00:28:44,839 crashing and breaking of branches at the top of the 468 00:28:44,839 --> 00:28:48,079 tree line ahead of us. It was quiet for what 469 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:51,400 seemed like forever, and my mother turned towards me with 470 00:28:51,519 --> 00:28:55,720 the palest face I've ever seen, and just then the 471 00:28:55,759 --> 00:29:00,000 movement started again, breaking tree limbs and cracking and crashed 472 00:29:00,279 --> 00:29:04,839 through the treetops. We heard the enormous wings flapping through 473 00:29:04,880 --> 00:29:07,839 the dead air again, and the clear sound of a 474 00:29:07,880 --> 00:29:11,440 giant bird, but still we couldn't see a thing except 475 00:29:11,519 --> 00:29:16,000 for its massive shadow. I followed the sound to my 476 00:29:16,160 --> 00:29:19,720 left and my eyes locked on my neighbor's house behind me, 477 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:24,880 a long, single story ranch house. There are no trees 478 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,720 in close proximity to this house, and it was the 479 00:29:27,759 --> 00:29:31,279 color of light gray, and it was engulfed in sunlight. 480 00:29:31,920 --> 00:29:34,200 And I was listening to the woshing and following the 481 00:29:34,279 --> 00:29:38,200 sound with my eyes, when slowly the light gray roof 482 00:29:38,279 --> 00:29:42,359 turned completely black, as if someone were suspended above it, 483 00:29:42,839 --> 00:29:45,880 pouring black paint from one end almost to the other. 484 00:29:47,319 --> 00:29:50,640 Slowly the roof returned to its light gray color again, 485 00:29:51,279 --> 00:29:55,079 and just like that, everything turned back to normal. The 486 00:29:55,119 --> 00:29:57,680 birds were chirping, and the bugs were shunding, and the 487 00:29:57,720 --> 00:30:00,279 air was moving again, and then the sun was bright 488 00:30:00,319 --> 00:30:03,960 and beautiful over the top of us. It took a 489 00:30:04,000 --> 00:30:06,359 moment for me to realize that I was no longer 490 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:09,720 frozen in place, and I quickly went to my mother, 491 00:30:09,799 --> 00:30:13,160 who was yelling over and over what the hell was that. 492 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:17,319 I think this experience was worse for her, as she 493 00:30:17,519 --> 00:30:22,079 was almost right underneath all the chaos. My husband and 494 00:30:22,119 --> 00:30:25,079 I made a small path leading to an opening beneath 495 00:30:25,119 --> 00:30:28,119 a large canopy of trees, and in there we had 496 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:31,240 a small screen house and a fire pit, and I 497 00:30:31,319 --> 00:30:33,720 kept it free of debris, since we spent a lot 498 00:30:33,759 --> 00:30:37,079 of evenings cooking and eating dinner and relaxing by the 499 00:30:37,119 --> 00:30:41,200 fire out there. I handed wicket to my mother and 500 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:44,720 went back there, stunned by the broken tree limbs scattered 501 00:30:44,759 --> 00:30:48,119 across the ground. I looked up and I realized it 502 00:30:48,200 --> 00:30:52,960 was rather unsafe. Whatever had done this, it had created 503 00:30:52,960 --> 00:30:57,279 a bunch of widow makers over my head. I was shocked, 504 00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,400 I guess, because it made it real. It wasn't my imagination. 