Deep in the mountains of western Pakistan lives what some call "The Big Hairy One". It is a bigfoot type of creature that is said to abduct women. It is known by many names but the one that seems the most accepted is the Barmanou. The term Barmanou is used in several Pakistani languages including Khowar, Shina, Hindko, and Kashmiri.

The proposed range of the Barmanou covers the Chitral and Karakoram Ranges, between the Pamirs and the Himalayas. This places the Barmanou between the ranges of two more-famous cryptids, the Almas of Central Asia and the Yeti of the Himalayas.

Explore more information about the Barmanou in our latest episode of The Crypto Files.
[Episode 26]

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I finally got around to watching the documentary film Minerva Monster. This film is about a continuing series of bigfoot sightings and activity in a small town in eastern Ohio. The film mainly focuses on one family and their years of activity behind their house. The film also brings in other sightings from the area and numerous interviews.

According to the documentary, a local family had a sighting of the creature near their home and being frightened called the police. From there the whole event kind of snowballed and the area and the family was thrust into the spotlight. The story made local and national news headlines. Every bigfoot hunter and rubbernecker from all over came to the area. There were even times when the family was harassed by skeptics.

According to the family the creature kept coming around the family's property, it would throw rock and make tree knocks. The family tells about many sightings and encounters with the beast. They talk about finding huge footprints and finding bedding areas.

There were many things I like about this little film. I like the fact that the local police officer who was called to the house, is actually interviewed extensively during the film. The newspaper reporter covering the story way back in the 70's, is also interview extensively. The production and film quality is high level. It was a well done production.

Throughout the course of the film, other witnesses and more recent sightings from the area are added in, but the central story remains around this one particular family. Bigfoot researcher Paul Hayes is also featured in the film and he tells about the sighting he and his son had of a bigfoot.

Overall, it was a pretty good little film, just realize it is not a film about going out and looking for evidence. It is mostly interviews and people telling about what happened. There are some photographs presented from the central story but not much. This is the aspect of the film that I was a little disappointed in. I wish there had been more photos from the police investigation or family presented.

So, if you would like to watch a film about a family who has had numerous sightings and encounters with bigfoot, then this film might be right for you. Please be aware that the first of the film is pretty slow on the bigfoot front. It is mostly historians telling about the town and how it's grown over the years.  While many will find the first part of the film boring, just hang with it, after it gets into the bigfoot stuff it is much better.

Here is the official trailer


During the interviews there are a lot of different details given about the area and the sightings. I was unfamiliar with this story and its long history, so I enjoyed learning about it. 


Here is my final rating.
Rating: 3 out of 5    



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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I have not said very much about the "Russian Yeti Runs Across Road "video for a few simple reasons. One reason is that I really have not taken the time to actually study it over. But today I thought I would play "Johnny come lately" and give the video a little inspection. I know my opinion will not change anything or carry much weight but it is a slow day for me, so, why not?

First, let me be up front and say I have a hard time trusting videos of bigfoot from Russia. It seems they have more hoaxers than we do here in the USA. I also think that it is better to inspect these types of videos with a skeptical approach.

So, the first thing I did is grab a still frame from the video. I wanted to zoom it in, adjust different aspects of the image and see if I can gather any more details about the figure. I know this is a difficult task because of the almost all white snowy backdrop. During this process, I really could not get any real useful information about the figure itself. One thing I noticed in the video and the still frames is that there does not appear to be any eye shine, but maybe it just did not look directly at the camera.



 Another problem about analyzing this video or a still frame from it is that there is nothing in it that can give you a sense of scale. This makes it almost impossible to determine the height of the figure.

In my opinion, I think the figure looks rather small. I make that assumption based on the width of the road, it appears a bit narrow. We do not know what type of vehicle they are driving but if you just take any average car or truck, you are talking about something 5-6 foot wide. This road is not much wider that the auto they are driving. It appears to take the figure 3 or 4 running steps to cross the small road. If the road is 10 foot wide and it takes 3-4 running steps to cross it, then the strides would easily fall within human range and average size, in my opinion. Of course, this is all speculative on my part. It could also very well have been a young yeti.


We can see that the figure is moving at a pretty good speed in what appears to be fairly deep snow. But is it moving faster than a human could move? I don't think the speed appears to be something superhuman but we really can not be definite on this conclusion.

