A listener writes “Wes, I was turned on to your podcast by my brother, a Sheriff’s Detective in Idaho, about a year ago. He is not a Believer, as he spent 3 years as a woods patrol deputy in Latah county, ID and has hunted and fished this region his entire life and never had a sighting.
However, he said he listens to your podcast and finds you and most of your guests very credible.
I agree with him and have found your show to be excellent and your guests very credible.
I have always believed in Bigfoot ever since I saw the Patterson-Gimlin film as a teen in the 80’s, but never really researched the subject or looked into it. Like my brother, I have spent most of my life in the outdoors as a Park Ranger, hunter, fisherman, horseback rider, prospector. I have lived in Idaho, Washington, Iowa, California, Hawaii, and Arizona.
I have never had a sighting or encounter in decades of being in the outdoors.
But I have had a couple of incidents that I couldn’t explain.
The first was in 1992 up in the mountains near Concrete, WA. I was stationed at NAS Whidbey Island and decided to go hiking. I don’t remember much about the roads I took, other than finding myself on a dirt logging road next to a clearcut area that bordered dense forest.
I hiked up through the clearcut and when I entered the forest, it was like walking into a cathedral. The trees were so close together, that there was no ground vegetation due to the light being blotted out. I hiked through this eerie terrain for about a quarter mile when I noticed that there were no normal woods sounds. I got the sensation that I was being watched and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I remember hearing wood knocks, but thought they were simply trees being pushed into each other by the wind. Even though it was still.
The sensation of being watched was so strong, that I nearly panicked as I tried to make my way back to the road. I was armed with a 12ga Winchester Defender shotgun that was slung across my back. I made my way to a stream, and followed it down through the dense forest and eventually made my way back to my vehicle. I remember thinking at the time that there must have been a cougar watching me, since I never heard or saw anything, and a cougar was the only thing that I knew of in the woods that could be that stealthy.
The second incident occurred on November 13th of 2021. I did a video immediately after the incident…
I was at the trailhead of the trail that went to Bald Mountain Lookout and was filming a review of my UTV. I was upset that the trail had been destroyed by clearcutting and was unable to do a trailride as planned. I returned to my SUV and trailer and loaded the UTV. I had been in the area for about an hour and not seen or heard another vehicle or person the entire time.
It was funny, because I was ratcheting down the UTV when the whistle occurred and my first reaction was embarrassment. I literally thought that a human and walked up to the area in front of my 4Runner and whistled to let me know that they were there. I have never heard anything like that in decades of being in the woods. When I didn’t hear footsteps or any other noises immediately after, I walked towards the area to see who was there. Nobody.
I then started filming as I began searching the area. But, it was so damp and wet and overgrown that I couldn’t find any tracks or detect any movement. Plus, I was freaked out by the proximity of the whistle.
I know the incident is not show-worthy, and that is fine with me. I just wanted to share my experiences and let you know that I appreciate your show and the hard work you put into it.”
Ron S
I had almost the exact same thing happen to me on two separate occasions in the exact same area I’ve frequented many dozens of times over many years, but I’ve also experienced other strange phenomena on different occasions there as well.
Both the “feeling” and whistles instance happened near dusk. Only on one of my many visits to this place (or anywhere really) I immediately sensed something negative and watching, I could even sense exactly the direction and distance from me but couldn’t see anything as it was shadowed with foliage.
I’m usually very quiet and reserved in the woods as well as in public, but this feeling was so strong I did something I had never done before which was acknowledge what I sensed and talked out loud to it “I’m just going to catch one fish and then I’ll go” I said. A couple casts later that is exactly what happened, I kept my word and I left.
I think it was the following spring that I crossed the river to investigate that area and was shocked to find in that exact spot where I had the “feeling” there was an unusual depression in the riverbank, over a foot in depth and plenty big enough for a large man to lay in and be totally hidden.
The other aspect about this depression was the river scrub brush growing next to and slightly over it, also a series of horizontal sticks and big logs packed in mud and sand up to one side of it like a wall.
I actually laid down in that depression and sure enough there was one small gap between the logs where I could perfectly see the spot where I was standing that day at a distance of 20-30 yards away. It weirded me out so I put a big chunk of log in the depression which would have to be moved if it was indeed something that wanted to use it again. Idk, it just made me feel better.
I have thought that it could be DNR watching for violators (and it very well could’ve been) but it felt obviously unnerving like I’ve never felt so strongly before or since. That was 2-3 years ago and although I’ve been back many times I haven’t crossed the river again to see if the log I tossed in was removed.
Later (different day same spot) I heard a three note whistle that was almost human but not. Told my brother about it and he said “otter”, then he heard it the following evening and had no idea what it was, but I was relieved to have someone else skeptical experiencing the same thing to validate it.
I could probably write a book on everything I’ve experienced just in that one small area over the last 9 years or so… sightings included. I didn’t have anything unusual happen the previous 25-30 years of going there before 2014, actually before 2013 I didn’t have anything this unusual (outside premonition) happening anywhere or any time in my life… not like this anyway.
Currently for me, my understanding or belief is that different phenomena can show any time or any place in different forms, but I don’t think all of it comes from the same thing. I attribute much of it like the hitchhiker effect or even being haunted, I feel as though there are different (sources?) of things interested in me as well as watching over me… it’s the only way I can describe it.
It may sound stupid but I like the tranquility of nature away from people mostly, even if I have to deal with the potential of strange things happening on occasion. Sometimes I wonder if the area doesn’t matter so much as it does in the “belief” of potential phenomena in a certain area.
… I feel like people’s belief, mindsets or thoughts are so powerful in how life interacts with us and is presented to us and our surroundings that we should always try to make the best of any situation and be thankful, positive as well as encouraging towards each other.
To me, I believe I’ve learned that even thoughts aren’t so different from prayers and both can make tangible physical changes to a person’s life, their surroundings or to those around them and beyond, and how all aspects of life will present itself to us or interact with us. If it sounds complicated it likely is with our current understanding of everything.
Best wishes and thoughts to all
