Dave Groves Detailed Sasquatch Sighting Account

     

Dave Groves Shares His Sasquatch Encounters With Ed Brown

by Dave Groves

My encounter happened in the spring/summer months of 2010. I took a friend to the Marienville/Timberline ATV trails northeast of Marienville Pennsylvania in the Allegheny National Forest, to ride ATV’s for the day. Allegheny National Forest covers approximately 515,000 acres or 800 square miles of protected wilderness. The Forest is pretty dense in most spots and has many types of terrain. From my understanding the Allegheny National Forest is one of the least densely populated areas east of the Mississippi River. Surrounding the Forest are more woodlands and farm country.

The 2 trail systems we were riding that weekend join together and make an approximate 60-80 mile loop from the northern end down to the bottom, and then back up the other side of the loop. My encounter happened on our return back up, heading North. I remember it rained very hard the night before and through the early morning because my friend, who was new to ATV'ing, didn't bring rain gear. We had to go into town to buy him some cheap rain gear and then headed up to the trail.

It rained the first half hour or so of our ride and I remember the sun coming out and it was turning into a really nice day for a ride. For those that ride ATV’s, they know that the rain makes mud, which is much more fun to ride in than dust. A few hours into the ride, having stopped and observed some beaver dams, some very old oil wells, a couple logged out areas where you could see for what seemed like miles and other cool sites that the forest has to offer, I was getting in more of a hurry to get back - it was approaching the end of the day. My buddy was way behind me so I decided to stop on the trail and wait for him. I usually don't separate from atv buddies when riding, but this part of the trail was an abandoned logging trail and pretty easy so I rode ahead awhile and then decided to stop and wait for him. He didn’t ride fast or dangerous; he "putted" so I knew he was safe, just slow. If he didn't show up I would turn around and meet up with him.

I wasn’t sitting long. I just took my helmet off and my ATV was still running, as I remember hearing the fan kicking on to cool down the engine. That’s when I noticed rocks kept hitting the front right side of my ATV. They weren’t large rocks, maybe about or just smaller than hand sized. It took a minute or so before it occurred to me that I was stopped and that rocks should not be flying through the air and hitting my atv. I was turning my head towards the right to follow the path of these "air rocks" as I called them, when my turn stopped. I noticed this dark figure, approximately 70-90 feet away, that appeared to be in a sitting or crouching, or just a low position, stand up into an upright position. I’ll never forget how it seemed to pop right up like it was on a spring, with very little effort. I never made eye contact with it; my eyesight was lined up right on its right side while it was facing me. It appeared to be taller than a normal human – best guess at this point would be 7 foot or so, and not a bear for sure. It was VERY broad at the shoulders. Almost freakishly broad – I remember that very well. It was on 2 legs and I could see its right arm hanging down, which was on the left side because it was facing me. I remember wanting to watch its arm and hand to see if “it” was armed or what it might be doing. That is funny to me now, because for some reason I assumed it was right handed. I noticed that it didn’t turn and walk away, but rather it stepped straight backwards into the brush and the trees and not take its aim away from me. It stayed square to me as it was moving backwards. This all happened in the span of no more than 30 seconds, from the time I noticed something squatting or sitting, until it moved backwards. When I play it it over and over in my mind, it seems more like 30 minutes. At this point an overwhelming fear just filled my mind, and I remember feeling like I shouldn’t be in this spot right now. I don’t remember shaking in fear or anything like that, but I felt warm and almost like I was going to puke. So I hit the gas and took off.  I wish now that I wouldn’t have just fled, but the feeling that came over me was not like I’d experienced before. I had my smart phone/camera in my fender bag and it NEVER occurred to me to get it out and start video. I honestly couldn’t move for a short period of time.

I have been surprised by people walking up on me in the woods and have hunted all my life, so animal encounters, even bear-from a distance - do not scare or alarm me. I was in the military for 6 years, and actually had the honor to serve as SEAL TEAM 4 and SDV TEAM 2 (the old UDT TEAM 2) support, as part of a spec war boat crew. During that time, I had many highly anxious experiences as one could imagine. (I.e.: in country support for the Grenada team that rescued the college students in the early to mid 80’s, as well as providing small gunship support in Lebanon in the early 80’s and several off shore central American excursions). To summarize, I am pretty observant, I don’t have a tendency to over react and I don’t scare easy. I am very level headed and definitely not crazy. I didnt instantly think "Bigfoot" as I wasn’t a REAL believer then. At least I doubted their existence in the Eastern US and if they existed it was only in the Northwest US, Canada or Alaska.  This encounter took my emotions to places they had not been or at least had not been for a long time. It has been going through my head for over 4 years. I didn't tell anybody except my fiancee within the first year after the encounter. Now - quite a few people know. The person I was riding with that day just found out in 2014. I never told him about the story before, but because I couldn’t remember if it was springtime or late summer/Fall when this happened. I asked him last week if he remembered. When he told me it was springtime, he naturally asked why – what’s up? I told him what happened. It turns out that he believes in these creatures too. He then realized why I was acting so weird when we finally caught back up with each other, and then on the 2 and a half hour truck ride home. Now I wish I would have told him then. Maybe we could have joined together and went back to look for signs or whatever we could find. Instead, the overwhelming feeling of “What the hell was that”, and “I can’t tell anybody-they won’t believe me anyways” took over and I kept it to myself.

