Cliff Barackman

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.


The interview series squatches on with our 13th installment.  Who better to talk with than Cliff Barackman. I know most, if not all, of you know Cliff from the popular TV show Finding Bigfoot, but if you are not visiting his website (CliffBarackman.com), then you are missing a wealth of good information.

- Start Interview -

TM: How long have you been researching/studying bigfoot?

CB: I've been doing field work for 20 years now, though I was reading everything I could get my hands on about bigfoot for a while before that.  I have been camping and backpacking for nearly all my life.

TM: What got you interested in Bigfoot, Was there a particular event that got you started?

CB: I've always loved “monsters” since I was a little boy, so I would watch “In Search Of...” and the other 1970's television shows as I was growing up.  However, it was in college that my academic interests turned toward this field.  I had a few-hour break between classes, so I started hanging out in the college library to kill time.  I'd wander the isles picking books off of the shelf in subjects that I was interested in, mostly the sciences.  One day I stumbled into the Anthropology section and found some books on sasquatches.  I pulled a book off the shelf (Manlike Monsters on Trial by Halpin and Ames) that was basically a collection of journal articles on the subject written by scientists.  This book changed things for me because I saw that a small number of academics were pursuing the subject, not just fringe laymen as was my belief.  I then moved onto some of the books by John Green and learned about the sheer number of people who were all reporting the same thing.  Finally, Dr. Krantz's excellent book (Big Footprints) really set the hook for me.  I immediately started camping with the purpose of trying to see a sasquatch or to go to historic bigfoot locations.  I've been hopelessly drowning in the subject ever since.

TM:  During your research/studying of Bigfoot, have you ever encountered aggressive behavior or felt in danger from a bigfoot?

CB: Not really.  I've observed a small handful of behaviors that might be considered aggressive.  I have been growl/hissed at from close range twice, but while I recognized the sound as coming from a large animal and the meaning seemed pretty clear, I didn't feel in danger.  I simply complied with leaving on one occasion (I was alone), and on the other Bobo and I whispered back and forth to each other and laughed from excitement a bit.  I've had a couple rock throwing events as well, but again, I didn't feel in danger.  My usual reaction to having a bigfoot around is one of joy, not fear.  Who knows, though?  Maybe someday one will scare the crap out of me and all that will change.  I know at least one researcher that happened to.
 
TM:  It seems Skeptics are always ready to attack bigfoot research, How do you deal with it?

CB: Skepticism is generally a good thing.  There is a lot of garbage out there regarding bigfoots, and one needs to question the validity of much of it. 
The people who strongly oppose even the possibility that sasquatches are real are another type of skeptic, holding onto their belief as if it was a religious one.  I have found that the vast majority of them haven't adequately educated themselves on the subject, so most of their arguments are moot.  I don't bother engaging with these types of skeptics in the same way that I don't bother engaging with people that think the Earth is flat.
 
There are a small number of skeptics that are well-versed in bigfoot and still don't believe in the animals.  I find them to be very useful to talk with, and I've even become good friends with a couple of them.  They give me different points of views to consider, and they ask the hard questions.  Since bigfoots are real animals, their hard questions about the subject should have good answers (and they do). 
One final note on this...  I don't really care what others think or say, as long as they are civil and polite.  Disagreeing with someone about bigfoot is a very minor thing in life, and this subject should never be used as an excuse to be a jerk.

TM:  Would you like to see Bigfoot accepted and/or proven to the general public?

CB: “Acceptance” and “proven” are two entirely different things.  For example, on most Native American reservations, the presence of sasquatches is accepted by the residents.  They live alongside each other in peace with a general understanding.  I would love to see this happen in more places, especially with the dominant Euro-American culture.
 
For most of the public, and all scientists, to have the species “proven” will demand a holotype, or a dead one to dissect and describe in a journal article.  I do not in any way support this, but solely from a position of compassion.  I think it is inappropriate to kill something like a sasquatch to satisfy our curiosity about them.  I didn't always feel this way, though.  My early bigfooting days were deeply influenced by John Green and Dr. Grover Krantz, both advocates of proving the species with a bullet.  It was through learning about sasquatches and the other apes that increased my compassion for them to the point that I think it is simply morally wrong to kill them for any reason.  They are simply too similar to our own species both physically and mentally.  So I go bigfooting because I love the subject and the creatures, and I'm always trying to increase my knowledge of them.
Learning about bigfoots is what brought me to my no-kill position, so I advocate others to learn about them too in hopes that they will come to the same conclusion. 
That being said, one will eventually be killed for the sake of science, or an accidental kill will end up in a scientist's lab.  Since sasquatches are really there, I see this as inevitable.  I do not need to advocate killing one for it to happen, and my opposition to killing one doesn't matter much either.  Hopefully my no-kill position will influence others be compassionate towards sasquatches and will help people to not fear them.
 
TM:  What is your favorite time of year to research/study bigfoot, When do you have your most success?

