1
00:00:01,035 --> 00:00:09,975
♪♪

2
00:00:09,977 --> 00:00:13,245
♪♪

3
00:00:13,247 --> 00:00:16,448
[ bird caws ]

4
00:00:16,450 --> 00:00:25,657
♪♪

5
00:00:25,659 --> 00:00:34,700
♪♪

6
00:00:34,702 --> 00:00:43,942
♪♪

7
00:00:43,944 --> 00:00:53,252
♪♪

8
00:00:53,254 --> 00:01:02,528
♪♪

9
00:01:02,530 --> 00:01:12,371
♪♪

10
00:01:12,373 --> 00:01:14,473
joe: Even though it's been
so many years,

11
00:01:14,475 --> 00:01:16,542
it's almost like it happened
yesterday.

12
00:01:16,544 --> 00:01:17,910
There's something up the tree.

13
00:01:17,912 --> 00:01:19,378
[ creature growling ]

14
00:01:19,380 --> 00:01:22,381
"there's something
in the woods, mom."

15
00:01:22,383 --> 00:01:25,551
it was like an evil presence
was there.

16
00:01:25,553 --> 00:01:27,619
Okay, now we're being stalked.

17
00:01:27,621 --> 00:01:29,154
I've heard stories
over the years,

18
00:01:29,156 --> 00:01:30,923
we all have,
of things in the woods,

19
00:01:30,925 --> 00:01:35,327
but I never dreamed
that that would happen to us.

20
00:01:35,329 --> 00:01:37,463
[ gunshot ]

21
00:01:37,465 --> 00:01:43,135
♪♪

22
00:01:43,137 --> 00:01:47,539
I couldn't really see just how
massive the animal actually was.

23
00:01:47,541 --> 00:01:50,709
It closed the distance
between us within seconds.

24
00:01:50,711 --> 00:01:54,179
It could've reached out
and grabbed me by my hair.

25
00:01:54,181 --> 00:01:55,314
You can't freeze.

26
00:01:55,316 --> 00:01:56,815
You cannot freeze in a moment
like that

27
00:01:56,817 --> 00:01:58,517
because you freeze, you die.

28
00:01:58,519 --> 00:02:01,620
[ creature growling ]

29
00:02:01,622 --> 00:02:10,629
♪♪

30
00:02:10,631 --> 00:02:19,738
♪♪

31
00:02:19,740 --> 00:02:21,840
♪♪

32
00:02:21,842 --> 00:02:26,044
in 1994, we basically wanted
to leave the city

33
00:02:26,046 --> 00:02:29,848
and raise our kids
in the country,

34
00:02:29,850 --> 00:02:33,352
and we bought some land
in the foothills

35
00:02:33,354 --> 00:02:36,588
of the appalachian mountains
out in adams county.

36
00:02:36,590 --> 00:02:38,123
We just kind of walked
the property

37
00:02:38,125 --> 00:02:39,892
and found a place
to build a house,

38
00:02:39,894 --> 00:02:43,228
leveled it off and started.

39
00:02:43,230 --> 00:02:45,030
Four years later,
it was done.

40
00:02:45,032 --> 00:02:54,573
♪♪

41
00:02:54,575 --> 00:02:56,208
joe is my son.

42
00:02:56,210 --> 00:02:59,845
He was around 11,
right around 11, and his cousin,

43
00:02:59,847 --> 00:03:02,014
keith, same age.

44
00:03:02,016 --> 00:03:05,851
Where should I put this?

45
00:03:05,853 --> 00:03:07,286
Suzanne:
Ever since we bought the land,

46
00:03:07,288 --> 00:03:10,489
his cousin would come out from
cincinnati and stay with us.

47
00:03:10,491 --> 00:03:12,591
Oh, okay.

48
00:03:12,593 --> 00:03:14,493
Him and I have really
just been very close

49
00:03:14,495 --> 00:03:17,729
since I was very young,
and he would come out weekends,

50
00:03:17,731 --> 00:03:20,599
you know, building treehouses
and exploring,

51
00:03:20,601 --> 00:03:24,803
and that was my right-hand man.

52
00:03:24,805 --> 00:03:29,174
That day, the kids wanted to go
work on their treehouse.

53
00:03:29,176 --> 00:03:32,311
- Hey, joe.
- Yeah?

54
00:03:32,313 --> 00:03:33,779
Oh, thanks.

55
00:03:33,781 --> 00:03:35,847
Now, don't leave my tools
down there.

56
00:03:35,849 --> 00:03:38,250
Yeah, I know.

57
00:03:38,252 --> 00:03:40,285
You have to go up a long,
long driveway

58
00:03:40,287 --> 00:03:42,221
to a pretty heavily
wooded valley.

59
00:03:42,223 --> 00:03:43,655
I mean, it's thick, beautiful,

60
00:03:43,657 --> 00:03:45,457
and there's nobody around.

61
00:03:45,459 --> 00:03:50,028
♪♪

62
00:03:50,030 --> 00:03:51,363
very secluded.

63
00:03:51,365 --> 00:03:56,835
♪♪

64
00:03:56,837 --> 00:03:58,403
the woods are so heavy,
and on a cloudy day,

65
00:03:58,405 --> 00:03:59,838
it can almost seem dark.

66
00:03:59,840 --> 00:04:02,975
- Hey, joe, slow down.
- We're almost there!

67
00:04:02,977 --> 00:04:11,149
♪♪

68
00:04:11,151 --> 00:04:19,358
♪♪

69
00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,326
suzanne: You have to understand
where we built our house.

70
00:04:21,328 --> 00:04:23,629
It was in the foothills
of the appalachian mountains.

71
00:04:23,631 --> 00:04:27,332
It was just very remote.
There was no neighbors around.

72
00:04:27,334 --> 00:04:29,701
I mean, there were,
but you couldn't see anybody,

73
00:04:29,703 --> 00:04:31,136
something I'm not used to

74
00:04:31,138 --> 00:04:32,571
because I was raised
in the city.

75
00:04:32,573 --> 00:04:33,905
♪♪

76
00:04:33,907 --> 00:04:38,243
[ birds calling ]

77
00:04:38,245 --> 00:04:41,313
but the kids always wanted
to be in those woods and play.

78
00:04:41,315 --> 00:04:45,017
♪♪

79
00:04:45,019 --> 00:04:46,018
there it is.

80
00:04:46,020 --> 00:04:51,356
♪♪

81
00:04:51,358 --> 00:04:54,159
the tree stand had been there
for many years.

82
00:04:54,161 --> 00:04:56,795
It was just something
that was old, fallen down.

83
00:04:56,797 --> 00:04:58,430
What was this for?

84
00:04:58,432 --> 00:05:02,567
Hunting deer.

85
00:05:02,569 --> 00:05:04,670
- That's so rickety.
- Yeah.

86
00:05:04,672 --> 00:05:06,538
We just got the idea
one day that, you know,

87
00:05:06,540 --> 00:05:07,773
"let's see if we can repair
this thing,

88
00:05:07,775 --> 00:05:09,775
"kind of restore
and bring it back to life.

89
00:05:09,777 --> 00:05:11,877
It would be somewhere cool
to kind of hang out."

90
00:05:11,879 --> 00:05:15,480
♪♪

91
00:05:15,482 --> 00:05:18,750
hey, joe,
hand me the binoculars.

92
00:05:18,752 --> 00:05:22,087
♪♪

93
00:05:22,089 --> 00:05:25,357
[ creature growling ]

94
00:05:25,359 --> 00:05:26,491
- what is it?
- Shh.