Nobody has to tell me what I saw or didn't see. I knew what I saw. I saw a large dark figure with hair that could throw rocks (and very accurately), stand up within 100 foot from me, in a large dense forest where there arent any cabins or people just hanging out.  I still do leave the option open for an extremely large man in a heavily padded Gilly suit with hair on it standing about 100 foot from the trail just waiting for someone to stop in that exact spot so he could throw rocks at him and take a chance of getting shot (most folks on ATVs will pack a handgun when riding in deep woods. At least that's my experience). Now that’s being honest, but trying to make a truth out of what happened. Of course that option is slim, but it will always be there as I didn't walk up to this thing and shake its hand or hug it, so being 100% sure it was a Sasquatch just isn't possible. I am at 99.999% sure though. I do know that a fear like I’ve not felt in a long time, if ever, took over me for awhile. Something told me to go, to move on, that I shouldn't be here right now. Again - I am a very rational person and this just didn't make sense to me at all.

I eventually plan on returning to that general area, on ATV and parking the bike and doing some walking. I just need to look around and feel comfortable with that. Ever since my encounter, I cannot put this down. I’ve been researching since and came across various online groups that discuss encounters. I want to learn as much as I can before returning and looking around and I want to go armed with more knowledge than I have now. I'm getting close and actually want to return this Fall, for at least another day of riding. Some of my biggest questions since learning more about these creatures are “What the hell was it doing there, close to used ATV trails” and “Why did it draw my attention to itself?” If it hadn’t thrown rocks I would not have looked and if it hadn’t stood up, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it. Someone from another group (Debbie’s name will not be mentioned –lol), told me that maybe it was travelling and recently crossed that trail. The reason for rock throwing and drawing attention to IT was possibly to draw attention to it on purpose so my attention wouldn’t go to something else nearby less able to protect itself. I interpret that as young ones. That NEVER crossed my mind. Just to realize that one was in the area blew my mind away and made me start thinking differently about what could be out there. Now, there may have been more? I’ll never know that for sure, but it does make sense to that question that’s been bugging me.

In the spring of 2014, I had a member of one of the groups I belong to, contact me and ask me if I would be interested in helping him research one of many habituation areas that he knows of. This area is 75 miles North East of my home, and only 20-30 miles West of where my encounter occurred. I took him up on that offer and have been travelling the 75 miles each way, approximately every other weekend. It has been amazing. We have found and photographed many tree breaks, snaps of green live trees. Those snaps are at about 4-6 foot off the ground. We have not located most of the tops of those trees, as they were apparently carried somewhere else. My research partner has figured out, through years of watching this area that something has been making this area “thicker” and bringing in tress. I assume that’s where the tops of those small to medium size live trees are going as well.  We have found other medium sized trees lying near the snap, and followed the tree up to approximately 6 foot high, if the tree were still standing. We found some amazing “grip” marks and tears as if something was holding that tree about 6 foot high. We have found several prints, from 14-16 inches long. Several trees along a track way with bang marks on them at 5-6 foot high – as if something smacked a rock hard against those trees. We have had sounds from one of the hillsides that I cannot explain, nor have ever heard from the Pa. woods before. We will continue to research here and hopefully they will become used to us and trust us. Who knows?

Since my 2010 encounter, I have dropped my long guns and do not deer hunt anymore. Even though I deer hunted over a hundred miles away from this area, I just no longer feel right about going in the woods, in the dark, by myself to hunt and kill something bigger than I am that may be this creatures food. I am not sure why I quit, maybe out of respect for this creature now that I know they exist. I still enjoy the woods and will always ride ATV’s in as deep in as I can get them – where the real wild lives. I will continue to camp when the opportunity presents itself. This encounter didn’t stop me from enjoying the woods, but it made me think differently of the woods when I’m in them.

I remember when the show FINDING BIGFOOT was airing an episode from Allegheny National Forest, maybe 2-3 years ago. The show was named Bigfoot and the Redhead and centered on the Kinzua railroad bridge that blew down in bad winds several years ago, and the valley below it. I texted everybody that I knew at the time, whether they knew of my experience or not, and told them this show was doing an episode from Pa. The show was actually filmed approximately 30 miles from my encounter, but I found it interesting they thought something might exist in the Forest. Today - I KNOW that something out of the ordinary DOES exist in and/or around Allegheny National Forest north of Marienville Pa. For those that ride that trail, keep an eye open and please post if you see something interesting. I for one would love to know if someone else see's something similar there. I will certainly post if I have another encounter or gather evidence from that area when I do return.

Thanks for believing! They DO exist and they ARE out there………..

For those that don’t believe, good for you too. We all have our opinions. But this wasn’t an opinion; it was a truth that happened to me.  Take it for whatever it’s worth. I can only say that now I know what’s really out there. I have no idea what their intentions are, but my encounter wasn’t met with violence or aggression. At least not the kind of aggression that would result in my having to defend myself.  This creature acted on experience, not self preservation. It left me alone for the most part. It could have easily attacked me before I could have gotten off my ATV and drew on it, which by the way NEVER crossed my mind.

