jessica
20. The Legend of Bigfoot
Legend. Myth. Anthropological mystery. The Bigfoot is one of many mysterious creatures that has puzzled scientists for decades. With sightings all across the world, yet no concrete proof of its existence, many have wondered if the Bigfoot is actually an elaborate hoax that has taken on a life of its own. So what is this creature that’s eluded capture for so long? Believe us when we say…the truth is scarier than fiction.
19. Rooted in Folklore
Most American folklore describes the Bigfoot as an ape-like creature that lives in the Pacific Northwest, although there have been sightings in other regions, such as the Midwest and the South. Standing on two legs, and taller than most men, this humanoid creature has been sighted on various occasions over the last hundred years.
18. It Goes by Many Names
The Bigfoot goes by many names. In the United States it’s known as Bigfoot, Sasquatch and in the far south the Skunk Ape. In Russia and Siberia, the creature is known as the Yeti or Abominable Snowman. Regardless of the name, the description of the animal is the same: a tall hairy humanoid, that is sometimes peaceful and in some accounts, violent.
17. Big and Tall
Many accounts of the Bigfoot have described the creature anywhere from six to nine feet tall; however, its most significant feature would be the large footprints that have been found. Most recorded sightings usually involve finding these large footprints, with some being 60 cm long to 20 cm wide, hence the name: Bigfoot.
16. The Smell to End All Smells
Another basic identifier of the Bigfoot is its smell. Most people who claimed to have seen the mythological beast have stated they smelled a putrid odor before seeing the creature. The smell is apparently so bad it makes your eyes water and nose run.
15. The Patterson-Gimlin Tape
One of the most infamous sightings traces back to the 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film. The 58-second film was shot by filmmakers Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin when they were horseback riding along Bluff Creek in Oregon. The hazy footage shows an ape-like creature crossing the creek before disappearing out of sight. While the footage has been claimed to be a hoax by experts, Patterson continued to believe the creature was real up until he died from cancer in 1972.
14. The Jim Mills Tape
One of the longest sightings of the creature that has ever been filmed is the 7-minute long Jim Mills tape. The video was recorded in June of 2001 when Mills was camping with his church youth group in the Marble Mountains. Mills stated he noticed the creature up on a ridge watching them and he immediately began to film it. According to his group, the creature seemed agitated they had stumbled into its territory. What do you think? Real or elaborate hoax?
13. Don’t Hike Provo Canyon
In the fall of 2012, a group of siblings were hiking in the Provo Canyon when they thought they spotted a bear. The group quietly began filming, but became terrified when the creature stood up on two legs. Realizing it was definitely NOT a bear, the hikers ran for their lives. Now, it has been known for bears to stand on two legs, but not actually run. Is it possible these hikers had a real-life Bigfoot encounter?
12. The Roads of Georgia
Another sighting took place in December 2016, when a husband and wife were driving along the highway in Rockmart, Georgia. The couple claims they spotted the tall, hairy creature standing by a tree. According to their account, it seemed like the creature was planning to cross the road and had reddish brown fur. Disturbed by the strange animal, the couple quickly drove away.
11. Who Let the Dogs Out?
A recent sighting occurred when an elderly woman let her dogs out to use the restroom. While walking in her garden, she heard a strange moan coming from the forest behind her home. Pensive and unsure of what animal could make such a sound, the woman spotted a Bigfoot making its way through the trees. Terrified, she grabbed her dogs and ran back into the house.
10. The Tale of the Skunk Ape
Back in 2001, a woman living in Myakka, Florida mailed in three photographs anonymously to the Sarasota Sheriff’s Department. In a letter, she claimed that she heard rustling in her backyard and found a large creature eating from her trees. Known as the “Skunk Ape” in Florida, this ape-like creature resembled a large orangutan, although some of its features did not match up. The photographs are haunting to say the least. According to Loren Cohen, an anthropologist in the area, there have been many records of Skunk Ape sightings along the east coast of Florida, especially between 1963-1968.