505 00:31:02,359 --> 00:31:04,720 And as we hurried back into the house, my mother 506 00:31:04,799 --> 00:31:08,880 kept asking me what that was. Well, I didn't answer 507 00:31:08,880 --> 00:31:13,160 her right away. I was struggling with it myself. We 508 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:16,680 have things like eagles and hawks and gray herrings here, 509 00:31:17,160 --> 00:31:20,119 but this was none of them. I've lived in New 510 00:31:20,119 --> 00:31:23,440 England for forty eight years and I know these woods 511 00:31:23,880 --> 00:31:26,720 and I've spent my entire life in them without fear. 512 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:30,559 I hope this finds you and your safe and blessed, 513 00:31:30,880 --> 00:31:34,240 and the same for your listeners. Peace and love, my friend, 514 00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:38,359 Tay Tay, what a cool story. A giant bird. Some 515 00:31:38,400 --> 00:31:41,880 people call these thunderbirds, but I don't think all of 516 00:31:41,920 --> 00:31:45,799 them are thunderbirds. And there are stories out there that 517 00:31:45,839 --> 00:31:50,119 people have seen prehistoric type birds. And if you've ever 518 00:31:50,480 --> 00:31:53,200 I don't know if you ever watched the National Geographic 519 00:31:53,279 --> 00:31:56,960 Channel or some of these specials on TV, but some 520 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:01,640 of those big prehistoric birds like a pterodactyl, right, they 521 00:32:01,640 --> 00:32:03,839 could be big enough to tear up trees like that. 522 00:32:04,160 --> 00:32:06,680 But I mean, who knows, who really knows what it was? 523 00:32:07,279 --> 00:32:10,359 You never actually saw it, That's what is so odd. 524 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:13,880 You just saw the shadow and the damage that left behind, 525 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:17,240 and you saw the damage, heard the damage while it 526 00:32:17,359 --> 00:32:21,440 was happening. But it's a fascinating story. And I really 527 00:32:21,480 --> 00:32:27,319 appreciate you, Tay for sending it. Thank you. Okay, at 528 00:32:27,319 --> 00:32:30,200 this point, I'm going to bring up one story from 529 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:33,119 the vault that you guys may or may not have heard, 530 00:32:33,160 --> 00:32:35,799 but I hope you enjoy it if you're hearing it again, 531 00:32:35,839 --> 00:32:37,759 and if you haven't heard it, I really hope you 532 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:43,200 enjoy it. So here's one from the vault. This is 533 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:46,440 a story from Dave, an email I received from Dave, 534 00:32:46,519 --> 00:32:53,279 and it covers the whole spectrum of Bigfoot, paranormal, poulter Geist, everything. 535 00:32:53,319 --> 00:32:56,440 And he's very brief, but this is an interesting story 536 00:32:56,480 --> 00:33:00,720 and I think you'll find it interesting too. I didn't 537 00:33:00,720 --> 00:33:03,759 believe in orbs in the woods or the tie between 538 00:33:03,759 --> 00:33:08,599 Bigfoot and aliens. I even questioned my late twin brothers story, 539 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:11,960 which occurred years ago at the base of the Strawberry 540 00:33:12,039 --> 00:33:17,119 Canyon trail between US fifty and Highway eighty eight. My 541 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,680 interest in cryptids started with the yetti I read about 542 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:24,799 them in Boys' Life magazine in the early seventies, Stories 543 00:33:24,839 --> 00:33:28,559 about Sierra sounds and other cryptid types like the cone 544 00:33:28,559 --> 00:33:32,400 heads and the roundheads and the flat teeth. Whether caninees 545 00:33:32,480 --> 00:33:36,480 both dog and wolf, nice or bad it's all over 546 00:33:36,519 --> 00:33:40,920 the page, no pun intended. They've screeched at me, and 547 00:33:41,279 --> 00:33:44,240 I've chased these things through the forest, and I've been 548 00:33:44,319 --> 00:33:47,079 ambushed and surprised by them as well. And I don't 549 00:33:47,079 --> 00:33:50,759 care ever to be in their presence again. If you're 550 00:33:50,799 --> 00:33:55,119 into doing research, A man named H. E. Miller conducted 551 00:33:55,160 --> 00:34:00,000 an interesting study on three Texas female roundheads and one 552 00:34:00,079 --> 00:34:04,279 female cone head after a lightning strike during a Columbus 553 00:34:04,359 --> 00:34:09,519 day storm, allegedly killing them near Redding, California. Some claim 554 00:34:09,599 --> 00:34:13,719 the event happened in Oregon. On one occasion, I was 555 00:34:13,719 --> 00:34:17,239 deer hunting with my good old Georgia buddy along Strawberry 556 00:34:17,280 --> 00:34:20,599 Canyon Trail. I was sitting on a large boulder when 557 00:34:20,599 --> 00:34:23,199 I heard a loud crack and then detected a faint, 558 00:34:23,320 --> 00:34:28,119 fishy smell. Suddenly, the stench hit me again big time. 559 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,960 I have never smelled anything that sickening. As I spun 560 00:34:32,039 --> 00:34:36,599 around and this creature stepped toward me, a shot rang 561 00:34:36,679 --> 00:34:40,039 out and it scared it off. Thankfully, my buddy had 562 00:34:40,039 --> 00:34:43,320 been there to back me up. I had just chased 563 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:46,199 one of these things a month earlier with a loaded shotgun, 564 00:34:46,239 --> 00:34:49,639 but my karma was against me that time. My Georgia 565 00:34:49,719 --> 00:34:52,400 hunting buddy wasn't there to cover me, but I still 566 00:34:52,440 --> 00:34:56,440 managed to escape. I hiked a lot of the Trinity 567 00:34:56,519 --> 00:34:59,920 Alps by myself. At age sixteen, I was a boy 568 00:35:00,159 --> 00:35:04,159 scout and tapped out for Order of the Arrow. I 569 00:35:04,239 --> 00:35:07,880 never once experienced anything bad as a kid. Now I 570 00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,000 should clarify that I'm not an expert, nor am I 571 00:35:11,039 --> 00:35:15,199 a force recon Navy seal forward air controller, or a 572 00:35:15,239 --> 00:35:19,880 timber cruiser or a forest ranger. As of July twenty 573 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,599 four of this year, my twin brother Gordy has been 574 00:35:22,639 --> 00:35:26,880 gone for sixteen years. His four wheel drive club had 575 00:35:27,039 --> 00:35:31,599 adopted Strawberry Canyon Trail after I started hunting there. We 576 00:35:31,599 --> 00:35:35,320 would ride together in his truck. They were closing the 577 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,119 trail after deer season and we were camped at its 578 00:35:38,159 --> 00:35:41,760 base on the US fifty side. Our six tents were 579 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:45,760 in a semicircle. Gordy was situated on the end nearest 580 00:35:45,800 --> 00:35:50,119 the trees. Something kept pacing around his tent that night. 581 00:35:50,960 --> 00:35:53,599 It ran a stick underneath and pawed at the sides 582 00:35:53,639 --> 00:35:57,519 of his tent. This creepy nighttime visit went on from 583 00:35:57,519 --> 00:36:01,440 two AM until dawn. Guys from the group got up 584 00:36:01,480 --> 00:36:04,519 to believe themselves and claimed later that something in the 585 00:36:04,599 --> 00:36:07,960 dark was growling at them. There was a couple in 586 00:36:08,000 --> 00:36:10,280 the camp with a dog who had been hit by 587 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:13,679 a car as a pup and had injured his voice box, 588 00:36:14,079 --> 00:36:17,760 which made for the easiest explanation. I hope I did 589 00:36:17,840 --> 00:36:22,119 my brother's story justice. Rest in peace, Gordy. I miss you. 590 00:36:24,079 --> 00:36:27,119 Caltrans Ait Caples Lake was at the other end of 591 00:36:27,159 --> 00:36:31,159 the trail. There were others camping during this same time. 592 00:36:32,079 --> 00:36:35,599 They allegedly had a mail bigfoot walk within twenty yards 593 00:36:35,639 --> 00:36:39,360 of their campfire. They reported the encounter to the ranger 594 00:36:39,440 --> 00:36:43,800 station somewhere. I have a newspaper clipping of the account. 