So – there is a lot to learn now. I just hope I can return to this area, hopefully soon, and look around in a woods that I’ve been in many times, but looking for something different than I have in the past.

Blog Post by Dan Lindholm

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Harper's History Vol.1 #5 - ARKANSAS

by Scott Harper

  When it comes to Sasquatch in Arkansas, the thing that tends to leap to mind first is the famous case of the Fouke Monster. Sightings of this creature were many in the area of Miller County, Arkansas in the early 1970's. Reports of the Fouke Monster stretch back to at least the early 1950's, though. However, the Fouke Monster is far from the first time such beings have been sighted within the state's borders.

  1834 saw a report filed of a "gigantic" creature that was covered in hair. The reported creature was said to cover 12-14 feet of ground at one time as it leapt from sight, and into cover.

In 1846, 22-inch-long footprints were found in a place named Crowley's Ridge.

  A "gigantic wild man" was reportedly seen by hunters to be chasing cattle in the year 1851. This report was from Greene County, Arkansas. According to the report, the Sasquatch seemed to be trying to catch a calf that was part of the herd of cattle. When the creature became aware of the hunters, it stopped chasing the calf, stared at the men for a short time, and then ran away. The hunters claimed the Sasquatch left 13-inch-long footprints behind.

  In 1856, a newspaper carried many accounts of sightings of a 7-foot-tall being. The creature had been spotted numerous times by hunters, hikers, campers, and others spending time in the woods. So many reports of what seemed to be the same creature ended up being filed that locals took it to mean that one Sasquatch was wandering the area, responsible for the mass of sightings.

  April of 1856 brought in a report of a tall, hair-covered being breaking through the ice covering a frozen lake. It seems that this sighting took place far enough from the general mass of sightings elsewhere in the state to have been considered a different creature than the one responsible for the larger collection of accounts in the state that year. This sighting spurred one of the relatively few violent encounters on record between human, and Sasquatch.

  A group of hunters went out on horseback. They planned to not only find the creature, but to capture it alive. They succeeded in only the first part of their endeavor. The men tracked down the Sasquatch, but the creature didn't turn, and flee as they had expected. Instead, it charged at the hunters, and their horses. Before the men could properly react, the Sasquatch grabbed one of the hunters, yanking him from his horse—injuring the horse in the process.

  Once the man had struck the ground, the Sasquatch set upon him, scratching violently at him, and even going so far as to bite chunks from the man's shoulder, and several other parts of his body. The frenzied scratching of the creature took out one of the man's eyes, also. The wounded hunter survived the violent attack. When the Sasquatch finally broke off, it immediately left—hauling the injured horse away as it went.

  Why didn't the other hunters open fire on the Sasquatch as it attacked one member of their group? Nothing to answer this question seems to be on record. Maybe they were simply too stunned by the abrupt, and vicious turn of events to react? We don't know.

  The wounded man's friends joined up with a few Choctaw Native Americans who were in the area, hunting. The merged group tracked the Sasquatch deeper into the mountains. Ultimately, however, they lost their quarry in passes clogged with deep snow from a harsh winter.

  In 1865 a trapper discovered a trail of very large footprints. He followed the tracks, not knowing what type of animal had made them. While following the prints up a steep hill, a rumbling sound made the man look up. He discovered a large boulder rolling down the hill toward him, followed closely by a second one. After evading them, the man turned his attention back uphill, spotting a huge man-like figure at the top of the incline. As the creature set about sending a third boulder downhill after him, the trapper turned, fleeing.

  Throughout the year of 1874 several sightings of "wild men" were reported. Most of these reports came in from hunters, trappers, and other people who spent the majority of their time in the woods. Many attempts were made to track down one of the creatures. None were, as far as we know, successful.

  Given the old sightings reports, and footprint finds recounted above, and looking at the steady flow of modern-day reports from the state, it seems that it has a long history of Sasquatch habitation. The boggy swamplands of Arkansas would provide plenty of food for a species such as Sasquatch—in the forms of both vegetation, and prey animals. They would also give plenty of water, and cover in which to conceal themselves. The large areas of swamp would also offer track ways for the creatures to use without leaving footprints.

  Not to say that the state of Arkansas is all swampland! Arkansas boasts a very diverse geography. Within its borders are also valleys, mountains, lakes, forests, and even hot springs. Each of these would also provide Sasquatch in the area with needed cover, and other resources.

Given the mix of elements found within the state, and having reports of Sasquatch reaching so far back, it looks as if Sasquatch have long since made Arkansas home.


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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Bigtruth Presents Harper's History Vol.1 #4 - ARIZONA

By Scott Harper

  

  Arizona is primarily a hot, dry desert state. It isn't what comes instantly to mind upon hearing the word "Sasquatch". However, a lot of people aren't aware that Arizona does boast some forested areas that look, and feel a lot like the Pacific Northwest. This forest accounts for only about twenty-seven percent of the state, though. Historically speaking, these northern wooded areas are where a lot of Sasquatch sightings in Arizona have taken place. In more recent times, we're seeing more accounts coming from the lower, hotter desert areas of the state. My hypothesis on this is a return to the idea of Sasquatch needing to expand their typical roaming territory as humans continue encroaching upon their domain. It's something I've discussed before in this series of articles.