9. The Hike from Hell
One hiker from Idaho had a terrifying encounter with not one, but two Sasquatch when he was hiking with his father and brother. According to his account, he saw the two creatures he believed to be male and female walking down the hunting trail. However, when he tried to get a closer look they disappeared into the trees.
8. Historical Encounters
While we’ve discussed mostly recent sightings, one of the earliest dates back to 1904. A group of settlers along the Sixes River reported sightings of what they described as a hairy “wild man” of the mountains. Over the next 20 years, more Bigfoot sightings occurred. One group of miners revealed giant apes attacked them while they were working around Mount St. Helens.
7. A Chilling Tale
Considered to be one of the most chilling photos of a possible Bigfoot is the Rick Jacobs encounter in 2007. An avid hunter and wildlife photographer, Rick Jacobs had mounted some cameras in the Pennsylvania Allegheny National Forest when he photographed an ape-like creature he suggested was Bigfoot. Do you think it’s the legendary creature or simply a bear?
6. The Brunswick County Horror
The 2011 Brunswick County Incident is one that will make you leave the lights on at night. On May 3, 2011, a man and his son heard what they described as a loud unidentifiable noise outside their home in Blackstone, Virginia at around 2 a.m.; believing it to be a bear, the man grabbed his pistol while his son loaded his shotgun. Once outside, the man spotted a large figure running from the woods, which he claimed was 8-feet tall and covered in hair. His son shot at it and the creature screamed, continuing to charge them. Terrified, they ran back in the house and claimed the Bigfoot stayed in their yard for 5 minutes before running back into woods. Since then, the man has found large footprints in his field.
5. Bigfoot or Raccoon?
A college student found himself face-to-face with Bigfoot when driving to a performance rehearsal in Rhineback, New York on June 20, 2009. While on the road, the student swerved to miss an object in the road; however, when he checked his rear view mirror he saw something strange. Stopping the car and slowly driving back, he alleges he saw a Bigfoot standing in the road. We’re sure that was a night he’ll never forget.
4. An Attack in the Night
At around 3 a.m. on May 27, 2016, a husband and wife woke to strange noises outside their bedroom window. Thinking they had left their dog out, the couple checked their dog’s kennel when they heard a loud pounding on their windows. The husband grabbed his gun and went out on his back deck and described loud noises in the woods and the sounds of cracking tree limbs. According to his account, it seemed like there were 3-5 large creatures moving about in the woods. His wife pulled him back in the house when a shadow charged from the tree line. The next morning they found the bushes around their deck trampled and several trees broken. Is it possible they were under attack by a family of Sasquatch?
3. Terror at the Crossing
In the fall of 2014, one woman who was driving home towards Arcadia in Florida thought she saw a deer off to the right of the road. However, when she slowed down, she realized it was not a deer but a huge Bigfoot! The woman states it ran across the street and stopped to look at her before wandering off into the trees. In her account, she believes the Bigfoot purposefully crossed in front of her car when it didn’t have to. After the creature left, the woman investigated the area and noticed a pungent, musky smell.
2. The Yellowstone Encounter
Two brothers had the scare of their lives when camping near Yellowstone National Park one chilly October night in 1980. According to the older brother’s account, they had spent the day fishing and were settling into their tent when something ran through the campsite on two legs. He revealed the footsteps were loud and heavy, while the legs were covered in fur. Both brothers refused to investigate and waited until daybreak to pack up camp and hightail it out of there. Honestly, we don’t blame them.
1. Reality or Elaborate Hoax?
Despite all of these incredible encounters, no one has been able to produce undeniable proof of the Bigfoot’s existence. Most videos are grainy and out of focus, while photographs tend to never produce a clear image. While many casts have been taken of possible footprints, they could easily be faked, and while some hunters have claimed to have shot and killed the creature, something always “happens” to the body.
What do you believe? Do these stories convince you the Bigfoot exists or is it possibly one of the longest running hoaxes ever?
riannan