95
00:05:26,493 --> 00:05:32,464
♪♪

96
00:05:32,466 --> 00:05:35,334
we have some animals
that were in the same area --

97
00:05:35,336 --> 00:05:38,503
the mountain lions, the bear,
you know, that we've seen out

98
00:05:38,505 --> 00:05:40,205
there and heard,
and it's nothing abnormal.

99
00:05:40,207 --> 00:05:42,074
You just respect,
you know, they respect us.

100
00:05:42,076 --> 00:05:43,642
We respect them,
and you go about your way.

101
00:05:43,644 --> 00:05:51,783
♪♪

102
00:05:51,785 --> 00:05:55,053
- okay.
- Can I have the hammer?

103
00:05:55,055 --> 00:05:56,321
We were having a great time,

104
00:05:56,323 --> 00:05:59,257
and we had our material
and our tools with us.

105
00:05:59,259 --> 00:06:02,894
We were just really excited
to get things moving on this.

106
00:06:02,896 --> 00:06:04,563
I'm grabbing some lumber
off the truck,

107
00:06:04,565 --> 00:06:09,067
and I had made a little pile
closer to the tree stand.

108
00:06:09,069 --> 00:06:11,169
Keith was up in the tree stand,

109
00:06:11,171 --> 00:06:13,372
going over some measurements
and stuff that he needed,

110
00:06:13,374 --> 00:06:16,174
and I remember looking up
to him to talk to him.

111
00:06:16,176 --> 00:06:18,009
The squawking of
the chicken hawks

112
00:06:18,011 --> 00:06:21,747
and the commotion
caught my eye.

113
00:06:21,749 --> 00:06:24,850
To be that close and making
that much noise is

114
00:06:24,852 --> 00:06:26,952
what really caught my attention
because it was abnormal to me,

115
00:06:26,954 --> 00:06:29,321
and they were circling
and squawking.

116
00:06:29,323 --> 00:06:30,989
They're going crazy.
What for?

117
00:06:30,991 --> 00:06:35,827
I don't know, but there's, uh,
there's something up the tree.

118
00:06:35,829 --> 00:06:38,597
[ creature growling ]

119
00:06:38,599 --> 00:06:40,532
I saw a large figure,

120
00:06:40,534 --> 00:06:42,267
three quarters
of the way up the tree.

121
00:06:42,269 --> 00:06:45,137
Even from being on the ground
and that far away from the tree,

122
00:06:45,139 --> 00:06:47,672
looking up, I mean,
it was huge.

123
00:06:47,674 --> 00:06:49,608
It was just massive.

124
00:06:49,610 --> 00:06:53,311
It looked like it was
700 pounds, 8 to 10 feet tall.

125
00:06:53,313 --> 00:06:56,615
[ creature growling ]

126
00:06:56,617 --> 00:06:59,918
fear, I think, was the first
thing that hit me.

127
00:06:59,920 --> 00:07:02,087
We've seen mountain lions
and bears,

128
00:07:02,089 --> 00:07:05,557
and nothing ever
looked anything like that.

129
00:07:05,559 --> 00:07:09,327
There's something up there.

130
00:07:09,329 --> 00:07:11,763
I didn't notice it climbing up
or how long it had been there

131
00:07:11,765 --> 00:07:13,231
or what it was even doing.

132
00:07:13,233 --> 00:07:14,399
I mean, it knew we were there.

133
00:07:14,401 --> 00:07:19,004
♪♪

134
00:07:19,006 --> 00:07:21,506
it's -- it's looking
right at us.

135
00:07:21,508 --> 00:07:22,741
♪♪

136
00:07:22,743 --> 00:07:27,946
[ howling ]

137
00:07:27,948 --> 00:07:29,781
we needed to get out
of there fast.

138
00:07:29,783 --> 00:07:31,116
- Let's go!
- Yeah.

139
00:07:31,118 --> 00:07:32,317
We jump out of the treehouse,

140
00:07:32,319 --> 00:07:35,854
and as we were running
as fast as we could,

141
00:07:35,856 --> 00:07:38,990
you could hear whatever it was
had jumped out of the tree.

142
00:07:38,992 --> 00:07:41,526
[ leaves rustle ]

143
00:07:41,528 --> 00:07:43,495
it was so heavy, so dense.

144
00:07:43,497 --> 00:07:45,363
The vibration when it hit,

145
00:07:45,365 --> 00:07:48,266
I could feel it through my feet
as I was running.

146
00:07:48,268 --> 00:07:49,468
Come on, keith! Hurry up!

147
00:07:49,470 --> 00:07:51,503
You know, a lot of fear
came over both of us

148
00:07:51,505 --> 00:07:54,272
because we had never experienced
or seen anything like that,

149
00:07:54,274 --> 00:07:56,408
and it really shook us.

150
00:07:56,410 --> 00:07:59,578
♪♪

151
00:07:59,580 --> 00:08:03,181
[ creature growling ]

152
00:08:03,183 --> 00:08:05,016
we wanted to get to the house,
you know, to tell mom

153
00:08:05,018 --> 00:08:07,018
because it wasn't really
far away, but at that time,

154
00:08:07,020 --> 00:08:08,453
it seemed like
it took forever to get there.

155
00:08:08,455 --> 00:08:11,890
♪♪

156
00:08:11,892 --> 00:08:13,358
[ creature growling ]

157
00:08:13,360 --> 00:08:16,661
♪♪

158
00:08:19,066 --> 00:08:28,306
♪♪

159
00:08:28,308 --> 00:08:32,911
♪♪

160
00:08:32,913 --> 00:08:34,813
joe: Come on, keith!
Hurry up!

161
00:08:34,815 --> 00:08:39,451
♪♪

162
00:08:39,453 --> 00:08:41,953
we had never experienced
or seen anything like that.

163
00:08:41,955 --> 00:08:45,690
♪♪

164
00:08:45,692 --> 00:08:48,827
[ howling ]

165
00:08:48,829 --> 00:08:52,197
we ran inside the house,
you know, to get my mom.

166
00:08:52,199 --> 00:08:53,431
Mom!

167
00:08:53,433 --> 00:08:54,866
Suzanne: Keith was crying.

168
00:08:54,868 --> 00:08:57,202
Joe was freaking out, saying,
"there's something in the woods.

169
00:08:57,204 --> 00:08:58,436
It was chasing us."

170
00:08:58,438 --> 00:09:00,338
there was this thing
in the tree --

171
00:09:00,340 --> 00:09:02,407
no, no, no,
this was not a bear.

172
00:09:02,409 --> 00:09:03,441
Suzanne:
They were scared to death.

173
00:09:03,443 --> 00:09:05,143
They really were.

174
00:09:05,145 --> 00:09:07,245
Keith was screaming,
"I want to go home, aunt sue!

175
00:09:07,247 --> 00:09:09,915
I just want to go home,"
and I was freaking out.

176
00:09:09,917 --> 00:09:12,183
I didn't understand
why they were --

177
00:09:12,185 --> 00:09:14,586
I didn't know
what had happened.

178
00:09:14,588 --> 00:09:16,021
Keith said
when the ground shook,

179
00:09:16,023 --> 00:09:18,189
he turned around
and looked at it,

180
00:09:18,191 --> 00:09:20,659
and it was chasing them.

181
00:09:20,661 --> 00:09:23,595
I said, "keith, sit down while
it's fresh in your mind.

182
00:09:23,597 --> 00:09:27,532
Draw a picture
of what you saw."

183
00:09:27,534 --> 00:09:29,167
it looked like a monkey.

