Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy

Group of students have 2:00 a.m. encounter while camping in Angelina National Forest.

Report#: 01020034
Occurred October 1972: (Submitted August 2, 2002)

Witness Observation

I was camping with school buddies and a college professor in the Angelina National Forest. We saw a bigfoot. We were camped about five miles down a logging road. The professor that was accompanying us turned in a report to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. They wrote it up as an unidentified sighting. I will be more than willing to discuss the sighting.

Time and Conditions

2:00am - Wooded areas, streams nearby.

Investigator's Comments

Craig Woolheater

This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in Angelina County, Texas, in the northern part of Angelina National Forest, October 1972.

I interviewed the primary witness on 21 August 2002, 30 years after the incident reportedly occurred. I was unable to contact any of the other witnesses for corroboration purposes.

The witness remembered that he was camping with a group of 10 students from Stephen F. Austin State University along with their professor. The witness indicated that around 2:00 a.m. the group heard something circling the camp; whatever it was sounded large and heavy. The group had a campfire lit and a Coleman lantern was burning.

The witness said that after a while, four of the students, including him, decided to check out what was making the noise. They walked into the woods carrying flashlights and suddenly spotted something standing behind a tree. All four shined their flashlights on the object and out came a large upright figure from behind the tree.

The subject was standing on two legs. It appeared to be approximately five feet tall, and was a light color. The upper part of the animal was stocky. The witness estimated its weight to be around 250 pounds.

The witness stated that he and the others looked at the subject for five seconds. The witness remembered how the subject was standing still and looking into the flashlights. Then he recalled how it suddenly jumped from a standstill, twenty feet over a ditch, and kept running. The witness said it was amazing how the animal jumped.

There was no doubt in their mind, that what they had witnessed was a bigfoot. The four young men were astonished and were very frightened.

The four went back to camp and woke up the others including their professor. They explained what just happened. The group decided to spend another two days in the area.

The accompanying professor contacted the US Forest Service; rangers came out to investigate. When the students questioned the rangers about these types of animals, the Rangers response was, "We’ve had reports before."

Apparently the rangers and the students found footprints. The students left and came back with casting materials in order to cast one of the footprints. The print they cast had three toes and a nub for the fourth toe.

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Class 1a: A sasquatch/bigfoot specimen has been collected (alive or dead).
Class 1b: A report investigation results in a sasquatch observation or the documentation of clear tracks or other forms of physical evidence by an investigator.
Class 1c: An investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot by a very reliable observer is a distinct possibility, tangible corroborating evidence is documented, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 1d: A visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility involving two or more reliable observers, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 2: Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is exceptionally trustworthy, professionally trained, and experienced in the outdoors and/or is accustomed to looking for and recording details (e.g., biologist, anthropologist/archaeologist, ranger, trapper/tracker/seasoned hunter, bird watcher, game warden, naturalist, law enforcement), and other explanations can be reasonably excluded.
Class 3a: Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is credible, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 3b: Unidentifiable vocalizations were reported and there is accompanying tangible evidence to possibly indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot, the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 3c: No visual encounter occurred, but physical evidence was found to indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot (tracks, hair, scat, etc.), the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.