Thursday, December 22, 2016

Florida - Harper's History Vol 1 #10

by Scott Harper

  "Skunk Ape" is the term commonly used in the state of Florida for Sasquatch—or Sasquatch-like creatures. There is actually ample evidence that the beings in Florida are some type of subspecies, rather than Sasquatch as we tend to think of them. The Skunk Ape, many reports claim, are thinner, leaner, have sparser hair, are more openly aggressive, and tend to have varying numbers of toes. Tracks have been found displaying only two toes—as if the normal five were merged together with only a divide in the middle—up to six, or even seven toes per foot.





  The leading hypothesis as to why the creatures in that region seem to be to altered is inbreeding due to isolation. Still, it isn't only the Sasquatch which are smaller in Florida. Most mammal species are. Deer, squirrel, opossum, raccoon, rabbits, etc. all tend to be smaller, and leaner than their counterparts further north in the United States. At least this is true in Central, and Southern Florida. Given the warmer climate, and very mild winters there, animals don't need the bulky fat supply to keep them warm, and nourished. This may, at least in part, account for the leaner Sasquatch so often reported in the state.
  The name "Skunk Ape" comes from the unspeakably putrid stench commonly reported in association with the creatures. Having lived in Florida for fourteen years, and suffered the legendary Florida heat, and humidity for all that time, it's no stretch of the imagination to think of how it's possible for them to smell so bad! Still, despite this, smell isn't a factor in every sighting; not even in ones where the creature is seen fairly close up. This lends support to the hypothesis that these creatures can emit that signature stench at will, as a warning, or defense, perhaps.





  Presently, Florida ranks as number four in the United States for the most Sasquatch sightings. It is surpassed only by Washington (#1), California (#2), and Oregon (#3) in the number of sightings recorded each year. Many of these sightings come out of the Everglades. However, when I lived in Florida, I lived in Pasco County, about 20 minutes north of Tampa. Pasco County can sometimes see 30 or more sightings reports per year alone. However, it isn't only today in which we find sightings of the creatures in the Sunshine State.
  Native American tribes in Florida have a long, rich history of stories involving Sasquatch. However, they are typically unwilling to speak of these with anyone not of their own tribe. Still, it isn't only the native tribes who have had sightings of, and encounters with these beings.
  August of 1884 saw a very peculiar occurrence in the area of Ocheesee Pond in Jackson County, Florida. After several sightings of a hairy "wild man", a party of men gathered, and forayed into the swamps with the intent of capturing the creature. According to record, they succeeded. The being they brought back was described as "emaciated", and "covered with a phenomenal growth of hair". The creature was sent to Tallahassee. The records regarding the captured being end there. No one seems to know what became of it after the transfer.





  In 1947, or 1948, a young man spotted a Sasquatch among a stand of pine trees while riding his horse. Based on the movements the creature made, the young man thought the Sasquatch may have been scratching its back on the tree in the manner of a bear. This took place near Palatka, Florida.
  While boar hunting in the everglades in 1957 a man sighted what he first thought to be a bear. However, the creature stood up on a pair of legs, standing roughly 8-feet-tall. The being had reflective orange/yellow eyes. The hunter didn't wait to see more; he ran back to his truck, and left the area.
  Near Hollywood, Florida—not far from the Everglades—in 1960 a driver spotted what he described as a 5-foot-tall "adolescent Skunk Ape" walk out of a drainage ditch alongside the road.
  1969 saw two sightings near the town of Davie, Florida. In the first, a man encountered a "smelly, growling" Sasquatch in an old, abandoned guava orchard. In the second, a "huge, black" Sasquatch was treed by dogs in an orange grove. The creature swung through the trees, and dove into a canal to escape.






  The state of Florida boasts a wide, diverse ecosystem. It has plenty to offer in the way of resources for a being such as Sasquatch. Parts of the state are still heavily forested, and swampy. These areas would provide plenty of cover, water, and food in the way of plants, fish, birds, eggs, insects, larva, amphibians, and prey mammals. Not to mention the abundance of human garbage for those with an inclination—or need due to age, illness, or injury—to scavenge close to people. Given the sightings records, and native awareness of these creatures, it seems apparent that not only are they taking full advantage of what Florida has to offer them now, but they have been doing so for quite some time.


About the Author

 Scott Harper is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 published short stories, and several novels. Harper grew up in Ohio, and graduated from Marysville High School in 1993, and began screenwriting in 2007, after the publication of several short stories and novels. He has worked on projects for James Tucker Productions, and 11th Dimension Films. He is currently involved with several projects, covering literature, film, and comic books. He was also a contributing writer for "Nuclear Winter Entertainment" for several months before that site shut down. Scott is very happily married to bestselling paranormal author DesirĂ©e Lee. Together, they have a wonderful little girl, and are working jointly on several projects. Those projects include multiple books, as well as the hit webcomic "MoonWraith." 


  More information about his work can be found on his website: www.scottharper.net



Blog Post by Dan Lindholm





Monday, December 5, 2016

Delaware - Harper's History Vol.1 #9

by Scott Harper


  Delaware seems to be another state without any real history where Sasquatch is concerned. Although Delaware is a long way from Colorado, the two states share this in common, at least. While researching this article, I ran into the same issue—a distinct lack of historical sightings—that I had in the Colorado piece for this series of articles.





  Why is that? Let's take a look at American history. Delaware was the first US state; it was one of the thirteen colonies to partake in the American Revolution. Since Europeans have been on land now know as the United States, we've been in the area we know today as Delaware. Back then, there was no dearth of trackless forest for Sasquatch to retreat into in order to avoid the new settlers arriving from England. Given that, it's really no surprise that people back then didn't have a lot of encounters with Sasquatch.





  Add to that the stiff religious beliefs of the time, coupled of the common labeling of Sasquatch as "demons" or "devils" and such. Even if settlers encountered such beings would they be apt to speak out about their sighting in such conditions?
  Looking at Sasquatch sightings today, we find a few in the state of Delaware. Have a small population been there all along, and people are only now talking about them? Or have a few Sasquatch ventured into the tiny state simply because they have nowhere else to go given human encroachment upon the wilderness?





  The earliest account I'm aware of for the state of Delaware is the one mentioned in John Green's iconic book "Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us" on page 227. Mr. Green speaks of a newspaper article collected in his files of reports, which lacks a date. He surmises that it "seems to be fairly recent". Given as the book was first published in 1978, that would likely put the sighting sometime in the early-to-mid 1970s. The report is simply that a group of teenagers claimed to have spotted a "half-man, half-animal running on two legs in the woods near Cedar Swamp, near Selbyville." From there we jump to the 1990s for the next report I've been able to find from the state of Delaware.

  Did early Americans see Sasquatch in the forests, and just not talk about them? Or did the Sasquatch flee West, North or South keeping ahead of the settlers, and avoiding contact with them? It's a question we may never have a definitive answer to.


About the Author

 Scott Harper is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 published short stories, and several novels. Harper grew up in Ohio, and graduated from Marysville High School in 1993, and began screenwriting in 2007, after the publication of several short stories and novels. He has worked on projects for James Tucker Productions, and 11th Dimension Films. He is currently involved with several projects, covering literature, film, and comic books. He was also a contributing writer for "Nuclear Winter Entertainment" for several months before that site shut down. Scott is very happily married to bestselling paranormal author DesirĂ©e Lee. Together, they have a wonderful little girl, and are working jointly on several projects. Those projects include multiple books, as well as the hit webcomic "MoonWraith." 


  More information about his work can be found on his website: www.scottharper.net



Blog Post by Dan Lindholm