595 00:36:44,360 --> 00:36:49,599 Apparently it was investigated. The Sacramento Union ran a story, though, 596 00:36:49,920 --> 00:36:51,559 and I had not been able to find it in 597 00:36:51,599 --> 00:36:53,920 the archive since the paper went out of business some 598 00:36:54,079 --> 00:36:57,920 years ago. My brother claimed the rangers had given the 599 00:36:58,039 --> 00:37:01,320 nickname Blood Alley to a small nearby a canyon with 600 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:04,119 a creek flowing through it, as a couple had been 601 00:37:04,239 --> 00:37:07,719 killed there. A child went missing from a playground at 602 00:37:07,719 --> 00:37:12,159 Camp Sacramento. It was documented by David Pilatius and missing 603 00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:15,880 for one one the Lover's Leap Trail is on the 604 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:20,880 US fifty side, which runs from Sacramento to Tahoe. I 605 00:37:20,960 --> 00:37:25,159 remember an earlier paranormal encounter that I didn't understand at 606 00:37:25,199 --> 00:37:28,039 the time because I was so young and my parents 607 00:37:28,079 --> 00:37:32,239 kept the details from us for our own protection. We 608 00:37:32,239 --> 00:37:36,360 were living in Rancho Cordova, California, which is near Sacramento. 609 00:37:37,119 --> 00:37:39,519 My folks always had trouble getting us to go to 610 00:37:39,559 --> 00:37:43,360 bed each night while living in that house. Once we 611 00:37:43,440 --> 00:37:46,360 finally caved, all us kids would run down the hallway 612 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:49,880 to our rooms. We were all afraid, but we didn't 613 00:37:49,880 --> 00:37:52,920 know why. So our beds were safe havens from whatever 614 00:37:52,960 --> 00:37:57,480 we thought was lurking outside our bedrooms. Mom and Dad's 615 00:37:57,480 --> 00:37:59,760 clock radio would go off at odd times in the 616 00:37:59,800 --> 00:38:03,920 day and night. Her mom claimed something invisible kept poking 617 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:08,480 her in the back while she prayed other strange Poulttergeist 618 00:38:08,519 --> 00:38:12,880 type nonsense was happening. My mother has always had a 619 00:38:12,920 --> 00:38:17,360 love hate relationship with spirits since she was eighteen. She 620 00:38:17,440 --> 00:38:20,320 claimed the veil that separates the living from the dead 621 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:23,360 is very thin, and she could see the spirits that 622 00:38:23,519 --> 00:38:28,440 existed around us. Her belief started to cause her problems 623 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:33,400 one night because of the so called juvenile poultry gui 624 00:38:33,559 --> 00:38:37,039 stuff that she was enduring. She made a really, really 625 00:38:37,039 --> 00:38:41,159 big mistake and commented out loud how stupid the spirits were. 626 00:38:42,320 --> 00:38:46,280 A very evil presence appeared in the doorway of her bedroom, 627 00:38:46,320 --> 00:38:49,800 and it lingered there. One evening, while she was in bed, 628 00:38:49,880 --> 00:38:54,280 a demon suddenly rushed her without any warning. She drew 629 00:38:54,280 --> 00:38:56,880 the blanket over her head and cried out for my dad, 630 00:38:56,960 --> 00:39:00,440 who was in the bathroom. The way she later put it, 631 00:39:00,960 --> 00:39:03,519 I could have been murdered, and he was acting like 632 00:39:03,639 --> 00:39:07,239 my oh, my neurotic wife and taking his own sweet 633 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:11,840 time speaking about her husband. The officials in our church 634 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:15,480 were someone who immediately sided with my terrified mother over 635 00:39:15,599 --> 00:39:19,239 my cynical father. They were