CB: My favorite time of year to go bigfooting is during the summer months, but mostly because I don't like being cold.  I think I have been most successful in those months, but that might be a factor of knowing where some really good spots are that are only accessible during the summer.  I have encountered bigfoots in the winter as well.
 
TM:  Do you have a favorite Bigfoot story or report?

CB: Not really.  After hearing and reading literally thousands of eyewitness accounts over the years, most of them tend to blur together.  It's so hard to narrow them down to a favorite.  I love the sighting reports that tell me a good location, or those that show some interesting behavior on the part of the sasquatch.  Those are the reports that really get me excited nowadays.

Some reports do stand out, though, like the biologist who saw a lanky, emaciated “orangutan” in the Trinity Alps of California basking on a rocky outcropping.  The man watched it for a few seconds trying to figure out what he was looking at when suddenly the sasquatch's head turned back towards him, almost like an owl's, and it stared at him for a few brief seconds with expressionless animal eyes before springing away across the rocks and slipping through a gap that seemed far too narrow for it to fit through.  The witness told me it looked almost spider-like because of the length of its limbs.  Because of his biological background, the witness had many interesting observations about its anatomy that spurred a fascinating exchange between us about the habits of the creatures in regard to the details he saw.
I also love piecing together the details surrounding footprint finds.  Most of the documentation of the footprint casts is scattered and incomplete, so I spend a lot of time chasing down details about the stories behind the casts for my footprint cast database on my website.  I think that these details add a lot of credibility to the casts, and they certainly round out the stories of their findings.  New casts are always coming to light as well through this research.  I love all the casting stories.

TM:  What would you be doing if you weren't researching/studying bigfoot?

CB: I guess I'd be wasting my time.

Thanks for doing the interview and we wish you continued success. Thanks for the work you do outside of the TV show.

- End Interview -

We hope to have many more good things in the near future, so keep watching our site.

Thanks
~Tom~


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Mock up photo of the bigfoot.

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.


I got in a fresh report of a Bigfoot sighting in New Hampshire. I crossed check our Sightings Map and there has been some tracks and sightings fairly close to this recent sighting. Here is the report and then some pictures after.


-Start Report-
Name: Dave ******* (Last name withheld)
Email Address: (Email on file)
State: NH
County: Coos
Date of Sighting: 7/7/14
Time of Day: 4:00 PM
Nearest Town: Jefferson
Length of Sighting: 15 to 25 seconds
How many Witnesses: Me
Any Photos/Videos: Not of what I saw but of the location and truck.
Describe sighting in detail: 
My family and another family just returned to our cabin (The Christmas Cabin) around 3:30 PM at Josselyn's Cabins in Jefferson NH.  The cabin is one of about seven located just off RTE 2.  The afternoon looked somewhat unsettled, which cut our trip to Santa's Village short.  My wife and her friend left to go to the store while her friend's husband, four yr old girl, their toddler, my two young boys and I stayed to play whiffle balls between raindrops.

The rain began to get heavy so the three older children went into the cabin.  This left us two adult males and the toddler outside on the somewhat covered porch. After ten minutes or so, the rain turned to drizzle so we brought the toddler down to the front yard grassy area and began playing ball again.

This is when I thought I saw something move in the clearing behind an old pick-up truck approx 250 feet away (I measured the distance using my size 10s the next morning).  I turned my attention back to the toddler.  Once I focused my eyes back to the toddler, a black mass stood up from behind the truck and proceeded to move in a direction approximately one o'clock from me.  I only viewed the object from the right side (it moved left to right). It did not run but moved in sort of a lumbering glide while dragging its right leg a bit.
I was frozen in disbelief and fear. I have seen bears and it was not a bear.  The object appeared man-like from my viewing angle.  The figure's head seemed to be about level with the wood framing on the back of the truck. It was a uniform black color.  It also moved it's arms in sort of a swimming manner as it got up and walked away. 

As mentioned, the next morning I needed to go over to the spot and did so reluctantly.  The area this thing walked into has a three foot high wire fencing across it.  There was really no reason for a person to be at this place at the time this happened.  My initial thought is that it was watching us play and saw me looking at it (when I thought I was seeing something).  It then tried to disappear without being seen. 
I have not been able to sleep soundly and nearly brought my family back home to MA after this happened.  I write with 100% honesty. My wife's friend's husband did not see it but within moments of seeing what I saw, he asked me if I was feeling sick due to my appearance.
Once I got home, I searched "Bigfoot Jefferson NH", which led me to your website. I have also drawn what I saw to the best of my ability.(Picture at bottom of post) 


Here is a general map of the area


General Map of area

Here are a couple photos send in by Dave


Here is the truck the bigfoot was behind



About where Dave was at

Dave also done a sketch of what he saw and here it is.

Bigfoot with a bad leg.

-End Report-


Thanks for the report Dave! It is very interesting that the Bigfoot appeared to have a bad leg. Could it have been some kind of old injury? Hard to say for sure. If anyone else has seen a Bigfoot in this area, please contact us.