184
00:09:29,169 --> 00:09:35,307
♪♪

185
00:09:35,309 --> 00:09:40,879
he said it had red eyes,
you know, like, big teeth.

186
00:09:40,881 --> 00:09:43,748
It almost looked evil,
like a devil,

187
00:09:43,750 --> 00:09:47,152
I guess you would say, just very
dark, very scary-looking.

188
00:09:47,154 --> 00:09:50,388
♪♪

189
00:09:50,390 --> 00:09:53,091
we ended up giving it
the name devil monkey

190
00:09:53,093 --> 00:09:56,828
because it looked so evil,
like a devil.

191
00:09:56,830 --> 00:09:58,964
Suzanne: I knew
they'd seen something

192
00:09:58,966 --> 00:10:02,601
because they were so scared.

193
00:10:02,603 --> 00:10:04,436
I don't want to say
I didn't believe them

194
00:10:04,438 --> 00:10:06,571
because I knew
something happened to them.

195
00:10:06,573 --> 00:10:15,146
♪♪

196
00:10:15,148 --> 00:10:20,452
♪♪

197
00:10:20,454 --> 00:10:23,455
[ bird calls ]

198
00:10:23,457 --> 00:10:28,126
my husband had a tendency
to think they either made it up

199
00:10:28,128 --> 00:10:33,298
or they were just
exaggerating something

200
00:10:33,300 --> 00:10:35,834
because he likes
to explain things,

201
00:10:35,836 --> 00:10:39,671
and he didn't believe it.

202
00:10:39,673 --> 00:10:43,575
So where was it?

203
00:10:43,577 --> 00:10:46,711
Up -- up there.

204
00:10:46,713 --> 00:10:48,146
Okay.

205
00:10:48,148 --> 00:10:50,315
Go get the tools.

206
00:10:50,317 --> 00:10:54,953
♪♪

207
00:10:54,955 --> 00:10:57,221
my dad, just really
a working man,

208
00:10:57,223 --> 00:10:58,923
and he had other things
on his mind other than something

209
00:10:58,925 --> 00:11:00,325
that had
just scared us in the woods.

210
00:11:00,327 --> 00:11:09,067
♪♪

211
00:11:09,069 --> 00:11:14,873
[ low growling ]

212
00:11:14,875 --> 00:11:16,708
come on, boys.

213
00:11:16,710 --> 00:11:19,077
You can get the lumber later.

214
00:11:19,079 --> 00:11:22,247
♪♪

215
00:11:22,249 --> 00:11:24,315
we never went back to pick up
the lumber and stuff

216
00:11:24,317 --> 00:11:25,883
that we had had
on the ground, nothing.

217
00:11:25,885 --> 00:11:26,985
We never went back to it.

218
00:11:26,987 --> 00:11:30,088
♪♪

219
00:11:30,090 --> 00:11:31,289
because of what happened,

220
00:11:31,291 --> 00:11:33,258
keith never came out
to the woods anymore.

221
00:11:33,260 --> 00:11:42,867
♪♪

222
00:11:42,869 --> 00:11:46,204
[ chuckles ] I hear you,
ron, but he's just a kid.

223
00:11:46,206 --> 00:11:49,941
He just lets his imagination
run away, you know?

224
00:11:49,943 --> 00:11:53,144
I agree, probably a bear.

225
00:11:53,146 --> 00:11:57,115
Listen, just ignore joe.
He just spooks easy.

226
00:11:57,117 --> 00:11:59,050
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

227
00:11:59,052 --> 00:12:01,186
Joe: At first,
I was anxious to tell

228
00:12:01,188 --> 00:12:05,056
people my story and what I saw,
and I'd get made fun of,

229
00:12:05,058 --> 00:12:06,591
"hey, man, tell them
about the devil monkey,"

230
00:12:06,593 --> 00:12:07,759
and then everybody
would start laughing.

231
00:12:07,761 --> 00:12:09,627
It's like, "you know what?

232
00:12:09,629 --> 00:12:11,896
I don't have a desire
to tell anybody anymore,"

233
00:12:11,898 --> 00:12:14,599
because nobody was on board
or believed me.

234
00:12:14,601 --> 00:12:18,670
♪♪

235
00:12:18,672 --> 00:12:20,004
I just decided that was
the past,

236
00:12:20,006 --> 00:12:21,172
and I swept it under the rug

237
00:12:21,174 --> 00:12:23,608
and tried to erase it
out of my memory.

238
00:12:23,610 --> 00:12:31,182
♪♪

239
00:12:31,184 --> 00:12:35,487
after we had purchased that
piece of land where joe told us

240
00:12:35,489 --> 00:12:40,391
he had seen this animal
jump out of the tree,

241
00:12:40,393 --> 00:12:44,229
my husband leveled
that piece off and built a barn,

242
00:12:44,231 --> 00:12:46,331
and we got a horse.

243
00:12:46,333 --> 00:12:48,600
Ah, you're a greedy girl.

244
00:12:48,602 --> 00:12:50,135
She was our very first horse.

245
00:12:50,137 --> 00:12:53,371
We loved her.
Her name was rose.

246
00:12:53,373 --> 00:12:57,008
[ laughs ]

247
00:12:57,010 --> 00:12:59,577
we would go to the barns
twice a day to feed.

248
00:12:59,579 --> 00:13:01,412
Anybody that has horses know

249
00:13:01,414 --> 00:13:02,714
they know
when they're gonna get fed,

250
00:13:02,716 --> 00:13:04,916
and they always run
to the barns.

251
00:13:04,918 --> 00:13:07,919
Go find some grass.
I'll see you in the morning.

252
00:13:07,921 --> 00:13:15,894
♪♪

253
00:13:15,896 --> 00:13:18,363
we loved that horse.

254
00:13:18,365 --> 00:13:26,805
♪♪

255
00:13:26,807 --> 00:13:29,841
[ animal snuffling ]

256
00:13:29,843 --> 00:13:32,911
[ horse blusters ]

257
00:13:32,913 --> 00:13:34,712
[ horse whinnies ]

258
00:13:34,714 --> 00:13:38,483
♪♪

259
00:13:40,854 --> 00:13:47,492
♪♪

260
00:13:47,494 --> 00:13:53,498
♪♪

261
00:13:53,500 --> 00:13:56,434
[ horse blusters ]

262
00:13:56,436 --> 00:14:03,441
[ horse whinnies ]

263
00:14:03,443 --> 00:14:08,046
♪♪

264
00:14:08,048 --> 00:14:13,117
suzanne: The next morning,
we went down to feed the horse.

265
00:14:13,119 --> 00:14:15,286
Hey, rose. What's wrong?

266
00:14:15,288 --> 00:14:18,756
She had these big claw marks
on her hindquarters,

267
00:14:18,758 --> 00:14:21,326
and there was, like, three,
like, on each side,

268
00:14:21,328 --> 00:14:23,494
all the way
from the top down.

269
00:14:23,496 --> 00:14:25,630
[ horse whinnies ]

270
00:14:25,632 --> 00:14:29,033
hey, mom, get over here!

271
00:14:29,035 --> 00:14:30,368
Oh, my god.

272
00:14:30,370 --> 00:14:32,270
And it wasn't dead,
but it was, like, in shock.

273
00:14:32,272 --> 00:14:38,243
♪♪

274
00:14:38,245 --> 00:14:41,145
something attacked that horse
in the woods.

275
00:14:41,147 --> 00:14:42,647
Those are deep.
She needs the vet.

276
00:14:42,649 --> 00:14:44,482
Jesus, get over here!

