Van Buren County, MI

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 just got a report in late last night of a possible Thunderbird sighting in Van Buren County, MI
This is a pretty recent sighting. Here is the report.


- Start Report -

Name: Matt
Email Address: withheld
State: Michigan
County: Van Buren
Date of Sighting: 6/14/14  
Time of Day: 12:00 PM
Nearest Town: Breedsville, Michigan
Length of Sighting: 1 Minute
How many Witnesses: 3
Any Photos/Videos: No
Describe sighting in detail:
We were working on the lawn on Jeptha Lake in Grand Junction, Michigan Van Buren County SW Michigan) when the high noon sun became obscured by a very large bird. I was looking at the ground when the huge outline of a giant bird covered the ground I was looking at.

I looked up and about 300-500 feet up (too high to notice any features except it being all black and 10-16 foot wingspan, I'm guessing around 12-14 feet specifically) was a giant "hawk-like" bird. It was circling the lake and was checking out there area.

It is a very high populated deer area, so maybe looking for deer?

I alerted my gf and brother who were with me and we all watch as it continued its circle until we lost it behind a giant tree. We waited to see if it would circle around but it must have continued the opposite way.

We watched it for around a full minute.

It's tough to estimate size as it was so far up, but there is no way it was smaller than a 10 foot wingspan, which makes it too large to be any known species in the area. The DNR suggested a Turkey Vulture of Bald Eagle (if definitely was not a Bald Eagle).

If it was a turkey vulture, it was larger than the largest known size by a matter of a couple feet.

I have been since then been watching hawks and other large birds carefully. Ive sized up 4 foot wingspan
hawks and seen what they look like even a hundred feet in the air. No comparison, and they are 200+ feet lower than the bird I saw.

From what I have read, it may be a Thunderbird, or some giant hawk. Anyone have any ideas what I saw?



- End Report -

This sure sounds like a Thunderbird  when compared to what has been described by other witnesses.
If anyone from that are also seen this large bird, please contact us.
A thanks goes to Matt for submitting the report.

Thanks
~Tom~





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SCP's Kevin Vaughn

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 thought it would be good to expand our interview series and include ghost hunters and those that research the spirit world. So, I hit up my longtime facebook buddy Kevin Vaughn and he agreed to the interview. Kevin is the Co-founder and Lead Investigator of Scioto County Paranormal. SCP investigates paranormal activity around Scioto County, OH and the Tri-state area. They run SCP as a non profit/volunteer organization. Their investigations are free and done professionally and discretely.

- Start Interview -


TM:  How long have you been researching/studying the paranormal?

KV:  I started watching horror movies at the ripe old age of 5, watching chiller theater on TV. As I got older I started watching shows like in search of, unexplained mysteries. sightings. But I would say doing research, maybe I was 10, reading the books about UFOs, ghost, and Bigfoot. Just whatever I could find, I've been interested ever since. So, that was about 30 years ago.

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

KV: While growing up I heard all the local ghost stories and legends, I wanted to know more and see what I could find out for myself.
I lived in a house were a man was killed and his house keeper was tied up. He was shot one morning through his front door and died. At certain times of the year you could hear gun shots, his house keeper screaming, the loud thud of something hitting the floor and on occasion you could see a black shadow cross the upstairs grate in the floor to the attic door. We later learned he kept his money hid in the attic.

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

KV: Not anything aggressive yet, there was my hair stroked and another team mate felt someone grab his leg walking down some stairs at a clients house.

TM: It seems Skeptics are always doubting the paranormal field, and make claims of evidence being faked, How do you deal with it?

KV: I try not to push my beliefs on other people. If they wanna believe fine but I'm not gonna force them. Most people don't believe until something happens to them.

TM: What do you feel is your best evidence of the paranormal?

KV: We haven't really caught anything I would consider to be good evidence, a few personal experiences but nothing to back up the accounts. (9 out of 10 times you catch nothing, its not like on TV were they catch something every time they go some place. That just doesn't happen.)

TM: Do you have a favorite place you like to investigate?

KV:  I have none that really stand out. I'd like to investigate any and every where we can. You never know, just because one place has nothing, across the street might be loaded with activity. So none I'm not particular, just any and every where.

TM: Do you have a place you would like to investigate but haven't got to, yet?

