My interview with the guys from Expanded Perspectives is now available. We discussed all manner of things but the bulk of the time was devoted to black panthers and wood apes. I think it went well.
You can hear the interview by visiting www.expandedperspectives.com or by downloading the podcast from the iTunes store.
Showing posts with label TBRC Reports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TBRC Reports. Show all posts
Monday, September 30, 2013
Thursday, August 8, 2013
Historical Wood Ape Report: Walker County, Texas
A couple of weeks ago I made a trip to East Texas to interview a gentleman who claims to have had a rather intense encounter with a wood ape back in 1983. While the incident was not recent, I was very interested in speaking to this witness due to his job and where he lived. I think you’ll understand what I’m talking about once you read the account below. It turns out the report featured a unique detail that I’ve never come across before in my decade, or so, of investigating the wood ape phenomenon.
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in Walker County, Texas, in the Sam Houston National Forest, 20 December 1983.
The witness is a camp host at one of the improved campgrounds located in the Sam Houston National Forest. He has hunted the SHNF regularly since 1966. NAWAC Associate Member Dave Dion met the witness while staying in his campground. While there, Dion decided to engage the host in conversation and asked him flatly, “Have you ever seen anything strange out here?” The witness replied quickly and without hesitation, “You mean one of those woods apes?” The pair went on to have a lively conversation in which the host related several odd events that he had experienced over his more than four decades of hunting the SHNF. Dion contacted me and a formal interview with the witness was arranged. The host related the same events that he had shared with Dion to me. The most intriguing account, and the only one which involved a visual, is related below.
The witness told me that he had always wanted to hunt in the snow. As a Texan, he had few opportunities to do so but on December 20, 1983 he finally got his chance. It was a very cold day. The night before had brought sleet and snow flurries which had created a very light dusting of white on the ground. The witness decided to hunt an area East of the Stubblefield Recreation Area. He had been walking for about 15 minutes on an old logging road when he heard something move off to his left. He turned to look and spotted an animal of some kind in the underbrush. The animal was a reddish brown and seemed to be hunkered down as if trying not to be seen. The witness had his rifle slung on his shoulder and decided to glass the animal in the hope of identifying it. He glanced down briefly to bring his rifle up to the high ready position; however, in the short interim in which he had taken his eyes off the animal it had disappeared.
The witness didn’t think too much of the incident and continued on his way. He had only walked 50 yards, or so, when he heard a large limb snap to his left. He wheeled around to catch a glimpse of something upright approximately 90 yards away. The upright figure was partially obscured but the witness was able to get a fairly good look, as much of the underbrush was not green at the time. Again, the witness swung his rifle up in order to glass the subject. Unfortunately, the result was the same. The figure was gone and despite waiting and looking for several minutes the witness was unable to get another look at it. When asked to describe the upright figure, the witness said it was very big, very tall, and very wide. He said it was the same reddish-brown color as the first animal he had seen. When asked if he thought it was the same animal the witness said he could not be sure but felt it was likely.
The witness was now mildly disturbed by these events but decided to continue to his hunting spot. He continued to ponder the events of the last half hour as he walked and decide he must have seen a bear. He knew there were not supposed to be any bears in East Texas anymore but had heard stories from hunting buddies and acquaintances from time to time relating bear sightings in the region. The bear theory fit, he thought, as the first visual was of an animal down low to the ground and the second, assuming it was the same animal, was upright. "What other animal could stand up like that?" he asked me. Also, he knew that black bears could be reddish-cinnamon in color. Satisfied, and feeling a bit more relaxed after coming to this conclusion, he walked on.
He had trudged on another 100 yards, or so, when he encountered a large tree that had fallen across the logging road. While holding his weapon in the low ready position (he had decided not to sling the weapon again), he went to step over the tree. His lead foot slipped on an icy spot and he fell hard on his backside. He said he cursed loudly and had begun gathering himself to get up when he heard something big approaching his position from his left.
The witness sat stunned as a huge, hair-covered, bipedal figure walked from the woods on his left directly toward his location. He watched the creature cover 20-25 yards very quickly and smoothly. The animal stopped just behind several small trees on the edge of the logging road. As the witness sat amazed, the animal pushed two trees apart and stepped into the gap. No farther than 10 yards away, the animal’s hands remained on the trees as it leered at the witness and huffed/grunted twice. The animal then stepped back, released the trees, which snapped back into place, turned and walked back toward the woods. The witness said it never looked back once it turned to leave. “It seemed very confident that I was no threat,” he said.
The witness described the animal as absolutely huge. He compared it to the overall size of a Kodiak brown bear “only upright.” He estimated the creature stood between 7 and 8 feet tall. The animal was covered in hair from head to toe. He could not recall seeing anything that might identify the creature a male or female such as breasts or genitalia. He did state that the animal did not appear to have a neck and the arms were very, very thick. The witness was struck by the sheer amount of air that the creature exhaled as it huffed/grunted at him. He could see the vapor pour from the creature’s mouth due to the extremely cold temperatures that day; so much so, that it obscured the animal’s face for a couple of seconds before dissipating.
When asked if he could describe the subject’s face in more detail, the witness again noted how hairy it appeared. He said, “There was no skin showing like on a gorilla’s face; just hair.” He noted that the hair below the nose and around the mouth was white from ice that had formed due to the cold temperatures. “It looked kinda like how some of those football players with beards get up in Green Bay and places like that,” he said. The witness then added that the eyes of the animal were huge. He struggled to come up with something the right size to which he could compare the eyes. I offered up the example of one of those old football shaped coin purses that you would squeeze at the ends to open. He said he knew exactly what I was talking about an that the eyes weren’t quite that big but not too much smaller. He then added that eyes were a “bright aqua-marine” color. When asked if he was sure about the color, he remained adamant that they were a very light bluish-green.
The witness did add one more detail that he noticed as the creature walked away. He said that the torso was long and the legs relatively short. He noted, “The torso to leg ratio (length) was opposite of what you see in most people.”
The description of the creature’s eyes being a light aqua-marine color is something unique that I have not come across before. I admit to being a bit troubled by this detail. I have considered the possibility that the witness observed some sort of reflected bluish eye-shine due to the snow and ice on the ground that day but do not find that possible explanation particularly satisfying. I’ve discussed the matter at length with some of my fellow NAWAC members. None of them have ever heard a witness claim a wood ape had anything but dark eyes. Many opinions and possibilities were bandied about. Could the ape have had cataracts? Maybe the witness caught some sort of daylight eye-shine? My previously mentioned theory on the color having something to do with light reflecting off of snow or ice was brought up as well. In the end, we were all left scratching our heads. While it is true that none of the other great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos) have light colored eyes, other primates do- Sclater’s Lemurs (Eulemur flavifrons) being one such example. Homo Sapiens also exhibit light colored eyes thanks to a mutation that occurred roughly 10,000 years ago. If such a mutation could occur in us then why couldn’t it occur in another large primate species?
The witness is quite a colorful individual who was very open and straightforward in his recounting of the events of 20 December 1983. Fellow NAWAC member Dave Dion was present for this interview and told me that there were no discrepancies between what the witness originally told him and the account he gave me. I did not detect any signs of deception on the part of the witness. In fact, I saw goose bumps rise up on his forearms as he recounted the events of 30 years ago. He remains rattled by the experience even now. I am convinced that he saw something for which he has no explanation.
The NAWAC continues to collect and investigate reports of encounters, both contemporary and historical, with strange, bipedal ape-like creatures in Walker County and surrounding Big Thicket Counties. This part of southeast Texas continues to make up the most prolific region in the four-state area for reports of encounters with creatures fitting the traditional description of the sasquatch or wood ape.
Well, there you have it. To be totally honest, this report has befuddled me. Nothing the witness told me as far as the creature’s behavior gave me any pause. While an ape approaching a human so boldly is atypical based on my experiences, it is not unprecedented. The witness was very convincing.
The blue eyes reported continue to gnaw at me, however. I simply don’t know what to think about this. I guess, it is what it is and no more. I would be curious to hear opinions and comments (keep it civil) regarding this report. I would also be grateful to hear of any other accounts where alleged wood ape witnesses reported light colored eyes.
More soon.
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in Walker County, Texas, in the Sam Houston National Forest, 20 December 1983.
The witness is a camp host at one of the improved campgrounds located in the Sam Houston National Forest. He has hunted the SHNF regularly since 1966. NAWAC Associate Member Dave Dion met the witness while staying in his campground. While there, Dion decided to engage the host in conversation and asked him flatly, “Have you ever seen anything strange out here?” The witness replied quickly and without hesitation, “You mean one of those woods apes?” The pair went on to have a lively conversation in which the host related several odd events that he had experienced over his more than four decades of hunting the SHNF. Dion contacted me and a formal interview with the witness was arranged. The host related the same events that he had shared with Dion to me. The most intriguing account, and the only one which involved a visual, is related below.
The witness told me that he had always wanted to hunt in the snow. As a Texan, he had few opportunities to do so but on December 20, 1983 he finally got his chance. It was a very cold day. The night before had brought sleet and snow flurries which had created a very light dusting of white on the ground. The witness decided to hunt an area East of the Stubblefield Recreation Area. He had been walking for about 15 minutes on an old logging road when he heard something move off to his left. He turned to look and spotted an animal of some kind in the underbrush. The animal was a reddish brown and seemed to be hunkered down as if trying not to be seen. The witness had his rifle slung on his shoulder and decided to glass the animal in the hope of identifying it. He glanced down briefly to bring his rifle up to the high ready position; however, in the short interim in which he had taken his eyes off the animal it had disappeared.
The witness didn’t think too much of the incident and continued on his way. He had only walked 50 yards, or so, when he heard a large limb snap to his left. He wheeled around to catch a glimpse of something upright approximately 90 yards away. The upright figure was partially obscured but the witness was able to get a fairly good look, as much of the underbrush was not green at the time. Again, the witness swung his rifle up in order to glass the subject. Unfortunately, the result was the same. The figure was gone and despite waiting and looking for several minutes the witness was unable to get another look at it. When asked to describe the upright figure, the witness said it was very big, very tall, and very wide. He said it was the same reddish-brown color as the first animal he had seen. When asked if he thought it was the same animal the witness said he could not be sure but felt it was likely.
The witness was now mildly disturbed by these events but decided to continue to his hunting spot. He continued to ponder the events of the last half hour as he walked and decide he must have seen a bear. He knew there were not supposed to be any bears in East Texas anymore but had heard stories from hunting buddies and acquaintances from time to time relating bear sightings in the region. The bear theory fit, he thought, as the first visual was of an animal down low to the ground and the second, assuming it was the same animal, was upright. "What other animal could stand up like that?" he asked me. Also, he knew that black bears could be reddish-cinnamon in color. Satisfied, and feeling a bit more relaxed after coming to this conclusion, he walked on.
He had trudged on another 100 yards, or so, when he encountered a large tree that had fallen across the logging road. While holding his weapon in the low ready position (he had decided not to sling the weapon again), he went to step over the tree. His lead foot slipped on an icy spot and he fell hard on his backside. He said he cursed loudly and had begun gathering himself to get up when he heard something big approaching his position from his left.
The witness sat stunned as a huge, hair-covered, bipedal figure walked from the woods on his left directly toward his location. He watched the creature cover 20-25 yards very quickly and smoothly. The animal stopped just behind several small trees on the edge of the logging road. As the witness sat amazed, the animal pushed two trees apart and stepped into the gap. No farther than 10 yards away, the animal’s hands remained on the trees as it leered at the witness and huffed/grunted twice. The animal then stepped back, released the trees, which snapped back into place, turned and walked back toward the woods. The witness said it never looked back once it turned to leave. “It seemed very confident that I was no threat,” he said.
The witness described the animal as absolutely huge. He compared it to the overall size of a Kodiak brown bear “only upright.” He estimated the creature stood between 7 and 8 feet tall. The animal was covered in hair from head to toe. He could not recall seeing anything that might identify the creature a male or female such as breasts or genitalia. He did state that the animal did not appear to have a neck and the arms were very, very thick. The witness was struck by the sheer amount of air that the creature exhaled as it huffed/grunted at him. He could see the vapor pour from the creature’s mouth due to the extremely cold temperatures that day; so much so, that it obscured the animal’s face for a couple of seconds before dissipating.
When asked if he could describe the subject’s face in more detail, the witness again noted how hairy it appeared. He said, “There was no skin showing like on a gorilla’s face; just hair.” He noted that the hair below the nose and around the mouth was white from ice that had formed due to the cold temperatures. “It looked kinda like how some of those football players with beards get up in Green Bay and places like that,” he said. The witness then added that the eyes of the animal were huge. He struggled to come up with something the right size to which he could compare the eyes. I offered up the example of one of those old football shaped coin purses that you would squeeze at the ends to open. He said he knew exactly what I was talking about an that the eyes weren’t quite that big but not too much smaller. He then added that eyes were a “bright aqua-marine” color. When asked if he was sure about the color, he remained adamant that they were a very light bluish-green.
The witness did add one more detail that he noticed as the creature walked away. He said that the torso was long and the legs relatively short. He noted, “The torso to leg ratio (length) was opposite of what you see in most people.”
The description of the creature’s eyes being a light aqua-marine color is something unique that I have not come across before. I admit to being a bit troubled by this detail. I have considered the possibility that the witness observed some sort of reflected bluish eye-shine due to the snow and ice on the ground that day but do not find that possible explanation particularly satisfying. I’ve discussed the matter at length with some of my fellow NAWAC members. None of them have ever heard a witness claim a wood ape had anything but dark eyes. Many opinions and possibilities were bandied about. Could the ape have had cataracts? Maybe the witness caught some sort of daylight eye-shine? My previously mentioned theory on the color having something to do with light reflecting off of snow or ice was brought up as well. In the end, we were all left scratching our heads. While it is true that none of the other great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans and bonobos) have light colored eyes, other primates do- Sclater’s Lemurs (Eulemur flavifrons) being one such example. Homo Sapiens also exhibit light colored eyes thanks to a mutation that occurred roughly 10,000 years ago. If such a mutation could occur in us then why couldn’t it occur in another large primate species?
