Class 1b

Campers hear loud vocalizations in Sam Houston National Forest and TBRC investigator finds tracks at the site.

Report#
01050010
Occurred November 24, 2004
(Submitted February 11, 2005)

Witness Observation

It was the evening before Thanksgiving and as we have done for many years our extended family went camping near our parents' retirement home in Coldspring. There had been very bad weather the day before, bad enough that we considered not going; it was very cold, very wet, the power was out....the firewood was wet, yuck. This camping area is in the Sam Houston National Forest near Cleveland; it feels as though you are right in town because it's only a few minutes drive to the grocery store, but it's a very small store, and it takes a good half hour to get there on little country roads (sorry, I don't know their numbers). There is a small lake and a lot of marsh in the area. We set camp in the afternoon and then drove to pick up some family members at IAH at about 7 pm; we then cooked dinner, sat by the smoky fire for a bit and decided to retire to our tents since it was quite cool and we had a bit to do the next day. My daughter, my dog and myself waited up a bit in our tent for my husband to come in. After about 10 minutes of waiting and talking about how cold it was we turned off the tent light (yes, we have one of those battery powered clamp-on lights), the dog laid down on his dog bed and we were quiet.

Within the next minute or less there were heavy footsteps quite near the tent, then a very quiet misstep in some loose gravel; there followed a quiet grunt/growl. I said, "oh, there he is finally," and my daughter said "uh huh." Well, nothing happened. No husband unzipping the tent, no dog looking up expectantly, nothing. About twenty minutes later my husband came in and we went to sleep. Some time later, minutes or hours I can't honestly tell, we were wakened by a very loud cry, exactly like the "whoops" on the Internet.

Most of the folks in camp that night didn't hear anything as it only occurred once; something however woke up myself and the two other adult women in the camp and was followed by the "whoop"; as we were fairly far apart there was no talking between the tents. My daughter reports being wakened and hearing a "mechanical" sound the same night but did not hear the cry.

Physical Evidence

We saw nothing, though I did look in the morning.

Sounds

Yes, strange sounds and smells, sometimes overwhelming odors. Wood knocking and inappropriate bird calls. Possible prints and hairs, a lot of that feeling of being watched.

Time and Conditions

11:00 PM - Cold and wet. There is a small lake and a lot of marsh in the area, National Forest.

Investigator's Comments

Daryl Colyer

This investigation was conducted as a result of incidents that allegedly occurred in San Jacinto County, Texas, in the vicinity of Coldspring and Shepherd, in late 2004.

I talked to the witness several times about this incident and have been to the site quite a few times. The area has been one of study for TBRC investigators for the last several months. Further, it has a history of reports of aural and visual encounters.

The witness candidly described the whoops that she and others heard as sounding identical to the recorded whoops she's heard on the Internet. The vocalizations made quite an impression on the witness, as she went from being a skeptical professional (medical field) to a professional who now accepts the sasquatch as a legitimate species. She had heard of other encounters in the area, but tended to dismiss them. After this incident, she began to seriously ponder the validity of the sasquatch, as the whoops she heard were close and demanding of attention.

Others in the witness's family claim to have heard the co-called "Ohio Howl" in the area. TBRC investigator John Dickey and I also heard a very similar howl just a few miles south of where the witness was camping. Both of us estimated that we were within 100 yards of the animal. It was very loud and very intimidating.

The witness, who was once a genuine skeptic, now thinks that there is perhaps a small group of these elusive animals who frequently pass through the area. She bases her assumption on her experience and the experiences of family members and others.

My wife and I investigated the site in February 2005 (when it was reported) after extensively interviewing the witness and her family. It was there that we found three 14 inch tracks outside our own tent after we had cooked on the open grill for several hours. The middle track was clear and I had no doubts as to what made them. The step-to-step interval was in excess of 50 inches.

San_jacinto_county_track_smallpic

One of three tracks in a trackway found by Daryl and Dalinda Colyer at the site of this report. This is the middle track and the clearest of the three.

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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.