According to the description under the video, this was some nature sight seeing tourist out for a drive. But a line towards the end of the description could be rather telling, here is that line: "..The folklore of this particular region of Russia, the Republic of Bashkortostan, tells stories of Shurale, a tall hairy creature that tickles his victims to death."

The only thing I can find or think of that supposedly tickles its victims to death is the Mahaha. The Mahaha is said to live in the Arctic and to be a demon. The description of the Mahaha is nothing like a bigfoot or the figure seen in this particular video. I'll be the first to admit, I do not know very much about local Russian folklore in the region of the Republic of Bashkortostan, so, it may be a true statement in the video description.    
 
Now, with all of that said I still think the video is interesting. I do think it is most likely a prank/hoax but we really need more information to really make a solid conclusion. I know whenever a video of this nature is posted online, you will have some who accept it as real and some who reject it as a hoax. It seems you can't get either side to change their minds either way. So, knowing that and knowing my opinion will have no real effect, I invite you to watch the video for yourself and make up your own mind.

Here is the video.




If anyone would like to provide their thoughts on the video, feel free to post in the comments. Tell us what you like about the video or what you do not like.

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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Many cultures have a belief in shapeshifting in some form. Shapeshifting is the ability of a being or creature to completely transform its physical form or shape. The Aswang reportedly has the ability to combine various elements from different creatures.

In this episode of The Crypto Files, we take a look at the Aswang and explore some of the characteristics and behavior of this cryptid.

Here is the episode (ep. 25)

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I often chuckle when people start talking about critical thinking. Many people think they’re critical thinkers,including me at times, until I correct myself, because it’s harder to think critically than one might imagine.

According to the Foundation For Critical Thinking, critical thinking “is the intellectually disciplined process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing, and/or evaluating information gathered from, or generated by, observation, experience, reflection, reasoning, or communication, as a guide to belief and action. In its exemplary form, it is based on universal intellectual values that transcend subject matter divisions: clarity, accuracy, precision, consistency, relevance, sound evidence, good reasons, depth, breadth, and fairness.”

This is a great and very thorough definition. And I was happy to see that it now acknowledges the flaw in it that I’ve been talking about for years. The flaw that comes from the humans themselves.

No human, no matter how much they claim to be a critical thinker is devoid of human flaws. We all believe lies sometimes. We all are subject to irrational or uncontrolled thinking at times. We are all slaves to our personal perceptions more often than we imagine. Real critical thinking relies a great deal on our ability to understand and control our own thoughts and recognize when our thinking is flawed. The problem is, the majority of people are unable to do this. And the most dangerous thing is that, all the while, they’ll think they’re doing it. This is why I’m a bit guarded when people claim to be critical thinkers. I’ve known very few.

It's one thing to be able to think. It's quite another to be able to think about what you think. To pick it apart and analyze it and decide if every part of it is useful or not. And it’s quite another thing entirely to be able to decide that maybe what you were thinking before is wrong. That’s where the supposed critical thinkers often hit a snag.

Even the most intelligent people get caught up in the idea of being right. Like being right is the most important thing there is. And being wrong is the equivalent of the sky falling. And the basic insecurities of humanity cloud the discussion before it even starts. Egos get in the way. They often need to feel they’re right and superior in their thinking. So, in order to achieve this, someone has to be wrong. And this is where critical thinking falls apart. Not because of critical thinking itself, but in the failure of the humans to implement it.

There are a lot of people who might roll their eyes at me when I say this, but exercising subjects like cryptozoology and the paranormal is a good practice on the subject of critical thinking. They teach us to think about what we once thought and whether we still want to believe it.

In the worlds of cryptozoology and the paranormal, there is a whole group of people whose paradigms have been forever changed by something they saw or experienced. Something that wasn’t supposed to exist, or something they didn’t believe existed.

Are these people incapable of critical thinking? Not at all. But they are, like every other member of humanity, subject to their own personal perceptions, shaped by an unusual experience. This can’t be avoided. But the important thing to remember is that the group of humans judging this person’s experience and claiming it was a figment of their imagination are also in possession of the same human flaws and personal perceptions created by their LACK of having had the same experience. So is anyone here really applying critical thinking? Not really.

If our personal perceptions get in the way of our analyzing a subject, then we’re not thinking critically. In order to be a real critical thinker, we have to recognize this problem and eliminate perception from our thought processes. We have to have the ability to clear our minds of any preconceived thoughts, beliefs, or ideas that will hinder the process of getting to the truth.
  