  Regardless, Arizona isn't exactly a hot-spot for Sasquatch sightings, or encounters. There are some reports which come out of the state, though. Again, most of these come from the verdant northern sections of Arizona. For those who have never been there—my wife, and I took a honeymoon trip to the Grand Canyon—the northern part of Arizona can be as damp, rainy, chilly, and mist-enshrouded as primeval northern California, Oregon, and Washington forests, even while the rest of the state is baking like a dry oven!
   In 1920, a miner returning to his camp found the trail blocked by a pair of Sasquatch. From the description he gave of the creatures, they appear to have been a male and a female. Fortunately for the miner, the Sasquatch seemed to be only curious. They stood in the trail, watching him, not moving. After a minute or so of this, the miner simply led his mule around the creatures, and continued on his way, unbothered by the Sasquatch. The nearest town to this event at the time was Payson. There doesn't seem to be anything on record, however, describing just how far from Payson this sighting took place.
  Somewhere near Flagstaff, in 1925, two women witnessed a Sasquatch taking turnips, and corn from their garden.

  Not far north of Winslow, in 1965 a school teacher sighted what seemed to be a juvenile Sasquatch beside a road. The 3-foot-tall creature was described as "hopping and scrambling". No indication seems to have been given as to whether the small being was playing, or had been injured.
  Possibly the most telling, however, is something that still exists to this day. About eighteen miles northwest of Gila Bend, Arizona—which is in the southwestern part of the state; in a very hot, dry climate—is the Painted Rock Petroglyph site. Primitive cave-painting-type of artwork can be found there. It's thought that these paintings were created over the time span ranging from 300 B.C.E, until sometime in the 1400s B.C.E. Among the artwork found there, among depictions of birds, snakes, antelope, and other animals that present-day scientists have long accepted as living species, are representations of what archaeologists claim is meant to be a half-man/half-beast creature with large hands,  large feet, and no neck. It's a description, and a depiction, that fits Sasquatch perfectly.

  Did the ancient people who created those cave paintings travel to the forested northern parts of the state, and encounter Sasquatch? Or did they witness Sasquatch who, for some reason, ventured so far south into the low desert of what we know today as Arizona? Regardless, it looks as if they did have sightings of Sasquatch there thousands of years ago.
   Either way, it seems clear that, despite its predominately dry, arid climate, Arizona has been home to at least a few Sasquatch for a very long 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 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

Blog Posted by Dan Lindholm for Bigtruth

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Bigtruth Presents Harper's History Vol.1 #3 - ALASKA

By Scott Harper

  Unlike the previous article in this series of historical Sasquatch sightings and encounters—which focused on the state of Alabama—this one draws from a far greater wealth of information. Though Alaska is a young state, having only officially adopted that status in 1959, it has a very rich history of nature and wildlife. The state is about twice the size of Texas, encompassing roughly 663, 268 square miles. Yet, it ranks as the third least populous state, and stands alone as the least densely populated. This means that huge swaths of the state remain ruggedly natural, and home to a wide variety of wildlife—including Sasquatch.

  Not all reports of encounters with Sasquatch in Alaska are of the typical, peaceful variety. A report from 1899, coming from the area of the Valdez Glacier, tells of a young man who was strangled to death by a creature described as being small, and heavily-built. The young man's father witnessed the attack, and attempted to save his son. However, the creature proved too strong for him to overcome. Could this attack have been the work of a juvenile Sasquatch?

  

  In 1900 a man exploring the area of Thomas Bay, Alaska, in the state's panhandle, had a very frightening experience. While hunting, he shot and killed three grouse. One of the dead birds fell down an embankment, slipping between pieces of rock placed too tightly together for the man to retrieve it. The hunter used his rifle to break apart the stone, damaging his weapon in the process. Very shortly thereafter, a group—we don't know how many—of upright, bad-smelling, screaming creatures rushed at the man. He attempted to use his damaged weapon on the lead creature. When the gun failed to fire, he threw the useless rifle at the Sasquatch, turned, and ran. It seems that he blacked out, and his next conscious memory was of finding himself lying on his back in his canoe. He claimed to have retained no memories of how he actually escaped his pursuers. Later, upon telling his story, he claimed that the creatures which chased him were not men, or monkeys, but something between the two.

  

  In March of 1909 an odd encounter was reported, having probably taken place the prior year. The event happened in Yakutat Bay, in the Alaskan panhandle. A man climbing on a glacier, seeking mineral deposits, fell through a crevice in the ice. Luckily, he remained unharmed, and managed to climb the rest of the way through, to the ground below the glacier. While attempting to make his way free of the ice, and back into open air, he crossed paths with a large, upright creature "in the shape of a man". Fortunately for the prospector, the Sasquatch merely stared at him for a few moments before walking around the man, and vanishing deeper into the tunnels beneath the ice, with only a parting glance back.