The witness is quite a colorful individual who was very open and straightforward in his recounting of the events of 20 December 1983. Fellow NAWAC member Dave Dion was present for this interview and told me that there were no discrepancies between what the witness originally told him and the account he gave me. I did not detect any signs of deception on the part of the witness. In fact, I saw goose bumps rise up on his forearms as he recounted the events of 30 years ago. He remains rattled by the experience even now. I am convinced that he saw something for which he has no explanation.
The NAWAC continues to collect and investigate reports of encounters, both contemporary and historical, with strange, bipedal ape-like creatures in Walker County and surrounding Big Thicket Counties. This part of southeast Texas continues to make up the most prolific region in the four-state area for reports of encounters with creatures fitting the traditional description of the sasquatch or wood ape.
Well, there you have it. To be totally honest, this report has befuddled me. Nothing the witness told me as far as the creature’s behavior gave me any pause. While an ape approaching a human so boldly is atypical based on my experiences, it is not unprecedented. The witness was very convincing.
The blue eyes reported continue to gnaw at me, however. I simply don’t know what to think about this. I guess, it is what it is and no more. I would be curious to hear opinions and comments (keep it civil) regarding this report. I would also be grateful to hear of any other accounts where alleged wood ape witnesses reported light colored eyes.
More soon.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
TBRC Report #01120093
Below is the write-up of an investigation I recently conducted into the alleged sighting of an animal matching the description of a wood ape in Polk County, Texas. The incident occurred just outside the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve. This area has a rich history of sightings of creatures matching the traditional description of the sasquatch.
Witness Observation
"In the Fall of 2003, my wife and I were driving on FM 1276 near the Big Sandy Creek unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve after sunset. (It was almost fully night.) We both witnessed a bipedal animal run across the road in front of us. It was running on two legs but ran in a bent over posture with its arms near or on the pavement sometimes. It ran very quickly and well. The animal was around 5 feet in height and covered with long reddish brown hair. It had a very broad build and looked somewhat like an orangutan except that it had a flat face and was proportioned more like a human with long arms. It had entered the road in front of us from the driver's side, ran across the road, and paused briefly on the other side of the road to look at us before entering the woods. It looked at us by turning its body partially. I had braked as it entered the road and passed it just after it entered the edge of the woods."
Physical Evidence
"My father saw the animal in a separate incident that week at the same location. He also knows a woman who saw the animal as well."
Time and Conditions
"Just after sunset. - It was barely dark not too long after sunset. I was using headlights."
Investigator's Comments
Michael C. Mayes
This interview was conducted as a result of an alleged sighting of a large, upright biped that matches the description of a wood ape in Polk County, Texas in the fall of 2003.
I interviewed the witness via telephone on the evening of Tuesday, February 26, 2013. The witness was friendly, open and cooperative. The wife of the reporting witness also participated in the interview as she too saw the animal in question while riding with her husband in 2003. For the purposes of this report the husband will be referred to as witness #1 and the wife as witness #2.
The couple was driving southbound on FM 1276 near the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve just after sunset. Witness #1 did not recall the exact time but noted that it was almost fully dark. As their vehicle approached a slight bend in the road, witness #1, who was driving, caught sight of movement on the left side of the road. He described seeing something moving quickly toward the road. Witness #1 said there was an open field bound by a barbed-wire fence at this spot and, while he could not be positive, said he felt the figure had jumped over the fence “like a hurdler” based on how it was moving/landing when he first caught site of it. Witness #1 also felt this was a strong possibility since the figure was moving very quickly and he does not believe anyone, or anything, could have generated that much speed from a standing position so close to the road if they were not already running all out. Witness #1 slowed his vehicle immediately as it became clear the figure’s momentum was going to carry it into his path. Witness #1 recalled seeing the figure clear a ditch and come onto the paved shoulder of the road in a bipedal fashion. Upon reaching the paved portion of the road, the figure dropped down and quickly crossed in front of the vehicle on all fours. Witness #1 said the figure actually seemed to pick up speed after it dropped down to all fours. He noted that the hands—witness #1 did consciously use the word “hands”—really only touched the ground “a couple of times” as the figure smoothly crossed the road (see also TBRC Liberty County report 01040029). By this point witness #1 had slowed to almost a complete stop. The figure continued off the pavement onto the other side of the road and paused just outside the wood line. It was at this point that witness #2, riding on the passenger side of the front seat of the vehicle, got her first good look at the subject. According to the pair, the subject squatted briefly and turned back to look at their vehicle. It then stood up and walked on two legs into the woods.
The pair described the figure they saw in similar terms. Both agreed that it likely was no more than about five feet tall and covered in reddish-brown hair. Witness #1 described the hair as being “the same color as an orangutan.” He specifically remembered the hair being very long and hanging down from, the arms of the figure. The build of the figure was described as stocky and muscular. The witnesses agreed that the head of the figure was somewhat pointed and that it had a “tall forehead.” The couple did get a brief look at the face of the figure when it turned back to look at them and said it was human-like. When asked what was “human-like” about the face, the witnesses specifically mentioned the nose. The observers described the nose as flat and wide and “not like a gorilla.” Witness #1 expounded on that point a bit more, saying, “You know how you can look at a gorilla’s face and look right into the nostrils? This wasn’t like that. It was like a person’s nose but wide and flat.” Both witnesses insisted there was no hint of a snout of any kind.
Witness #1 said that the locomotion of the figure was very smooth and impressively fast. He said the speed of the figure was comparable to that of a deer running across the road. Witness #1 also wanted to stress that the figure seemed to speed up when it dropped to all fours and that it didn’t “bound” across the road like a chimpanzee or gorilla would. It stayed low and moved smoothly with no “bouncing.” The bipedal movement was described in much the same way: smooth and quick. When asked if the figure they saw could have been a cinnamon-colored black bear, witness #1 politely, but very firmly, said, “No.” He stressed that when the figure stood up and walked on two legs it did not move like a bear on two legs and it had a good stride without any side to side “wobble.”
The witnesses both agreed that when the figure squatted down and turned back to look at them that it was, “stiff-necked.” It turned its entire upper torso back toward the road when it peeked back at the vehicle. At this point, both witnesses recalled seeing very bright eye-shine. Witness #1 did not recall the color but remembered seeing the eye-shine very clearly. Witness #2, who was sitting on the passenger side of the vehicle closest to the animal when it turned to look at them, recalled the shine being a very bright “yellowish” color. Witness #1 was impressed by the bright shine as by this time they had pulled even with the figure and it was no longer being completely illuminated by the headlights of the vehicle.
Witness #1 added that two more people in the community, including his own father, claimed to have seen a figure matching the same description within two weeks of his encounter. To the best of his knowledge, no one in the community has seen anything similar since then.
Witness #1 grew up in the area and has hunted and hiked the woods, including the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve, all of his life. He is familiar with the known fauna in the area. He claims he has never seen anything before, or since, like what saw on that fall night back in 2003.
I did not detect any signs of deception on the part of either witness during the course of the interview. Going into the interview, I felt it was possible the couple had encountered a cinnamon-colored black bear. Black bears are native to the area in question and, though all but extirpated from the region for the better part of the last seventy-five years, have been making a comeback of late. After thoroughly discussing the possibility of a misidentified bear with the witnesses, I feel satisfied that what they encountered in 2003 was not a bear. The smooth transition from bipedal locomotion to quadrupedal locomotion and back again along with the witnesses’ adamant assertion that the figure they saw had a nose and not a snout has convinced me of this. This description of the figure’s appearance and modes of locomotion would also seem to eliminate the possibility that any of the region’s other known wildlife was seen and misidentified.
The TBRC continues to collect and investigate reports of encounters—both contemporary and historical—with strange, bipedal, ape-like creatures in Polk County and surrounding Big Thicket Counties. This part of Southeast Texas continues to make up the most prolific region in the four-state area for reports of encounters with creatures fitting the traditional description of the wood ape or sasquatch.
*Visit the TBRC website for details on many more sightings in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Witness Observation
"In the Fall of 2003, my wife and I were driving on FM 1276 near the Big Sandy Creek unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve after sunset. (It was almost fully night.) We both witnessed a bipedal animal run across the road in front of us. It was running on two legs but ran in a bent over posture with its arms near or on the pavement sometimes. It ran very quickly and well. The animal was around 5 feet in height and covered with long reddish brown hair. It had a very broad build and looked somewhat like an orangutan except that it had a flat face and was proportioned more like a human with long arms. It had entered the road in front of us from the driver's side, ran across the road, and paused briefly on the other side of the road to look at us before entering the woods. It looked at us by turning its body partially. I had braked as it entered the road and passed it just after it entered the edge of the woods."
Physical Evidence
"My father saw the animal in a separate incident that week at the same location. He also knows a woman who saw the animal as well."
Time and Conditions
"Just after sunset. - It was barely dark not too long after sunset. I was using headlights."
Investigator's Comments
Michael C. Mayes
This interview was conducted as a result of an alleged sighting of a large, upright biped that matches the description of a wood ape in Polk County, Texas in the fall of 2003.
I interviewed the witness via telephone on the evening of Tuesday, February 26, 2013. The witness was friendly, open and cooperative. The wife of the reporting witness also participated in the interview as she too saw the animal in question while riding with her husband in 2003. For the purposes of this report the husband will be referred to as witness #1 and the wife as witness #2.
The couple was driving southbound on FM 1276 near the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve just after sunset. Witness #1 did not recall the exact time but noted that it was almost fully dark. As their vehicle approached a slight bend in the road, witness #1, who was driving, caught sight of movement on the left side of the road. He described seeing something moving quickly toward the road. Witness #1 said there was an open field bound by a barbed-wire fence at this spot and, while he could not be positive, said he felt the figure had jumped over the fence “like a hurdler” based on how it was moving/landing when he first caught site of it. Witness #1 also felt this was a strong possibility since the figure was moving very quickly and he does not believe anyone, or anything, could have generated that much speed from a standing position so close to the road if they were not already running all out. Witness #1 slowed his vehicle immediately as it became clear the figure’s momentum was going to carry it into his path. Witness #1 recalled seeing the figure clear a ditch and come onto the paved shoulder of the road in a bipedal fashion. Upon reaching the paved portion of the road, the figure dropped down and quickly crossed in front of the vehicle on all fours. Witness #1 said the figure actually seemed to pick up speed after it dropped down to all fours. He noted that the hands—witness #1 did consciously use the word “hands”—really only touched the ground “a couple of times” as the figure smoothly crossed the road (see also TBRC Liberty County report 01040029). By this point witness #1 had slowed to almost a complete stop. The figure continued off the pavement onto the other side of the road and paused just outside the wood line. It was at this point that witness #2, riding on the passenger side of the front seat of the vehicle, got her first good look at the subject. According to the pair, the subject squatted briefly and turned back to look at their vehicle. It then stood up and walked on two legs into the woods.
The pair described the figure they saw in similar terms. Both agreed that it likely was no more than about five feet tall and covered in reddish-brown hair. Witness #1 described the hair as being “the same color as an orangutan.” He specifically remembered the hair being very long and hanging down from, the arms of the figure. The build of the figure was described as stocky and muscular. The witnesses agreed that the head of the figure was somewhat pointed and that it had a “tall forehead.” The couple did get a brief look at the face of the figure when it turned back to look at them and said it was human-like. When asked what was “human-like” about the face, the witnesses specifically mentioned the nose. The observers described the nose as flat and wide and “not like a gorilla.” Witness #1 expounded on that point a bit more, saying, “You know how you can look at a gorilla’s face and look right into the nostrils? This wasn’t like that. It was like a person’s nose but wide and flat.” Both witnesses insisted there was no hint of a snout of any kind.
Witness #1 said that the locomotion of the figure was very smooth and impressively fast. He said the speed of the figure was comparable to that of a deer running across the road. Witness #1 also wanted to stress that the figure seemed to speed up when it dropped to all fours and that it didn’t “bound” across the road like a chimpanzee or gorilla would. It stayed low and moved smoothly with no “bouncing.” The bipedal movement was described in much the same way: smooth and quick. When asked if the figure they saw could have been a cinnamon-colored black bear, witness #1 politely, but very firmly, said, “No.” He stressed that when the figure stood up and walked on two legs it did not move like a bear on two legs and it had a good stride without any side to side “wobble.”
The witnesses both agreed that when the figure squatted down and turned back to look at them that it was, “stiff-necked.” It turned its entire upper torso back toward the road when it peeked back at the vehicle. At this point, both witnesses recalled seeing very bright eye-shine. Witness #1 did not recall the color but remembered seeing the eye-shine very clearly. Witness #2, who was sitting on the passenger side of the vehicle closest to the animal when it turned to look at them, recalled the shine being a very bright “yellowish” color. Witness #1 was impressed by the bright shine as by this time they had pulled even with the figure and it was no longer being completely illuminated by the headlights of the vehicle.
Witness #1 added that two more people in the community, including his own father, claimed to have seen a figure matching the same description within two weeks of his encounter. To the best of his knowledge, no one in the community has seen anything similar since then.
Witness #1 grew up in the area and has hunted and hiked the woods, including the Big Sandy Creek Unit of the Big Thicket National Preserve, all of his life. He is familiar with the known fauna in the area. He claims he has never seen anything before, or since, like what saw on that fall night back in 2003.
I did not detect any signs of deception on the part of either witness during the course of the interview. Going into the interview, I felt it was possible the couple had encountered a cinnamon-colored black bear. Black bears are native to the area in question and, though all but extirpated from the region for the better part of the last seventy-five years, have been making a comeback of late. After thoroughly discussing the possibility of a misidentified bear with the witnesses, I feel satisfied that what they encountered in 2003 was not a bear. The smooth transition from bipedal locomotion to quadrupedal locomotion and back again along with the witnesses’ adamant assertion that the figure they saw had a nose and not a snout has convinced me of this. This description of the figure’s appearance and modes of locomotion would also seem to eliminate the possibility that any of the region’s other known wildlife was seen and misidentified.
The TBRC continues to collect and investigate reports of encounters—both contemporary and historical—with strange, bipedal, ape-like creatures in Polk County and surrounding Big Thicket Counties. This part of Southeast Texas continues to make up the most prolific region in the four-state area for reports of encounters with creatures fitting the traditional description of the wood ape or sasquatch.