Thanks
~Tom~
©The Crypto Crew






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A Still frame from the video, is it a Yowie?

This Post By TCC Team Member Dorraine Fisher. Dorraine is a Professional Writer, a nature, wildlife, and Bigfoot enthusiast who has written for many magazines. Dorraine conducts research, special interviews, and more for The Crypto Crew. Get Dorraine's book The Book Of Blackthorne!

Yowie Footage???
By Dorraine Fisher

It seems Yowie researchers in Australia have just as much trouble with hoaxers as we do.  Maybe more since Yowies seem to be far more elusive than Sasquatch.

The following is a video posted to Youtube by dragonsidhebladenew, that has just surfaced on Facebook and is being touted by some as the Patterson-Gimlin film of the Yowie.  So, of course, we had to take a closer look.

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Do They Help Research Or Hurt It?

This Post By TCC Team Member Dorraine Fisher. Dorraine is a Professional Writer, a nature, wildlife and Bigfoot enthusiast who has written for many magazines. Dorraine conducts research, special interviews and more for The Crypto Crew. Get Dorraine's book The Book Of Blackthorne!

By Dorraine Fisher

With the influx of Bigfoot TV shows in the wake of a lot of breakthroughs in bigfoot research, a lot of researchers complain these shows make a mockery of them and those who are serious about the subject. Especially in light of so much money changing hands sometimes, and so many supposed authorities on the subject suddenly emerging out of the shadows.

"In my opinion, these TV bigfoot shows create a phony set of "experts" and the general public are just unaware that there are no "experts" when it comes to bigfoot. Thomas Marcum, founder of our team said in a recent statement. "Yes, there are some knowledgeable people out there, but please don't believe everything you see on these shows," he said. "They are created mostly for entertainment and profit."

Profit is the one big thing that factors in the most with these complaints about the shows. And it’s the main thing that gets under the skin of those researchers who work quietly in the background on a shoestring budget and don’t get too much credit for what they do and virtually no monetary reward.

And audiences, who are usually far removed from the technological and scientific side of research and everything that really goes on in real investigations can easily be convinced that individuals chosen for these shows are "experts" on the subject. It’s true that a few of them know a great deal, but most were chosen for the purpose of making the shows interesting and keeping people watching.

Another complaint is that the shows are more interested in turning a profit than really finding proof Bigfoot exists. But I’ve often heard, under the table in the dark, that if Bigfoot is proved to exist, then the mystery goes away. And the mystery is what sells it. So if you prove they exist, the money goes away. At least that’s what some fear. Many write books and create documentaries innocently enough in order to inform the public of their findings and tell their stories, but there will always be a few that just want to make money. And that creates the fear in the community that hoaxes are born from this mentality. And it severely cuts into those who do the work to actually prove existence. And that’s what the bigfoot TV shows often represent to them. Fame, money, and no proof or substance.

The shows like Finding Bigfoot tend to focus on footage that has become famous or infamous, and isn’t necessarily accepted by real researchers in the community. So viewers are led to believe all bigfoot researchers must also believe it too. When the truth is none of them agrees on every piece of footage that’s out there. All footage is fully scrutinized and debated endlessly.

And why aren’t the producers of these shows talking to the habituators: those people who claim to live near and work closely with sasquatches in something akin to a "Jane Goodall" type approach to sasquatch research based on proximity and trust building? You’d think those would be the people these shows would be the most curious about in getting some real footage of sasquatches. But maybe there’s a reason these researchers aren’t approached, as cryptozoologist, Sharon Day, founder of Ghost Hunting Theories explained in a recent conversation about sasquatches and approaching them in this way, under the belief that they are a type of human species.

"It’s misleading to show the public that going into a forest for a weekend is going to be how one gets evidence of Sasquatch. Rushing the woods in a disruptive manner is only going to put Sasquatch on their guard. They do not like intrusion by strangers and they will simply go deeper into hiding. If a cable channel wanted a true reality show with any chance of glimpses of the Sasquatch, a show would need to revolve around habituators, those who live in on property shared with Sasquatch clans. The residents would probably have to film the show themselves, something like "Ghost Adventures." It would need to unfold over time and with patience. The key thing with this "Habituation Situation" show would be to bring to light the family units of Sasquatch, their reticence in trusting us, and the way in which they are able to coexist with us with great dignity, given our antics on their land. Knocking on trees and hollering, disrupting the peace of the forest by strangers who are unpredictable, is the worst possible example to give the public of how to have Sasquatch encounters. Although it certainly makes for entertaining TV to see the use of crying baby dolls and fireworks, it is a dangerous example of how to handle a shy people like sasquatches."

In essence, that would take too much time and effort. Maybe that’s more of a project for Nova or National Geographic over a period of years.

So, is there anything good about these shows from the perspective of the researchers in the field? It seemed to me like a bit of a double-edged sword.