277
00:14:44,484 --> 00:14:45,617
Joe: It almost seemed like
something

278
00:14:45,619 --> 00:14:46,618
had grabbed ahold of it
because it was

279
00:14:46,620 --> 00:14:48,119
on the hind of the horse.

280
00:14:48,121 --> 00:14:49,487
Maybe it was running,
and it had grabbed

281
00:14:49,489 --> 00:14:50,922
ahold of it
to try to catch it, maybe.

282
00:14:50,924 --> 00:14:53,791
We weren't really sure.

283
00:14:53,793 --> 00:14:54,893
Horses are very large.

284
00:14:54,895 --> 00:14:56,494
It was 1,000 pounds or better,

285
00:14:56,496 --> 00:14:58,529
so something that could
even consider

286
00:14:58,531 --> 00:15:00,031
taking on that size
of an animal

287
00:15:00,033 --> 00:15:02,734
had to have a lot
of confidence itself.

288
00:15:02,736 --> 00:15:05,270
Not knowing what it could've
been as the day went on,

289
00:15:05,272 --> 00:15:07,005
I started to put
two and two together.

290
00:15:07,007 --> 00:15:08,840
Could this have something
to do with what, you know,

291
00:15:08,842 --> 00:15:13,311
what we experienced a year
or two prior to that?

292
00:15:13,313 --> 00:15:16,781
Mom, what if it was
that thing we saw?

293
00:15:16,783 --> 00:15:20,351
The stable that we had built
was probably about 50 foot

294
00:15:20,353 --> 00:15:25,590
from the treehouse
that joe had been working on.

295
00:15:25,592 --> 00:15:28,927
I realized whatever is
in the woods attacking my horse

296
00:15:28,929 --> 00:15:34,165
were the same thing that chased
joe and keith out of the woods.

297
00:15:34,167 --> 00:15:36,834
The devil monkey.

298
00:15:36,836 --> 00:15:40,104
My husband is very calm.

299
00:15:40,106 --> 00:15:42,373
Everything has got some kind
of a logical explanation

300
00:15:42,375 --> 00:15:44,242
behind everything.

301
00:15:44,244 --> 00:15:47,345
He doesn't believe

302
00:15:47,347 --> 00:15:49,247
that kind of stuff.

303
00:15:49,249 --> 00:15:51,249
It's probably plenty of animals
could do this.

304
00:15:51,251 --> 00:15:52,717
I'll call the vet.

305
00:15:52,719 --> 00:15:55,453
Suzanne: When the vet came out,
you know, he saw the horse.

306
00:15:55,455 --> 00:15:57,722
He saw the marks.

307
00:15:57,724 --> 00:16:01,492
He said no, he'd never seen
that before, never seen that.

308
00:16:01,494 --> 00:16:04,362
♪♪

309
00:16:04,364 --> 00:16:05,563
and we were thinking
to ourselves,

310
00:16:05,565 --> 00:16:07,198
"what kind of animal
could even consider

311
00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:09,334
taking on, you know,
a horse like that?"

312
00:16:09,336 --> 00:16:11,002
coyotes, dogs,
they're very small,

313
00:16:11,004 --> 00:16:12,971
and they usually shy away
from larger animals,

314
00:16:12,973 --> 00:16:16,174
including our dogs.

315
00:16:16,176 --> 00:16:17,942
Something jumped on this horse.

316
00:16:17,944 --> 00:16:21,579
I just don't know -- I mean,
we don't know what it was,

317
00:16:21,581 --> 00:16:24,148
but something jumped on
the horse and attacked it.

318
00:16:24,150 --> 00:16:31,356
♪♪

319
00:16:31,358 --> 00:16:34,125
joe: So that afternoon, we had
walked the fence line,

320
00:16:34,127 --> 00:16:36,361
and we gathered
some hair samples

321
00:16:36,363 --> 00:16:38,629
and sent it off to a lab.

322
00:16:38,631 --> 00:16:40,331
Don't worry, joe.

323
00:16:40,333 --> 00:16:43,634
These tests are gonna
tell us what's been here.

324
00:16:43,636 --> 00:16:45,603
At that point, you almost feel
like something

325
00:16:45,605 --> 00:16:46,971
is messing with you,
you know what I mean?

326
00:16:46,973 --> 00:16:50,541
Like, whatever this creature is,
is it trying to bother us?

327
00:16:50,543 --> 00:16:53,277
Is it trying to scare us away?

328
00:16:53,279 --> 00:16:54,779
Why now?
You know what I mean?

329
00:16:54,781 --> 00:16:56,614
I don't know. It was weird.

330
00:16:56,616 --> 00:17:03,388
♪♪

331
00:17:03,390 --> 00:17:04,756
we had sent off
the hair samples.

332
00:17:04,758 --> 00:17:08,059
Some of them came back --
cattle, horses, which we knew

333
00:17:08,061 --> 00:17:09,827
because that's what
was in the area,

334
00:17:09,829 --> 00:17:11,696
and then some of them
came back inconclusive,

335
00:17:11,698 --> 00:17:13,231
and they could not give us
an answer what it was

336
00:17:13,233 --> 00:17:16,200
because it was not
in their database.

337
00:17:16,202 --> 00:17:18,870
No one had ever found
a hair like it before,

338
00:17:18,872 --> 00:17:21,973
so they couldn't
compare it to anything.

339
00:17:21,975 --> 00:17:23,041
Where's your father?

340
00:17:23,043 --> 00:17:26,344
In the house.

341
00:17:26,346 --> 00:17:28,579
- Jesus.
- Hi.

342
00:17:28,581 --> 00:17:30,114
I was just talking to andre.

343
00:17:30,116 --> 00:17:32,450
He's just been attacked
by something up on the ridge.

344
00:17:32,452 --> 00:17:33,885
- What?
- Yeah.

345
00:17:33,887 --> 00:17:36,054
Our neighbor, andre,
he has some hunting land

346
00:17:36,056 --> 00:17:38,523
up above where our property is.

347
00:17:38,525 --> 00:17:41,492
♪♪

348
00:17:41,494 --> 00:17:42,894
he had a camper there.

349
00:17:42,896 --> 00:17:44,295
It was an older camper,
and that's the reason

350
00:17:44,297 --> 00:17:48,966
why he was in his vehicle.

351
00:17:48,968 --> 00:17:52,203
Andre told us that when
he was sleeping in his jeep

352
00:17:52,205 --> 00:17:53,304
up on top of the ridge,

353
00:17:53,306 --> 00:17:56,340
something jumped
on top of his jeep.

354
00:17:56,342 --> 00:17:59,010
♪♪

355
00:17:59,012 --> 00:18:02,547
it woke him up and the sound
of slamming on top of his hood

356
00:18:02,549 --> 00:18:04,015
and shook his vehicle.

357
00:18:04,017 --> 00:18:06,084
He said it was a big,
gigantic animal

358
00:18:06,086 --> 00:18:10,955
and was staring at him
in the windshield,

359
00:18:10,957 --> 00:18:14,559
and he was scared to death,

360
00:18:14,561 --> 00:18:19,530
and he said that it looked
like a big monkey.

361
00:18:19,532 --> 00:18:21,632
What he described to me
was something similar,

362
00:18:21,634 --> 00:18:25,136
very heavy, very hairy, dark,

363
00:18:25,138 --> 00:18:29,006
the creature that I encountered
a couple years ago.

364
00:18:29,008 --> 00:18:30,675
Suzanne: He was afraid
and he said,

365
00:18:30,677 --> 00:18:34,378
"I will never
stay up here again."