*Visit the TBRC website for details on many more sightings in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.
Thursday, December 27, 2012
The "Leaping Yeti" Video: A Closer Look
As posted here a week or so ago, there is an interesting video clip making the rounds on the internet that seems to have captured the imagination of not just cryptozoology enthusiasts but the public at large. The video, allegedly shot somewhere in the Ural Mountains of Russia, shows what appears to be a large hair-covered creature bounding through the woods away from the camera bearing witnesses. Many have been quick to dismiss the video outright; as much for the fact that it was first posted to YouTube as because of anything related to its content. I actually find the video more intriguing than any other clip or photo I’ve seen in quite some time. I think it is worth taking a closer look.
I find the “leaping yeti” video, as it has been dubbed, intriguing for many of the very reasons some people are attacking it. The subject is moving and bounding in an odd manner. Why would a yeti or sasquatch be bouncing around like that? I’ll be the first to say that I have no idea. It could have something to do with the terrain it was negotiating though that is speculation. If so, it could be that the creature decided this mode of locomotion was the quickest way to escape. What I do know is that I’ve seen video of young chimps and gorillas at play that bounded and jumped about in very similar ways. In addition, this odd leaping behavior has been observed by alleged sasquatch witnesses before. A very good friend of mine, and fellow TBRC member, had a sighting near the Trinity River in southeast Texas back in May of 2004. The report can be read here. Following is a snippet from his account describing a leaping wood ape:
“It leapt across the trail much like a long jumper, landed on the right side of the trail and leapt again into the woods…”
My friend has been asked many times why he thought the creature he saw would jump in such a manner rather than just run. His answer has varied little over the years. He simply says that he has no idea and only knows that is what he saw.
Another thing that I see in the video that makes me want to give it a second look is the presence of what appears to be a gluteal cleft. To put in laymen’s terms, and more crudely, there seems to be a butt crack present. Costumes, especially the cheaper ones which normal folks might be able to rent or buy, do not feature gluteal clefts. Even high-end suits used in big budget movies do not correctly portray this anatomical feature. Take, for example, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The creatures shown look like they are wearing furry pants when seen from the rear. This movie featured state of the art special effects and they got it wrong. 2001: A Space Odyssey was released in 1968. What about more recent films featuring ape costumes? Did any of them get it right? King Kong (1976)? Nope. Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (1984)? Nope. I’ve yet to see a movie or television show featuring a man in a suit that incorporated this feature. Recent high-end movies, like the 2005 remake of King Kong and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, have shown at least a hint of a gluteal cleft on their apes. The key here is that these special effects are generated completely through computer animation using real apes as their models. There is no costume involved. I do not believe a truly convincing ape suit, featuring a gluteal cleft, exists; at least not one that is available and that would be affordable to the general public.
Another thing about the subject in the video is the length and width of the arms. They clearly appear in the best still frame to be proportionately much longer and more muscular than the arms of a human in a costume would be. In addition, the arms appear to be at least as long, and longer to my eye, than the legs of the subject. This is a very ape-like characteristic. Many descriptions of the Asian yeti seem to point to it being more ape-like in appearance than the North American sasquatch. This video could be evidence of that.
The coloration of the subject in the video also caused me to raise my eyebrows a bit. The Asian yeti is almost always described as being reddish-colored, almost orangutan-like. The subject in this video is colored very much like a silverback gorilla. In addition, the hair/fur, assuming it is hair/fur, appears to be somewhat short, as you would see on a gorilla, and not long and shaggy as has often been reported by people claiming to have seen a yeti. Granted, the distance and lack of definition in the video could be playing into what I am seeing when it comes to the length of the hair/fur but there is no arguing the coloration. A hoaxer would likely, in my opinion, give the public what it expects to see. In the case of a yeti that would be a reddish-colored suit.
The thing that gives me the greatest pause in regard to the possible legitimacy of the video is the conversation and tone of the two witnesses. Below is the video, this time, complete with subtitles. The narrator has more or less put his two cents in on the video but try to look past the spin he's putting on the whole thing and make up your own mind based on the translation provided. I mentioned in a previous post that I have a friend who was a Russian linguist/translator in the Air Force. He has verified that the translated subtitles provided are pretty much spot on.
The fact that the pair is already discussing posting the video on YouTube turns some folks off and has led many to assume this is a hoax. Why aren’t they more rattled by what they are seeing? Why aren’t they more agitated? I do not have answers to these questions. It is possible cultural differences play into the seeming lack of agitation expressed by the witnesses. I admit the reference to YouTube bothers me. I do think it is important to remember, though, that this is a different world than the one in which many of us grew up. YouTube is a daily part of younger people’s lives worldwide. Maybe it is only natural that this is the first thought the pair had. What else would someone, who is not concerned with scientific documentation, do with what they think is just a cool video?
Obviously, I can’t say for sure whether the video is genuine or not. It very well could be a hoax. I can only say that there are some things in this video that warrant a closer look. It is definitely a step beyond the typical YouTube fodder out there. In the end, I’m afraid this video sums up the problem with all photographic evidence. It isn’t good enough to be definitive. I truly don’t feel any video or photograph ever will be enough to document something as controversial as the sasquatch or yeti. You can bet even video of a higher quality would be dissected seven ways to Sunday and, given the technology available to the general public in the form of Photoshop and other programs, declared a hoax. That being the case, as unpalatable as it is to many people, I believe only a type specimen will definitively prove the existence of these creatures.
I would like to be wrong about that but I don’t think that I am.
I find the “leaping yeti” video, as it has been dubbed, intriguing for many of the very reasons some people are attacking it. The subject is moving and bounding in an odd manner. Why would a yeti or sasquatch be bouncing around like that? I’ll be the first to say that I have no idea. It could have something to do with the terrain it was negotiating though that is speculation. If so, it could be that the creature decided this mode of locomotion was the quickest way to escape. What I do know is that I’ve seen video of young chimps and gorillas at play that bounded and jumped about in very similar ways. In addition, this odd leaping behavior has been observed by alleged sasquatch witnesses before. A very good friend of mine, and fellow TBRC member, had a sighting near the Trinity River in southeast Texas back in May of 2004. The report can be read here. Following is a snippet from his account describing a leaping wood ape:
“It leapt across the trail much like a long jumper, landed on the right side of the trail and leapt again into the woods…”
My friend has been asked many times why he thought the creature he saw would jump in such a manner rather than just run. His answer has varied little over the years. He simply says that he has no idea and only knows that is what he saw.
Another thing that I see in the video that makes me want to give it a second look is the presence of what appears to be a gluteal cleft. To put in laymen’s terms, and more crudely, there seems to be a butt crack present. Costumes, especially the cheaper ones which normal folks might be able to rent or buy, do not feature gluteal clefts. Even high-end suits used in big budget movies do not correctly portray this anatomical feature. Take, for example, 2001: A Space Odyssey. The creatures shown look like they are wearing furry pants when seen from the rear. This movie featured state of the art special effects and they got it wrong. 2001: A Space Odyssey was released in 1968. What about more recent films featuring ape costumes? Did any of them get it right? King Kong (1976)? Nope. Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan (1984)? Nope. I’ve yet to see a movie or television show featuring a man in a suit that incorporated this feature. Recent high-end movies, like the 2005 remake of King Kong and Rise of the Planet of the Apes, have shown at least a hint of a gluteal cleft on their apes. The key here is that these special effects are generated completely through computer animation using real apes as their models. There is no costume involved. I do not believe a truly convincing ape suit, featuring a gluteal cleft, exists; at least not one that is available and that would be affordable to the general public.
Another thing about the subject in the video is the length and width of the arms. They clearly appear in the best still frame to be proportionately much longer and more muscular than the arms of a human in a costume would be. In addition, the arms appear to be at least as long, and longer to my eye, than the legs of the subject. This is a very ape-like characteristic. Many descriptions of the Asian yeti seem to point to it being more ape-like in appearance than the North American sasquatch. This video could be evidence of that.
The coloration of the subject in the video also caused me to raise my eyebrows a bit. The Asian yeti is almost always described as being reddish-colored, almost orangutan-like. The subject in this video is colored very much like a silverback gorilla. In addition, the hair/fur, assuming it is hair/fur, appears to be somewhat short, as you would see on a gorilla, and not long and shaggy as has often been reported by people claiming to have seen a yeti. Granted, the distance and lack of definition in the video could be playing into what I am seeing when it comes to the length of the hair/fur but there is no arguing the coloration. A hoaxer would likely, in my opinion, give the public what it expects to see. In the case of a yeti that would be a reddish-colored suit.
The thing that gives me the greatest pause in regard to the possible legitimacy of the video is the conversation and tone of the two witnesses. Below is the video, this time, complete with subtitles. The narrator has more or less put his two cents in on the video but try to look past the spin he's putting on the whole thing and make up your own mind based on the translation provided. I mentioned in a previous post that I have a friend who was a Russian linguist/translator in the Air Force. He has verified that the translated subtitles provided are pretty much spot on.
The fact that the pair is already discussing posting the video on YouTube turns some folks off and has led many to assume this is a hoax. Why aren’t they more rattled by what they are seeing? Why aren’t they more agitated? I do not have answers to these questions. It is possible cultural differences play into the seeming lack of agitation expressed by the witnesses. I admit the reference to YouTube bothers me. I do think it is important to remember, though, that this is a different world than the one in which many of us grew up. YouTube is a daily part of younger people’s lives worldwide. Maybe it is only natural that this is the first thought the pair had. What else would someone, who is not concerned with scientific documentation, do with what they think is just a cool video?
Obviously, I can’t say for sure whether the video is genuine or not. It very well could be a hoax. I can only say that there are some things in this video that warrant a closer look. It is definitely a step beyond the typical YouTube fodder out there. In the end, I’m afraid this video sums up the problem with all photographic evidence. It isn’t good enough to be definitive. I truly don’t feel any video or photograph ever will be enough to document something as controversial as the sasquatch or yeti. You can bet even video of a higher quality would be dissected seven ways to Sunday and, given the technology available to the general public in the form of Photoshop and other programs, declared a hoax. That being the case, as unpalatable as it is to many people, I believe only a type specimen will definitively prove the existence of these creatures.
I would like to be wrong about that but I don’t think that I am.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Sasquatch Sighting Reported in Panola County, TX
Hit the link here to read a brief story out of Panola County, TX detailing a reported wood ape sighting.
Make sure and check the links at the end of the story which lead directly to TBRC investigation reports from the same area.
Make sure and check the links at the end of the story which lead directly to TBRC investigation reports from the same area.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Possible Sasquatch Hair Collected by TBRC
The Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy (TBRC) has recently concluded a long-term continuous field research study called “Operation Persistence.” The goal of the operation was to observe and document the local wood ape population. Spanning ninety days and involving more than thirty TBRC investigators, the operation took place in an area located in the Ouachita Mountains in the region near the Arkansas-Oklahoma border. Members of the TBRC have operated in this area for more than a decade, including during 2011’s long-term research study, Operation Endurance.
Over the course of Persistence, investigators collected a large amount of digital and physical evidence. While the digital evidence (in the form of unattended trail-cam photography and audio recordings) is still being analyzed, several hairs collected near the group’s research facility have been inspected microscopically.
Please click here to read the details on the possible wood ape hairs collected by the TBRC.
Over the course of Persistence, investigators collected a large amount of digital and physical evidence. While the digital evidence (in the form of unattended trail-cam photography and audio recordings) is still being analyzed, several hairs collected near the group’s research facility have been inspected microscopically.
Please click here to read the details on the possible wood ape hairs collected by the TBRC.
Sunday, August 19, 2012
The Bigfoot Show: Episode 39 Available
If you are interested at all in the sasquatch phenomenon The Bigfoot Show is a must listen.
"Down in the valley of the jolly gray wood ape" is now available, also known as Episode 39 of The Bigfoot Show. Brian Brown interviews several TBRC members regarding their thoughts and experiences concerning the three-month "Operation Persistence" conducted in the Ouachita Mountains.
Click here to listen.
"Down in the valley of the jolly gray wood ape" is now available, also known as Episode 39 of The Bigfoot Show. Brian Brown interviews several TBRC members regarding their thoughts and experiences concerning the three-month "Operation Persistence" conducted in the Ouachita Mountains.
Click here to listen.
Friday, April 20, 2012
TBRC Report #01120043
Below is the write-up of an investigation of an alleged sasquatch sighting that took place in Liberty County, Texas earlier this month. This report illustrates the importance of actually getting to a sighting location and meeting witnesses face to face. As stated in the report below, I initially had some concerns regarding some of the details the witness reported. Once I was able to visit the location of incident and walk through what happened with the witness the details he reported seemed plausible.
Witness Observation
I am a 56 year old of sound mind with many of those years spent hunting and exploring Liberty County and other East Texas woods and bottoms. I continue my passion of wilderness back-packing with recent trips to the toughest areas in Big Bend National Park and a solo backpack on the Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas' Ouachitas (where I came face-to-face with a bear). I am cautious but composed when I get into the woods and not inclined to overreact to critical incidents in the wilds.
The other night (Tuesday) while walking at an edge of Liberty that leads down toward uninhabited Trinity bottoms, I saw something. Disclaimer: although I did see something, I acknowledge that minds play tricks on perceptions and imaginations fill-in gaps around what eyes see and don't see. I have taken several days to soberly sift the conclusion that I will now share.
At about 10:30 P.M. I was walking along an area on the edge of Liberty that leads down toward the Trinity bottoms. My mind was completely at ease and drifting around various projects, backpacking memories, and dreams of a purchasing a new gun. The night was clear and I was enjoying the moon and stars. I was carrying my trusty old golf club for safety.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, a supercharged adrenaline rush focused all of my concentration on movement on my side of a tree located about 50 yards in front of me. You have experienced these moments - from day dreams to instantly tense, all-in fight-or-flight. In a fraction of a second my arms and hands began tingling, my ears rang with a TV static kind of sound, and my vision and hearing became sharply acute. Whether or not my perception is accurate, this instantaneous physiological rush was 100% real. It was a time-stands-still, brief loss of motor skills moment.