KV: Bobby Mackey's in Wilder Ky,  heard its got a lot of activity, has a warning sign telling customers its haunted. A lot of places really, but most are very expensive, and theres no such thing as a money back guarantee you'll catch something. Ghost don't respond every time you want them too, if they do maybe its faked.

TM: What would you be doing if you wasn't researching/studying the paranormal?

KV: Its hard to say, but nothing as exciting or interesting as the paranormal I'm sure. Maybe try writing a book on local legends and stories.

Thanks for the interview Big K! Good Luck on finding ghost.
Links to SCP -  Twitter and Facebook




- End Interview -

This concludes our 15 interview in the series. I have enjoyed doing them and find the various answers intriguing. I hope to bring you more interviews in the near future. Again, a big thanks to Kevin for doing the interview. We all wish him and SCP the best of luck in their search for the truth.

Thanks
~Tom~   




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Possible Bigfoot Sounds

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 of experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and a poet.



I have attempted to enhance the audio file of some possible Bigfoot sounds recorded by Brian Sons.
These sounds were recorded in Mississippi where Brian has been having Bigfoot activity.

It's still a little hard to hear the audio but here it is.

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DVD Review

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.




Some of you may recognize the name of the director of  Pursuit of the Paranormal, Chis Bores, from his very popular youtube channel - Irategamer, where he rates and does various skits mostly revolving around video games. But Chris also has a passion for paranormal investigations and it will become more evident once you watch Pursuit of the Paranormal.

So last night I finally got some free time to watch Pursuit of the Paranormal, not really knowing what to expect, I can say I was surprised with the quality of the film. As an independent film creator myself, I know how hard it is to produce a high production film and the cost associated with high quality cameras. Sometimes you just have to work with what you have and do the best you can and in this case the quality of the film is very good.

As the show is coming on we learn that it is hosted by Chris Bores and Alan Cicco. They are investigating a very familiar place, the St. Augustine Lighthouse, which is known for paranormal activity. I instantly remembered the Lighthouse from a past episode of Ghost Hunters, the previous evidence collected by Ghost Hunters was tied in very well during the first of Pursuit of the Paranormal .

So at this point my interest in the film is peeked and I'm ready for the investigation to start.

Pursuit of the Paranormal, has a really good Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures type of feel to it. A good bit of back ground is given about the lighthouse before the investigation start. Of course, with the Lighthouse being a historical hotspot for paranormal activity, the investigators are not disappointed. There is a lot of activity, but I'm assuming some of the odd banging could have been due to the temperature changes of a sunny day to a cooler night, resulting in popping and cracking of the structure. But, this is not all that happens, the team are also using various cameras and K2 meters. The K2 meters received a lot of the activity and this is where the most interesting part of the film takes place.

What was really interesting was that during the numerous K2 sessions it seemed the spirits would not or could not answer certain questions about the afterlife. Is there a particular reason for this?  The team probes deeper and tries to find the answers. I know some of the questions the investigators ask are the ones I would have ask.

While this film may not be for everyone, it does have high production values and the host/investigators do a good job. There is various evidence presented and it was entertaining. If you are a fan of or like shows like Ghost Hunters and Ghost Adventures, then you should find Pursuit of the Paranormal to your liking.

The only real draw backs for me were the lack of debunking attempts and lack of more gadgets, I would have liked to see more equipment used in attempts to contact the spirits. But, I can somewhat see the lack of more gadgets, as I know some of that stuff is expensive.

While there may be nothing earth shattering in the film, the line of questioning during the K2 sessions makes the film a very worthwhile watch in my opinion. This is a very good effort in the crowded market place of paranormal research. 

To purchase the film just go to Pursuit of the Paranormal.com
 

 Rating: 3 out of 5

Thanks
~Tom~







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How can we advance Bigfoot Research?

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!


  Bigfoot Investigations
The One Huge Way We Can Advance The Research?
By Dorraine Fisher
    Bigfoot research sometimes seems to come to a stalemate.  We learn a lot, and then one day, it all stops for a while. How can we keep the momentum going and keep learning more and more? The answer is simple…and yet complicated at the same time. It involves the inner workings of the human mind.  Yes, that’s right.  Our brains are the problem.  But the good news is they don’t have to be.

   Advances in neuroscience have moved leaps and bounds in the last ten years. Scientists are really beginning to unlock the secrets of the brain that have eluded us for so long. But the more we learn, the more it becomes apparent how flawed our brains really are. Or are they?