366
00:18:34,380 --> 00:18:36,914
I know that he saw something.

367
00:18:36,916 --> 00:18:40,551
I know something did jump
on his vehicle.

368
00:18:40,553 --> 00:18:42,620
I believe him.

369
00:18:42,622 --> 00:18:48,192
♪♪

370
00:18:48,194 --> 00:18:54,098
I had the feeling that we had
invaded its territory.

371
00:18:54,100 --> 00:18:59,070
I think it was living there
because no one

372
00:18:59,072 --> 00:19:01,906
had ever developed
any of that land

373
00:19:01,908 --> 00:19:03,875
all the years
it'd been there until we came.

374
00:19:03,877 --> 00:19:08,613
♪♪

375
00:19:08,615 --> 00:19:11,315
[ creature growling ]

376
00:19:11,317 --> 00:19:13,217
I was just afraid.

377
00:19:13,219 --> 00:19:16,053
I was afraid because I didn't
know what it was.

378
00:19:16,055 --> 00:19:20,057
I was afraid because it had
chased my kids,

379
00:19:20,059 --> 00:19:22,827
attacked my horse,

380
00:19:22,829 --> 00:19:26,097
so I decided to see
if I could contact somebody

381
00:19:26,099 --> 00:19:31,302
that could come out
and tell me what could be there.

382
00:19:31,304 --> 00:19:33,938
My mom was at a library,

383
00:19:33,940 --> 00:19:37,108
and there was some bigfoot
research investigators there

384
00:19:37,110 --> 00:19:39,911
doing, like, a presentation,

385
00:19:39,913 --> 00:19:42,613
and my mom tells them
the experience

386
00:19:42,615 --> 00:19:44,615
that we had with a creature.

387
00:19:44,617 --> 00:19:48,085
♪♪

388
00:19:48,087 --> 00:19:50,621
I told them what had happened

389
00:19:50,623 --> 00:19:54,258
to joe and my nephew,

390
00:19:54,260 --> 00:19:56,160
so he got all excited,

391
00:19:56,162 --> 00:19:58,362
and he wanted to come out
and look for it,

392
00:19:58,364 --> 00:20:00,665
and he was like, "let's come
over on Friday night,

393
00:20:00,667 --> 00:20:01,899
"and let's go, you know,

394
00:20:01,901 --> 00:20:06,270
see if we can hear
anything in the woods."

395
00:20:06,272 --> 00:20:07,705
when the investigators came,

396
00:20:07,707 --> 00:20:09,907
I gave them
a tour of the woods

397
00:20:09,909 --> 00:20:11,676
where I had experienced
the creature.

398
00:20:11,678 --> 00:20:13,044
I took him down
to the treehouse.

399
00:20:13,046 --> 00:20:14,545
It's his spot.

400
00:20:14,547 --> 00:20:18,416
Absolutely hate being up there.
I feel like I'm being watched.

401
00:20:18,418 --> 00:20:22,553
That particular area, it makes
the hair stand up on my neck

402
00:20:22,555 --> 00:20:23,654
whenever I get out there.

403
00:20:23,656 --> 00:20:26,424
♪♪

404
00:20:26,426 --> 00:20:32,029
[ creature growling ]

405
00:20:32,031 --> 00:20:34,532
he set his equipment up
overlooking the area

406
00:20:34,534 --> 00:20:37,602
that I had the encounter.

407
00:20:37,604 --> 00:20:39,704
I started
to get really nervous.

408
00:20:39,706 --> 00:20:41,606
I didn't want to stay the night
by the tree stand,

409
00:20:41,608 --> 00:20:46,077
but I was also very interested
into what he was gonna find

410
00:20:46,079 --> 00:20:48,012
because he had the equipment

411
00:20:48,014 --> 00:20:49,213
that could probably
capture things

412
00:20:49,215 --> 00:20:51,949
that we'd never heard before.

413
00:20:51,951 --> 00:20:53,351
Okay. I'm up and rolling.

414
00:20:53,353 --> 00:20:57,488
Let's see if we can
hear anything.

415
00:20:57,490 --> 00:20:59,390
Joe: The first thing that he did
was he recorded

416
00:20:59,392 --> 00:21:03,127
the sounds of the woods.

417
00:21:03,129 --> 00:21:05,196
Suzanne:
You couldn't see anything.

418
00:21:05,198 --> 00:21:09,634
I heard the normal sounds
and little bugs, whatever,

419
00:21:09,636 --> 00:21:13,537
in the woods
but nothing unusual.

420
00:21:13,539 --> 00:21:17,441
Joe: We were there several hours
that night and nothing happened.

421
00:21:17,443 --> 00:21:19,944
♪♪

422
00:21:19,946 --> 00:21:21,279
because we weren't
hearing anything,

423
00:21:21,281 --> 00:21:22,847
he tried a different approach.

424
00:21:22,849 --> 00:21:24,715
These things are known
to be territorial.

425
00:21:24,717 --> 00:21:33,424
♪♪

426
00:21:33,426 --> 00:21:38,796
[ tapping ]

427
00:21:38,798 --> 00:21:40,564
♪♪

428
00:21:40,566 --> 00:21:43,367
that direction,
over by the treehouse.

429
00:21:43,369 --> 00:21:44,835
♪♪

430
00:21:44,837 --> 00:21:50,875
[ creature howling ]

431
00:21:50,877 --> 00:21:52,310
how do you describe that?

432
00:21:52,312 --> 00:21:53,778
How do you really describe
that sound?

433
00:21:53,780 --> 00:22:02,219
[ creature howling ]

434
00:22:02,221 --> 00:22:07,725
♪♪

435
00:22:07,727 --> 00:22:13,164
♪♪

436
00:22:13,166 --> 00:22:15,333
it didn't sound anything
like humans.

437
00:22:15,335 --> 00:22:19,403
[ creature howling ]

438
00:22:19,405 --> 00:22:22,173
it didn't sound like anything
that I'd ever heard.

439
00:22:22,175 --> 00:22:24,408
Coyotes, I've heard
many coyotes,

440
00:22:24,410 --> 00:22:25,876
nothing, nothing like that.

441
00:22:25,878 --> 00:22:29,780
It had a totally different tone
and a lot longer for every howl.

442
00:22:29,782 --> 00:22:31,482
[ creature howling ]

443
00:22:31,484 --> 00:22:35,586
he would take a few rocks
and bang them together.

444
00:22:35,588 --> 00:22:38,356
♪♪

445
00:22:38,358 --> 00:22:43,494
[ creature howling ]

446
00:22:43,496 --> 00:22:46,397
it's almost exciting,
in a sense,

447
00:22:46,399 --> 00:22:49,200
to really hear the response
from what they were getting.

448
00:22:49,202 --> 00:22:57,641
[ creature howling ]

449
00:22:57,643 --> 00:22:59,643
♪♪

450
00:22:59,645 --> 00:23:03,914
it sent chills down my back.

451
00:23:03,916 --> 00:23:08,252
You can hear yelling,

452
00:23:08,254 --> 00:23:12,223
breaking trees,

453
00:23:12,225 --> 00:23:13,524
like, screaming.

454
00:23:13,526 --> 00:23:16,060
[ creature howling,
branches breaking ]

455
00:23:16,062 --> 00:23:17,061
I was afraid.

456
00:23:17,063 --> 00:23:20,631
[ creature howling, thud ]

457
00:23:20,633 --> 00:23:23,968
and, all of the sudden, a very
loud sound comes from behind.

458
00:23:23,970 --> 00:23:26,670
There's a metal drum, like
a metal fuel tank that's empty.