My adrenaline focus involuntarily targeted a large (shoulder-high to the lower limbs of sizable trees) bi-pedal something walking deliberately around a tree and down toward the bottoms. The walk was upright but a little hunched from upper-mid-back up and the head was erect. Color: a burnished red-grey (more on the grey in a second). The walk was the swaying gait of a Star Wars wookie, but quite a bit less exaggerated with knees sightly bent. The swinging arc of the right arm was very visible (relative to my location, "it" was walking from left to right) and I saw that the arm-wrist-hand was somewhat longer than normal human proportions. "It" used its left hand to push aside a limb. "It" took a brief, glancing look at me and and moonlight (the center of the face was less hairy and seemed to be slightly more grey) made visible the standard eyes-nose-forehead-jaw features of a hairy face. This glance did not slow "its" motion, in fact the deliberate motion became more purposeful as it pushed around the tree and back into thicker trees. Note: this was a two or three second glimpse before the "it" disappeared into thicker trees and brush.
My reaction was instant. I called my wife on my cell phone and told her that I saw something and that I was getting the heck out out of there fast. Instead of following the trail (it would have taken me nearer to the location of the glimpse) I tore straight through from where I stood to a gate out of the area and closer to more developed Liberty.
Time and Conditions
10:30 pm - The sky was not perfectly clear, but there was enough moon to see. Note: at this end of the track, the school's lighting has only a little effect and is not strong.
Investigator's Comments
Michael Mayes and Tod Pinkerton
This interview was conducted as a result of an alleged sighting of a large upright biped that matches the description of a wood ape in Liberty County, Texas on March 3, 2012.
After an initial phone interview with the witness, fellow TBRC investigator Tod Pinkerton and I paid a visit to the witness in his hometown of Liberty, Texas. The witness was gracious, extremely cooperative, and visited the sighting location with us in order to walk us through the events of the evening of April 3rd.
The witness, a 56-year-old male, was walking laps on the track that surrounds the practice field at Liberty High School on the night in question. The time was approximately 10:30 P.M. The north side of the track borders a densely wooded area that is part of a riparian greenbelt that runs east all the way back to the Trinity River. The witness, who walks often at this location, related that he had been on his cell phone during most of his walk. He had just ended his conversation as he began to round the curve at the north end of the track. It was at this moment that he spotted a large, upright figure just outside the tree line. The witness reported that he immediately knew he was looking at a “sasquatch.” He said, “Even though I’ve never seen anything like that, there was no ‘what’s that?’ moment. I just knew.”
The witness described the subject as being very large and covered in hair of a reddish shade. The subject walked from the witnesses left to right around and in front of a very distinctive small tree before pushing a limb/some brush aside with a sweeping motion of its left arm and striding into the woods. The witness said as the subject walked in front of the tree it looked back over its shoulder and briefly locked eyes with him, which gave him a good, albeit brief, look at its face. The face was described as grayish and definitely lighter in color than the rest of the animal. The features were described as, “the standard eyes, nose, forehead, and jaw of a hairy face,” but no more detail could be discerned due to the distance, estimated at 50 yards, between the witness and the subject. Other details noted by the witness in regard to the subject were arms that seemed very long by human standards, a slightly stooped posture, an odd swaying gait, and immense size. The witness could not recall hearing any unusual sounds and did not detect any type of odor before, during, or after his visual. The witness was quite unnerved by this encounter and immediately returned to his vehicle and left. He did not continue around the curve of the track, which would have brought him closer to the spot where he had seen the subject, but cut right down the middle of the football practice field in order to exit.
The witness told only his wife and his closest friend of the incident. He revisited the site the next day with his good friend and looked for trace evidence of the subject without success. The witness did show the friend the small tree that the subject had stood next to and walked in front of which has a very distinct limb that grows nearly parallel to the ground. The witness estimated the shoulder of the subject was at the height of this limb which allowed him to estimate its height at seven feet. His friend, like the witness, is no stranger to the outdoors and was open to the possibility that a sasquatch had been seen. “What else could it have been?” was his statement to the witness after hearing the account and looking over the area.
Fellow TBRC investigator Tod Pinkerton and I met the witness at the sighting location at 2:30 P.M. on Sunday, April 15th, 2012. The witness walked us to the spot on the track where he first sighted the subject. We then circumvented the chain-link fence that separates the track from the wooded area and began to look around. The wooded area lies just northeast of the track while the area due north is more open. The woods here were surprisingly thick and inhospitable. Thorns and briars were prevalent, making walking in the area difficult in many areas. Having said that, several game trails wound through the woods and it was clear the area was rich in wildlife. I walked ahead of Pinkerton and the witness and spotted three white-tailed deer within moments of entering the woods. Hog sign was also present. This was a true, hardwood-bottom type area; there was not a pine tree to be found. Black berries were growing in abundance and many were ripe already. I admit to helping myself to a few during the investigation. At 15 to 20 yards into the woods, there was, surprisingly, absolutely no sign that humans used this area. I did not see any beer cans, coke bottles, empty cigarette cartons, spent shells, or fast-food bags. Several hundred yards into the woods I found some debris, but it had clearly washed in during a high water event sometime in the past. Pinkerton and I agreed that it did not look as if anyone had been in the area recently. The floor of the forest floor was covered in thick leaf litter and we could not locate any spoor that might indicate the presence of any wildlife beyond known indigenous species of wildlife.
The area where the witness spotted the subject was just south of a spot where a game trail “exited” into the more open grassy area. Anyone or anything situated here would have had a good view of any deer or hogs, which the witness claimed to see in the open area, almost every time he has walked at night, coming out into the open field from the bottoms. The spot also provided a clear view of the high school track.
I will admit to having had some initial concerns regarding this report. Foremost among them was the amount of detail the witness was able to describe despite ostensibly seeing the subject at a distance of 50 yards at 10:30 P.M. Moreover, the location is practically in downtown Liberty. Main Street is literally only one-quarter of a mile away from the sighting location. In addition, the proximity to the high school left open the possibility that the witness had seen a young person out getting into mischief. I can say that my concerns faded upon meeting the witness and conducting an on-site investigation. The witness was fully cooperative and more than open to sharing the details of his encounter. He is a prominent citizen in the community and has no reason to lie about what he saw. In fact, if his identity were to be released it could potentially harm his career. He could not say for sure he saw a wood ape but he believed without doubt that what he saw was not some sort of “hobo,” homeless person, or derelict; he was certain it was not any other kind of animal. “What else does that leave?” he asked. The proximity of the sighting location to town became less of a concern to me upon closer inspection of satellite images of the area. There is a riparian green belt that parallels a levy that runs from town all the way east to the Trinity River. It is not implausible to think that an animal could have traveled this corridor and found itself near town without being spotted. Deer and hogs were certainly present and frequent the area with regularity. Why not something else? My main concern was just how much the witness was able to see from 50 yards at 10:30 at night.
When we recreated the details of the sighting, placing the witness where he had stood that night and placing investigator Tod Pinkerton in the approximate spot where the subject was first seen, we discovered the distance was, in fact, only 26 yards. I tend to believe that it is a strong possibility that the subject was a bit further out of the tree line and closer to the witness than he estimated. It is possible the witness and the subject were as close as 20 to 22 yards apart.
The moon that night was a waxing gibbous that was 87 percent illuminated. The fact that the witness and the subject were actually much closer in proximity than originally estimated on a very bright night makes the amount of detail reported by the witness much more plausible. Finally, the fact that no sign of a regular human presence was found in the densely wooded area, along with the extreme difficulty anyone in an ape costume would have had navigating at night through that dense vegetation, with its copious vines, thorns, blackberries, trees, and branches, made it seem highly unlikely that some mischievous high school delinquent in a gorilla suit was out pulling a prank.
Pinkerton and I both reached the conclusion that the witness saw something for which he could not account. Neither of us detected any signs of deception on the part of the witness and came away confident that he believes he saw a sasquatch that night. The description of a bipedal, hirsute animal would seem to eliminate the possibility that any of the area’s known wildlife was seen and misidentified.
The TBRC continues to collect and investigate reports of encounters—both contemporary and historical—with strange, bipedal ape-like creatures in Liberty County and surrounding Big Thicket Counties. This part of southeast Texas continues to make up the most prolific region in the four-state area for reports of encounters with creatures fitting the traditional description of the sasquatch, or wood ape.
*To see all the photos taken during the course of this investigation please visit the Texas Cryptid Hunter Facebook site. Just hit the Facebook link in the right margin and go to the 'photos' section on the home page.
Witness Observation
I am a 56 year old of sound mind with many of those years spent hunting and exploring Liberty County and other East Texas woods and bottoms. I continue my passion of wilderness back-packing with recent trips to the toughest areas in Big Bend National Park and a solo backpack on the Eagle Rock Loop in Arkansas' Ouachitas (where I came face-to-face with a bear). I am cautious but composed when I get into the woods and not inclined to overreact to critical incidents in the wilds.
The other night (Tuesday) while walking at an edge of Liberty that leads down toward uninhabited Trinity bottoms, I saw something. Disclaimer: although I did see something, I acknowledge that minds play tricks on perceptions and imaginations fill-in gaps around what eyes see and don't see. I have taken several days to soberly sift the conclusion that I will now share.
At about 10:30 P.M. I was walking along an area on the edge of Liberty that leads down toward the Trinity bottoms. My mind was completely at ease and drifting around various projects, backpacking memories, and dreams of a purchasing a new gun. The night was clear and I was enjoying the moon and stars. I was carrying my trusty old golf club for safety.
ALL OF A SUDDEN, a supercharged adrenaline rush focused all of my concentration on movement on my side of a tree located about 50 yards in front of me. You have experienced these moments - from day dreams to instantly tense, all-in fight-or-flight. In a fraction of a second my arms and hands began tingling, my ears rang with a TV static kind of sound, and my vision and hearing became sharply acute. Whether or not my perception is accurate, this instantaneous physiological rush was 100% real. It was a time-stands-still, brief loss of motor skills moment.
My adrenaline focus involuntarily targeted a large (shoulder-high to the lower limbs of sizable trees) bi-pedal something walking deliberately around a tree and down toward the bottoms. The walk was upright but a little hunched from upper-mid-back up and the head was erect. Color: a burnished red-grey (more on the grey in a second). The walk was the swaying gait of a Star Wars wookie, but quite a bit less exaggerated with knees sightly bent. The swinging arc of the right arm was very visible (relative to my location, "it" was walking from left to right) and I saw that the arm-wrist-hand was somewhat longer than normal human proportions. "It" used its left hand to push aside a limb. "It" took a brief, glancing look at me and and moonlight (the center of the face was less hairy and seemed to be slightly more grey) made visible the standard eyes-nose-forehead-jaw features of a hairy face. This glance did not slow "its" motion, in fact the deliberate motion became more purposeful as it pushed around the tree and back into thicker trees. Note: this was a two or three second glimpse before the "it" disappeared into thicker trees and brush.
My reaction was instant. I called my wife on my cell phone and told her that I saw something and that I was getting the heck out out of there fast. Instead of following the trail (it would have taken me nearer to the location of the glimpse) I tore straight through from where I stood to a gate out of the area and closer to more developed Liberty.
Time and Conditions
10:30 pm - The sky was not perfectly clear, but there was enough moon to see. Note: at this end of the track, the school's lighting has only a little effect and is not strong.
Investigator's Comments
Michael Mayes and Tod Pinkerton
This interview was conducted as a result of an alleged sighting of a large upright biped that matches the description of a wood ape in Liberty County, Texas on March 3, 2012.
After an initial phone interview with the witness, fellow TBRC investigator Tod Pinkerton and I paid a visit to the witness in his hometown of Liberty, Texas. The witness was gracious, extremely cooperative, and visited the sighting location with us in order to walk us through the events of the evening of April 3rd.
The witness, a 56-year-old male, was walking laps on the track that surrounds the practice field at Liberty High School on the night in question. The time was approximately 10:30 P.M. The north side of the track borders a densely wooded area that is part of a riparian greenbelt that runs east all the way back to the Trinity River. The witness, who walks often at this location, related that he had been on his cell phone during most of his walk. He had just ended his conversation as he began to round the curve at the north end of the track. It was at this moment that he spotted a large, upright figure just outside the tree line. The witness reported that he immediately knew he was looking at a “sasquatch.” He said, “Even though I’ve never seen anything like that, there was no ‘what’s that?’ moment. I just knew.”
The witness described the subject as being very large and covered in hair of a reddish shade. The subject walked from the witnesses left to right around and in front of a very distinctive small tree before pushing a limb/some brush aside with a sweeping motion of its left arm and striding into the woods. The witness said as the subject walked in front of the tree it looked back over its shoulder and briefly locked eyes with him, which gave him a good, albeit brief, look at its face. The face was described as grayish and definitely lighter in color than the rest of the animal. The features were described as, “the standard eyes, nose, forehead, and jaw of a hairy face,” but no more detail could be discerned due to the distance, estimated at 50 yards, between the witness and the subject. Other details noted by the witness in regard to the subject were arms that seemed very long by human standards, a slightly stooped posture, an odd swaying gait, and immense size. The witness could not recall hearing any unusual sounds and did not detect any type of odor before, during, or after his visual. The witness was quite unnerved by this encounter and immediately returned to his vehicle and left. He did not continue around the curve of the track, which would have brought him closer to the spot where he had seen the subject, but cut right down the middle of the football practice field in order to exit.
The witness told only his wife and his closest friend of the incident. He revisited the site the next day with his good friend and looked for trace evidence of the subject without success. The witness did show the friend the small tree that the subject had stood next to and walked in front of which has a very distinct limb that grows nearly parallel to the ground. The witness estimated the shoulder of the subject was at the height of this limb which allowed him to estimate its height at seven feet. His friend, like the witness, is no stranger to the outdoors and was open to the possibility that a sasquatch had been seen. “What else could it have been?” was his statement to the witness after hearing the account and looking over the area.
