Sighting Location

We recently got in a Thunderbird report. As you may know, if you follow our website, we have taken in numerous reports of these extremely large birds. While Thunderbirds are mainly considered a myth by many, reports of these large birds have been documented for a very long time. Many of these reports are very creditable.

For those who might be unfamiliar with Thunderbirds, here is a little information.

The Thunderbird is a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture. It is considered a supernatural being of power and strength. It is especially important, and frequently depicted, in the art, songs, and oral histories of many Pacific Northwest Coast cultures, but is also found in various forms among some peoples of the American Southwest, East Coast of the United States, Great Lakes, and Great Plains.

Thunderbird is a term used in cryptozoology to describe large, bird-like creatures, generally identified with the Thunderbird of Native American tradition. While the fossil record does show that giant birds (teratorns) with wingspans between 4 and 5 m (13 and 16 ft) were likely contemporary with early man, the creature is generally regarded as a myth or legend.

With that said, here is the report.

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Try Googling about finding the truth about King Arthur and Camelot, and you’ll find that most scientists and other so-called authorities on the subject determine the story to be a myth; the stuff of legend. But in recent history, we’re finding more and more that there is a lot of truth in legends. Especially if we adjust the way we think about history and don’t just simply take the word of the scientific community. A lot of independent researchers are now digging deeper into their favorite subjects with fresh minds. And they’re finding some interesting things. Things that should make us all question everything we’ve been taught.

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I was just recently sent the above photo by Ryan. It was taken in Maryland on 4/26/16. Some may not know there is a legend of a goatman in Maryland. We also have a very similar legend here in Kentucky. If you have seen the news recently, you might have seen that we had a woman killed while researching the Kentucky Goatman legend. The lady and her boyfriend were from Ohio and were investigating the Kentucky Goatman. You can read that story Here or just search the web for it.

As for this new report from Maryland, I was contacted by Ryan via email. He also sent me two photos that he took. I will include various enhancements in this post. Here is what he told me about his sighting.

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By SedesGobhani

Okay, so most of us have heard of the Jackalope, right? One of the long standing "jokes" in the realms of the cryptid world. The fabled rabbit with antlers. It is an amazing sight that we can view thanks to some skilled taxidermy.
Like many unusual creatures and tales, there seems to always be some sliver of truth buried in these folkloric stories. The Jackalope is no different. As unreal as it seems, it has just a small dab of truth possibly sprinkled in the fabled creature story.

But first a brief history about the Jackalope.

The jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns. The word "jackalope" is a portmanteau of "jackrabbit" and "antelope", although the jackrabbit is not a rabbit, and the American antelope is not an antelope. Also, many jackalope taxidermy mounts, including the original, are actually made with deer antlers.

In the 1930s, Douglas Herrick and his brother, hunters with taxidermy skills, popularized the American jackalope by grafting deer antlers onto a jackrabbit carcass and selling the combination to a local hotel in Douglas, Wyoming. Thereafter, they made and sold many similar jackalopes to a retail outlet in South Dakota, and another taxidermist continues to manufacture the horned rabbits in the 21st century. Stuffed and mounted, jackalopes are found in many bars and other places in the United States; stores catering to tourists sell jackalope postcards and other paraphernalia, and commercial entities in America and elsewhere have used the word "jackalope" or a jackalope logo as part of their marketing strategies. The jackalope has appeared in published stories, poems, television shows, video games, and a low-budget mockumentary film. The Wyoming Legislature has considered bills to make the jackalope the state's official mythological creature.

The underlying legend of the jackalope, upon which the Wyoming taxidermists were building, may be related to similar stories in other cultures and other historical times. Researchers suggest that at least some of the tales of horned hares were inspired by sightings of rabbits infected with the Shope papilloma virus. It causes horn- and antler-like tumors to grow in various places on a rabbit's head and body.

Shope papilloma virus is also known as cottontail rabbit papilloma virus (CRPV). Shope papilloma virus, is a type I virus under the Baltimore scheme, possessing a nonsegmented dsDNA genome. In the 1930s, hunters in northwestern Iowa reported that the rabbits they shot had several horn protrusions on many parts of their bodies including their faces and necks. This lead to the investigation and discovery of the virus in 1933 by Richard E. Shope when he was experimenting with cancer research. Shope separated the virus from horny warts on cottontail rabbits, and made one of the first mammaliam tumor virus discoveries. The virus is also a possible source of myths about the jackalope, a rabbit with the horns of an antelope, and related cryptids such as the wolpertinger. Bavarian folklore tells of the wolpertinger, also called wolperdinger, a mythological hybrid animal allegedly inhabiting the alpine forests of Bavaria in Germany. The wolpertinger is made up of several different animal parts, including antlers.