The great thing about the human brain is if it knows the problem, it can overcome it.
    But then that brings up the question:  what actually is the problem?

    Arguably, the single greatest flaw in human minds is when we think we know something already, we have a hard time wrapping our mind around any different idea that deviates from that.  It first requires us to come to the conclusion we may have been wrong before, and it requires us to accept a whole new idea that is at first uncomfortable and somewhat unfamiliar.  Scientists are required to do this fairly often, but they also have trouble with it.

    That’s because your human brain automatically looks for something familiar in everything it sees. So if we see something unusual, we have a hard time processing it simply because our brains are designed that way. We try to relate everything we see to something we’ve seen before. And in the world of the paranormal and cryptids, this can be a huge problem. Since we can only speculate much of the time on these subjects, our minds need to be wide open to different possibilities.  Because there are so many…and we need to remember that.

    But how does this relate to bigfoot research?

 We need to change the way we think about everything.  And there are no better people to learn this first than bigfoot researchers.  Since we’re always looking for the proverbial needle in a haystack, we’re more used to rethinking things. But we need to get even better at it.

    I know I’ve said this before, but after years of analogies about ducks, we need to ditch this one:  “If it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, it’s probably a duck.”  Probably does not mean definitely.  And if there’s any possibility it’s something else, we need to acknowledge that.

    No one made this point better than paranormal researcher, Sharon Day, author of Ghost Hunting Theories, when she spoke about dog man sightings and how people process what they’ve seen, and how it often sparks hot debate.

    “Oh yes. I would say this,  "We get caught up in Dogman looking like a dog because that's our comparison for something hair covered and having a snout shape to the foreface. We did the same thing with Bigfoot, calling it ape because we had no reference to something hair covered and upright. We need to expand our research, removing the "canine" reference and look to real world explanations for the origins of something that appears like this creature.
 
    Sharon will be elaborating on that in her blog in the near future. But can you see where this is going? Just because a creature looks like a dog, howls at night, and eats meat, does not mean it’s a canine.  The term “dogman” is nothing more than a description of a creature that resembles a dog. It may actually be something completely different that we have yet to discover.

    The only way to take the research farther than it’s ever gone is to change our own minds. Be prepared to say we might be wrong, and accept the idea of other possibilities.  In essence, don’t believe everything you think.  Because in the world of cryptids, we all might be wrong about a lot of things.

    Also, just because something hasn’t been proved, doesn’t mean it’s impossible.  It might very well be possible…even in a context none of us understands yet.  There are many things we can’t conceive of because we have no experience of them. Does that mean they never happen or don’t exist?  None of us really knows for sure.  All of us would like to be an expert on the subject of Bigfoot, but no one really is. Once we think we have all the answers, we stop looking for any new information and we shut down the conversation and won’t listen to another idea. That is a tragedy for research. Even renowned physicist, Stephen Hawking, one of the greatest minds of our generation, admits that he’d rather advance his understanding of the universe rather than protect his own ego by holding on to old, outdated ideas.  That’s what we have to keep in mind when we’re trying to unlock any mystery.

    So, there are great opportunities to put this into practice. Bigfoot researchers have the greatest opportunities to become some of the most open minds of our generation; great out-of-the-box thinkers.  It’s imperative…when none of us knows exactly what we’re dealing with.  Being completely objective should be number one on our long list of the skills it takes to find elusive creatures.  And just a small adjustment to our mindset can certainly bring us closer to it.
*******DF
   







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Bigfoot in Mississippi

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 of experience with research and investigation of unexplained activity, working with video and websites. A trained wild land firefighter and a published photographer, and a poet.




I find the video very interesting. A big thanks to Brian for letting us attempt to enhance it.
Make sure to visit Brian's group by Clicking Here!

I'm second-guessing myself on the one in the tree but while doing the frame-by-frame it appears to jump down ... the tree branch is kind of blocking the view...

UPDATE -
We are aware of the 2 figures in the video, but we were alerted to the possibility of another figure. You can make up your own mind. Bigfoot activity seems to be continuing to happen in this area and we wish Brian all the best in capturing more videos.
Here is a new analysis of the footage.


Thanks
~Tom~




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General area where the sighing took, as best as I could pinpoint.