459
00:23:26,672 --> 00:23:29,673
It sounded like something
very heavy slammed into that.

460
00:23:29,675 --> 00:23:31,609
When I heard that sound,
I felt scared

461
00:23:31,611 --> 00:23:34,211
because we had heard
the noises in front of us,

462
00:23:34,213 --> 00:23:37,581
and it was behind us so fast.

463
00:23:37,583 --> 00:23:39,350
Now it snuck up behind us,
and, you know, we're like,

464
00:23:39,352 --> 00:23:41,819
"we're being stalked."

465
00:23:41,821 --> 00:23:44,255
it scared everybody
really bad.

466
00:23:44,257 --> 00:23:45,389
Go, go, go, go, go!

467
00:23:45,391 --> 00:23:50,027
That night, I was scared
but also reassured,

468
00:23:50,029 --> 00:23:51,195
knowing that I'm not crazy.

469
00:23:51,197 --> 00:23:53,431
[ creature howling ]

470
00:23:53,433 --> 00:23:57,768
♪♪

471
00:24:00,206 --> 00:24:10,214
♪♪

472
00:24:10,216 --> 00:24:13,484
[ creature growling ]

473
00:24:13,486 --> 00:24:23,494
[ creature howling,
branches breaking ]

474
00:24:23,496 --> 00:24:27,298
♪♪

475
00:24:27,300 --> 00:24:29,967
I was afraid that whatever was
in the woods

476
00:24:29,969 --> 00:24:32,970
was coming closer to my house,

477
00:24:32,972 --> 00:24:37,074
and I tried to keep living there
and not thinking about it.

478
00:24:37,076 --> 00:24:40,911
♪♪

479
00:24:40,913 --> 00:24:45,783
some time later, some friends
of our called and said,

480
00:24:45,785 --> 00:24:50,287
"hey, you know, roger just got
this deer and killed this deer,

481
00:24:50,289 --> 00:24:51,589
"and can we bring it up there?

482
00:24:51,591 --> 00:24:53,023
We're gonna gut it,"
and this and that,

483
00:24:53,025 --> 00:24:55,059
and, "we're gonna, you know,
make deer burger

484
00:24:55,061 --> 00:24:56,827
and all that stuff."

485
00:24:56,829 --> 00:25:01,732
♪♪

486
00:25:01,734 --> 00:25:04,902
so my husband hung the deer up.
They skinned the deer.

487
00:25:04,904 --> 00:25:06,504
They began grinding up the meat
and all that,

488
00:25:06,506 --> 00:25:09,607
and we just made
an afternoon out of it, evening.

489
00:25:09,609 --> 00:25:12,443
Everybody is cooking out.
Some of our friends came.

490
00:25:12,445 --> 00:25:14,445
[ laughs ]

491
00:25:14,447 --> 00:25:19,850
♪♪

492
00:25:19,852 --> 00:25:22,887
and they all left.

493
00:25:22,889 --> 00:25:24,888
They would always just,
you know, take the carcass

494
00:25:24,890 --> 00:25:26,857
and throw them out in the woods
because coyotes, whatever.

495
00:25:26,859 --> 00:25:36,600
♪♪

496
00:25:36,602 --> 00:25:45,876
♪♪

497
00:25:45,878 --> 00:25:55,819
♪♪

498
00:25:55,821 --> 00:26:00,457
and it wasn't wintertime
because the windows were open.

499
00:26:00,459 --> 00:26:04,128
You know, it was
a beautiful evening.

500
00:26:04,130 --> 00:26:06,163
I woke up in the middle
of the night.

501
00:26:06,165 --> 00:26:15,539
♪♪

502
00:26:15,541 --> 00:26:18,409
♪♪

503
00:26:18,411 --> 00:26:21,912
I said, "jesus, get up!
Get up. Oh, my god.

504
00:26:21,914 --> 00:26:24,815
I think there's a fire.
I smell, you know, some fire,"

505
00:26:24,817 --> 00:26:28,886
and he said,

506
00:26:28,888 --> 00:26:33,157
"that's not smoke.
There's nothing on fire."

507
00:26:33,159 --> 00:26:35,259
he said, "I don't know
how to describe it

508
00:26:35,261 --> 00:26:37,361
except smells
like burning hair."

509
00:26:37,363 --> 00:26:40,331
there's something here.

510
00:26:40,333 --> 00:26:45,369
He said, "you know, I'm afraid
the blood from that deer

511
00:26:45,371 --> 00:26:48,305
drew something to the house."

512
00:26:48,307 --> 00:26:50,107
it was so strong.

513
00:26:50,109 --> 00:26:51,642
It was, I want to say,

514
00:26:51,644 --> 00:26:55,312
a sulfury,
a burning-hair smell.

515
00:26:55,314 --> 00:26:57,448
It was like an evil presence
was there.

516
00:26:57,450 --> 00:27:06,190
♪♪

517
00:27:06,192 --> 00:27:14,932
♪♪

518
00:27:14,934 --> 00:27:16,800
what are you doing?

519
00:27:16,802 --> 00:27:20,604
♪♪

520
00:27:20,606 --> 00:27:22,206
I'm thinking, "the creature
is in the woods,

521
00:27:22,208 --> 00:27:24,041
and it's running
around my house."

522
00:27:24,043 --> 00:27:25,142
that's what I thought.

523
00:27:25,144 --> 00:27:31,115
♪♪

524
00:27:31,117 --> 00:27:36,353
♪♪

525
00:27:36,355 --> 00:27:41,325
when I looked into his eyes
that night, he had fear.

526
00:27:41,327 --> 00:27:43,193
I hadn't seen that before.

527
00:27:43,195 --> 00:27:48,932
♪♪

528
00:27:48,934 --> 00:27:50,501
[ heavy stomping ]

529
00:27:50,503 --> 00:27:55,406
up in the woods, you could hear
something walking,

530
00:27:55,408 --> 00:27:57,307
but you couldn't see anything.

531
00:27:57,309 --> 00:28:02,012
[ heavy footsteps ]

532
00:28:02,014 --> 00:28:03,914
I wouldn't be surprised
if it was less

533
00:28:03,916 --> 00:28:06,417
than 100 feet from our door,

534
00:28:06,419 --> 00:28:10,421
and you could hear it
walking through the woods.

535
00:28:10,423 --> 00:28:18,629
[ heavy footsteps, growling ]

536
00:28:18,631 --> 00:28:25,069
♪♪

537
00:28:25,071 --> 00:28:26,870
these sounds were different.

538
00:28:26,872 --> 00:28:31,175
You could hear that,
like, a bark and, like,

539
00:28:31,177 --> 00:28:33,410
a real angry scream.

540
00:28:33,412 --> 00:28:36,046
It kept doing
that over and over.

541
00:28:36,048 --> 00:28:40,384
[ growling ]

542
00:28:40,386 --> 00:28:43,921
I was really scared there.
I really truly was.

543
00:28:43,923 --> 00:28:49,359
[ creature growling ]

544
00:28:49,361 --> 00:28:53,897
he says, "I'm gonna unload
this gun right now.

545
00:28:53,899 --> 00:28:56,133
I'm just gonna start shooting."

546
00:28:56,135 --> 00:29:03,507
[ gunshots ]

547
00:29:03,509 --> 00:29:09,446
♪♪

548
00:29:09,448 --> 00:29:15,119
♪♪

549
00:29:15,121 --> 00:29:16,920
he just shot his gun

550
00:29:16,922 --> 00:29:19,423
all into the back
of the hill behind our house.