"There are a few people who get out in the woods often, who know more than most. But their reputation gets somewhat diminished because of the shows," says Washington State researcher, Tommy Naff. " For the outside observer, these shows do provide some value. But for the hard core researcher/enthusiast, the shows are more for passing time and amusement.

"I think it hurts as far as credibility…" Cripple Creek Colorado crytpozoologist and paranormal investigator, Leon Drew, said recently. "But puts more eyes in the woods."

This view is widely accepted among many. The shows brings more attention to the subject, but can detract from serious research that also deserves attention and doesn’t get it, as crytpid hunter, Adam Davies, who’s appeared on National Geographic documentaries and Monsterquest explains.

"I think they are certainly bringing more mainstream awareness of the subject to the general population. But I would really like to see one [show] which concentrates on a couple of really serious potential areas and concentrates professional and scientific resource. I am yet to see one that does not spend more than a week at most in an area and then moves on," he said.

But Massachusetts researcher, Dax Rushlow, a real researcher who was also a member of the original cast of Ten Million Dollar Bigfoot Bounty who also has recently casted some very interesting footprints from his area has a somewhat lighter overview from his perspective.

"It’s all just TV," he said. "I like the fact it brings Sasquatch out in the general public. I still do my research the correct way. Yes, some of the shows are bad, but it makes my life easier to do my business in this field."

Yes, the bigfoot craze on TV does bring a lot of trouble for those who are serious about the subject. But it also brings a lot of new fans to the subject too. And when people become fans of Bigfoot shows, whether they believe it all today or not, they’re more than likely the ones who’ll believe tomorrow. So maybe it’s a good thing to keep their attention???

And maybe it’s not bad to make money off of Sasquatch. And maybe it’s not bad to joke about the subject. We all do it from time to time. Just don’t make a mockery of the researcher’s work that takes a lot of time and patience and effort. Don’t lead viewers to believe it’s all so simple and cut and dry and that they all think the same way.

And maybe we shouldn’t expect miracles from these shows, or for them to be exactly the way we want them. Bigfoot shows may really only mean to entertain rather than inform. Isn’t that what TV is really supposed to be? So naturally it latched onto the subject of Bigfoot. Because Bigfoot, whether you believe or not, is like the rock star of the forest. Who wouldn’t latch on to that?

******DF

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Flying Spiders!

 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.


Back around 2012 there was reports going around about the discovery by scientist of a new and very dangerous type of spider. It was dubbed Flying Spider or Winged Spider but scientifically called Volat-Araneus. According to the "experts" this dangerous spider would soon be invading the UK and the rest of the world. The thought of this struck fear in the hearts of arachnophobes everywhere and the Newspaper clipping sure looked convincing, but lets dig deeper.

Now the mysterious Flying Spider has re-appeared in 2014 and it comes from a tech repair service called Digital Plumbing. The main question:  "is it Real or Fake?"

Do you have a fear of spiders? I really don't like them myself, they are just creepy to me. Now, I will admit the thoughts of flying spiders is something I really don't like to think about.

But everyone can rest easy when it comes to this report of flying spiders, the story is a fake.
The image of the winged spider has been digitally modified and inserted into a newspaper picture.

Oh how can I be sure you ask? well here is the original photo of the winged spider:

Notice this is the exact same picture used in the fake newspaper article, well minus the wings.
The original photo was first posted on the Carolina Nature Webpage, which is a site with a lot of spider photos, avoid it if you are like me and find spiders creepy. The credit for the photo was to a Will Cook, he must be a brave man to get this close to a creepy spider of any kind. yuck.

Now, in the 2014 version of the "flying spider" post from Digital Plumbing they admit it is a fake and are using it to educate internet users that you can get viruses and malware from clicking on these fake news reports.

Flying Spider - Real or Fake - FAKE

Thanks
~Tom~  



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Reincarnation?

This Post By TCC Team Member Dorraine Fisher. Dorraine is a Professional Writer, a nature, wildlife and Bigfoot enthusiast who has written for many magazines. Dorraine conducts research, special interviews and more for The Crypto Crew. Get Dorraine's book The Book Of Blackthorne! 






Is reincarnation real? Every once in a while there’s a story that surfaces that can make us all wonder.

The boy eventually named his murder whom authorities soon confronted. The accused man was said to have "turned white" and refused to confess to anything. But when the boy told them he knew where the body could be found, the story took a turn.

He led them all to the site where they dug into the ground, and sure enough, found the skeleton of a man with a traumatic injury to his head, which interestingly enough, greatly resembled the birthmark on the boys head. And as they dug, next to the body, they recovered the murder weapon also: the axe. And so, with that, the accused man felt he had no choice but to confess to the murder.

Cultures that believe in reincarnation believe that birthmarks someone has in their current life can be traced back to an injury from a past life. They also believe that past lives are more easily recounted by very young children, and as they grow older, these memories tend to fade. But thousands of such cases have been documented by The Division of Personality Studies at the University of Virginia. And new stories like these surface on a regular basis. *********DF

　

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Researcher Stephen Reynolds

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.