  

  In 1918, in the area of Wrangell, Alaska, a gold prospector fell asleep in a field after a makeshift meal of berries, and a few edible plant sprouts he had found. He later woke to the sound of someone talking. Not far from where he had fallen asleep, he discovered a female Sasquatch, with what seemed to be a baby. The mother was feeding berries by hand to the smaller creature. He claimed that the female spoke in "Indian language" to her little one. Not wishing to disturb them, the man watched them only briefly before quietly slipping away.

  

  Sometime in the 1920s a man claimed to have been attacked by a Sasquatch in Nulato, Alaska. Nulato is about midway up the state, but closer to the west coast. The man's dogs drove away the attacking creature. The man lived long enough to reach help, and tell his tale. He succumbed to his injuries not long after.

  

  At some point during the 1930's three young men were hunting on Nunivak Island. The island is split from the Alaskan mainland by the Etolin Straight, and is not quite midway north along the state's western coast. The men spent a night in a sod shelter, which had been part of an old fishing camp. A Sasquatch approached the shelter after they had gone to bed. According to the reports the men later gave, the creature tried to force its way inside, acting in a very aggressive manner. However, the doorway of the small sod shelter proved too small for the large being to fit through. Ultimately, it gave up, and simply walked away. The men saw the Sasquatch clearly in the moonlight as it left the scene.

  

  In 1943, and a short way east of Nulato, another man was attacked by a Sasquatch while camping. As had happened in the 1920's attack, this victim had dogs with him. The animals chased away the attacking creature. The man made it to help, told his story, and later passed away from injuries received during the attack.

  

  Why does there seem to be so much violence in the state of Alaska attributed to Sasquatch? Sasquatch aren't typically noted for their aggression toward humans. There are few cases in more recent times of them acting violently. Aside from accounts in which humans have harmed—or attempted to harm—a Sasquatch, though, most such incidents that I'm aware of along these lines are contained in the hot, muggy, southern states. There is, however, ample evidence to support the hypothesis that what we're dealing with in that region of the Unites States may actually be a separate breed, or a sub-species, rather than what the word "Sasquatch" usually brings to mind.

  

  However, there still seems to be a higher-than-normal level of aggression from Sasquatch in Alaska to this day. There are recent reports on file of people claiming to have heard, and found evidence of, what they say are clashes, or feuds, between Sasquatch families, or clans in Alaska. Trees are also found that have seemingly been yanked out of the ground—roots and all—then flipped upside down, and jammed back into the earth, leaving the roots protruding in the air. This phenomena had been reported in other places as well, but seems to be more common in Alaska for some reason. It's generally thought that these upside-down trees are a warning to others—"Hey, I'm strong enough to uproot a tree, and do this to it! Do you really want to enter my territory, and risk what I could do to you?"

  

  Alaska is a rugged state. For the majority of each year, everyone, and everything, living there is faced with cold, harsh conditions. Could this be the reason for aggressive Sasquatch there? Are they simply habituated by life in such an environment to see any competition—be it in the form of humans, or otherwise—as something to be chased away, or killed? Could they feel that their survival depends upon such tactics? If that is the case, it could explain the seeming hostility of Sasquatch in that region.

  Obviously, as evidenced by a few of the encounters talked about above, not every Sasquatch in Alaska proves to be of such temperament. However, there appears to be a much higher level of agitation, and opposition in Alaskan Sasquatch in general than is typically seen in other states.

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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Bigtruth Presents

Harper's History Vol.1 #2

Alabama

by Scott Harper

     

   This is the second article in this series. In the previous one, I gave my reasons for wanting to write this series. It took a bit of time to settle upon what seemed to me the best way of tackling the subject of historical Sasquatch sightings. I've decided to devote one article to each of the states, and to do so in alphabetical order. Afterward, I'll move on to Canadian Provinces, and territories. Given this order, the first state to tackle is Alabama.  

   Alabama seems to lack much in the way of history as far as Sasquatch sightings are concerned, however. That makes sense to me, as the North American continent was settled by Europeans from east to west. Many sasquatch could very easily have moved west, attempting to stay ahead of the invaders to North America, and to avoid encounters with them. 

   The higher number of more modern day sightings in eastern regions are explainable by the simple expedient of mankind delving steadily further and further into wilderness areas—ones where wildlife, including Sasquatch, dwell. Given time, it only makes sense that people would have more and more sightings of, and encounters with, Sasquatch even in areas with a lower population of them. It's the same principle that has led to black bear, cougar, and other such wildlife being seen firmly inside of modern cities. 

   The earliest Sasquatch sighting that I'm personally aware of from Alabama took place sometime in the 1880's. A man was fishing, and spotted what he thought to be a Sasquatch. The creature fled when it noticed the fisherman. The sighting in question took place in the Horseshoe Bend region of Bear Creek, Alabama. Bear Creek is located in Marion County, in the north-western area of the state.

