Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy

Investigator's Comments

Daryl Colyer

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

East Texas is not short on stories about the "swamp man," "mossyback," "wild man," "swamp ape," "wooley booger," or bigfoot. Anecdotes about inhuman screams in the night or strange encounters with large, upright, hairy ape-like creatures are very much a part of the culture here. That being said, many who have heard the stories would simply dismiss them as rural legend. When I spoke to the witness who submitted this report, he was very quick to point out that what he encountered was certainly no fictional, rural legend. Up until that summer day of August 1983, the witness had not given much thought to tales of a "swamp man" that was said to roam the local woods and river bottoms. However, for the better part of six months following his encounter, the witness refused to set foot in the woods. Even now, he is still bothered by what he saw.

As the witness (now 32 years old) rode his bicycle on a trail through the woods, he could hear the sounds of something just inside the trees as it seemingly following him. When the witness finally turned to look over his shoulder as he attempted to quickly flee the area, he saw what he described as a "reddish-brown or rusty beast." The witness said he can still recall the face of the animal having very little or no hair, and its facial skin was dark or black. The witness said the subject was huge and when he saw it, it was standing there just outside the trees watching him ride away on his bicycle. The witness did not hear any type of vocalization. The hair appeared "shaggy." Overall, the witness thought that his encounter lasted perhaps one half minute.

For a long time afterward, the witness told no one of his encounter for fear of ridicule. Finally, several years later, the witness told his father, at which time his father admonished him for not having spoken up sooner about the incident. Apparently, the witness's father had some sort of strange encounter years before in West Virginia.