The interview series continues with our 12th installment.  We talk with Stephen Reynolds from the Bigfoot Network of the Midwest. Stephen is located and conducts research in Iowa. We recently featured a Sightings Report from the same general area where Stephen had some sightings.

- Start Interview -

Tom: How long have you been researching/studying Bigfoot?
SR: About 15 years. 

Tom: What got you interested in Bigfoot, Was there a particular event that got you started?
SR: Yes, I had a road crossing sighting in 2007.

Tom: During your research/studying of Bigfoot, have you ever encountered aggressive behavior or felt in danger from a Bigfoot?
SR: I was dumbfounded at first when I saw it, but then I got scared because it was much bigger then me and I'm 6.1 and285lbs. But I was frightened..

Tom: It seems Skeptics are always ready to attack Bigfoot research, How do you deal with it?
SR: I've been in some heated debates with skeptics, and most of the time you cant change a skeptics mind so I thank them for their opinion and I move on.

Tom: Would you like to see Bigfoot accepted and/or proven to the general public?
SR: yes, to know what these creatures are and etc. 

Tom: What is your favorite time of year to research/study Bigfoot, When do you have your most success?
SR: Spring to late fall, late fall.

Tom: Do you have a favorite Bigfoot story or report?
SR: My favorite report is mine, its where I took several photographs of bigfoot type creatures on the shoreline of a island on the Mississippi river on 10-16-2012. (Photo Below)

Tom: What would you be doing if you wasn't researching/studying Bigfoot?
SR: Enjoying fishing, hunting, and enjoying the great outdoors, without looking over my shoulder.

TM: Thanks for doing the interview. Good luck with your research and let us know about your findings.

- End Interview -

Here is the photo Stephen sent to us show what appears to be figures on the shoreline. I slightly adjusted the photo to clear it up a little.

2 bigfoot by Stephen Reynolds

Thanks
~Tom~

  [Halloween is just around the corner, be ready and check out Irish paranormal news with Halloween stories, Halloween costumes ideas and local ghost stories.]

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Monster Snake

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.



This is another viral type post on social media. It is reportedly the largest Eastern Brown Snake ever recorded in one version of the tale. The length of an average size brown snake is about 5.5 feet but this monster is said to be 15 foot long!
The social post claims it was caught near a golf course at Caloundra, Queensland, Australia. The post about the snake is normally accompanied by 2 or 3 photos and the message "Golf anyone?" Two of the photos are the one above and a close up of the snake's mouth and teeth. Here is that photo.

Dangerous

The other version of the story is of a 15 foot Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake being caught south of Jacksonville, FL.

As you can see this is very scary, but is it Real or Fake?

There is a dual answer here, the photos are for sure REAL but in the Australian version it claims to be a Brown snake and that it's from Australia . Both of these claims are FAKE.

The snake featured in the social media post is a Eastern Diamondback rattlesnake that was actually caught at St. Augustine, Florida back in 2009. The snake was only about 7 foot long and not 15 foot as the post claims.

Of course the snake does look really large but that is due to forced perspective.
The forced perspective technique manipulates our human perception with the use of optical illusions to make objects appear larger, smaller, farther, or closer than they actually are. Here is an example.



REAL or FAKE = Mixed

The photos of the snake are REAL but the size and stories about them are mostly FAKE. In the American version some of the statistics about the snakes, including weight, are pulled out of the air.


Thanks
~Tom~





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Leon Drew - Cowboy and researcher of the unknown

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.


The interview series rides on in our 11th installment, who better to interview than modern day cowboy Leon Drew. Leon gallops the plains and rides tall in the saddle while in the mountains of the great state of Colorado. Not only does he research Bigfoot, he also guns down ghost in the spirit world by conducting ghost hunts. Nothing can escape this Posse! (Cue the western music)

- Start Interview -

Tom: How long have you been researching/studying Bigfoot?
LD: Last 5 years consistently but have been reading and studying the topic since 1974.

Tom: What got you interested in Bigfoot, Was there a particular event that got you started?
LD: Recently, it was after two visual encounters along the road I live on. Originally started after seeing  the TV show ‘In Search Of” and the  70’s  Bigfoot Docudrama.

Tom: During your research/studying of Bigfoot, have you ever encountered aggressive behavior or felt in danger from a Bigfoot?
LD: NO, my 3 visual encounters, 2  lasting only 3-5 seconds,  and the face to face, lasting about 45 seconds.  All was nonaggressive.

Tom: It seems Skeptics are always ready to attack Bigfoot research, How do you deal with it?
LD: 1) Ask then why they don’t believe. 2) give them examples of recently discovered species IS Bonobo Chimp. 3) Tell of my encounters and my theories. I, myself, am skeptical of all evidence I see and try and debunk it. If you have blind faith in all evidence you are not doing research, you are doing a injustice to the creature and the hope of ever getting “Mainstream Science” to accept it.

Tom: Would you like to see Bigfoot accepted and/or proven to the general public?
LD: I would like to see a major study done that has credible scientist on it along with experienced field researchers to identify and catalog the main species and the 3-5 subspecies that make up this cryptid. 