1822 Map of Alabama

   From there, we leap all the way to 1953. That sighting took place in the country, in Henry County, which is in the south-eastern part of the state. The witness happened to be a young girl of around 11-years-old at the time. She saw, and later described, what sounds like a pair of juvenile Sasquatch. For the dual reasons of two creatures being seen at the same time, and that both seemed to be young, this a very interesting sighting. According to the witness, one of the beings she spotted was around 5-feet-tall. The second looked to her to be shorter, probably around 4-feet-tall. Most reports are of only one creature, and the vast majority of the ones seen appear to be adults. To see multiple juveniles at one time isn't unheard of, but it is extremely rare. 

   Could a large percentage of the Sasquatch population on the North American continent have migrated from east to west in an attempt to keep ahead of the expansion of European settlers, as hypothesized above? Would such a thing account for the lack of historical sightings of these creatures in some eastern states such as Alabama? If so, this might also help to explain the larger population estimates of these beings in the Pacific Northwest in present day. Might some percentage of the population, upon finding too many of their numbers crammed onto the western coast, have gone back the other way, returning eastward? This, and the population growth of those who chose not to partake in such a westward migration could account for the almost total lack of older sightings in some states in the eastern areas of America, yet explain why, in more recent decades, Sasquatch have been seen there in greater numbers.

   Since the year 2000, there have been a fairly steady number of sighting reports coming from Alabama—sometimes several per year. On the other hand, prior to the 1980's such reports are very few, and often far between.

Blog post by Dan Lindholm for Bigtruth

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The International Bigfoot Conference

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Sept 2-4 2016 Three Rivers Convention Center, Kennwick Wa.

BIGTRUTH  PRESENTS

HARPER'S HISTORY Vol. 1 #1

Sasquatch History Pre Patterson-Gimlin Film

by Scott Harper

    In the summer of 2014, my wife, our daughter—who was still a baby at the time—and myself took a trip to Willow Creek, California for their annual Bigfoot Days celebration. While there, we paid two visits to the famed Willow Creek/China Flats Museum. While the museum isn't dedicated fully to Sasquatch, a lot of the displays there are. That's what the museum is known for.
    

    One larger section of display focuses on the Patterson-Gimlin video footage. This piece of video was filmed by Roger Patterson, in the presence of his working partner/travelling companion Bob Gimlin, in Bluff Creek, California in 1967. For many, the Patterson/Gimlin film is the definitive piece of evidence supporting the existence of Sasquatch. Many researchers working in Cryptozoology in general, or looking into the subject of Sasquatch in particular, were convinced that Sasquatch are viable, living creatures by that video footage. It is, arguably, the single most important piece of evidence that we have today to support the reality of these beings.
    

    The Patterson-Gimlin footage did not, however, result in the first-ever sighting, or report of a Sasquatch. Why do I feel the need to make that point so blatantly? It's because of something I overheard during the first visit my family and I took to the museum while in Willow Creek.
    

    We were standing near the Patterson-Gimlin display, but not directly at it. Two women approached the display. The older of the two began to excitedly point out still photos taken from the footage, and plaster casts—a mixture of originals, and replicas— from the location where the footage was shot. She then proceeded to tell her younger friend, "That was the first time anyone had ever seen one of those things!" Her friend asked, "Really?" To which the older woman instantly replied, "Yes! No one had ever seen one before. It's lucky those guys had a camera with them!"
   

    In actuality, Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin had been in the area for several days. They were shooting footage for a Sasquatch-themed film that Patterson was producing. His interest in the subject had began years prior, in 1959, when he read a magazine article by Ivan T. Sanderson on the topic. Between then, and shooting the famous film in Bluff Creek, Patterson had also self-published a book on Sasquatch. These beings didn't simply turn up, abruptly real, in 1967!

    

    Human history is rife with descriptions, and accounts, of such creatures. "The Epic of Gilgamesh" is roughly 4,000-years-old. Although it's unknown how much of it is purely fantasy, there are descriptions of beings in it that certainly fit the typical description of a Sasquatch—tall, muscular, very hairy, and incredibly strong. Some researchers are of the firm opinion that those characters were, in fact, based on real beings which existed then, and still exist in the world today.

    In the Unites States, we find accounts in nearly every Native American tribal culture—if not every; I've not yet found one lacking this belief—of such beings. These reports go back centuries. They're found in tribal cultures spanning from Florida to Alaska. All told, there are dozens of names in Native American cultures for these beings. A large percentage of those denote the creatures as something special, beings to be respected and revered, or feared and avoided. Physical depictions of them are also common. Very typically these take the form of totem pole carvings. Again, their positions on the totem poles very often mark these beings with great respect. And they appear right along with eagles, deer, fish, and other wildlife that mainstream science has long since accepted as real. This is further testament of the reality of such beings to Native Americans.

    Sasquatch aren't a recent phenomena in our world, and human cultures. Every piece of evidence that we have points to them having been here for as long as humans have. Quite possibly, Sasquatch, as a race, are older than Humanity. Many accounts from Native Americans talk of how, in the past, Humans and Sasquatch lived side-by-side. According to these accounts, Humans and Sasquatch had, if not a close relationship, at least something more cordial than exists as a whole today. As time has gone by, and modern Humans have mostly lost touch with nature, and inflicted so much damage on nature, Sasquatch apparently want less to do with us. They've withdrawn almost entirely from contact with us, and become a very stealthy, low-key presence. That, however, doesn't mean they aren't still with us. We have ample evidence in myriad forms to tell us that!

