Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy

Kids have unusual visual encounter while riding bikes through Piney Woods.

Report#: 01030018
Occurred Summer 1983: (Submitted August 27, 2003)

Witness Observation

The encounter was in 1983 in Palestine, Texas. The time of year was summer, at dusk. Deep in the piney forest my two cousins and myself were out riding our bikes through the woods, and down the deep valleys. We topped this one particular valley, and decided to rest a few minutes, and all three of us looked out across the next valley in front of us, when we all three froze in pure amazement at what we saw. Standing on the other side of the next valley, at the edge of the drop off was a being that stood probably about 7-7 1/2 feet tall covered from head to toe with brown and red streaks of fur. This sasquatch looked like he was as amazed to see us as we were he.

The three of us never took our eyes off of the creature, and the sasquatch never broke eye contact with us either. After about 30 seconds of staring at each other something truly amazing happened, it bent at the waist, never losing eye contact, and picked up a hickory nut and stood straight up and cracked it with its thumb and first finger. We heard it snap, as it placed its right hand cupped under its left. It dropped the shells without looking at what it was doing and stuck the nut pieces in its mouth and chewed it up. It chewed for maybe 10 seconds then turned to its right, and walked away from us very slowly and would look over its left shoulder at us repeatedly until it just blended into a thick portion of the woods, and it was gone.

My cousins and me just looked at each other and didn't know what to say. We just got on our bikes and peddled as fast as we could back to their house, which was about 3 miles through the woods.

Time and Conditions

Dusk - Piney woods.

Investigator's Comments

Daryl Colyer

This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in Anderson County, Texas in 1983.

I interviewed the primary witness about this reported encounter in Anderson County. I tried to determine how to contact the other witnesses, but the witness told me that he did not know of their current whereabouts. The investigation took place roughly 21 years after the incident was reported to have happened.

The witness did not actually live in Anderson County at the time; he has lived much, if not most of his life in Liberty County, in Southeast Texas. He was visiting relatives at the time. He and his cousins had been riding bicycles throughout the area when they supposedly happened upon a chance encounter with something they had never seen before and have not seen since.

The witness told me that he knew what he saw and there was no mistaking what he saw for anything else. In addition to the description given in his initial report, the witness described the subject's face as "creepy," and "not human, but kind of human." The witness remarked that the way that it moved its jaws was "strange." The witness said that its nose was "wide and flat," and it had a rounded head. The witness was particularly struck by the way the subject grabbed the whole hickory nut, cracked it, dropped the shell and then ate the nut.

After the encounter, the kids hurriedly returned home and told the adults, but the adults ridiculed them. Two of the men finally gave in to the teens' pleading to return to the area in a search for tracks. The witness stated that they did in fact find tracks, but the adults were dismissive of the tracks as well.

Additional reports in this county

Occurred 11/7/1978 in Anderson County, TX

Submitted on January 31, 2005

Deer hunter reports close encounter at night outside of tent. Read more...

Occurred 2/1998 in Anderson County, TX

Submitted on August 1, 2002

Two teenagers have visual encounter while hunting rabbits. Read more...

Occurred 10/1998 in Anderson County, TX

Submitted on November 19, 2001

Man chased to his truck by dark figure. Read more...

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.