Tom: What is your favorite time of year to research/study Bigfoot, When do you have your most success?
LD: Late winter to early spring in the Pikes Peak region . As some snow is still around to see track lines but warm enough to  get  movement of family groups. Also before tourist season starts and the groups move deeper and higher up..

Tom: Do you have a favorite Bigfoot story or report?
LD: Yes, the one Dorraine Fisher took. (Speaking of his interview with DF - found Here )

Tom: What would you be doing if you wasn't researching/studying Bigfoot?
LD: Find some other reason to be in the wilderness! Also do more Paranormal research! I try to never stop learning and expanding my life knowledge!  We should never stop learning or yearning to expand our minds and souls!

TM: Thanks for doing the interview. Good luck with your research and we hope you always have happy trails.

- End Interview -

Over the yeas we have turned to Leon on several occasions, he has always helped us out and gave use some insight on varies things. So thanks for that as well.

As for me, my day is about spent, I think I'll just ride off into the sunset for today.

Moseying along
~Tom~
©The Crypto Crew




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Bigfoot in Iowa - Taken with flip phone

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.



I got this bigfoot sightings report in a couple days ago. The witness, Darren, sent me the photo that he had taken with his flip phone. After the report there is some enhancement of the picture. This is a good report and a big thanks to Darren for sharing it.

- Start Report -

Name: Darren
Email Address: Withheld but on file
State: Iowa
County: Des Moines (It's important to note this is Des Moines County, close to the IL border)

Date of Sighting: 11/3/2012
Time of Day: 1400hrs (2pm)
Nearest Town: Middletown
Length of Sighting: 5 to 6 minutes
How many Witnesses: 1
Any Photos/Videos: one photo from cell flip phone.
Describe sighting in detail:
Driving down a gravel road and noticed something big and dark. I stopped and watched it for a couple minutes. It was looking away from me and kind of bending over. It noticed me then started to walk off, that's when I took the picture of it with my Motorola flip phone. The photo is grainy but you can clearly see the head and shoulders of this thing. this thing looked to be 7-8 foot tall and maybe 3-4 hundred pounds? It had longish dark hair and it didn't have a neck. I am a avid hunter and I can tell you this is something I have never seen ever!
It seemed like it only took a few steps and it was gone down over the little hill. I have revisited this place a number of times and never seen it again.

- End Report -

I have attempted to enhance the photo take by Darren.




Image of Bigfoot Taken with flip phone

I zoomed it in and adjust the contrast a little.
Still can't really make out any detail but it does appear to be a human type figure.
 <------
 ---------------------------------------------->

Bigfoot photo

Next I thought I would try to trace the outline and help everyone see the shape of the figure a little better. The figure does appear to be rather bulky and not have much of a neck. you can basically see the upper torso, the head, shoulders, arm and chest.  It was good thinking of Darren to attempt to get a picture. Yes it is grainy but at least we have something to look at and it does add to the report. Sometimes these types of sightings happen so quickly you just don't have time to get a picture or the person will freeze up. So nice going by Darren.






It is my understanding that this sighting has stirred up interest in the subject of Bigfoot for Darren. He is currently doing some research and investigation in the area of the sighting. I hope at some point I can give an update to this report and his investigation work.
Thanks
~Tom~
© The Crypto Crew 


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Corey Holden Bigfoot Researcher

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.


The 10th installment of the interview series, who would have thought we could make it this far. The interviews have been good and the varying answers have been interesting. In this interview we talk with Corey Holden, Corey is active in the bigfoot research field and is having bigfoot activity around Lacey-Keosauqua State Park in Iowa.

- Start Interview -

Tom: How long have you been researching/studying Bigfoot?
CH: I've been researching bigfoot since 2000 and still doing it in same area.

Tom: What got you interested in Bigfoot, Was there a particular event that got you started?
CH: I've been into bigfoot since I was in grade school and I remember running home since I thought I was being watched by one.

Tom: During your research/studying of Bigfoot, have you ever encountered aggressive behavior or felt in danger from a Bigfoot?
CH: I've had bigfoot all around me in Lacey-Keosauqua State Park and never been threatened by them despite having a big rock hit the water close to us.

Tom: It seems Skeptics are always ready to attack Bigfoot research, How do you deal with it?
CH: I don't let the skeptics get to me. I just laugh at them and go on.

Tom: Would you like to see Bigfoot accepted and/or proven to the general public?
CH: I don't know if I'd want the public to know about bigfoot, then it wouldn't be a mystery to anyone or it'd start a war.

Tom: What is your favorite time of year to research/study Bigfoot, When do you have your most success?
CH: I have the most bigfoot activity during July and October.

