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| Siskiyou National Forest |
A Sasquatch Moment In
The Siskiyous
An
Interview With Kevin Jones
By TCC Team Member
Dorraine Fisher
There
are many bigfoot encounters to tell about. Hundreds of accounts of split
seconds in infinity where the storytellers were left wondering if they saw what
they thought they saw. But as I listened to Kevin Jones talk about his
encounter with a mother and juvenile sasquatch in Oregon back in 1995, it
seemed different to me somehow. He had an extra few seconds to watch them and
process what he was seeing before they discovered him and slowly and quietly
walked into the brush.
Dorraine: When was this
encounter?
Kevin: It was on October
3, 1995, around 10 A.M.
Dorraine: And where did
this take place?
Kevin: It happened on
Siskiyou National Forest land just outside of Grants Pass in southern Oregon.
Dorraine: And what kind of
terrain is it in that area?
Kevin: I’m not quite sure
how to describe it. Its really rugged forest land in the mountains.
Dorraine: Okay, describe
the events leading up to the encounter.
Kevin: I had driven up Mt.
Peavine (Merlin/Galice area) to go deer hunting. I reached a locked gate about
three miles from the area where I usually hunt. The sun was coming up by the
time I started up the road so I was in full hunt mode. I spotted a small group of
deer with one buck in the group but was not able to get a shot so I began
trying to move closer. I seemed to keep pushing them without being able to ever
get clean shot on him. I tracked them around most of the morning. By this time
it was late morning just after 10 A.M. The daytime temps were still very warm
but I was bundled up for the early morning cold. Thinking the deer would be
bedding down, I made my way to a clear cut and found a nice tree stump to sit
on. I shed some layers and was enjoying the warm sun. I had been sitting there
for about 20 minutes or so when some movement to my right caught my eye.
Dorraine: And what caught
your eye?
Kevin: At a distance of about 60 yards coming out of
a draw of trees I saw a large, maybe 7+ foot tall, obviously female Sasquatch
walk into the clear cut. A second or two later, just behind her was a very
lanky, almost skinny looking juvenile about 3 and a half or 4 feet tall.
Dorraine: Did they see you
at that time?
Kevin: For a few seconds
they walked in to the clear cut without seeing me.
Dorraine: What were they
doing?
Kevin: The little one was
really hopping and playing around behind the female, his elbows were raised and
he was planting his heels with every deliberate step. The adult saw me, and for
a second looked me right in the eyes. I immediately broke eye contact as I was
terrified and did not want to provoke her.
Dorraine: What did they do
when they saw you?
Kevin: The female turned her upper body back toward
the small one while still walking. The little one immediately went to a hurried
walk and was looking around very alertly as if mom had warned him of me. She
the turned her focus back to me and put herself between me and the small one.
They walked diagonally in front of me crossing the clear cut area.
Dorraine: How far away do
you suppose they were?
Kevin: At one point they
were no more than 35 yards in front of me.
Dorraine: Can you describe
them a little better to me? What color were they?
Kevin: The large one had
dark, almost black hair that looked smooth and groomed compared to the little
one who had lighter brown hair that was very shaggy looking. The larger one had
dark eyes with no whites visible, hair was smooth in appearance and had a shine
where the sun hit it. Her nose was fairly flat and her lips seemed thin. She
had less hair on her face but looked like she had a three day beard. (Laugh)
Dorraine: Can you describe
the juvenile a little better?
Kevin: It was very skinny
looking compared to the large one. Also its walk was far less graceful. Almost
awkward. I have to say also he was very
cute and endearing. Awkward but cute.
Dorraine: Did you see its
face very clearly? Did it look like a chimp’s face?
Kevin: More human
looking. It looked like a dirty or dark
skinned kid that never combed his hair or bathed. I couldn't tell if it was
male or female but I've always felt it was a boy.
Dorraine: I think it’s
interesting when you were talking about their movement and you described the
juvenile, it sounded a lot like how a child might goof around. Is that what it
looked like?
Kevin: That's exactly what
it seemed like to me.
Dorraine: Did you see them
do anything else after that?
Kevin: They walked up to the road. The little one entered the trees on the other
side, the female stopped, turned completely around to face me, stood there for
just a second then turned and followed the little one in to the trees and
brush. Then within just a second they were out of my sight.
Dorraine: How were you
feeling at this point? What were you thinking?
Kevin: I was afraid to
even breathe when I saw them. I had my rifle across my lap the whole time but
had no thoughts of raising it. After they left my sight I became even more
scared. I ducked down behind the stump I was on. I then raised my rifle
pointing in the direction I had last seen them. I stayed in that position for
about 30 min or so, totally terrified. Every twig snap, squirrel bark, and bird
flutter nearly gave me a heart attack.
Dorraine: So how long do
you think this whole encounter lasted?
Kevin: Only around 30
seconds or so, but it felt like an eternity. I was frozen in fear! I finally
made my way out of the area and back to my vehicle.
Dorraine: Did you ever
hear them make any sounds?
Kevin: I didn’t hear any
vocalizations.
Dorraine: Did you ever
look for or see any tracks?
Kevin: Oh yes. I wish I
had known to cast tracks. They were very clear tracks in red clay soil that was
fairly soft.
Dorraine: Did you notice
anything else?
Kevin: I noticed from the tracks that the small ones
feet were almost as wide as they were long.
Dorraine What did you do in the days and weeks after
the encounter? Did you tell anyone/ alert authorities?
Kevin: I told my wife
right afterward, and my neighbor (a friend) the next day, but I never reported
it to any officials. I kept it to myself for a few months till I met a couple
of researchers who listened to my story.
Dorraine: As you’re
looking back on the whole encounter, how much danger do you believe you were
really in, given you were making no move toward the creatures?
Kevin: I was impressed by her size. She didn't seem
aggressive but I sure wasn't going to push my luck. I'm not sure if it was
because she was seeing me, but her expression was one of surprise. Hard to
describe really.
Dorraine: And how do you feel about it all now? Have you had any additional thoughts, or
developed any new philosophies?
Kevin: Not really, but the whole experience changed
me and has shaped who I am today. Just sharing this story from almost 17 years
ago puts me right back there as if it just happened. It was, is and without a
doubt will always be the most amazing thing I've ever seen!
Summary: After hearing
this, it struck me that this was a pretty profound moment. Kevin Jones caught
two sasquatches, a mother and juvenile, in the act of being natural. So often,
encounters with bigfoot are quick and tense on both sides of the fence. But
even though it was only for a very short time, he witnessed them in a family
moment doing what they’d do on any regular day as the juvenile, dirty,
disheveled, and unaware of potential danger, seemed to do his little “happy
dance” behind his mother as Kevin watched from a distance. It was indeed a once in a lifetime event.
*******
DF
©The Crypto Crew 2012
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