Fellow TBRC investigator Tod Pinkerton and I met the witness at the sighting location at 2:30 P.M. on Sunday, April 15th, 2012. The witness walked us to the spot on the track where he first sighted the subject. We then circumvented the chain-link fence that separates the track from the wooded area and began to look around. The wooded area lies just northeast of the track while the area due north is more open. The woods here were surprisingly thick and inhospitable. Thorns and briars were prevalent, making walking in the area difficult in many areas. Having said that, several game trails wound through the woods and it was clear the area was rich in wildlife. I walked ahead of Pinkerton and the witness and spotted three white-tailed deer within moments of entering the woods. Hog sign was also present. This was a true, hardwood-bottom type area; there was not a pine tree to be found. Black berries were growing in abundance and many were ripe already. I admit to helping myself to a few during the investigation. At 15 to 20 yards into the woods, there was, surprisingly, absolutely no sign that humans used this area. I did not see any beer cans, coke bottles, empty cigarette cartons, spent shells, or fast-food bags. Several hundred yards into the woods I found some debris, but it had clearly washed in during a high water event sometime in the past. Pinkerton and I agreed that it did not look as if anyone had been in the area recently. The floor of the forest floor was covered in thick leaf litter and we could not locate any spoor that might indicate the presence of any wildlife beyond known indigenous species of wildlife.
The area where the witness spotted the subject was just south of a spot where a game trail “exited” into the more open grassy area. Anyone or anything situated here would have had a good view of any deer or hogs, which the witness claimed to see in the open area, almost every time he has walked at night, coming out into the open field from the bottoms. The spot also provided a clear view of the high school track.
I will admit to having had some initial concerns regarding this report. Foremost among them was the amount of detail the witness was able to describe despite ostensibly seeing the subject at a distance of 50 yards at 10:30 P.M. Moreover, the location is practically in downtown Liberty. Main Street is literally only one-quarter of a mile away from the sighting location. In addition, the proximity to the high school left open the possibility that the witness had seen a young person out getting into mischief. I can say that my concerns faded upon meeting the witness and conducting an on-site investigation. The witness was fully cooperative and more than open to sharing the details of his encounter. He is a prominent citizen in the community and has no reason to lie about what he saw. In fact, if his identity were to be released it could potentially harm his career. He could not say for sure he saw a wood ape but he believed without doubt that what he saw was not some sort of “hobo,” homeless person, or derelict; he was certain it was not any other kind of animal. “What else does that leave?” he asked. The proximity of the sighting location to town became less of a concern to me upon closer inspection of satellite images of the area. There is a riparian green belt that parallels a levy that runs from town all the way east to the Trinity River. It is not implausible to think that an animal could have traveled this corridor and found itself near town without being spotted. Deer and hogs were certainly present and frequent the area with regularity. Why not something else? My main concern was just how much the witness was able to see from 50 yards at 10:30 at night.
When we recreated the details of the sighting, placing the witness where he had stood that night and placing investigator Tod Pinkerton in the approximate spot where the subject was first seen, we discovered the distance was, in fact, only 26 yards. I tend to believe that it is a strong possibility that the subject was a bit further out of the tree line and closer to the witness than he estimated. It is possible the witness and the subject were as close as 20 to 22 yards apart.
The moon that night was a waxing gibbous that was 87 percent illuminated. The fact that the witness and the subject were actually much closer in proximity than originally estimated on a very bright night makes the amount of detail reported by the witness much more plausible. Finally, the fact that no sign of a regular human presence was found in the densely wooded area, along with the extreme difficulty anyone in an ape costume would have had navigating at night through that dense vegetation, with its copious vines, thorns, blackberries, trees, and branches, made it seem highly unlikely that some mischievous high school delinquent in a gorilla suit was out pulling a prank.
Pinkerton and I both reached the conclusion that the witness saw something for which he could not account. Neither of us detected any signs of deception on the part of the witness and came away confident that he believes he saw a sasquatch that night. The description of a bipedal, hirsute animal would seem to eliminate the possibility that any of the area’s known wildlife was seen and misidentified.
The TBRC continues to collect and investigate reports of encounters—both contemporary and historical—with strange, bipedal ape-like creatures in Liberty County and surrounding Big Thicket Counties. This part of southeast Texas continues to make up the most prolific region in the four-state area for reports of encounters with creatures fitting the traditional description of the sasquatch, or wood ape.
*To see all the photos taken during the course of this investigation please visit the Texas Cryptid Hunter Facebook site. Just hit the Facebook link in the right margin and go to the 'photos' section on the home page.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Operation Endurance Presentation
I have received several emails over the last few months asking about the TBRC's Operation Endurance. I haven't posted much about the operation for a couple of reasons. One, I wanted to wait until the operation was complete. Second, the group was planning a detailed presentation on Operation Endurance to be given at the annual conference in October. It seemed appropriate to wait until after the conference before posting on the subject. The TBRC, recognizing the fact that many could not attend the conference, has now made this presentation available to the public.
Brian Brown did a terrific job presenting the details of Operation Endurance. That being the case, there is no real need for me to do a detailed post. You can simply listen to the presentation yourself at the TBRC website here. At some point, we hope to get the video of the presentation up on the site. In the meantime, you don't want to miss the audio of Brian's presentation.
Some amazing things occurred during Operation Endurance and some very intriguing evidence was obtained. I plan on commenting more about it in the future but, until then, take a listen to this presentation.
Brian Brown did a terrific job presenting the details of Operation Endurance. That being the case, there is no real need for me to do a detailed post. You can simply listen to the presentation yourself at the TBRC website here. At some point, we hope to get the video of the presentation up on the site. In the meantime, you don't want to miss the audio of Brian's presentation.
Some amazing things occurred during Operation Endurance and some very intriguing evidence was obtained. I plan on commenting more about it in the future but, until then, take a listen to this presentation.
Monday, November 14, 2011
TBRC Report #01110076
I just completed an investigation into a fascinating sasquatch sighting that allegedly took place on Bergstrom Air Force Base in May of 1981. The witness's original report and my write-up of the incident are below. I think you'll agree it is a pretty interesting account.
Airman reports night-time encounter on Bergstrom AFB.
Report# 01110076
Occurred May 1981 (Submitted November 1, 2011)
Witness Observation
I was in the Air Force (Security Police or now Security Forces). I was also a member of the base SWAT team and involved in the martial arts. I had just gotten off duty but was asked to respond to a call about a baby crying in base dump. I only went with them because we had to discuss an upcoming base SWAT team training exercise. This was at Bergstrom AFB (now Austin-Bergstrom International Airport).
I responded with three other guys. One was a black belt and SWAT team leader armed with a .38 caliber pistol. Another companion was a 3rd degree black belt armed with a .38 caliber pistol too. The third was a K-9 handler, with his dog. The dog was a holdover from those bred for duty in Vietnam. He was considered to be so dangerous that they had clipped and tattooed his ears to ensure no one accidentally handled this dog.
The call came from a general’s wife, so it had to be checked out.
We went to the dump area. I was then a very remote area of the base. There was a maze of deep creeks and natural drainages in this area. The closest civilization was Bastrop, Texas, and a small prison. The dump was fenced on three sides by a six foot fence with (I believe a 12" "Y" outrigger on it). The fourth side of the dump was a four foot high barbed wire fence. Beyond the fence was a freshly plowed field.
The area was maybe two acres in size, in the shape of a triangle. We arrived and entered through a gate on one of the short sides of the triangle. To our right were several large trailer sized dumpsters (maybe 8), and about 10-12 smaller (Dipsy Dumpster) on our left.
The K-9 unit went first. As he approached to dumpsters on the right, we heard the sound of a baby squeal. The cries seemed to move from one dumpster to another; moving further away from us. This was weird, but then the K-9 handler told us that he thought it was just a baby rabbit. He said he has heard them squeal like that.
After he got down to about the 5th dumpster, the sound came back towards us at the gate. We got a little creeped out by this so the senior Sergeant told us to just do a quick walk through so we could get out of there.
As we started back towards the vehicles, we heard the noise coming from the dumpster on our left, so we started checking them. When we finally got down to the 7th or 8th dumpster, we heard what sounded like a very large bodied impact against the end dumpster. Now these dumpsters were about 4 to 4.5 feet tall and maybe 6 feet by 6 feet wide. There was about 10-12 feet of space between them.
When we heard the banging sound against the end dumpster, we let the dog handler order (what we thought was maybe) a person to come out.
He gave them the order; there was no response. He then long leashed his dog and gave the order again. By now the dog was pulling and tugging to get to where the sound came from. The winds were blowing away from us, so all we could smell was the stench of the dump.
The dog handler gave a final command for the person to come out or he would release the dog. There was no response. The dog was going nuts now to get to the sound. The handler pulled the dog back, unclipped it from the leash and sent him towards the sound in attack mode.
Just as he reached the end dumpster, preparing to run around it, this huge creature leaped from behind the dumpster running. We all had our flashlights trained on the dumpster at about human height. This thing was huge. About 7-8 feet tall; covered with long dark brownish black (matted) fur. It did not turn towards us, but ran out and across the field.
It took two steps and stepped right over the barbed wire fence in as it ran off. Our flash light hit it about the shoulders. This was not a man. The stride covered the 10-12 feet in two steps, and then over the barbed wire fence without jumping.
Most importantly, this killer K-9, was frightened so badly, that he locked up all fours and abandoned his full out charge towards this creature and started screaming as if he had been hurt. He was looking up at the creature, and started backing up even as his momentum caused him to continue sliding forward. When he finally got his traction, he turned and ran past us back towards his kennel truck with his tail tucked between his legs. He was screaming in terror and was pissing himself looking over his shoulders to ensure the creature was not following him.
I would have doubted my own eyes, but this dog's behavior was one of pure terror. The dog was trained to attack on command without fear. I had never seen him behave in this manner, so I feared for my life. I knew he was responding to something real, so I was terrified too. We were no more than 15 or 20 feet away when this happened. The creature could be seen running across the field (in silhouette) disappearing into the woods.
Since we had to report this in an official government document, we delayed and discussed what we would put in the blotter until about 3:00am. Had we told the desk sergeant what we saw, we thought we could have lost our security clearances, so we simply said it was a rabbit or something.
I do not know if the report is public information now or not but it will validate the response if nothing else.
Time and Conditions
10:00 pm - It was a dark night, but there was enough natural light to see the silhouette.
Investigator's Comments
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in May of 1981 on Bergstrom Air Force Base in Travis County, Texas.
I spoke to the witness at length on the evening of 11 November 2011. The witness was serving in the United States Air Force at the time and was stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base, which lies roughly twelve miles southeast of Austin, Texas. The witness worked security detail for the base and was also a sniper on the SWAT team. He was technically off duty but was visiting with three men who were on duty when a call came in that night—at approximately 22:00—reporting what sounded like a crying baby coming from the area of the base dump. The call came in from the wife of a General, whose living quarters were about one-half mile away from the dump area; despite their suspicion it was nothing, the men traveled to this remote part of the base to investigate. According to the witness, the dump was an irregularly-shaped, roughly triangular piece of property, approximately two acres in size. Three sides of the dump were protected by a six-foot high chain link fence featuring what the witness described as a twelve-foot “Y” outrigger on top. The fourth side of the dump marked the property boundary between the base and private farm land and was delineated by a simple barbed wire fence about four feet high.
The witness decided to tag along on the response to this call even though he had just gotten off duty. He accompanied three other airmen who were working security that night. The witness described his companions that night as fearless men who were armed with .38 caliber handguns, the standard weapon for the Air Force at the time (the witness was not armed as he was off duty). In addition, one of the men was a SWAT team leader and another was a K-9 handler who had his sentry dog with him. The sentry dog was described as being a German Shepherd weighing somewhere between 75-100 pounds. The witness, as noted in the original report, described the dog as extremely dangerous; the dog’s ears had been clipped and tattooed so that there would be no confusion between it and some of the younger sentry dogs that had been trained in a different manner and were not considered as dangerous and difficult to handle.
The four men arrived at the dump and entered the gate. To their right was a row of approximately eight large trailer-sized dumpsters, and on their left was a row of ten or so smaller dumpsters of the sort one might see outside restaurants or convenience stores. The men advanced with the K-9 unit leading the way. As they approached the dumpsters on the right, they heard a sound not unlike a baby squealing. The strange cry was repeated several times and seemed to be moving down the row of long dumpsters away from them. The K-9 handler told the others he thought the squealer was nothing more than a baby rabbit. One of the men suggested that the group do a simple walk-through and leave so as not to waste time investigating what seemed a frivolous report. The group proceeded with their walk-through, but their mood changed a bit when the squealing sound was repeated. The squealer had somehow doubled back and was behind one of the smaller dumpsters on the opposite side of the yard, much closer to them than before. As the men walked the line of dumpsters toward the sound, they suddenly heard a very loud and heavy impact against one of the dumpsters. The witness described it as sounding like a very large and heavy body striking the backside of the dumpster. He said it was very loud and powerful enough to shift one of the heavy dumpsters slightly. The men were now on high alert.
The men had walked up the middle of the dump property between the long dumpsters and the smaller ones on their initial reconnaissance. On the way back they were positioned in the narrow 10-12 foot alley between the row of smaller dumpsters and the barbed wire fence separating the base property from private farmland. The K-9 handler immediately ordered whomever was hiding behind the dumpster to show himself or he would release the dog. There was no response. The handler repeated the order and “long-leashed” the dog that was now tugging at his restraint and barking furiously. The handler gave the order one final time. When there was no response, he released the sentry dog and gave the attack command.
The men all had their flashlights trained on the dumpster and watched as the sentry dog bounded forward. The witness reported that just as the dog reached the corner of the dumpster, a huge creature stood up and leaped or ran toward the barbed wire fence. He described the figure as being of massive proportions, seven to eight feet tall and covered in dark, matted-looking hair or fur. The sentry dog attempted to stop and began backpedaling wildly once it sighted the figure. The dog’s momentum caused it to continue to slide forward to the point that it almost bumped into the creature despite its attempts to stop. According to the witness, the dog began “screaming” and, once it regained its footing, turned and sprinted past the men, away from the creature, with its tail tucked between its legs. The witness recalled that the dog was so terrified that it was “pissing all over” as it retreated. The witness said that he had never seen that dog, or any dog, for that matter, act so completely terrified.