Tom: Do you have a favorite Bigfoot story or report?
CH: Yes, I have a favorite story and encounter that always seems to get people attacking me. I was birding watching on Bear Creek in Van Buren County Iowa on October 19,2002. It was a warm sunny day and it was right at noon. As I went around the bend I heard a loud ruckus and I looked over just in time to see a huge gray creature rise up between two big cottonwood trees only to vanish before my eyes. It looked like it went up one of the trees so I rushed right over and looked up to only not see it up there. I was about 100 feet away and there is no doubt that I had just seen a huge sasquatch. I didn't give it time to escape and I didn't hear it go up the bluff or run off through the field. It was there then it was gone in matter of seconds. I just stood there all confused and looking around. I remember small birds scattering about in nearby bushes. I noticed the weeds were all laid down between the two trees and you could tell something was laying there. Later after that I noticed a bunch of chew marks on one of the trees. Last year I discovered a tree by the bluff that has several big limbs twisted down and looks like a tree break which I never seen back in 2002. I took a bunch of pics with my smartphone and they all turned out blurry some were very blurry and with my old cellphone and turned out blurry as well. I am very confident what I saw was a huge gray bigfoot that turned invisible that day. I will never forget it!

Tom: What would you be doing if you wasn't researching/studying Bigfoot?
CH: If I wasn't researching bigfoot I'd probably be researching other cryptid animals in the country..

Thanks for doing the interview, Keep us post on your results around Lacey-Keosauqua State Park.

- End Interview -

Thanks again to all the people who have taken part in this interview series. I hope to have a new round of researchers in the near future. 

Thanks
~Tom~
©The Crypto Crew




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Bigfoot Crosses the Road

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.

I got this great report of a bigfoot sighting in a couple days ago. Yes it is older, but it is a very good one and has not been reported until now. The attention to detail by Brenda is great, maybe it was her military training.

- Start Report -

Name: Brenda
Email Address: withheld but on file
State: MS
County: none given
Date of Sighting: 1979
Time of Day: approx. 1:00 a.m.
Nearest Town: Meridian, MS
Length of Sighting: 30-40 seconds
How many Witnesses: 1
Any Photos/Videos: no
Describe sighting in detail:
In 1979 I was sent to PSD Meridian MS for training, after boot camp in Orlando. One afternoon I drove into town for shopping and a movie. Came back very late, stopped at a late night diner for a to go meal of bbq burnt ends as I was hungry and knew the chow hall was closed. The diner was open but completely empty except for the bartender/chef/waiter, (all the same guy).
As I was driving back to base, I had my window halfway down to let the cooler air in. The road was a narrow, two lane paved interstate highway, and totally deserted at this hour. I was driving slowly and carefully as there were deer and the road was surrounded with dense pine forest on both sides of the road, however there was an approx. 20 foot gap from the edge of the pavement to the tree line on both sides.

I was about halfway home and I was smelling the lovely bbq smell, when I noticed a strong stinky skunk smell, so I slowed down even further because I didn't want to hit a skunk, or drive over a dead one and get the smell on the tires. The road had a slight curve in it right then, and I couldn't tell if there was a deer or roadkill ahead so slowed way down.
I grabbed the handle to roll the window up (no automatic buttons in this car), and when I looked up (split second later), I saw a large dark shadow of movement to my right, coming out of the tree line. Thinking it was a bear I came to a stop. I still only had the window 2/3 of the way rolled up. I was in shock because I expected to see a bear. This was NO bear!

It was standing extremely upright, and it took three strides to cover the ground from the tree line to the middle of the road. It stopped at the yellow median line on the road. It was facing toward the trees in front of it, not facing me or the car. It was standing approximately 30 feet in front of my car, brightly lit by my headlights. I had the brights on so reached down to dim them. As it stood there it raised its head up a little, sniffing the air, then turned his head, still sniffing, and looked right at me. I realized he was smelling the meat.

He looked as if he was entertaining the thought of coming closer to investigate, but didn't. He was not afraid of me at all. I thought he might try to get in to the car to reach the bbq, so I quickly rolled up the window all the way and locked the car door. I thought about backing the car up, or trying to whiz past him, but was afraid I'd hit him, or he'd try to attack and damage the car if I provoked a reaction from him. But he didn't make any threatening move. He stayed that way for approx. 30-40 seconds, his body in relaxed stance, then turned his head forward again, and took three more large steps. Reaching the tree line, he disappeared into the forest.

While he'd stood there looking at me I took notice of as many details as I could. He was approx. 8 ft. tall, maybe taller, covered head to toe with deep auburn red hair, med. long length, and silky, glossy hair/fur (like that of a deep auburn colored Irish setter). It was quite beautiful. It had rained recently so no surprise it was "clean" looking. What I immediately noticed was his extremely short to non-existent neck. the head wasn't sunk into the shoulders, but he had an extremely short one. His skull shape was more elongated than a human one. His shoulders were extremely broad, but not disproportionate to the rest of the torso. Long trunk, and very long and thick, muscular legs. Feet in proportion, but the toes had no hair on them and were dull, charcoal black. His arms were very very long, not odd, but def. longer in proportion than a humans. Again, the fingers, halfway to the tip, had no hair and were charcoal black. Couldn't tell the size of his hands as he carried them down at his side, and couldn't see the far side. Near side (left), hand was slightly cupped and the palm was black.

