Bigfoot on the loose

By David Harper of Ponsford

Recently on cable TV, the Patterson-Gimlin famous film of a Bigfoot filmed in Northern California in 1967 was reviewed, analyzed, and tested for authenticity. The results concluded the film to have better than a 98-percent chance of being real, disavowing earlier evaluations that it was staged through modern technologies that were not available before. I agree with the findings and am a believer, because I too have seen a Bigfoot.

In the mid ‘70s, late summer/early fall, my cousin D (who has never related this story to others for fear of ridicule) and I, having just purchased a six pack of beer, were chatting and laughing while night-road deer hunting.  Turning onto the Big Rat Lake Trail from Becker County Road 35, we placed the Winchester lever-action 30-30 between us leaning on the seat.

About a quarter mile in, I slowed down on the top of the rise because I knew there was a massive mud hole at the bottom. (The modern road now rerouted around it.) As we topped the hill, slowing down to 10mph, the head lights hit what we thought was a bear on the side of the mud hole.

“Bear!” I said, as I reached for the rifle.

An illustration of a Bigfoot. Contributed by David Harper

The “bear” turned to look at us, and we saw it had a face almost human. For maybe three or four seconds we stared at each other, and then the animal stood up from a crouch and ran three or four steps into the woods on two legs. I conducted the fastest three-point turn around in my life and roared off the way we came. We didn’t stop until we were on County Road 35.

“Did you see it? Was it a Bigfoot?” I asked, turning to D.

“I think it was!” was all he said.

Around spring of 2005, I was eating breakfast in a cafe in Detroit Lakes, Minn., relating this story to a couple of friends. As I exited the cafe, I was approached by a man sitting on an electric scooter.

“Can I talk to you?” he asked.

“Sure, what’s up?” I replied.

“It happened to me too,” he said.

“Deer hunting with a small disposable camera in my pocket,” he went on. “About a mile along the Ogiimaash Indian Trail, off the Bruce Blvd Road, I noticed about 100 feet away, standing behind a tree, a large hairy ‘dark’ animal. It looked at me from one side of the tree, and then the other. For over a minute it did this. Finally, as it was walking away, I snapped a picture. I wish I had my 35mm with me, but the disposable was all I had.”

When I was viewing the picture I couldn’t see anything. He then pointed at a blurry dark blob.

He was a retired meat cutter from the area and told me that he lived in the high-rise assisted living facility a couple of blocks away from the cafe. He said he would be available to relate the story and show his “proof.”

In my reading of 200+ books, articles, and stories, as well as numerous TV programs concerning Bigfoot, I concentrated my investigations in Minnesota. A couple of stories in the area stand out. In the mid ‘70s, there appeared to be a “flap” of Bigfoot sightings all occurring in Becker County.

Strawberry Lake is mentioned by four teenagers. In their relating of the incident, all four stories were identical.  A tourist spotted one about a mile west of the Tamarack Refuge Headquarters crossing the road from about 250 feet away. One incident that was personally related to me by the ranger of Many Point Scout Camp is as follows:

“About a week after the campers left for the 1974 season, about one hour into the day, I was on the road to finish inventory at one of the camp sites. I was about 75 yards from a creek just south of the camp’s administration buildings when I saw a huge, hairy, black/brown animal climb out of the water, cross the road, and enter the water on the other side. I estimated it to be over seven feet tall walking on two legs.  Stopping just short of the creek, I saw water stains on the road. Not tracks because the sand at that point is too fine to hold impressions. This is the only time I experienced such an occurrence.”

All these incidents occurred within a five-mile radius of my experience and I am not sure of the time frame.

I hope to compare facts and experiences of nearby sightings. Please contact me with personal data and facts (218-841-8315 mnbigfootstories@outlook.com)