That is what critical thinking REALLY is. It’s being able to think about and analyze our own thinking and correct it when necessary. But the hardest part is recognizing when we need to do this. It’s  not an easy task, and I’ve rarely seen anyone able to do it completely. We have to  entertain the idea that we could be wrong, and that’s not easy for many people.  It takes a lifetime of self-reflection and self-analysis in order to even begin to really do this right.

So, are you a critical thinker or not? If you’ve read this article through this far, then I know you’re at least open to the idea. The real success is in implementing it. Which requires critical thinking. It’s hard being human.

Reference: The Foundation For Critical Thinking

*************DF






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This report was submitted to me by our researcher in training Wyatt Zombro. He has done the leg work on this case and interviewed the witness. I will input some of my commentary but the bulk of this work was done by Wyatt. I'm only putting it all together. -Tom


First lets start with the photograph. The picture was taken 3 or 4 months ago in Morgan county West Virginia by Steven. We are only using his first name to protect his identity. Steven took the picture around 12 or 1 o'clock in the day. The circle rainbow stayed in the sky for about an hour. While the picture is beautiful, there is something potentially odd about it.


A rainbow like this does happen from time to time but if you look at the top of the rainbow there appears to be a UFO. As you can see in the zoomed in picture a dark object is towards the top of the rainbow.

During the interview, the witness said he did not notice the unknown object at the time.



  


The shape of the unknown object seems to be in the shape of a fedora or a bell type shape. Of course this could be nothing more than something on the lens but it does appear to be an object that was actually in the sky.





While we can not say just what this object is, or even if it was an actual object, it was worth talking to the witness and attempting to gather more information about it. Thanks goes to Steven for allowing us to use the picture and for doing the interview.

Have there been other reports of UFO's around rainbows? Yes, it seems to happen very often.

Thanks
^Wyatt^




This report by TCC's Wyatt Zombro.Wyatt is a Cryptozoology enthusiast, enjoys being outdoors and exploring the forest. Wyatt researches bigfoot in his home state of West Virginia. Wyatt also has interest in other mysteries such as UFOs and ghost.






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Bodfish, Ca

I recently got in this report of some odd and unusual activity happening in and near Bodfish, CA. It appears to have elements of several different phenomenon. I'm not quite sure to make of it all, but wanted to share it with others in case they have had a similar experience.

Here is the report.

-Start Report- 


Name: Lisa ******

Email Address: On File

State: Ca

County: 

Date of Sighting: November 10, 2016

Time of Day: 4:00 pm

Nearest Town: Bodfish

Length of Sighting: 10 seconds

How many Witnesses: Just Me

Any Photos/Videos: Not of this put I have pictures of entities all over the mountain I speak of

Describe sighting in detail:

I moved into my mothers house Sept 1, 2016. She lives in Bodfish, Ca. in a very secluded area. Just a few neighbors. Her back yard stretches into the tallest mountain in our area,but a small mountain that has many strange activities going on...I think in it?

First let me explain the sound that roars. It almost sounds like a jet but not quite. Never see anything overhead and I understand the sound barrier affect. I was constantly looking for an object until I just ignored it, until Nov. 10, 2016. I am walking to my truck to take my dog to the park as I always do and I just happened to look up because the roar was so loud and I saw a HUGE I MEAN HUGE white almost see through air craft 10 times the size of a 747 flying just above the ridge of the mountain dropped down straight INTO THE MOUNTAIN. No booms. It was amazing and I think the sound rumbles from within along with creatures and people of the 4th dimension. They morph in and out of sight. But they can't hide in pictures.

I am always taking pictures of this mountain it oddly has things change on it, I understand the sunlight changes things dramatically but rocks and dirt always moving, caves appearing then vanishing. Every picture has faces of people clear as day, people standing in different places, alligators in some, giant ants, elephants, demons, giants and much more.

And I just saw a truck that said UFO investigators camped at the Old Ghost Town down the street. It was to late to drop in but first thing in the morning I am going to see whats up.

-End Report-

First, a thanks goes to Lisa for sharing her experiences with us.There are things going on that fall into several different categories. It is an interesting report and I thought I would share it.

Maybe, Lisa will have an update for us in the future.




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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Mock up photo.

You want to talk about an unforgettable evening, I think this is it. I know growing up we all had various friends we hung out with and we probably spent many evening trying to find something to do. This following report has a lot of different elements in it. It is a glimpse at youthful lives, and a reminder how our areas can change over time. That on rare occasions events happen to us that we can't explain and that we will never forget.

