Sasquatch Chronicles Blog

A listener writes “My first experience was back in the early 90s while bear hunting in the bearaga swamp in the upper peninsula of Michigan. While hunting bear my 3rd afternoon out I was watching the bait barrel I watched something crawl on the ground from tree to tree making it’s way to the bait. When it got within 70 yards or so it stood up and walked on its hind legs.

To get a better view of what my eyes were seeing I pulled up my 45/70 with a 4 power scope to take a look. Upon shouldering my rifle I had heard a low growl which felt like it was right behind me. That growl was so I guess intense for a lack of better words I could feel it in my chest. I never took the safety off , I was just trying to get a better look to make sure it was a bear. After hearing this growl I slowly lowered my rifle keeping my eyes darting all over to watch what was in front of me and what could be coming behind me or up the ladder stand. Just about pissed my self waiting to see what was going to happen next..I waited an hour and came down only to see a dark mass in the woods in the shadows of the trees watching me.

Rather than wait for me guide and have him potentially find me dead I decided I would make my way out of the woods and hike the 4 wheeler trail out to the main road which was close to 2 miles. As quickly as I could I made my way out to the road with these things following me but staying a little distance back almost like heading me out of the woods. Several times I had rocks thrown at me along with sticks as well. After what seemed like forever I did make it to the road literally just before the darkness set in to meet my guide making his way to come pick me up. He had asked if I shot anything..I replied no and that I was not feeling so great and decided to come out early from the hunt. The next morning I told me guide I had to go home and I was cutting my hunt short. I was not going to even consider going back out to that spot for round 2..since then I’ve never been back to the UP.

My next experience was beyond anything I could have ever imagined happening. This happened in January of this year while coyote hunting round 2 am. The neighbor farmer down the road had called and explained he had some of his smaller cows killed and partially eaten
He never heard a sound when this happened. Being an avid coyote hunter this day I was obligated to help him plus being close I can take care of this issue.

The hunt started normal like they all do. Driving to another neighbors dead end road so I could access the center of this large tilled field . Normally I set up somewhere near the middle among these 3 large trees but I chose to use the woods behind me as cover as the field was pretty muddy. I walked out and set up my electronic call and faced it in a way I could see the tiny blinking light on it as a reference for distance and to make sure when the coyotes comes in I don’t put a bullet into it…My rifle sits on a tripod and I use a thermal scope that’s at the ready. I scan the field with my thermal scanner and try to identify targets as deer or rabbits and keep them as a mental note. The opening sequence was a babby rabbit distress and then switched to another rabbit distress that’s a but more intense. It was not more than a few minutes and I had several coyotes making their way to the call from a distance of about 900 yards..mind you I like to have them close when I take the shot at 150 yards or less. Backing up this field is a large rectangle with those 3 tree midway out to my left, there is a drainage ditch to the south about 250 yards.

As you look out over the field it dips down as to where if a man was standing there you would never see him. As those coyotes made their way to me they came across the field and were out of sight until they crested the hill putting them at close to 250 yards from my position. Once they came onto the playing field as I call it the wind had changed slightly and they hung up as coyotes normally do. Sometimes you can get multiple groups of coyotes come into a set up. Still they were hung up too far out for a shot I would want to take. I kept scanning the field noticing the deer were leaving making a b line to the southwest of my position. Trying to figure out why those coyotes were hanging up . I noticed they are going to move in the same angle from me as the deer and they were picking up speed as they moved. I jumped on my rifle and picked up the last coyote in the group scanning from back to front is when I seen what was bothering them. At first I thought it was the neighbors Belgian shepherd but I always let them know when I’m coming out and they keep him inside. This thing was just standing there and when I stopped panning my rifle to get a better look I think it noticed or felt me I don’t know. It was huge as I zoomed into 6 power on my scope it started moving in my direction at a trot. My guess at this time it would close to 300 yards out and closing in. Not wanting to shoot someone’s pet I waited till I could try to confirm what it was seeing it had much bigger ears than a coyote or domestic dog but the body seemed skinny as hell.

Now it’s moving a little faster towards me but kinda houghing up more to it’s hind legs in am awkward gallop like it could not break loose of the muddy field. When it got to a range I’m guessing 225 yards I flipped the safety off my AR10 and that’s when it stood up and was still moving in my direction..by this time the deer and coyotes had exited the field and it was just me. I think it heard the click of the safety. Now I definitely know it’s not a dog, deer or coyote..this thing looked like one of those soldiers from the scorpion king movie like a smaller version of Anubis, I guess you could say.

Centering the scope on its chest I fired one round and it barely flinched. Putting two more down range withing 2 seconds. Those 2nd two rounds had virtually no effect on it . Thinking that what ever it is I don’t have the fire power to drop it the next best thing I could do was slow it down enough for me to make my exit I put a round into what would be it’s lower belly groin area. This did bring it to a stop and it started to stager in it’s tracks, knowing I had only one round left I dropped the mag and put a fresh 5 round one in. When I looked through my scope again I could see that last shots did some damage as this thing made it’s retreat towards the drainage ditch. I hail married two more shot hitting it again and rolling it over the edge of the ditch out of sight. It was at this point a gathering my gear leaving my electronic call in the field. The neighbors house was just over 150 yards over my right shoulder. Making it to their yard and my truck I put my gear in the bed of my truck and the neighbors came out because they heard me shoot asking if I gottem..I said yea and that I’ll be back in the daylight to pick them up.

Coming back after the sun came up I drove out on my 4 wheeler, picked up my electronic call and then drove over to where this thing was standing when I shot..I could see the tracks in the mud barely and you could tell 4 distint tracks that were distorted and then going to two tracks that were deep in the mud about 4 inches with some wager in them. I followed them to the edge of the drainage ditch and could see where something rolled down the hill into the water made it’s way to the other side which is about 20 foot to the other side..bit I could not tell where this things came out of the water. Almost like it disappeared. Going back to where I was initially set up looking over the field a d replaying that moment in my head I think this thing was stalking the coyotes and when they left it had me in it’s sights. I’m thinking back to my first encounter how this could have ended badly for me. But also the spot I was standing gave me full coverage of this field I would have seen this thing entering the field except for that dip and the pond that is closer to 400 yards out. I don’t know what the hell this thing was but I do know what it was not.

I have not coyote hunted since then and mind you I live just a mile or so from this spot. Since then I have scanned the surrounding area fields at night with my thermal scanner in kinda hopes of seeing it again..I have not. Nor have I told anyone either…who is gonna believe me…seriously who..definitely not my friends who coyote hunt. We all see weird things while out hunting but nothing like this. Just writng this now gives me the creeps and the main thing that pushed me into writing you was hearing the story of Matt the biologist shooting one while bow hunting on michigan. This tool place close to yale Michigan between capac and the city of yale. I’ve done a little looking on bigfoot and found there was one sighting back many years ago before I moved to the area 18 yrs ago.

I’m sorry for such a long read but I wanted to tell you as much ad I could..this shit still bothers me. While I have no plans to coyote hunt I still deer hunt the area. Would love to talk to you as I have questions.”