Shope determined the “horn” protrusions were keratinous carcinomas due to the infection of CRPV. These are typically found on or near the animal’s head, and can become large enough to interfere with the host’s ability to eat, causing starvation. The virus was originally discovered to affect only cottontail rabbits. in the Midwestern U.S., but can also infect brush rabbits, jackrabbits, snowshoe hares, and house rabbits.

Shope’s research has led to the development of an SPV model and the first mammalian model of a cancer caused by a virus. He was able to isolate virus particles from tumors on captured animals and use these to inoculate domestic rabbits, which then developed similar tumors. The animal model of the Shope Papilloma Virus (SPV) has contributed to our understanding of fundamental mechanisms in neoplasia, or the formation of a new, abnormal growth of tissue. The virus was sequenced in 1984, showing substantial sequence similarities to HPV1a. It has been used as a model for human papillomaviruses both before and after this discovery. The most visible example of this role is the HPV vaccine, which was developed based on and incorporating research done using the virus as a model. Similarly, it has been used to investigate antiviral therapies.

So, this is probably what started the jackalope stories way back in the day. It probably started with someone just catching good enough glimpse of a rabbit suffering from Shope Papilloma Virus, to start telling people "I saw a rabbit with antlers". You know, rabbits at notoriously fast and a fleeting view of one with antlers, would probably have gotten your attention. It probably would have got you laughed at pretty fast as well, while telling about it. But I suspect that others started getting a quick view of the running rabbit and the stories became more accepted.
 
Regardless, of the origin of the jackalope, the legend has many twist and turns. I guess that is what has helped it to continue to be in our current society and  to be a good source for humor.
 
The jackalope is subject to many outlandish and largely tongue-in-cheek claims embedded in tall tales about its habits. Jackalopes are said to be so dangerous that hunters are advised to wear stovepipes on their legs to keep from being gored. Stores in Douglas sell jackalope milk, but The New York Times questions its authenticity on grounds that milking a jackalope is known to be fraught with risk. One of the ways to catch a jackalope is to entice it with whiskey, the jackalope's beverage of choice. 

The jackalope can imitate the human voice, according to legend. During the days of the Old West, when cowboys gathered by the campfires singing at night, jackalopes could be heard mimicking their voices or singing along, usually as a tenor. It is said that jackalopes, the rare Lepus antilocapra, only breed during lightning flashes and that their antlers make the act difficult despite the hare's reputation for fertility.

So, in the end the jackalope is much more than just a myth. It's part of our history, our entertainment, our culture and I'm guessing, our future. 
 
(source: wikipedia)   


Thanks
~Tom~

This post by Thomas Marcum, Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as The Crypto Crew. Over 20 years experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and poet.



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The fur-bearing trout (or furry trout) is a fictional creature purportedly found in North America and Iceland. According to tales, the trout has created a thick coat of fur to maintain its body heat. Tales of furry fish date to the 17th-century and later the "shaggy trout" of Iceland. The earliest known American publication dates from a 1929 Montana Wildlife magazine article by J.H. Hicken. A taxidermy furry trout produced by Ross C. Jobe is a specimen at the Royal Museum of Scotland; it is a trout with white rabbit fur "ingeniously" attached.

There are no real examples of any fur-bearing trout species, but two examples of hair-like growths on fish are known. The "cotton mold", Saprolegnia, can infect fish, which can result in the appearance of fish covered in the white "fur". A real fish, Mirapinna esau, also known as the "Hairy Fish", has hair-like outgrowths and wings.


Fur-bearing trout are fictional creatures that are purportedly found in Arkansas, northern North America, and Iceland. The basic claim (or tall tale) is that the waters of lakes and rivers in the area are so cold that they evolved a thick coat of fur to maintain their body heat. Another theory says that it is due to four jugs - or two bottles - of hair tonic being spilled into the Arkansas River.
The origins vary, but one of the earlier claims date to a 17th-century Scottish immigrant's letter to his relatives referring to "furried animals and fish" being plentiful in the New World. It was followed by a request to procure a specimen of these "furried fish" and one was sent back home. A publication in 1900 recounts the Icelandic Lodsilungur, another haired trout, as being a common folklore. The earliest known American publication dates from a 1929 Montana Wildlife magazine article by J.H. Hicken.


 

cotton mold

The "cotton mold" Saprolegnia will sometimes infect fish, causing tufts of fur-like growth to appear on the body. A heavy infection will result in the death of the fish, and as the fungus continues to grow afterwards, dead fish that are largely covered in the white "fur" can occasionally be found washed ashore. A real fish, Mirapinna esau known as the "Hairy Fish", has hair-like outgrowths and wings. It was discovered in the Azores in 1956.