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 sighting took place back in May of this year. I have attempted to local the general area as best I could based on the info given. The picture of the map above is a place called Tundra near the community of Bethel, AK. I did not take this report in, I found it and I'm sharing the post word for word. Full credit for the original post should go to Deltadiscovery.com.

Here is the account.


Two geese hunters who are from Bethel are the most recent eyewitnesses of a large, hairy, Bigfoot-like creature on the tundra near the community of Bethel.

One of the hunters, speaking on terms of anonymity, said that he and his partner were hunting for geese a few miles from the “golf ball” out on BIA Road on the Atmautluak Trail area when they came across the mysterious creature.

The day was a Saturday, May 3rd, 2014. It was nearing 11pm at night but it was still light out with the longer spring days.

They were on their way home on their 4-wheelers when one of them spotted the large man-like being, covered completely in dark hair sitting on the tundra in front of a lake with its legs stretched out in front of it.

“What is that?” he asked his hunting partner. They thought it was some sort of animal but looking at it, they realized it was sitting down like a person, very manlike.
“It looked like it was sitting down to eat,” said the eyewitness.
It was not a bear – it was too tall even while sitting, and it was not anything resembling a moose – it looked like a humongous person sitting on the tundra.

One of the men was curious and wanted to get closer for a better look. But no, the other hunter did not want to go any closer than they already were, which was about 100 yards or so, so they stayed where they were.

When the men first noticed the hair-covered and enormous being, they stopped to watch. At first the being did not know it was being stared at by the two hunters who were very curiously and intently looking. The creature had looked comfortable sitting on the tundra, turning its head and shoulders nonchalantly when it suddenly locked eyes with the hunters. When it locked eyes with them, the creature immediately stopped fidgeting and focused all of its attention on the two men and froze.
That gave those two hunters the major creeps.

So after trading gazes with the being for about a minute which was about as long as they could stand, the men got back on their ATVs and continued on their way home afraid and shaken but thrilled that they had seen something that could have been Bigfoot! And while they were driving back, they kept looking over their shoulder to make sure the creature was not following them!

The eyewitness who reported this encounter said that he had always questioned the validity of Bigfoot sightings. Never before had he seen anything like this, and now he says they definitely did see something.

- End Report -

It seems like  a pretty good sighting report to me. If anyone else in that area has seen a Bigfoot, feel free to contact us.

Thanks
~Tom~ 



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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.



A month or so ago we featured a very short video clip of what appeared to be a Bigfoot digging in dirt.  You can view the video by Clicking here, At first there was hope that the video was real. I got the clip from Pearl Prihoda and she stated up front that she didn't film it or know much about it.  I knew I had seen the short clip somewhere before but just couldn't place it. Well, thanks to Johnny Bigfoot, we discovered the true origins of the bigfoot digging in the dirt video. It was part of a Bigfoot documentary called Bigfoot - The Definitive Guide. The show was featured on The History Channel.

Even after seeing that the short clip was from a documentary some still hold the clip in high regards and consider it to be of a real bigfoot. Could they have used a clip of a real bigfoot in their film? Highly doubtful. 

So this got me to looking around on the internet for more information about his small part of this documentary film. The film itself was nothing to really write home about, but this short part of it seemed to strike a core with some people.

Well, during my searching for info about this clip I was able to find a full colored photo of the bigfoot digging in the dirt and here it is.

Bigfoot digging in dirt.

Hopefully, with this colored picture people can now see that this is clearly a bigfoot costume and the clip was a staged event to drive home a point in the documentary.

Thanks
~Tom~ 


 




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Brian Sons

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 continuing interview series we talk with Brian Sons. Brian runs the facebook group Onyx Knights Paranormal: Cryptids and has a very successful Blog Talk Radio program called Onyx Knights Paranormal Radio.You can keep up with his guest and show time on the facebook page Onyx Knights Paranormal.

- Start Interview -

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

BS: I have always had an interest in the subject of Sasquatch since I was a child. I saw my first when I was 11 years old. I had a few other occurrences since then and really started to go out into the field at night in 2010.

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

BS: I'd have to go all the way back to the 70s with the Sasquatch movie and Six Million Dollar Man series. Though I had had many incidents through my life that, at the time, I did not associate with Sasquatch. I now know they were. I'd have to say the event that truly got me started was having rocks thrown at me and my son.