The creature took approximately two steps, clearing the 4-foot high barbed wire fence without seeming to jump, and ran across the open farmland toward a wooded area. The witness said that no person could have run as fast as the creature he saw that night did. He said the movement was smooth and fluid. That fact, along with the sheer size of the creature, convinced the witness this could not be a person in an ape suit or costume. The witness stated that while it was dark, there was enough moonlight to see the creature in silhouette until it made it to the wood line.
The stunned and rattled men returned to their vehicles and discussed what to do. They decided that it would be detrimental to their careers if they reported what they had seen and decided to say it was only a rabbit. The men discussed their experience periodically and always tried to find an “acceptable fit” to what they had seen. They all considered themselves to be rational men and wanted to find an explanation they could accept. The witness said that they never could come up with that more rational explanation and eventually had to agree they had seen a sasquatch that night.
I asked the witness if the squealing sound he heard that night would have been loud enough to be heard from the General’s quarters, approximately ½-mile away. He stated that he did not think so and said that thought had puzzled him as well. I also asked him if he felt that the creature he saw was the source of the squealing. He said that he didn’t know but the noise was not heard again once the creature was spotted. He added that he has since heard a rabbit squealing and the noise he heard that night in 1981 would be a very close match. He speculated that the creature he saw might have been attempting to catch a rabbit, causing it to scream in fear. He felt it more than possible that the creature he saw never vocalized at all.
The witness has lost touch with the other three men over the years, so I was not able to follow up with them. Having said that, I found this witness’s account compelling and could detect no signs of deception. He related his account in a calm but very intense manner. He remains convinced that what he saw that night in 1981 was not a person and that he encountered a sasquatch.
*Bergstrom Air Force Base was closed in 1993. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport now occupies the site.
This and many other reports can be found on the TBRC website at http://www.texasbigfoot.com/reports/report.
Airman reports night-time encounter on Bergstrom AFB.
Report# 01110076
Occurred May 1981 (Submitted November 1, 2011)
Witness Observation
I was in the Air Force (Security Police or now Security Forces). I was also a member of the base SWAT team and involved in the martial arts. I had just gotten off duty but was asked to respond to a call about a baby crying in base dump. I only went with them because we had to discuss an upcoming base SWAT team training exercise. This was at Bergstrom AFB (now Austin-Bergstrom International Airport).
I responded with three other guys. One was a black belt and SWAT team leader armed with a .38 caliber pistol. Another companion was a 3rd degree black belt armed with a .38 caliber pistol too. The third was a K-9 handler, with his dog. The dog was a holdover from those bred for duty in Vietnam. He was considered to be so dangerous that they had clipped and tattooed his ears to ensure no one accidentally handled this dog.
The call came from a general’s wife, so it had to be checked out.
We went to the dump area. I was then a very remote area of the base. There was a maze of deep creeks and natural drainages in this area. The closest civilization was Bastrop, Texas, and a small prison. The dump was fenced on three sides by a six foot fence with (I believe a 12" "Y" outrigger on it). The fourth side of the dump was a four foot high barbed wire fence. Beyond the fence was a freshly plowed field.
The area was maybe two acres in size, in the shape of a triangle. We arrived and entered through a gate on one of the short sides of the triangle. To our right were several large trailer sized dumpsters (maybe 8), and about 10-12 smaller (Dipsy Dumpster) on our left.
The K-9 unit went first. As he approached to dumpsters on the right, we heard the sound of a baby squeal. The cries seemed to move from one dumpster to another; moving further away from us. This was weird, but then the K-9 handler told us that he thought it was just a baby rabbit. He said he has heard them squeal like that.
After he got down to about the 5th dumpster, the sound came back towards us at the gate. We got a little creeped out by this so the senior Sergeant told us to just do a quick walk through so we could get out of there.
As we started back towards the vehicles, we heard the noise coming from the dumpster on our left, so we started checking them. When we finally got down to the 7th or 8th dumpster, we heard what sounded like a very large bodied impact against the end dumpster. Now these dumpsters were about 4 to 4.5 feet tall and maybe 6 feet by 6 feet wide. There was about 10-12 feet of space between them.
When we heard the banging sound against the end dumpster, we let the dog handler order (what we thought was maybe) a person to come out.
He gave them the order; there was no response. He then long leashed his dog and gave the order again. By now the dog was pulling and tugging to get to where the sound came from. The winds were blowing away from us, so all we could smell was the stench of the dump.
The dog handler gave a final command for the person to come out or he would release the dog. There was no response. The dog was going nuts now to get to the sound. The handler pulled the dog back, unclipped it from the leash and sent him towards the sound in attack mode.
Just as he reached the end dumpster, preparing to run around it, this huge creature leaped from behind the dumpster running. We all had our flashlights trained on the dumpster at about human height. This thing was huge. About 7-8 feet tall; covered with long dark brownish black (matted) fur. It did not turn towards us, but ran out and across the field.
It took two steps and stepped right over the barbed wire fence in as it ran off. Our flash light hit it about the shoulders. This was not a man. The stride covered the 10-12 feet in two steps, and then over the barbed wire fence without jumping.
Most importantly, this killer K-9, was frightened so badly, that he locked up all fours and abandoned his full out charge towards this creature and started screaming as if he had been hurt. He was looking up at the creature, and started backing up even as his momentum caused him to continue sliding forward. When he finally got his traction, he turned and ran past us back towards his kennel truck with his tail tucked between his legs. He was screaming in terror and was pissing himself looking over his shoulders to ensure the creature was not following him.
I would have doubted my own eyes, but this dog's behavior was one of pure terror. The dog was trained to attack on command without fear. I had never seen him behave in this manner, so I feared for my life. I knew he was responding to something real, so I was terrified too. We were no more than 15 or 20 feet away when this happened. The creature could be seen running across the field (in silhouette) disappearing into the woods.
Since we had to report this in an official government document, we delayed and discussed what we would put in the blotter until about 3:00am. Had we told the desk sergeant what we saw, we thought we could have lost our security clearances, so we simply said it was a rabbit or something.
I do not know if the report is public information now or not but it will validate the response if nothing else.
Time and Conditions
10:00 pm - It was a dark night, but there was enough natural light to see the silhouette.
Investigator's Comments
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in May of 1981 on Bergstrom Air Force Base in Travis County, Texas.
I spoke to the witness at length on the evening of 11 November 2011. The witness was serving in the United States Air Force at the time and was stationed at Bergstrom Air Force Base, which lies roughly twelve miles southeast of Austin, Texas. The witness worked security detail for the base and was also a sniper on the SWAT team. He was technically off duty but was visiting with three men who were on duty when a call came in that night—at approximately 22:00—reporting what sounded like a crying baby coming from the area of the base dump. The call came in from the wife of a General, whose living quarters were about one-half mile away from the dump area; despite their suspicion it was nothing, the men traveled to this remote part of the base to investigate. According to the witness, the dump was an irregularly-shaped, roughly triangular piece of property, approximately two acres in size. Three sides of the dump were protected by a six-foot high chain link fence featuring what the witness described as a twelve-foot “Y” outrigger on top. The fourth side of the dump marked the property boundary between the base and private farm land and was delineated by a simple barbed wire fence about four feet high.
The witness decided to tag along on the response to this call even though he had just gotten off duty. He accompanied three other airmen who were working security that night. The witness described his companions that night as fearless men who were armed with .38 caliber handguns, the standard weapon for the Air Force at the time (the witness was not armed as he was off duty). In addition, one of the men was a SWAT team leader and another was a K-9 handler who had his sentry dog with him. The sentry dog was described as being a German Shepherd weighing somewhere between 75-100 pounds. The witness, as noted in the original report, described the dog as extremely dangerous; the dog’s ears had been clipped and tattooed so that there would be no confusion between it and some of the younger sentry dogs that had been trained in a different manner and were not considered as dangerous and difficult to handle.
The four men arrived at the dump and entered the gate. To their right was a row of approximately eight large trailer-sized dumpsters, and on their left was a row of ten or so smaller dumpsters of the sort one might see outside restaurants or convenience stores. The men advanced with the K-9 unit leading the way. As they approached the dumpsters on the right, they heard a sound not unlike a baby squealing. The strange cry was repeated several times and seemed to be moving down the row of long dumpsters away from them. The K-9 handler told the others he thought the squealer was nothing more than a baby rabbit. One of the men suggested that the group do a simple walk-through and leave so as not to waste time investigating what seemed a frivolous report. The group proceeded with their walk-through, but their mood changed a bit when the squealing sound was repeated. The squealer had somehow doubled back and was behind one of the smaller dumpsters on the opposite side of the yard, much closer to them than before. As the men walked the line of dumpsters toward the sound, they suddenly heard a very loud and heavy impact against one of the dumpsters. The witness described it as sounding like a very large and heavy body striking the backside of the dumpster. He said it was very loud and powerful enough to shift one of the heavy dumpsters slightly. The men were now on high alert.
The men had walked up the middle of the dump property between the long dumpsters and the smaller ones on their initial reconnaissance. On the way back they were positioned in the narrow 10-12 foot alley between the row of smaller dumpsters and the barbed wire fence separating the base property from private farmland. The K-9 handler immediately ordered whomever was hiding behind the dumpster to show himself or he would release the dog. There was no response. The handler repeated the order and “long-leashed” the dog that was now tugging at his restraint and barking furiously. The handler gave the order one final time. When there was no response, he released the sentry dog and gave the attack command.
The men all had their flashlights trained on the dumpster and watched as the sentry dog bounded forward. The witness reported that just as the dog reached the corner of the dumpster, a huge creature stood up and leaped or ran toward the barbed wire fence. He described the figure as being of massive proportions, seven to eight feet tall and covered in dark, matted-looking hair or fur. The sentry dog attempted to stop and began backpedaling wildly once it sighted the figure. The dog’s momentum caused it to continue to slide forward to the point that it almost bumped into the creature despite its attempts to stop. According to the witness, the dog began “screaming” and, once it regained its footing, turned and sprinted past the men, away from the creature, with its tail tucked between its legs. The witness recalled that the dog was so terrified that it was “pissing all over” as it retreated. The witness said that he had never seen that dog, or any dog, for that matter, act so completely terrified.
The creature took approximately two steps, clearing the 4-foot high barbed wire fence without seeming to jump, and ran across the open farmland toward a wooded area. The witness said that no person could have run as fast as the creature he saw that night did. He said the movement was smooth and fluid. That fact, along with the sheer size of the creature, convinced the witness this could not be a person in an ape suit or costume. The witness stated that while it was dark, there was enough moonlight to see the creature in silhouette until it made it to the wood line.
The stunned and rattled men returned to their vehicles and discussed what to do. They decided that it would be detrimental to their careers if they reported what they had seen and decided to say it was only a rabbit. The men discussed their experience periodically and always tried to find an “acceptable fit” to what they had seen. They all considered themselves to be rational men and wanted to find an explanation they could accept. The witness said that they never could come up with that more rational explanation and eventually had to agree they had seen a sasquatch that night.
I asked the witness if the squealing sound he heard that night would have been loud enough to be heard from the General’s quarters, approximately ½-mile away. He stated that he did not think so and said that thought had puzzled him as well. I also asked him if he felt that the creature he saw was the source of the squealing. He said that he didn’t know but the noise was not heard again once the creature was spotted. He added that he has since heard a rabbit squealing and the noise he heard that night in 1981 would be a very close match. He speculated that the creature he saw might have been attempting to catch a rabbit, causing it to scream in fear. He felt it more than possible that the creature he saw never vocalized at all.
The witness has lost touch with the other three men over the years, so I was not able to follow up with them. Having said that, I found this witness’s account compelling and could detect no signs of deception. He related his account in a calm but very intense manner. He remains convinced that what he saw that night in 1981 was not a person and that he encountered a sasquatch.
*Bergstrom Air Force Base was closed in 1993. The Austin-Bergstrom International Airport now occupies the site.
This and many other reports can be found on the TBRC website at http://www.texasbigfoot.com/reports/report.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
TBRC Report #01110018
I just finished looking into an old sasquatch sighting that allegedly occurred in the summer of 1973 in Tyler County, Texas. Below is the account of the witness and my report on the incident:
Man Recalls Road Encounter Near Woodville, Texas
Witness Observation
It was about 8:15 on a Tuesday evening, late July. Location was the end of Tile Plant Road about 1.5 miles southeast of Woodville, TX. I had slowed to cross a cattle guard and noticed what I thought was a person squatted on the bank of a small creek that runs through a friend's pasture. I stopped and it stood and headed across the pasture in my direction. I had not yet concluded this to be anything other than a trespassing fisherman, but when it covered the 100 yards from creek bank to fence in a very short time, I began to wonder. Wonder turned to astonishment as this critter (without breaking stride) cleared the 5 foot fence and 8 foot gap between fence and road landing in one step. Astonishment turned to terror when this thing stopped and faced me. Tall and heavy built, it was the largest two legged animal I'd seen outside a movie theater. Hair covered its body and most of the face with the head hair long (hanging passed the shoulders) and the face hair looking like a long beard. I was 10-12 feet from it and while the sun was low, I had not yet needed my head lights, so I was seeing him in somewhat dim light. This was not ape looking except for the hair and large long arms. I don't know what I saw, but it wasn't a man or an ape, and with that, I dumped the clutch and hauled it home.
Time and Conditions
8:00 pm - Weather was clear, hot, dusk light
Investigator's Comments
Michael C. Mayes
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in July of 1973 in Tyler County, Texas just outside of Woodville.
The witness, 17 years old at the time of the incident, had just dropped a friend off at his home at the end of Tile Plant Road (CR 4250) following a church youth function and was traveling north back toward FM 1746. He slowed his truck down to cross over a cattle guard installed at the boundary of the property owned by his friend’s family and, as he did so, happened to notice what he thought was a person squatting on the bank of a small creek which runs across the property. The witness brought his truck to a stop to take a better look. After he did so, the figure stood up and began walking quickly toward the road and his truck. The witness said he initially thought he was looking at a large African American man wearing a large coat. He wondered briefly why anyone would be wearing a big coat in July, but this train of thought quickly passed altogether when he realized just how big the approaching subject was.
