Occurred Fall 1997 in San Jacinto County, TX
Submitted on July 4, 2009

Sam Houston National Forest: while taking daughter's friends home, mother has roadside visual encounter. Read more...
Two tracks, measuring just over 12 inches in length, and right at 5 inches in width were discovered in the Big Creek Scenic Area, of the Sam Houston National Forest, by TBRC Investigators Daryl Colyer, Mike Mayes, Ken Helmer and Tod Pinkerton on the afternoon of 9 December 2006.
The previous night (8 December) at approximately 11:30 p.m., the investigators had heard several sounds like extremely loud knocks on trees. Also noteworthy: investigators Mayes and Colyer were overwhelmed with a very obnoxious odor smelling very much like an animal that had been immersed in garbage. The knocks seemed to be in response to Helmer broadcasting playbacks of gibbon and gorilla vocalizations.
Photo and cast of footprint tracks and handprint track.
Loud knocks.
Overpowering smell much like a dirty animal in garbage.
3:00 pm - Cold. The temperature at night was in the 20s; in the day it was in the 30s. It was cloudy and damp.
Daryl Colyer, Mike Mayes, Ken Helmer and Tod Pinkerton
This investigation was conducted as a result of recurring reported incidents in San Jacinto County, Texas, in the vicinity of Shepherd and Coldspring, Texas.
The two tracks were side by side at the edge of a small creek (see photo). The handprint appeared to be of a left hand as it was apparently being used to help hold up the subject. The tracks were positioned in such a way to indicate that the subject squatted down at the edge of the creek, completely flat-footed, and placed its left hand on the ground to provide balance, possibly while it drank from the creek with its other hand.
The temperatures were cold and there had been intermittent light mist. It seemed highly unlikely that a human was the source for the tracks, given their appearance, size and dimensions, and given the location, the weather and the events that had transpired the night before.
The small creek where the tracks were found.
The two footprint tracks, side by side at the edge of the creek.
The accompanying hand print.
The cast of the handprint.
Daryl Colyer is getting ready to pull casts after they have set. The sticks and logs over the casts were placed there for overnight protection.
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