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

BS: I have had one roar at me and my teammate Melissa Peacock from about 50 yards away. Though it was scary at the time, we never felt threatened or in fear of our lives. The roar was more of a territorial thing. We were on a trail behind it while it was looking over a field. I think we startled it.  I have also had branch breaking and tree shaking in very close proximity to me while out there alone. I stood my ground and did not feel even then in fear of my life or any grave danger.

TM: It seems Skeptics are always ready to attack bigfoot research, How do you deal with it?

BS: How do I deal with skeptics? I don't really! I simply ask them if they ever go out in the woods alone in the middle of the night. A large percentage say no. I then comment on how they will never know from sitting at home on a couch! Until you are out there doing it and experiencing it, you really have no clue as to what is really going on out there. I think there is a skeptic in all of us. Or there should be. If I were not skeptical, then I would think everything in the woods was a Sasquatch. Every noise! Every movement! In the end, my research would be very biased and would truly warrant skepticism!

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

BS: This is a tough question. I would love that, though I don't think it will ever happen. I believe certain branches of the government already know the truth of their existence. I'd hate to see them hunted by ignorant poachers. I'd hate to see the public at large have so much fear of them that they stop their normal recreational activities. I say quite often that I am not trying to prove to the world that they exist! I know they do! The world can get out there and find out the same why I have. For me, it's a more personal experience. Not to prove they exist, but to understand them. I envy them actually! In my mind, they are the ones who got it right!

TM: What is your favorite time of year to research/study bigfoot, When do you have your most success?

BS: I have had activity at all times of the year. Though I find Fall and Spring most eventful.

TM: Do you have a favorite Bigfoot story or report?

BS: I don't really. I feel that my own experiences are sufficient enough. I go out in the woods by myself usually every night. I have certain areas where I know they frequent. I have had great interaction and audio recordings from wood knocks, to howls, to even a type of communication between them. I know what I experience is factual and true to me. I think that would be what I would tell the skeptics, go out there and experience it for yourself!

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

BS: Going crazy? LOL Seriously, it is addictive! When you would rather be out there in the woods instead of at home in a warm bed with your significant other, you know you're either hooked or not in the best of relationships! LOL
I don't know really! I'm a sculptor/artist so I would probably be pursuing that even more than I already do.

Thanks for doing the interview and good luck with all that you do.

- End Interview -

As mentioned by Brian, he does sculptors and is very good at it.  He should show more of his sculptor work. I found some picture on his facebook site. Impressive.

Ok folks, that concludes out 14th, yes 14th installment of our interview series. I hope you are enjoying them and I hope you pick out some of these fine folks and give them some support.

Thanks
~Tom~




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Yo, You taken a picture of me? (Photo credit: Dorraine Fisher)

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!


Looking For Bigfoot?
Watch What’s Going On With The Deer
By Dorraine Fisher

   As I was leaving one of my local wildlife sanctuaries one evening as the sun was going down, I nearly jumped out of my truck seat when a whitetail doe zipped across the road in front of me. I just almost hit her, but missed her, by I believe, only inches, and I watched her fly over a fence into the rows of cornstalks. Even though I could no longer see her, I could see the cornstalks rustling further and further away as she kept running across the field away from me.

I’ve been thinking about this for a long time, but this got me thinking again. What causes deer to bolt in such away? I mean in a way in which they look crazed and scared to death and don’t care what else is in their path.

And then I remembered something my grandfather had told me.  When he had once spoke about hunting predators years ago that would attack his farm animals. “If you want to find them, just follow what they eat,” he said.   Which brings me to what all this has to do with bigfoot.
Researchers and other experts believe that deer are sasquatches main food source.  Many incidents have been documented. And it seems that wherever bigoot sightings have taken place, those areas are generally teeming with deer.

Now, all this may sound really obvious, like we should all know this already, but no one talks about it all that much. Grandpa, an avid hunter, tracker, and woodsman had a very valid point.  Any hiker knows that if you run across an abundant area of a dangerous animal’s food source, you’re likely to run into that animal.

So, if there are weird things going on with the deer, are we likely to find Bigfoot there? Of course, not always, but it seems there might be a better chance.