551
00:29:19,425 --> 00:29:29,399
♪♪

552
00:29:29,401 --> 00:29:33,604
and after that, we didn't hear
anything else at all.

553
00:29:33,606 --> 00:29:37,241
♪♪

554
00:29:37,243 --> 00:29:41,145
even now when I go out
into the woods,

555
00:29:41,147 --> 00:29:43,514
I feel like I'm being watched.

556
00:29:43,516 --> 00:29:45,582
What I've learned is that
there's definitely something

557
00:29:45,584 --> 00:29:48,519
out there
that we don't know about.

558
00:29:48,521 --> 00:29:50,454
Just because so many people
haven't seen it

559
00:29:50,456 --> 00:29:52,256
doesn't mean
it's not out there.

560
00:29:52,258 --> 00:29:54,858
[ sighs ]

561
00:29:54,860 --> 00:29:58,796
when people tell me
they see things, I believe them.

562
00:29:58,798 --> 00:30:03,367
[ creature howling ]

563
00:30:03,369 --> 00:30:06,170
I thought, "I just want out.
I want to move so bad.

564
00:30:06,172 --> 00:30:08,172
"I just want to go back
to the city.

565
00:30:08,174 --> 00:30:10,808
I'm not cut out for this stuff.
I just don't want to live here."

566
00:30:10,810 --> 00:30:12,176
I was afraid.

567
00:30:12,178 --> 00:30:21,185
♪♪

568
00:30:21,187 --> 00:30:23,487
if I could do my life
over again,

569
00:30:23,489 --> 00:30:28,959
I would have never built
a home there, never.

570
00:30:28,961 --> 00:30:30,928
I wish I had never gone there.

571
00:30:30,930 --> 00:30:34,231
[ howling ]

572
00:30:34,233 --> 00:30:37,467
♪♪

573
00:30:39,905 --> 00:30:44,208
♪♪

574
00:30:44,210 --> 00:30:46,243
I could really see
just how massive

575
00:30:46,245 --> 00:30:48,712
the animal actually was.

576
00:30:48,714 --> 00:30:51,748
It closed distance
between us within seconds.

577
00:30:51,750 --> 00:30:55,385
It could've reached out
and grabbed me by my hair.

578
00:30:55,387 --> 00:30:56,520
You can't freeze.

579
00:30:56,522 --> 00:30:58,021
You cannot freeze in a moment
like that

580
00:30:58,023 --> 00:31:00,023
because you freeze, you die.

581
00:31:00,025 --> 00:31:09,433
♪♪

582
00:31:09,435 --> 00:31:19,076
♪♪

583
00:31:19,078 --> 00:31:24,915
♪♪

584
00:31:24,917 --> 00:31:30,020
I'm from the twin cities
of minnesota,

585
00:31:30,022 --> 00:31:31,855
basically grew up out
in the woods.

586
00:31:31,857 --> 00:31:35,826
From a young age, my dad
started me with,

587
00:31:35,828 --> 00:31:38,061
like, firearm safety
to get me ready for hunting

588
00:31:38,063 --> 00:31:39,529
when I was 11 or 12.

589
00:31:39,531 --> 00:31:44,301
I've been doing that ever since.

590
00:31:44,303 --> 00:31:45,569
I've always liked it.

591
00:31:45,571 --> 00:31:48,472
It's always been fun
to just be out there.

592
00:31:48,474 --> 00:31:51,608
♪♪

593
00:31:51,610 --> 00:31:56,313
the cabin is located in a town
that's not far

594
00:31:56,315 --> 00:31:59,983
from siren, wisconsin,
and northwestern wisconsin.

595
00:31:59,985 --> 00:32:03,353
We would go up there
several times a year,

596
00:32:03,355 --> 00:32:05,722
especially during the summer.

597
00:32:05,724 --> 00:32:08,425
It's literally
just surrounded in miles

598
00:32:08,427 --> 00:32:11,194
and miles of thick forest.

599
00:32:11,196 --> 00:32:13,797
It's the middle of nowhere.
[ chuckles ]

600
00:32:13,799 --> 00:32:20,170
♪♪

601
00:32:20,172 --> 00:32:26,510
♪♪

602
00:32:26,512 --> 00:32:29,346
once it got dark there,
it was spooky.

603
00:32:29,348 --> 00:32:31,848
It was a scary area to be in.

604
00:32:31,850 --> 00:32:38,021
♪♪

605
00:32:38,023 --> 00:32:42,859
for years, we would have
campfires in the firepit,

606
00:32:42,861 --> 00:32:45,696
and from the firepit,
you can look up the hill

607
00:32:45,698 --> 00:32:48,298
that goes to that tree line,
and it'd feel like at night

608
00:32:48,300 --> 00:32:49,933
like there
was something watching you.

609
00:32:49,935 --> 00:32:54,004
♪♪

610
00:32:54,006 --> 00:32:56,940
I always felt like their eyes
just locked on

611
00:32:56,942 --> 00:32:57,941
to you from up there.

612
00:32:57,943 --> 00:33:04,948
♪♪

613
00:33:04,950 --> 00:33:09,353
you didn't want to wander
around those woods at night.

614
00:33:09,355 --> 00:33:11,755
My mom, she always felt
the same way.

615
00:33:11,757 --> 00:33:19,963
♪♪

616
00:33:19,965 --> 00:33:28,372
♪♪

617
00:33:28,374 --> 00:33:31,341
that day, I was hanging out
with my cousin.

618
00:33:31,343 --> 00:33:33,076
Ow!

619
00:33:33,078 --> 00:33:36,380
He was about my age.

620
00:33:36,382 --> 00:33:39,816
I decided to go and have
ourselves a little battle,

621
00:33:39,818 --> 00:33:45,622
going around with bb guns
that shoot plastic bbs.

622
00:33:45,624 --> 00:33:48,859
It's a fun game, but it doesn't
feel good to get hit by those

623
00:33:48,861 --> 00:33:52,295
bbs because
they fly pretty fast.

624
00:33:52,297 --> 00:33:53,830
- Ah!
- Ooh, that sting?

625
00:33:53,832 --> 00:33:56,533
I was more into it
than my cousin was.

626
00:33:56,535 --> 00:33:58,735
He dressed in regular,
plain clothes.

627
00:33:58,737 --> 00:34:02,472
I had on old army woodland
camouflage, and I figured,

628
00:34:02,474 --> 00:34:05,842
"hey, camouflage, woods,
they go hand in hand,"

629
00:34:05,844 --> 00:34:07,544
and then I retreated
to the wood line

630
00:34:07,546 --> 00:34:11,915
to try to utilize
the camouflage.

631
00:34:11,917 --> 00:34:14,751
He was chasing me
into the woods.

632
00:34:14,753 --> 00:34:19,056
As I was bouncing from cover
to cover, he would shoot.

633
00:34:19,058 --> 00:34:22,359
I would duck, and then I would
shoot, and he would duck.

634
00:34:22,361 --> 00:34:25,062
[ laughter ]

635
00:34:25,064 --> 00:34:26,396
every once in a while,
we'd get hit.

636
00:34:26,398 --> 00:34:32,269
♪♪

637
00:34:32,271 --> 00:34:37,140
I would crouch, stay low and try
to stay less visible,

638
00:34:37,142 --> 00:34:38,408
kind of like I was hunting.

639
00:34:38,410 --> 00:34:40,811
♪♪

640
00:34:40,813 --> 00:34:43,447
hey, let's not go too far
into the woods, john!