    What a lot of people in our modern times seem to have forgotten, though, is that Sasquatch didn't simply pop up out of nowhere a few decades ago. These beings have lived beside Humanity for centuries—if not longer. Are they a barely-known Human ancestor? Are they an offshoot of Humanity; or an entirely separate race? We don't know. What we do know, thanks to a great many stories handed down from generation to generation, is that Sasquatch have been with us for a very long time. While the Patterson-Gimlin footage may have been the first time a Sasquatch was captured on video, it most certainly wasn't the first time a Sasquatch had been sighted by a Human.

    Tales of Sasquatch throughout human history is a topic that can easily provide the basis for a good many articles such as this one. Given the propensity for Native Americans to keep quiet about the subject of Sasquatch with anyone outside of their own tribe, it makes me think that the general public only knows about the tip of the proverbial iceberg in this matter. Many Native tribes view Sasquatch with a religious reverence. This makes them very cautious about speaking regarding such things with anyone they view to be an outsider to their tribe, and/or belief system. How many accounts of Human interaction with Sasquatch in years, decades, or even centuries past do Native tribes keep entirely to themselves?

    Still, given the small number of existing accounts of such past sightings of, and interaction with Sasquatch, we know more than enough to know that these beings aren't new. Be they harmless, threatening, or somewhere in between, they've been here for a very long time, woven into human history

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

Blog Post by Dan Lindholm

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Exclusive Sneak Peak at Hidden Tribe

The best selling husband and wife Authors Scott Harper and Desiree Lee have teamed up to co-author their soon to be released "Hidden Tribe." Told from the dual perspectives of Human and Sasquatch, this looks like a great read and I'm looking forward to reading the rest of it. I've also included their Author bios from Amazon. You can find all of their titles on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Scott will also be writing for this blog in the near future with a Series of Articles based on historical Sasquatch Reports. Here's your Bigtruth exclusive, first look at "Hidden Tribe." 
- Dan Lindholm