saying that the world is 636 00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,400 in a constant battle between good and evil, that when 637 00:39:22,440 --> 00:39:25,719 certain events have happened or or about to take place, 638 00:39:26,199 --> 00:39:30,239 evil spirits appear to alter the outcome. Then he gave 639 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:35,079 my dad a lesson in poltergeist's removal. My mother sat 640 00:39:35,119 --> 00:39:37,840 with us kids in the car while my father ventured 641 00:39:37,880 --> 00:39:41,360 back inside the house, and when he came out, he 642 00:39:41,480 --> 00:39:45,559 was as white as a sheet. My dad had obviously 643 00:39:45,639 --> 00:39:49,760 experienced something. Whatever it was, I sense that he had 644 00:39:49,800 --> 00:39:53,960 a new found faith in my mother and her paranormal sensibilities. 645 00:39:55,199 --> 00:39:58,320 As for us kids, we remained clueless until much later 646 00:39:58,559 --> 00:40:03,199 in our lives. Mom insisted that the hallway was like 647 00:40:03,239 --> 00:40:06,760 a type of conduit filled with entities appearing at one 648 00:40:06,880 --> 00:40:11,119 end and fading away at the other. These ethereal beings 649 00:40:11,159 --> 00:40:15,960 were also miserable and self absorbed, ignoring the world around them, or, 650 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:20,400 as she described their behavior, weeping and wailing and gnashing 651 00:40:20,480 --> 00:40:24,559 of teeth. That's why we could feel their presence. While 652 00:40:24,599 --> 00:40:28,760 our mother was assured that in their narcissism, the Poultergeist 653 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:32,559 were already preoccupied and therefore unbothered by a bunch of 654 00:40:32,639 --> 00:40:36,360 kids still scared of the dark. Well, Mom never believed 655 00:40:36,360 --> 00:40:40,519 that we were ever in harm's way. Thank you for 656 00:40:40,639 --> 00:40:43,079 joining me on this podcast. I've had a great time 657 00:40:43,119 --> 00:40:50,519 putting it together. I'm really loving exclusively uploading to Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Speaker, 658 00:40:51,480 --> 00:40:55,079 wherever you get your podcasts. I'm really enjoying this not 659 00:40:55,199 --> 00:40:58,320 having to deal with the video aspect of it again. 660 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:01,320 I told you a couple of podcas cast back. I 661 00:41:01,360 --> 00:41:05,320 am planning a new YouTube channel that who knows if 662 00:41:05,440 --> 00:41:08,960 people will find it and if it'll be enjoyable for 663 00:41:09,039 --> 00:41:10,880 people I don't know, but I'm gonna be doing things 664 00:41:10,960 --> 00:41:15,119 drastically different. I'm gonna keep doing this podcast exactly like 665 00:41:15,199 --> 00:41:17,960 I'm doing it now. So if you just enjoy the 666 00:41:18,039 --> 00:41:21,320 audio into this, hang with me. I'm not gonna stop 667 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:24,320 doing this, but I want to do something different with 668 00:41:24,440 --> 00:41:28,400 YouTube that's much more visual, and haven't figured out exactly 669 00:41:28,440 --> 00:41:31,000 how I'm gonna do it, but I'm getting there and 670 00:41:31,039 --> 00:41:33,039 I'm hoping to get it done in the next two 671 00:41:33,079 --> 00:41:36,159 or three weeks at least put the first video out. 672 00:41:36,440 --> 00:41:39,559 So anyway, thanks for joining me on this podcast again. 673 00:41:39,679 --> 00:41:42,760 I've enjoyed putting this one together. What a great array 674 00:41:42,840 --> 00:41:49,320 of stories. Steve Lilly, giant Birds, Bigfoot, mystery creatures. All 675 00:41:49,440 --> 00:41:53,000 these stories are so good. I appreciate the writers, and 676 00:41:53,039 --> 00:41:56,000 I appreciate you for tuning in to the podcast. We'll 677 00:41:56,039 --> 00:42:01,400 see on the next one. So s