Our team leader, Thomas Marcum, was investigating several bigfoot sightings in his area last year when a deer scrambled into his back yard, wild-eyed, exhausted and bleeding from the mouth.  Of course we try to find another explanation for this kind of behavior in deer, but what if it’s what we want to think it is. Sure, it could be a cougar or bear flushing them out, but if there have been sightings in the area the deer are acting strange, we have to wonder.

In my encounter last year, two very young deer, still spotted, nearly knocked me down a canyon running from something they considered scarier than me. Both of their noses touched my hand before they both ran in opposite directions, and not the direction they came.  And there was no mother in sight. The little ones looked scared out of their minds and wasted no time getting away. And I heard several crashing sounds that morning that sounded like heavy wood on wood that sent the deer scrambling in circles. Things that make you go "Hmmm."

Deer with what appears to be a broken neck (Photo Credit: Google Search)

But it’s not just what the deer are doing, but how we find them sometimes.  There are numerous reports of deer carcasses having been found with broken necks, believed to be the sasquatch’s method of killing them.  And there have also been reports of carcasses lodged high in trees. High enough in straight trees that they couldn’t have been put up there by big cats, and high enough and remote enough they were unlikely to have been placed up there by humans.

Deer way up a tree (Photo credit: huntdrop.com)

Are there other explanations for all this phenomena? Of course. But each case needs to be taken on its own merit and the wildlife conditions in the area have to be weighed. It’s important to understand the wildlife in your research area and each animal’s normal behavior. What  really causes such odd behavior in deer? What causes deer carcasses to be found in strange places in strange configurations? Are we ignoring this point more than we should?

And in the case of researching bigfoot, the deer may tell a lot more of the story than we’re realizing.

********DF






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Map of area - Davy Crockett National Forest

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.


Some may wonder what a Dogman is, well to the best we can understand it is a type of bigfoot that has a slightly different look. Dogman have a dog type snout but are still considered a Bigfoot. Most consider it some type of split or subspecies from Bigfoot. It should also be noted that Dogmen have a stigma of being more aggressive than Bigfoot. This Dogman report is a good one, Thanks to Linda for submitting it and letting us share. 


- Start Report -

Name: Linda ******
Email Address: Withheld
State: Texas
County: Kennard
Date of Sighting: Dec 2 or 3 2011
Time of Day: nooish
Nearest Town: Unknown
Length of Sighting:  Probably not more than a minute and a few seconds
How many Witnesses: One
Any Photos/Videos: No
Describe sighting in detail:
Hubby and I were returning home from Houston Texas after spending Thanksgiving with family. We were late leaving and a frustrated hubby programmed into our new GPS system the **SHORTEST** route home. He claims he Will Never Do That Again.
We ended up on a RUTTED dirt road, on route 7 I think, that went through the middle of The Davy Crockett National Forest. We were barely going 10 miles an hour. Hubby was driving our stretched Suburban slowly due to road conditions, I could have walked beside the car if I had worn walking shoes!
I was turned towards hubby looking out his side of the car and frontward towards where we were headed. I was petting our new dog who was sitting in the back with his head and shoulders between us.
I noticed a large clearing beside the road with a huge stump which had something hairy and black squatted down by it. I remember thinking, Wow, a bear still out in early December.
Well, as I watched, the "bear" stood up on 2 legs, turned away from the car, took 3 or 4 steps, then stretched his long, long, long arms out like he was going to climb a nearby tree and I said" What is an orangutan doing in the forest"? Then it turned towards us, It was massive, it had a BF face except it had a snout , it had short matted black hair all over his face and body. He had to weigh several hundred pounds.
The Dogman and I stared at each other until he was out of sight.
Hubby refused to go back for pictures or evidence.

- End Report -

Thanks again for the report, Linda!

If anyone has had a sighting, then please use the link at the top of the page and submit it to us.

Thanks
~Tom~






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Bigfoot in New Hampshire

This post/report from TCC Team Member Jason Morse.  Jason is a lifelong outdoor enthusiast, trained in wilderness survival tactics, a 26-year martial artist, DJ, EMT, and amateur writer. Jason conducts bigfoot field research, witness interviews, and more for The Crypto Crew.



Dave had a bigfoot sighting on 7/7/14 in New Hampshire. The event has left him shaken up and he is having trouble sleeping. The Bigfoot had what appeared to be a gimp right leg.
The Audio is a little distorted at the first of the interview but clears up.
You can read the sighting report by Clicking Here
Here is the interview.

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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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