by Scott Harper
Anyone interested in the subject
of Sasquatch is probably most familiar with the state of Idaho due to Dr. Jeff
Meldrum. Dr. Meldrum is based at Idaho State University, and has become one of
the handful of scientists who take the subject of Sasquatch seriously. He has
appeared in numerous documentaries on the topic. He has also written an
excellent book on the subject. Historically, Idaho has a bit more to offer on
the topic of Sasquatch than just Dr. Meldrum, though.
1893 saw the publication of Theodore Roosevelt's book "The Wilderness Hunter". In it, he included the now-classic account of a trapper in Idaho who was apparently slain by a Sasquatch, while in camp, as his trapping partner gathered beaver traps.
In 1902 the Dubuque
Telegraph-Herald ran a story telling of an eight-foot-tall, hair—covered
creature that attacked a group of ice skaters on a frozen lake in January of
that year. According to the article, the creature wielded a club, and "yelled"
at the skaters as it went after them. The skaters managed to escape. The
article doesn't mention if any were harmed in the attack. The article wraps up
by saying that twenty men were tracking the creature in an effort to capture
it. No word of their level of success is given. The attack took place in
Bannock County.
A hunter filed a report in 1957
in which he claimed a 9-foot-tall Sasquatch leapt from cover, and snatched up a
deer the hunter had just shot. According to the report, the Sasquatch tucked
the dead animal under one arm, and walked off with it—even after the man shot
the Sasquatch in the back with his 30.06.
In the summer of 1963 an
8-year-old boy began climbing on a cedar tree his father had just felled. The
boy, and his father, saw what appeared to have been a juvenile Sasquatch. The
creature leapt onto the tree with the boy—about eight inches in front of him,
according to the father's estimate! When the boy screamed, the small Sasquatch
fled. This took place on Moscow Mountain. Interestingly, in the same part of
the state, in early 2017, a 50-year-old woman hit a deer with her car. She
claimed that a Sasquatch had chased the deer onto the road.
While there are a fairly steady
stream of sightings coming from the northern part of the state today, there
isn't a whole lot to be found in decades past. This makes me wonder if Sasquatch haven't simply passed through on occasion in years past, but have
settled into the region more recently.
Another thing to ponder is the
claims made by some that the US military sometimes—or frequently, depending
upon the claim—venture into the forests in parts of the USA for the sole task
of exterminating Sasquatch. The reasons for these outings vary, again,
depending upon the claim. Some reports I've read state that these killings are
to eliminate groups of Sasquatch that have turned hostile toward humans. Others
claim that they're simply to keep the general public from ever getting concrete
evidence for the existence of Sasquatch. Still others quote connections with
the logging industry as the reason for these. Imagine what would happen to the
logging industry as a whole if Sasquatch were put on a national endangered species
list!
Regardless of the reasoning
behind them, if these killings by the US military do take place, Sasquatch,
intelligent beings that they are, would be sure to adapt. They would head into
places where they've historically spent less time in an attempt to hide. This
makes me wonder if such military missions aren't at least part of the reason
why Sasquatch are seen more frequently in present days in Idaho than they used
to be. If the US military is targeting Sasquatch in states with historically
higher populations, and number of sightings, it's possible that the Sasquatch
are adapting by fanning out, and heading into places they've frequented less in
the past. Could this have something to do
with the more recent higher number of sightings of Sasquatch in Idaho?
Sasquatch wouldn't recognize
state borders proclaimed by humans. They would just go where they could make a
living the best at a given time of year. Regardless, it seems apparent that
Idaho is Sasquatch territory—one way or the other.
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 Desirée 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
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