According to Icelandic legend, the Lodsilungur is a furry trout that is the creation of demons and giants. The Lodsilungur are described as inedible fish that overwhelm rivers and are a form of punishment for human wickedness. In 1900, The Scottish Review featured an account of the Lodsilungur as a poisonous "Shaggy trout" of northern Iceland. In 1854, a shaggy trout was "cast on shore at Svina-vatn" and featured in an 1855 illustration in Nordri, a newspaper. It was described as having a reddish hair on its lower jaw and neck, sides and fins, but the writer of the Nordri article did not specifically identify it by name. Sjón, a popular Icelandic writer, became obsessed with the folk tale when he was nine. Sjón recounted that if a man were to eat the furry trout he would become pregnant and that his scrotum would have to be cut open to deliver the baby. Sjón noted that the story "might explain why I was later propelled towards surrealism.

An account of a furry trout appeared in 1929 in Montana Wildlife magazine and was first noted by J.H. Hicken. Hicken's account states that when the fish is caught "the change of temperature from this water to atmosphere is so great that the fish explodes upon being taken from the water, and fur and skin come off in one perfect piece, making it available for commercial purposes, and leaving the body of the fish for refrigerator purposes or eating, as desired."


Another fur-bearing trout story originated with Wilbur Foshay, secretary of the Chamber of Commerce. Foshay promoted the story so convincingly that it was picked up by the Salida Record newspaper. According to its Foshay, the trout grew fur due to the cold temperatures of the Arkansas River and shed the fur as the water temperatures warmed in the summer. In November 1938, a story in the Puebloan Cheiftan recounted the hairy trout history and stated that "old-timers living along the Arkansas River near Salida have told tales for many years of the fur-bearing trout indigenous to the waters of the Arkansas near there." In 2014, Mysteries at the Museum visited the Salida Museum and is expected to be part of a segment in late 2014.

A tall tale was recounted by S.E. Schlosser, it states that hairy trout were the result of two bottles or four jugs of spilled hair tonic. To catch hairy trout, fisherman would act as barbers and lure fish from the waters with the offer of a free trim or shave. An intentionally fantastical story in Maine and claimed hairy trout were under catch and release policy that was enforced by wardens' carrying Brannock Devices. If a fish was caught, the warden would measure it against the fisher's foot. If the fish's length matched the fisher's foot size, the fish could be eaten and the outards made into furry slippers.

The Canadian Fur-bearing trout is another example of the furry trout hoax. According to the story, a trout with white fur was caught in Lake Superior off Gros Cap in Algoma, Ontario, Canada and its taxidermist was Ross C. Jobe. The purchaser of the fish learned of the hoax after presenting it to the Royal Museum of Scotland. The white fur of a rabbit was described as being "ingeniously" attached to the fish. A fictional description of the Canadian "Hairy" Trout was published by Takeshi Yamada.

- Source: wikipedia -

How would you like to catch some hairy trout? Maybe we can fire this back up and start making some cash leading fishing expeditions to catch hairy trout.

Really the whole story is pretty funny and at the same time maybe a little sad that some people back then fell for it. But as most of you know, the more outlandish the claim, the more apt some people are to believe it. If you just think back about some of the past Bigfoot hoaxes and some of the things that was told about the dead Bigfoot that Rick Dyer had ....some of it was off the charts unbelievable but yet some believed it.

The fur bearing trout hoax, has to be one of the all time best and funnest hoaxes ever. It makes me wonder about some of the things people may believe today, will it be proven a hoax 10 years down the road? Of course, we know more about things nowadays than we did back in the furry trout days. So I assume we will know even more about things in the days ahead.   

Again, just shake your head and move on. 

Thanks
~Tom~


This post by Thomas Marcum, Thomas is the founder/leader of the cryptozoology and paranormal research organization known as The Crypto Crew. Over 20 years experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and poet



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A true Man eater!

By TCC Team Member Dorraine Fisher
Professional Writer, a nature and wildlife enthusiast who has written for many magazines.

So why do skeptics still keep insisting certain creatures don’t exist?

Case in point: The Maori legend of the man-eating bird has recently been proven true. Te Hakioi, a giant raptor, described in early accounts and depicted on ancient rock drawings as a black and white hawk-like bird, with a red crest, and green-tipped wings has now been confirmed by science in The Journal Of Vertebrate Paleontology.

Also known as Haast's eagle (Harpagornis moorei), discovered in the 1870’s by Sir Julius Von Haast, it was originally believed to be a scavenger because its beak resembled modern scavenging birds like vultures. But scientist recently re-evaluated some of those findings with modern technology gleaned a different result.

These birds, said to be larger than Stellar’s sea eagle, the largest living eagle on earth, had a 9 foot wingspan and weighing nearly 40 lbs. were found to have had the pelvic support to deliver a diving blow to fairly large prey, with their diving speed reaching up to 50 mph. It was said to have claws the size of a tiger, and had the ability to strike and close its talons around its prey just like any modern eagle. Large and strong enough to carry away a small child as the legends suggested.

A true monster of the skies has been proven real. The rest of the so-called cryptids are still waiting for science to prove them. **********DF

[Source:independent]
[Photo: badassoftheweek]

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