The subject covered the approximately 100 yards between the spot on the creek where it was first observed and the fence line in a surprisingly short amount of time. The witness described the locomotion as a “gangly gait” but very smooth. He said it was hard to describe the movement. It was not a run, but more than a leisurely walk. The witness said the subject did not appear fearful, but acted as if it needed to get to the woods on the opposite side of the road. The witness was shocked when the subject cleared a three and one-half-foot barbed wire fence and stepped into the road about twelve to fifteen feet in front of him in, seemingly, one smooth movement. The witness said, “There must have been a bit of a leap in there somewhere,” as the fence was high and the road was elevated five to six feet higher than the level of the pasture (“turtle-backed” roads like this are very common in Southeast Texas due to the fifty to sixty inches of annual rainfall the region receives). The witness went on to say, “If he jumped I didn’t notice it. It all happened so quickly and it was just an effortless movement.”
The subject paused briefly in front of the truck of the witness and turned to look in his direction. The witness said the legs of the subject remained in profile while the entire upper half of its body pivoted his way. The witness said the subject paused for three to five seconds and was very close, allowing him a very good look. He described a massive creature that stood in excess of seven feet in height (this estimate was based on the fact that the subject towered over his 1963 Ford pick-up), was easily two and one-half to three times as wide as a normal man, and covered in very dark brown or black hair. The hair on the body was, as far as the witness recalls, a little more than one inch in length. The hair on the back of the head, shoulders, and upper back seemed to be a bit longer. The witness stressed the hair was not “mane-like” but definitely longer than the hair on the rest of the body. There was no hair from “eyes to mouth,” but it did grow down the sides of the head and under the mouth in a bit of a beard. The witness estimated the hair on the face was about the same length as the hair on the body.
The witness said the skin on the face was dark and the skin seemed very “thick and weathered.” He said the appearance of the skin was not like that of “tanned leather,” but more like someone who had been out in the sun for years. The witness struggled to further explain the appearance of the skin, stating that it was not “smooth and shiny like that of a gorilla but more textured.” At this point in the interview, the witness stressed that the face was not ape-like. He stopped short of saying the subject looked human, but could not really add more detail than it definitely didn’t look like an ape.
The witness was not able to give much detail about the body of the subject as his gaze was locked on the creature’s face. He did recall noticing pectoral muscles leading him to believe the hair on the chest area must have been thinner than on the rest of the body. He does not recall seeing any genitalia. He said the shoulders seemed wider than the hips but could not be sure due to the angle from which he was viewing the subject. The arms were very long but the witness felt they were “proportionate.” Toward the end of the encounter, as the subject walked into the forest, the witness said he noticed very thick and well-developed gluteal musculature.
After three to five seconds, the subject proceeded across the road and into the woods. The witness said he “popped the clutch” and got down the road as quickly as he could. He said that he shared the details of his encounter with his father, but his story was met with laughter. After that, the witness did not discuss the encounter further with anyone for many years. He never mentioned the incident to his friend, whom he had just dropped off, or his friend’s family. He has only recently told a few people about the strange encounter he had as a 17 year-old youth. He continues to be met with derision and ridicule; however, he no longer really cares what others think. He is confident in what he saw and that is why he decided to file a report with the TBRC.
I interviewed this witness at length and found no reason to suspect deception or misidentification. As part of my overall analysis of the interview and the reported information, it is necessary to concede that there is no empirical evidence that would support the witness’s claim; the date of the event alone would preclude the hope of any sort of corroboration, physical, circumstantial, or anecdotal. Moreover, I have taken into account the very real possibility that the witness’s memory could have, over time, both diminished and embellished certain facts, unintentionally or not. Having said that, in my judgment, the witness shared—in a straightforward and honest manner—his recollection of something he could not explain. It is my assessment that this gentleman no doubt believes that he had an extremely rare and up-close encounter with something matching the classic description of a sasquatch.
See this and other bigfoot reports at the TBRC website.
Man Recalls Road Encounter Near Woodville, Texas
Witness Observation
It was about 8:15 on a Tuesday evening, late July. Location was the end of Tile Plant Road about 1.5 miles southeast of Woodville, TX. I had slowed to cross a cattle guard and noticed what I thought was a person squatted on the bank of a small creek that runs through a friend's pasture. I stopped and it stood and headed across the pasture in my direction. I had not yet concluded this to be anything other than a trespassing fisherman, but when it covered the 100 yards from creek bank to fence in a very short time, I began to wonder. Wonder turned to astonishment as this critter (without breaking stride) cleared the 5 foot fence and 8 foot gap between fence and road landing in one step. Astonishment turned to terror when this thing stopped and faced me. Tall and heavy built, it was the largest two legged animal I'd seen outside a movie theater. Hair covered its body and most of the face with the head hair long (hanging passed the shoulders) and the face hair looking like a long beard. I was 10-12 feet from it and while the sun was low, I had not yet needed my head lights, so I was seeing him in somewhat dim light. This was not ape looking except for the hair and large long arms. I don't know what I saw, but it wasn't a man or an ape, and with that, I dumped the clutch and hauled it home.
Time and Conditions
8:00 pm - Weather was clear, hot, dusk light
Investigator's Comments
Michael C. Mayes
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in July of 1973 in Tyler County, Texas just outside of Woodville.
The witness, 17 years old at the time of the incident, had just dropped a friend off at his home at the end of Tile Plant Road (CR 4250) following a church youth function and was traveling north back toward FM 1746. He slowed his truck down to cross over a cattle guard installed at the boundary of the property owned by his friend’s family and, as he did so, happened to notice what he thought was a person squatting on the bank of a small creek which runs across the property. The witness brought his truck to a stop to take a better look. After he did so, the figure stood up and began walking quickly toward the road and his truck. The witness said he initially thought he was looking at a large African American man wearing a large coat. He wondered briefly why anyone would be wearing a big coat in July, but this train of thought quickly passed altogether when he realized just how big the approaching subject was.
The subject covered the approximately 100 yards between the spot on the creek where it was first observed and the fence line in a surprisingly short amount of time. The witness described the locomotion as a “gangly gait” but very smooth. He said it was hard to describe the movement. It was not a run, but more than a leisurely walk. The witness said the subject did not appear fearful, but acted as if it needed to get to the woods on the opposite side of the road. The witness was shocked when the subject cleared a three and one-half-foot barbed wire fence and stepped into the road about twelve to fifteen feet in front of him in, seemingly, one smooth movement. The witness said, “There must have been a bit of a leap in there somewhere,” as the fence was high and the road was elevated five to six feet higher than the level of the pasture (“turtle-backed” roads like this are very common in Southeast Texas due to the fifty to sixty inches of annual rainfall the region receives). The witness went on to say, “If he jumped I didn’t notice it. It all happened so quickly and it was just an effortless movement.”
The subject paused briefly in front of the truck of the witness and turned to look in his direction. The witness said the legs of the subject remained in profile while the entire upper half of its body pivoted his way. The witness said the subject paused for three to five seconds and was very close, allowing him a very good look. He described a massive creature that stood in excess of seven feet in height (this estimate was based on the fact that the subject towered over his 1963 Ford pick-up), was easily two and one-half to three times as wide as a normal man, and covered in very dark brown or black hair. The hair on the body was, as far as the witness recalls, a little more than one inch in length. The hair on the back of the head, shoulders, and upper back seemed to be a bit longer. The witness stressed the hair was not “mane-like” but definitely longer than the hair on the rest of the body. There was no hair from “eyes to mouth,” but it did grow down the sides of the head and under the mouth in a bit of a beard. The witness estimated the hair on the face was about the same length as the hair on the body.
The witness said the skin on the face was dark and the skin seemed very “thick and weathered.” He said the appearance of the skin was not like that of “tanned leather,” but more like someone who had been out in the sun for years. The witness struggled to further explain the appearance of the skin, stating that it was not “smooth and shiny like that of a gorilla but more textured.” At this point in the interview, the witness stressed that the face was not ape-like. He stopped short of saying the subject looked human, but could not really add more detail than it definitely didn’t look like an ape.
The witness was not able to give much detail about the body of the subject as his gaze was locked on the creature’s face. He did recall noticing pectoral muscles leading him to believe the hair on the chest area must have been thinner than on the rest of the body. He does not recall seeing any genitalia. He said the shoulders seemed wider than the hips but could not be sure due to the angle from which he was viewing the subject. The arms were very long but the witness felt they were “proportionate.” Toward the end of the encounter, as the subject walked into the forest, the witness said he noticed very thick and well-developed gluteal musculature.
After three to five seconds, the subject proceeded across the road and into the woods. The witness said he “popped the clutch” and got down the road as quickly as he could. He said that he shared the details of his encounter with his father, but his story was met with laughter. After that, the witness did not discuss the encounter further with anyone for many years. He never mentioned the incident to his friend, whom he had just dropped off, or his friend’s family. He has only recently told a few people about the strange encounter he had as a 17 year-old youth. He continues to be met with derision and ridicule; however, he no longer really cares what others think. He is confident in what he saw and that is why he decided to file a report with the TBRC.
I interviewed this witness at length and found no reason to suspect deception or misidentification. As part of my overall analysis of the interview and the reported information, it is necessary to concede that there is no empirical evidence that would support the witness’s claim; the date of the event alone would preclude the hope of any sort of corroboration, physical, circumstantial, or anecdotal. Moreover, I have taken into account the very real possibility that the witness’s memory could have, over time, both diminished and embellished certain facts, unintentionally or not. Having said that, in my judgment, the witness shared—in a straightforward and honest manner—his recollection of something he could not explain. It is my assessment that this gentleman no doubt believes that he had an extremely rare and up-close encounter with something matching the classic description of a sasquatch.
See this and other bigfoot reports at the TBRC website.
Monday, April 4, 2011
TBRC Mobile Field Guide App Now Available
I have some very cool news. The official TBRC iPhone app is now available to the public. To my knowledge, it is the only app of its kind out there.
The TBRC Mobile Field Guide app is for iPhone or iPod Touch devices and includes the following features:
- Quick access to encounter reports most recently investigated by the TBRC
- Easy categorization of reports by state and county (Tx, Ok, La, and Ar)
- Find reports closest to your location using geolocation (GPS enabled device required)
- Latest news and updates from the TBRC
The app costs only 99 cents and is available now on iTunes. Visit the TBRC site for more details.
The TBRC Mobile Field Guide app is for iPhone or iPod Touch devices and includes the following features:
- Quick access to encounter reports most recently investigated by the TBRC
- Easy categorization of reports by state and county (Tx, Ok, La, and Ar)
- Find reports closest to your location using geolocation (GPS enabled device required)
- Latest news and updates from the TBRC
The app costs only 99 cents and is available now on iTunes. Visit the TBRC site for more details.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
My "Blobsquatch" Photo
I’ve started and restarted writing this post several times over the last year or so. I’m just really not sure what to write, or even if I should write, about the photo below. I have taken a pretty hard line in the past on people and/or organizations who present bad photos as proof positive that the sasquatch does exist. The bar for photographic evidence is set very high. This is how it should be. A “blobsquatch”, which is basically what the photo below is, just won’t do it. I do think that, while they don’t meet the criteria for establishing proof positive, some photos are more compelling than others. In my mind, and I admit to possibly being biased as I was the photographer, the photo below falls into this category. So, how to present this? I think the best thing to do is just to tell the story of the sequence of events that led to the photograph being taken and leave it at that. Understand that I do not know what is in the photograph and make no claims as to what it might be. Simply, since I found it compelling I thought some others might too. Here goes…
In May of 2005 I had a sighting of what I believe to be a sasquatch in the Sam Houston National Forest of SE Texas. I won’t get into the details of the actual sighting as I’ve done that before and the details are available under the “my sighting” tab and on the TBRC website here. In August of that year, just three months after my visual, I returned to the SHNF. I made several trips back to the area during the weeks and months after the sighting. These trips predate my membership in the TBRC and took place during the time when I had decided I was going to attempt to find out what it was I saw and confirm, mainly for myself, once and for all, whether this animal was real or not. Three other men accompanied me on this trip including my brother and the friend who was present that night in May when a large, hair-covered, bipedal figure was seen on a remote forest service road.
We had been in the forest a couple of days. We had not seen or heard anything unusual. The trip had been decidedly unpleasant. It was brutally hot during the day and the nights were warm, sticky, humid, and buggy. On our last afternoon my brother and I took a walk in a low-lying area not too far from a creek. The area is heavily wooded and was colored a brilliant green as all the plants and trees were fully out. Palmetto palms are plentiful and there is a thick canopy provided from the hard woods growing in this bottom area. To move about requires a lot of meandering around various obstacles like deadfalls, vines, thorns, marshy areas, etc. The bottom line is that it is difficult to get around down there. My brother and I walked to this area hoping to get into a shady spot and escape the brutal heat. We were right in that there was a lot of shade but the overhanging canopy seemed to hold the humidity in like a sauna. Even so, we decided to stop and rest for a while before heading back to camp.
We had been down in this area for roughly 30-40 minutes when I noticed movement over my brother’s right shoulder roughly 20 yards away. I wish I could be more specific about what I saw but that is all I can really say. I had a 35mm film camera in my hand and immediately raised it and snapped a photo. I did not take time to aim or zoom. I simply raised the camera and snapped the picture. I caught a fleeting glimpse of something moving at about a 45-degree angle away from our position (picture a clock and an object moving from the center of the face to the 2:00 position). My brother turned immediately but whatever had been there was out of sight and he saw nothing. We did both hear the sound of something moving through the palmettos and leaf litter for a few seconds and then silence. We stayed still for another couple of minutes to see if we could hear more movement. When nothing happened we walked to the area where I thought I had seen something move. We sniffed around for quite a while but found nothing that indicated anything had ever been there. Shortly, thereafter, we returned to camp. As I mentioned, the camera I had at the time used film. It was not digital. That being the case, I had no idea what, if anything, I had captured. I did take the film in to be developed within a day or so of getting home but did not actually make it in to pick it up for a couple of weeks. Upon viewing the pictures, I was intrigued by the photo I took over my brother’s shoulder. Something large and dark appeared right in the middle of the photo. It is significantly darker than the surrounding vegetation. I think, and, again, I might be biased here, it is clear that whatever it is it is not a tree or stump. The contrast in how dark it is as compared to the trees and plants in the foreground and behind it is significant. Why would this tree or stump be so much darker? One friend who viewed the picture posited that it might be a burned tree stump. While controlled burns do take place in this area from time to time there was absolutely no sign of one having taken place in the recent past as of the taking of this photo. If that had been the case, other trees surely would have exhibited charring as well. I can’t imagine any sort of fire where only one tree was scorched. In addition, if the dark object had been a stump or tree it would have still been present when my brother and I examined the area. No such charred tree was there. I believe the dark object in the photo is what I saw move over my brother’s shoulder. I can’t prove it but that is my opinion.