Iktomi crouched behind the conjoined pines again, watching the human female. As she seemed so apt to do, she had, once more, begun speaking to herself while she stood before an odd device. This one appeared to be a slightly larger variation of the oily black thing she had clicked at the footprints. It balanced atop a trio of slender black artificial sticks. "While these tracks aren't the best," she said, "they're the first ones I've found in years, and not for lack of looking, either! Unfortunately, the footprints were too old to get any real detail. So, no dermal ridges, or anything like that from these. Still, they're clear enough to tell that these were made by a living foot." She lay the copies of the tracks on the ground, in the order she had found them—right foot, left foot, and then another right footprint. Removing the device from the sticks to which it had been mounted, she fiddled with it while focusing on the brief trail. "Note the toes, which are curled a bit, digging into the earth. This is a common feature in many sasquatch prints that have been found. One theory is that the creatures grip the ground with their toes to gain additional traction. "Also notice the outline and shape of the tracks. Look closely at the two prints made by the creature's right foot. We can see how the foot flexed and moved from one step to the next. This is evidence of anthropoid morphology, rather than a hoax. Anyone faking such tracks would be far more apt to use a simple wooden cutout, or something similar, strapped to their feet. Such an appliance would be too rigid to demonstrate such flexing and motion. "It's too bad I didn't find these prints sooner. Had they been fresher, and clearer, they may well have contained dermal ridges. A number of such footprints have been found over the years. Sadly, I've never personally discovered any of those." She paused, standing still, aiming the device in her hands at the footprints. Iktomi watched closely, attempting to divine her purpose. However, her actions continued to mystify him. The faint snapping of a twig caused him to slowly crouch lower. Iktomi sniffed the air tentatively. The piquant stink of a second human—this one male—caused his hair to ruff up involuntarily. Making a conscious effort to smooth it back down, he held still otherwise. Leaves scuffed as the newcomer approached. He seemed to want his advance to be clandestine. A glance at the female told Iktomi that she remained oblivious to the other human's presence. Iktomi refocused on his progress as an acorn skipped off the side of a stone. Like most humans, this new one didn't seem to be nearly as stealthy as he obviously wanted. Another twig broke, much closer to the female's camp. Finally, she became aware of the nearness of the second human. She froze briefly, before moving slowly to return the device in her hands to the top of the odd trio of sticks. When more leaves crunched, she held her breath, and picked up her gun. She inched close to the black device again. "Something is in the woods, near my camp," she whispered. "What I'm hearing sounds like two feet—something bipedal—as opposed to a deer, or some other four-legged animal." She inhaled deeply, sampling the air. "I don't smell the tell-tale stench of a sasquatch, though. I've smelled that before. It's rank; it's like skunk concentrate, especially if one has urinated in the area recently. Whatever is approaching my camp, I don't think it's a sasquatch. Still, their stink seems to be a defense mechanism. They appear to be able to create it at will. Mountain gorillas have glands under their arms from which they can emit pungent secretions when they get excited. A lot of sasquatch encounters don't include report of such a stink. What I'm hearing right now may or may not be a sasquatch. Yet I've seen no other signs of human habitation in this area. Although I've only been here for a bit more than twenty-four hours, so that isn't saying much." She fell silent, waiting. The gun remained firmly in place at her shoulder. "Alexia?" a masculine voice called several moments later. "Is that you over there?" Iktomi saw the female tense as her head angled sharply. Her body language told him that not only did she know the male, but she didn't like him in the least. "Just a warning shot," she muttered. "Something to send him on his way." "It is you!" the voice said. "I thought so." "Mr. Wessler," she answered through teeth that were firmly gritted. "What are you doing out here?" The new human stepped into view through the trees partway around the camp from Iktomi. "Call me Dane," he said, smiling broadly, displaying his even, white teeth. The male stood noticeably taller than the female, had dark blonde hair, and appeared only a few years older than she. He wore variations on the same type of body covering that she wore. Iktomi had seen such things on most of the humans he had witnessed in the forests—thick, warm things that completely covered the arms and legs, with heavy foot protection. Once more he gave silent thanks that his own people had no need of such silliness. "What are you doing out here, Mr. Wessler?" the female asked. Grin broadening, he strode into her camp. "Same as you." He pointed at the trio of footprint copies. "I see you've already had some luck. Where did you find those?" "That's confidential." "We're on the same side," he told her, gazing at the tracks. "Where are you camped?" "Why?" He turned to her, grinning in a way that Iktomi thought of as happily. "Are you thinking of visiting me?" "No; just the opposite. I want to know where your camp is, so I know which area to avoid. I'm trying to do serious work out here. Having a clown trampling around, making noise, is going to be detrimental to that." "Noise? Are you referring to my guitar?" She nodded, quirking an eyebrow in irritation. He chuckled. "A lot of researchers have had some success in eliciting responses from the Forest Gods by playing music." "I don't care what you do—as long as you do it far from me. Again, please, why are you out here?" "There've been a lot of sightings in this area over the past few years," he replied, crouching to take a closer look at the tracks. "I plotted out the ones I knew about on a map. This valley is right smack in the middle of a cluster of locations where the Forest Gods have been reported. It makes sense that if they're all around here, they're in this valley, too. Even if none of them are living here full-time, they must crisscross through it to get from one side to the other. Far as I know, there's nothing here they'd want to avoid badly enough to trek all the way around the valley over and over." He stood up, facing her again. "When, that is, they're here." "Here?" "On this plane of existence," he explained. "You're still supporting the supernatural sasquatch theory?" "How else do you explain the lack of definitive evidence supporting their existence?" he asked. The female sighed in response. Her reaction, unfamiliar though Iktomi might be with humans, spoke eloquently of her frustration. "Lack of evidence?" she asked. "We have thousands of footprints that have been discovered. We have hundreds of photographs, and audio recordings. We have dozens of video recordings. Several handprints have been found. A few of the handprints, and even some of the footprints, have exhibited dermal ridges. Some of those prints have also been shown to display some form of injury or handicap that the creature apparently suffered from—attributes that would take an extensively detailed knowledge of anatomy, anatomical morphology, and several other fields to pull off. Not to mention that those knowledge bases would all need to be understood equally well by the hoaxer. "We have a large number of hair samples, some of which scientists have been able to sample DNA from. Testing on those have sometimes come back showing that the being the DNA came from wasn't human, or chimpanzee—but some unknown species that is, evolutionarily-speaking, somewhere in between them! More recent studies of sasquatch DNA have shown not only that, but suggested that sasquatch are descended from human ancestors, and some unknown species. "On top of all of that, we have hundreds of thousands of eye-witness reports of these creatures. Taken all together, it's a pile of evidence that would be the proverbial open-and-shut case in any court, anywhere in the world! People are sentenced to execution every single day on what amounts to a tiny, tiny fraction of the evidence that we have documented to support the existence of sasquatch as a living population!" As the male held up his hands, and the female stopped talking. Iktomi wished yet again that he could understand their speech. If he knew what they were saying, he might be better able to gauge what level of threat—if any—these two posed to his family, and to himself. Based solely on the passion with which the female seemed to speak, Iktomi couldn't help but to feel extremely wary of them.

Author Bios:

Scott Harper is the bestselling, award-winning author of more than 30 published short stories, and several novels. There has been talk, from several fronts, about turning his fourth novel, "Predators or Prey?", the first book in his Wendy Markland series, into a live-action project. Interest from a movie producer has also been voiced about turning his bestselling, award-winning eighth novel, "Quintana Roo, Yucatan", into a film.

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

______

Critically acclaimed, best-selling author Desirée Lee is an amalgam wrapped inside of an enigma: a book junkie, vampire, and self-proclaimed geek with a fascination bent toward the dark and macabre. When not writing or reading, she feeds her gaming addiction. Des loves the dark, evil characters. If word ever got out that she was secretly a level 15 paladin, her reputation would be ruined.

Des currently lives in a hole-in-the-wall town in Northern California, further away from civilization than she'd sometimes like to be.

Check out Des' website at http://www.desireelee.com

and find her on Twitter: http://twitter.com/authordeslee

or Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authordeslee.

Blog Post by Dan Lindholm

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