Here is the report.

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Well, it is that time of year again....where we have a feast and think about the things we are thankful for.....oh and watch football. 

There is not a lot of time left in this year, seems like it has went by really fast. We have many things to be thankful for...far too many to name them all, but one thing we are thankful for is our fans and supporters.

So, from all of us at The Crypto Crew ...we wish you a very Happy Thanksgiving!

If you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, we still hope you have a great day. There will be no other post for today, as we enjoy time with our families. Thank you.   


Now, the age old question ...Turkey or Ham?



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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Mock up photo, not actual photo.

A few weeks back, when we had the Bigfoot seminar in Harlan, I got one unofficial report before the seminar and then at the event someone briefly told about a sighting. Today, I want to share these two reports, they are unofficial at this time due to the lack of some information, such as time of the sightings and location.

On one of the sightings, I personally know the witness but have not seen him in a long time. I hope to eventually catch up with him and get the full scoop.

Okay, lets start with the one I was told before the seminar. It also has the most details.

So, the person that saw this is a person I have known for 20-25 years, maybe more. He is a Pentecostal preacher and an avid hunter. I will not share his real name, not even his first name at this time. I will only call him Sam. Here is what I was told about his sighting.

One day, Sam, was out deer hunting. He was sitting on the side of a ridge, waiting for a deer to come by on the near by ridge across from him. As he is sitting there, he sees something coming up the ridge across from him. He can't really tell what it is at first, but as it gets further up the hill, he noticed it was a large man shaped figure. He kept his eyes on it as it made its way up the steep ridge. This is when he realized it was a bigfoot. A large, covered in hair, human shaped creature walking up the side of the mountain. He just sit there watching it. The figure made it up to where it was level, where there was an old coal mine. Sam continued to watch the bigfoot as it walked over to the mine opening, duck down a little and enter into the old coal mine.

I hope at some point I can verify this sighting with the person. I do know him but it has been a while since I had a chance to actually talk with him. I'm sure at some point our paths will cross again....and when it does, I'll ask about his sighting, if possible. Many of us have long speculated that bigfoot stays and travels in the old coal mines and this could help confirm it.

Now, this second one was told at the bigfoot seminar and once again it is an unofficial report and I will not give the person's name. It is a very brief story but here it goes.

It seems this man owned some horses and on a few occasions he witnessed a large bigfoot walking next to the fence line. The bigfoot would walk real close to the fence and the horses. I assume the horses were not afraid of the bigfoot.

If I remember correctly, this happened many years ago and I think it was in Kentucky somewhere. I was hoping the person would officially submit this report but I guess they are not going to.

Well, that is all I have for right now. Anyone with a sighting, who would like to report it, please use the link at the top of the page.


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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Hwy 33 in WV - Photo from Google Maps

Here is another bigfoot sighting report. This one is more recent and comes from Pendleton, WV.
Pendleton county is the fifth lowest populous in West Virginia. The landscape is very much like what we find here in Southeast Kentucky. It is a truly beautiful area.

Spruce Knob, located in Pendleton County, is the highest point in the state and in the Alleghenies, its elevation being 4,863 feet. Parts of the Monongahela and George Washington National Forests are also located in Pendleton. It is and idea area for bigfoot.

Here is the report

-Start Report-

Name: Wesley ****

Email Address: On File

State: WV

County: Pendleton

Date of Sighting: 2013

Time of Day: 10 p.m.

Nearest Town: Franklin

Length of Sighting: 15 sec

How many Witnesses: 2

Any Photos/Videos: no

Describe sighting in detail:

We were traveling on route 33 and observed a large object beside the road. I knew immediately it was Bigfoot. My wife asked what was beside the road. I replied "a bear" not wanting to get into the Bigfoot discussion with her again. (she was a nonbeliever at the time).
Her reply was "that was not a bear, that was Bigfoot!" I am working on getting permission to research this area from the landowner.

Follow up questions:
TM: Where did it go and describe the height and color?
W: We're not sure where it went. When we passed it was standing beside the road. We turned around and went back and it had left. It looked to be all black and judging by the tree it was near I would say it was 7 to 7.5 foot tall.

-End Report-

Thanks for the report, Wesley. We wish you good luck in obtaining permission to research the area. If you get in there and need some help, have questions or want to share what you find, then just email or message us.

Maybe we will have an update on this sighting and area in the future.

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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