Face also not covered in hair. He had a deep charcoal black face. No deeply exaggerated brow, but definitely pronounced. Face overall was not human, but the eyes (a gold I've never seen in a human), were definitely intelligent looking and glowed like a wolves eyes when a flashlight shines on them. He had a flat nose and thin "lips"  He continued sniffing the air and his facial muscles and eye movements were not compatible with this being a mask. Too many muscles moving the skin than could be done with any fake mask or makeup. He stood completely straight and upright while standing, but slightly hunched when walking.

Overall impression he gave was of being a young male coming into his prime. He didn't seem to feel threatened by me as he showed no fear, no aggression, only a slight curiosity in the food. He then turned his head forward and another three steps and he was at the tree line, and disappeared into the trees. I have never seen a human move his limbs like he did. The overall impression I got was of a deep auburn haired shaggy Chewbacca except the arms and legs were thicker, and the face was a bit different,  but this was definitely no costume, unless a hoaxer wanted to spend several thousand dollars for the purpose of scaring the few people out on the road at that hour!

The road was wide enough to accommodate two large cars side by side with a few feet more on either side and another foot space between the cars. Then counting in the ground easement on either side as approx 15 ft x 2, it was approx. 45 feet from tree line to tree line. he took it all in six long strides. I zoomed past the spot where he'd stood, and glanced at the trees he had entered. Saw nothing but thick black forest, no sound or movement of foliage. But it was night time and couldn't see much in the darkness.
As I drove on home I noticed I was shaking uncontrollably. I got to my barracks, ate, and went to bed. Next I wrote the incident down with all the details fresh in my mind. I never told anyone of this incident until last year I told a relative. To this day I Know it was a bigfoot and not a hoaxer in a costume.

- End Report -

Thanks for this excellent report of your sighting. You did a great job with the details and by writing it down right after the sighting it helped preserve the details. This is a good rule of thumb for others, write down your sighting as soon as you can.

Thanks
~Tom~
©The Crypto Crew



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The Crypto Crew's Jason Morse

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.


In our 9th installment of the interview series we bring you our very own Jason Morse. Jason has been a active member of The Crypto Crew and has conducted many witness interviews and field research for the group. He also took part in my recent film, Bigfoot: The Evidence Files, and not only provided some photos but also took part as a host. Jason is slated for several projects in the future, we'll do our best to keep everyone posted.

- Start Interview -

Tom: How long have you been researching/studying Bigfoot?
JM: I've been actively researching in the woods about 4 years, but have been learning all I can about the subject for 30+ years.

Tom: What got you interested in Bigfoot, Was there a particular event that got you started?
JM: I've always been interested in the subject, but my first sighting in 2011 changed my life. I intend to research until I'm no longer physically able.

Tom: During your research/studying of Bigfoot, have you ever encountered aggressive behavior or felt in danger from a Bigfoot?
JM: I've never felt like I was in danger, I've been the victim of "games", tossing acorns, circling me like they was herding me in a certain direction. I've found them, in my area anyway, too be very playful, curious, and interested creatures.

Tom: It seems Skeptics are always ready to attack Bigfoot research, How do you deal with it?
JM: I allow anyone to have their beliefs without a problem, when I'm the one being attacked for one reason or another, I simply become the bigger, more mature person and leave the environment.

Tom: Would you like to see Bigfoot accepted and/or proven to the general public?
JM: On one hand, being proven by science would be good. Steps could be taken to protect these amazing creatures to allow them to flourish without fear. On the other hand, poachers would be flooding the forests of the world trying to get one, I'd assume, much like other endangered animals are victim of. They are doing better than some may think, from my experience, so I'm all set with them continuing to be a mystery to the scientific world. I'd hate to see an article, news broadcast, or what have you with a topic of experimenting, harming, or abusing a Sasquatch.

Tom: What is your favorite time of year to research/study Bigfoot, When do you have your most success?
JM: Early spring and fall are my personal favorite times to do research. Visibility is better without full leaves on trees, less pests to annoy me in the woods, and better temperatures to hike in.

Tom: Do you have a favorite Bigfoot story or report?
JM: I've always liked the story of Albert Osterman being "kidnapped" by a clan of Bigfoot, too escape later by making the alpha male sick from snuff.

Tom: What would you be doing if you wasn't researching/studying Bigfoot?
JM: I'd probably be doing something else in the woods. I love nature and being outdoors, so I can't see me not going out for some kind of knowledge about the natural world.

Thanks for doing the interview, taking part in the documentary film and your continued work you do for the Crypto Crew. We all look forward to more from you in the future.

- End Interview -

Over the years Jason has provided us with some very good bigfoot evidence. Every thing from photos to audio evidence. Thanks again for all you do.

More interviews are on the way! I hope everyone is enjoying them.

Thanks
~Tom~







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