I’ve enlarged the image and zoomed in on it closely. I still don’t know what it is. At some point enlargements begin to do more harm than good. Get too close and it looks like nothing or, depending on your mindset, anything. The picture proves nothing and I make no claims as to what it shows. My brother and I made no size comparisons to try to decipher the size of the object at the time as we had no access to the image. Remember it was a 35mm film camera I used. At the time I wasn’t sure I had managed to photograph anything at all. I’ve revisited the general site many times but can’t be sure I’ve ever managed to get back to the exact same spot. The area has flooded multiple times since this incident took place and it looks different every time I visit.
So, there you have it. The story of how I attained my very own “blobsquatch” photo. I can’t say with any certainty what, if anything, this picture shows. Some will look at this and just blow it off as a blackened stump. After all, you have only my word that there was no such stump there. Others will clearly see…something else. What was there I can only speculate upon. Make of it what you will.
In May of 2005 I had a sighting of what I believe to be a sasquatch in the Sam Houston National Forest of SE Texas. I won’t get into the details of the actual sighting as I’ve done that before and the details are available under the “my sighting” tab and on the TBRC website here. In August of that year, just three months after my visual, I returned to the SHNF. I made several trips back to the area during the weeks and months after the sighting. These trips predate my membership in the TBRC and took place during the time when I had decided I was going to attempt to find out what it was I saw and confirm, mainly for myself, once and for all, whether this animal was real or not. Three other men accompanied me on this trip including my brother and the friend who was present that night in May when a large, hair-covered, bipedal figure was seen on a remote forest service road.
We had been in the forest a couple of days. We had not seen or heard anything unusual. The trip had been decidedly unpleasant. It was brutally hot during the day and the nights were warm, sticky, humid, and buggy. On our last afternoon my brother and I took a walk in a low-lying area not too far from a creek. The area is heavily wooded and was colored a brilliant green as all the plants and trees were fully out. Palmetto palms are plentiful and there is a thick canopy provided from the hard woods growing in this bottom area. To move about requires a lot of meandering around various obstacles like deadfalls, vines, thorns, marshy areas, etc. The bottom line is that it is difficult to get around down there. My brother and I walked to this area hoping to get into a shady spot and escape the brutal heat. We were right in that there was a lot of shade but the overhanging canopy seemed to hold the humidity in like a sauna. Even so, we decided to stop and rest for a while before heading back to camp.
We had been down in this area for roughly 30-40 minutes when I noticed movement over my brother’s right shoulder roughly 20 yards away. I wish I could be more specific about what I saw but that is all I can really say. I had a 35mm film camera in my hand and immediately raised it and snapped a photo. I did not take time to aim or zoom. I simply raised the camera and snapped the picture. I caught a fleeting glimpse of something moving at about a 45-degree angle away from our position (picture a clock and an object moving from the center of the face to the 2:00 position). My brother turned immediately but whatever had been there was out of sight and he saw nothing. We did both hear the sound of something moving through the palmettos and leaf litter for a few seconds and then silence. We stayed still for another couple of minutes to see if we could hear more movement. When nothing happened we walked to the area where I thought I had seen something move. We sniffed around for quite a while but found nothing that indicated anything had ever been there. Shortly, thereafter, we returned to camp. As I mentioned, the camera I had at the time used film. It was not digital. That being the case, I had no idea what, if anything, I had captured. I did take the film in to be developed within a day or so of getting home but did not actually make it in to pick it up for a couple of weeks. Upon viewing the pictures, I was intrigued by the photo I took over my brother’s shoulder. Something large and dark appeared right in the middle of the photo. It is significantly darker than the surrounding vegetation. I think, and, again, I might be biased here, it is clear that whatever it is it is not a tree or stump. The contrast in how dark it is as compared to the trees and plants in the foreground and behind it is significant. Why would this tree or stump be so much darker? One friend who viewed the picture posited that it might be a burned tree stump. While controlled burns do take place in this area from time to time there was absolutely no sign of one having taken place in the recent past as of the taking of this photo. If that had been the case, other trees surely would have exhibited charring as well. I can’t imagine any sort of fire where only one tree was scorched. In addition, if the dark object had been a stump or tree it would have still been present when my brother and I examined the area. No such charred tree was there. I believe the dark object in the photo is what I saw move over my brother’s shoulder. I can’t prove it but that is my opinion.
I’ve enlarged the image and zoomed in on it closely. I still don’t know what it is. At some point enlargements begin to do more harm than good. Get too close and it looks like nothing or, depending on your mindset, anything. The picture proves nothing and I make no claims as to what it shows. My brother and I made no size comparisons to try to decipher the size of the object at the time as we had no access to the image. Remember it was a 35mm film camera I used. At the time I wasn’t sure I had managed to photograph anything at all. I’ve revisited the general site many times but can’t be sure I’ve ever managed to get back to the exact same spot. The area has flooded multiple times since this incident took place and it looks different every time I visit.
So, there you have it. The story of how I attained my very own “blobsquatch” photo. I can’t say with any certainty what, if anything, this picture shows. Some will look at this and just blow it off as a blackened stump. After all, you have only my word that there was no such stump there. Others will clearly see…something else. What was there I can only speculate upon. Make of it what you will.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
TBRC Report #01100065
I just finished looking into an old sasquatch sighting that allegedly occurred in the winter of 1979 in Angelina County, Texas.
Check out the witness's original statements and my report by visiting the TBRC website here.
Check out the witness's original statements and my report by visiting the TBRC website here.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
TBRC Report #02100007
Check out the latest sasquatch report submitted to the TBRC. This report comes out of Oklahoma near the South Canadian River and was investigated by my friend Paul Bowman.
Check it out here.
Check it out here.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Sasquatch Sighting in SE Texas
I took a trip to Liberty County in Southeast Texas last Saturday to meet with a gentleman who claims to have seen a sasquatch just off a farm to market road outside of Dayton. Fellow TBRC member and veteran investigator Daryl Colyer accompanied me on this trip. Below is my write-up on this incident:
This interview was conducted as a result of an alleged sighting of a large upright biped that matches the description of a sasquatch in Liberty County, Texas in February of 2010.
The witness was driving home from a meeting in Kennefick on FM 1008 at approximately 9:30pm. The witness rounded a slight curve in the road and spotted a large upright figure standing just off the shoulder on the opposite side of the road. The witness caught a brief glimpse of the figure as he passed at 50-55 mph. The witness, wanting to get a second look, stopped and turned his truck around at the first opportunity. When he arrived back at the sighting location the figure was gone. The witness then grabbed a flashlight, which he keeps in his truck at all times, and stepped out of his vehicle to see if he could spot the figure. He reported that he was shaking and was more than a bit unnerved by what he had seen so he didn't venture past the shoulder of the road to look. He did not manage to spot the figure again.
The sighting lasted only a few seconds but the witness claims to have been only 20-30 feet away and got an overall impression of the size of the figure. He initially described the individual as very broad and 6-6 1/2 feet tall. He was not able to discern color and could only say it was dark. The witness said it was almost like seeing a silhouette. The witness discerned no eye-shine but did have the impression the figure was facing his oncoming vehicle. The witness did not hear or smell anything unusual at the time of the sighting or after returning to the site upon turning around. The side of the road where the figure was seen is a privately owned piece of property with a residence on it. When asked if the figure could have been a person, possibly the property owner, the witness said firmly, "There is no way it was a person."
Fellow TBRC member Daryl Colyer and I visited the witness and the sighting location on Saturday October 2. We met and interviewed the witness again at that time (the initial interview was done over the phone). We were also able to meet one of the owners of the property where the sighting took place. She confirmed that back in February the witness had asked her whether her family had spotted any unusual animals on the property. The property owner said that the witness was told a large cat had been seen. She said the witness then asked about anything "sort of like a primate." The witness then shared the story of his encounter with the property owners. It should be noted at this time that the property is surrounded by forest. The opposite side of the road is heavily forested as well. The property also features a small lake/pond that lays right off the road and would have been directly behind the location where the figure was spotted.
The couple who own the property where the incident took place know the witness and are split in their opinion of what happened that night. The husband, who was at work when we visited and whom we did not meet, is skeptical and feels the witness likely misidentified a person or an animal of some kind. The wife was present during our entire investigation and believes the witness may have indeed spotted a sasquatch. It is important to note that neither of them feels the witness is lying or perpetrating a hoax.
Colyer and I both reached the conclusion that the witness saw something for which he could not account. The description given of an upright large biped seems to rule out known animals that inhabit the area. It would also seem logical to assume if it had been a person walking along the road they would have still been present when the witness turned around and returned to the spot where the figure was seen. In addition, a re-enactment of the sighting seems to indicate that the figure's size would preclude it from being a human. We had the witness stand in the road in the approximate spot from which he saw the figure. Investigator Colyer, who stands right at 6 feet tall, stood in the approximate spot where the figure was located. The witness stated that the figure was far taller and wider than Colyer. Investigator Colyer then raised his arm over his head and the witness agreed the figure stood at a height approximating that of his upraised hand. This would make the figure at least 7 feet tall. In addition to the re-enactment, we were able to see that there are no trees, structures, etc. in the area that the witness could have misidentified.
The TBRC continues to collect and investigate reports of encounters, both contemporary and historical, with bipedal ape-like creatures in Liberty County and surrounding Big Thicket Counties. Southeast Texas continues to be the most prolific area in the four-state region for reports of encounters of this nature.
The official report will be posted on the TBRC website shortly. It will include additional photos from my trip and aerial photos of the area taken by TBRC member Ken Stewart. As always, an interactive map of the area in question will also be included. If you haven't visited the TBRC site I would invite you to do so. It is extremely cool, user friendly, and has a very large database of sightings that you can browse through.
This interview was conducted as a result of an alleged sighting of a large upright biped that matches the description of a sasquatch in Liberty County, Texas in February of 2010.
The witness was driving home from a meeting in Kennefick on FM 1008 at approximately 9:30pm. The witness rounded a slight curve in the road and spotted a large upright figure standing just off the shoulder on the opposite side of the road. The witness caught a brief glimpse of the figure as he passed at 50-55 mph. The witness, wanting to get a second look, stopped and turned his truck around at the first opportunity. When he arrived back at the sighting location the figure was gone. The witness then grabbed a flashlight, which he keeps in his truck at all times, and stepped out of his vehicle to see if he could spot the figure. He reported that he was shaking and was more than a bit unnerved by what he had seen so he didn't venture past the shoulder of the road to look. He did not manage to spot the figure again.
The sighting lasted only a few seconds but the witness claims to have been only 20-30 feet away and got an overall impression of the size of the figure. He initially described the individual as very broad and 6-6 1/2 feet tall. He was not able to discern color and could only say it was dark. The witness said it was almost like seeing a silhouette. The witness discerned no eye-shine but did have the impression the figure was facing his oncoming vehicle. The witness did not hear or smell anything unusual at the time of the sighting or after returning to the site upon turning around. The side of the road where the figure was seen is a privately owned piece of property with a residence on it. When asked if the figure could have been a person, possibly the property owner, the witness said firmly, "There is no way it was a person."
Fellow TBRC member Daryl Colyer and I visited the witness and the sighting location on Saturday October 2. We met and interviewed the witness again at that time (the initial interview was done over the phone). We were also able to meet one of the owners of the property where the sighting took place. She confirmed that back in February the witness had asked her whether her family had spotted any unusual animals on the property. The property owner said that the witness was told a large cat had been seen. She said the witness then asked about anything "sort of like a primate." The witness then shared the story of his encounter with the property owners. It should be noted at this time that the property is surrounded by forest. The opposite side of the road is heavily forested as well. The property also features a small lake/pond that lays right off the road and would have been directly behind the location where the figure was spotted.
The couple who own the property where the incident took place know the witness and are split in their opinion of what happened that night. The husband, who was at work when we visited and whom we did not meet, is skeptical and feels the witness likely misidentified a person or an animal of some kind. The wife was present during our entire investigation and believes the witness may have indeed spotted a sasquatch. It is important to note that neither of them feels the witness is lying or perpetrating a hoax.
Colyer and I both reached the conclusion that the witness saw something for which he could not account. The description given of an upright large biped seems to rule out known animals that inhabit the area. It would also seem logical to assume if it had been a person walking along the road they would have still been present when the witness turned around and returned to the spot where the figure was seen. In addition, a re-enactment of the sighting seems to indicate that the figure's size would preclude it from being a human. We had the witness stand in the road in the approximate spot from which he saw the figure. Investigator Colyer, who stands right at 6 feet tall, stood in the approximate spot where the figure was located. The witness stated that the figure was far taller and wider than Colyer. Investigator Colyer then raised his arm over his head and the witness agreed the figure stood at a height approximating that of his upraised hand. This would make the figure at least 7 feet tall. In addition to the re-enactment, we were able to see that there are no trees, structures, etc. in the area that the witness could have misidentified.
The TBRC continues to collect and investigate reports of encounters, both contemporary and historical, with bipedal ape-like creatures in Liberty County and surrounding Big Thicket Counties. Southeast Texas continues to be the most prolific area in the four-state region for reports of encounters of this nature.
The official report will be posted on the TBRC website shortly. It will include additional photos from my trip and aerial photos of the area taken by TBRC member Ken Stewart. As always, an interactive map of the area in question will also be included. If you haven't visited the TBRC site I would invite you to do so. It is extremely cool, user friendly, and has a very large database of sightings that you can browse through.
Monday, September 13, 2010
New Report on the TBRC Website
There is a new report on the TBRC website regarding an alleged sasquatch sighting in Panola County, Texas.
Check it out here.
Check it out here.
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