Tuesday, October 13, 2015

Sasquatch Gift Accepting

The following is a recording I obtained within the Smoky Mountains in the spring of 2015. I strongly believe it to be a young juvenile sasquatch cautiously approaching and accepting a gift that I had left behind one night. The footsteps are bipedal and quite fast. This area is heavily wooded and this particular night was very dark and overcast. Whatever it was could obviously see extremely well to run this fast through the woods at night. 

This is a location that I pass by on the way to one of my research areas. After finding several possible stick structures in the surrounding woods, I felt this might be a good location to start leaving gifts and a recorder on the way in. On this particular night, I stopped and left a honey bun (still in wrapper), two peanut butter cups (one in wrapper and one opened that I had taken a bite out of) and a small stuffed animal on top of a large boulder. I then placed my recorder behind a tree approximately 15 feet away. About an hour later I came back and found the stuffed animal laying on the ground about 8 feet away and only the wrapped peanut butter cup taken. Just my opinion, but an animal would have most likely taken the unwrapped candy along with the other food items. 

What's so intriguing about this audio clip to me is the insight it shows of what extreme cautions they take with something as simple as approaching a gift left by someone that's been leaving them gifts for over 5 years. Several times throughout the recording it sounds like something (possibly a rock or stick) being tossed into the area to maybe test for a trap. Then you hear several passes made at high speed before the final real approach is made. Even after this it only stands there for a few seconds before making a getaway. Many people have reported hearing items tossed into their camps while in their tents before hearing footsteps. Perhaps to see if we're asleep. This is not only showing  high levels of intelligence, but problem solving skills and logical thinking. Amazing to me.


https://soundcloud.com/user-20625344/gift-acceptance-and-running
 


This was the next day. I had put the stuffed animal back on the boulder before I took this picture. Everything else is just as I found it the night before with the wrapped peanut butter cup missing...






4 comments:

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  2. have you ever done anything in cades cove

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  3. I have been there several times, mostly at night after the loop is closed. You can still walk the loop at night. Beautiful place unlike no other on a full moon. I have never done any real research there, however I always take my thermal camera and audio recorders. One particular night I heard a powerful yell from one side of the cove. It was answered a few minutes later by another similar yell from the opposite side of the loop. Very chilling. Had a wolf pace me as I walked down the loop road. The only way I knew it was there was from his growl. When I pulled out my thermal I could see him about 40 yards into the woods staring at me! A minute later he turned and ran off through the woods away from me.
    I have also heard wood knocks and seen some very strange lights. Wish I had more time to spend there.

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