641
00:34:43,449 --> 00:34:52,489
♪♪

642
00:34:52,491 --> 00:34:55,192
we were at the top of a hill
where there's a slight

643
00:34:55,194 --> 00:34:56,426
clearing in the wood line,

644
00:34:56,428 --> 00:34:58,562
where you can see
for a good 50, 60 yards.

645
00:34:58,564 --> 00:35:03,133
♪♪

646
00:35:03,135 --> 00:35:05,769
time out!

647
00:35:05,771 --> 00:35:08,839
I called time out because,
mostly, I was winded.

648
00:35:08,841 --> 00:35:11,975
I was tired from running,
and I figured,

649
00:35:11,977 --> 00:35:15,412
"hey, let's take a break."

650
00:35:15,414 --> 00:35:16,746
[ laughs ] I got you good!

651
00:35:16,748 --> 00:35:17,814
In your dreams.

652
00:35:17,816 --> 00:35:23,220
I noticed that the woods
were dead quiet.

653
00:35:23,222 --> 00:35:25,055
All the birds
had stopped chirping.

654
00:35:25,057 --> 00:35:29,659
♪♪

655
00:35:29,661 --> 00:35:33,964
it clicked in my head that
there's something wrong here.

656
00:35:33,966 --> 00:35:36,900
♪♪

657
00:35:36,902 --> 00:35:38,168
what?

658
00:35:38,170 --> 00:35:39,836
When the woods go quiet,
it typically means

659
00:35:39,838 --> 00:35:43,006
there is
a large predator nearby,

660
00:35:43,008 --> 00:35:45,008
whether it be a bear
or a mountain lion.

661
00:35:45,010 --> 00:35:46,610
That's something that
I'm familiar with

662
00:35:46,612 --> 00:35:48,378
because I've had
multiple encounters

663
00:35:48,380 --> 00:35:49,980
with predators in the woods,

664
00:35:49,982 --> 00:35:53,383
and it's a terrifying
experience.

665
00:35:53,385 --> 00:35:58,488
♪♪

666
00:35:58,490 --> 00:36:01,925
I began to look from left
to right across this clearing

667
00:36:01,927 --> 00:36:05,128
because I had the feeling
of being watched.

668
00:36:05,130 --> 00:36:08,031
♪♪

669
00:36:08,033 --> 00:36:12,002
I was expecting a bear,

670
00:36:12,004 --> 00:36:14,971
was the most likely option.

671
00:36:14,973 --> 00:36:17,474
When I went from right to left,

672
00:36:17,476 --> 00:36:21,711
about halfway is when I locked
on to it, when I saw it.

673
00:36:21,713 --> 00:36:29,519
♪♪

674
00:36:31,857 --> 00:36:41,798
♪♪

675
00:36:41,800 --> 00:36:45,569
♪♪

676
00:36:45,571 --> 00:36:52,709
[ creature growling ]

677
00:36:52,711 --> 00:36:55,145
what stood out was white,

678
00:36:55,147 --> 00:36:57,814
and I saw the white, focused,

679
00:36:57,816 --> 00:36:59,849
and it was teeth,

680
00:36:59,851 --> 00:37:03,320
large canine teeth,

681
00:37:03,322 --> 00:37:05,922
and it had massive jaws.

682
00:37:05,924 --> 00:37:09,526
I could really see just how
massive the animal actually was.

683
00:37:09,528 --> 00:37:10,961
I saw its eyes.

684
00:37:10,963 --> 00:37:15,131
The way that that was looking
at us, it was like daggers.

685
00:37:15,133 --> 00:37:18,134
It was darting its eyes
between my cousin and me.

686
00:37:18,136 --> 00:37:20,537
[ creature growling ]

687
00:37:20,539 --> 00:37:22,105
I tensed up immediately.

688
00:37:22,107 --> 00:37:26,409
I did not want to deal
with this situation.

689
00:37:26,411 --> 00:37:27,544
You can't freeze.

690
00:37:27,546 --> 00:37:29,079
You cannot freeze in a moment
like that

691
00:37:29,081 --> 00:37:30,580
because you freeze, you die.

692
00:37:30,582 --> 00:37:38,321
[ growling ]

693
00:37:38,323 --> 00:37:42,092
it sounded like it closed
distance

694
00:37:42,094 --> 00:37:44,761
between us within seconds.

695
00:37:44,763 --> 00:37:46,830
I could hear it directly
behind me.

696
00:37:46,832 --> 00:37:48,465
My cousin has stopped.

697
00:37:48,467 --> 00:37:51,501
Let's go! Let's go!

698
00:37:51,503 --> 00:37:54,604
Just keep going.
I'm right behind him.

699
00:37:54,606 --> 00:37:56,840
This thing is right on me,

700
00:37:56,842 --> 00:37:58,308
close enough
to where it could've reached out

701
00:37:58,310 --> 00:37:59,476
and grabbed me by my hair.

702
00:37:59,478 --> 00:38:04,214
♪♪

703
00:38:04,216 --> 00:38:08,184
once we cleared the tree line,
we stopped hearing the animal,

704
00:38:08,186 --> 00:38:10,287
and we ran straight
for the cabins.

705
00:38:10,289 --> 00:38:14,524
♪♪

706
00:38:14,526 --> 00:38:15,892
what was that?

707
00:38:15,894 --> 00:38:17,761
And he seemed about as freaked
out as I did,

708
00:38:17,763 --> 00:38:20,463
and at that point,
I didn't know what to say,

709
00:38:20,465 --> 00:38:23,066
so I told him it was a bear

710
00:38:23,068 --> 00:38:25,502
because I knew
that my grandparents,

711
00:38:25,504 --> 00:38:28,405
who were with us,
would not believe any of that.

712
00:38:28,407 --> 00:38:31,608
[ growling ]

713
00:38:31,610 --> 00:38:40,950
♪♪

714
00:38:40,952 --> 00:38:49,659
♪♪

715
00:38:49,661 --> 00:38:52,028
the first person
I told was my mother.

716
00:38:52,030 --> 00:38:54,397
It wasn't a bear, mom.

717
00:38:54,399 --> 00:38:55,832
It was something else.

718
00:38:55,834 --> 00:38:59,936
And she said it had brought back
bad memories for her.

719
00:38:59,938 --> 00:39:01,738
I've seen one.

720
00:39:01,740 --> 00:39:04,808
She told me
she had seen one as well

721
00:39:04,810 --> 00:39:06,543
in the same area of wisconsin.

722
00:39:06,545 --> 00:39:13,350
♪♪

723
00:39:13,352 --> 00:39:20,156
♪♪

724
00:39:20,158 --> 00:39:25,128
she said that an animal
began crossing the road.

725
00:39:25,130 --> 00:39:28,498
The size of the animal
was more than twice

726
00:39:28,500 --> 00:39:32,402
the size of a regular wolf.

727
00:39:32,404 --> 00:39:35,238
She described the way
that the creature had moved

728
00:39:35,240 --> 00:39:37,273
as being unnatural.

729
00:39:37,275 --> 00:39:40,176
It looked like it was
uncomfortable in its own feet.

730
00:39:40,178 --> 00:39:42,946
[ creature growling ]

731
00:39:42,948 --> 00:39:46,449
it looked right at her vehicle

732
00:39:46,451 --> 00:39:49,919
like it wanted to scare
the living crap out of her.

733
00:39:49,921 --> 00:39:57,127
[ growling ]

734
00:39:57,129 --> 00:39:59,763
it immediately charged
to the car.

735
00:39:59,765 --> 00:40:03,800
She believed that what she was
looking at was pure evil.

736
00:40:03,802 --> 00:40:05,769
[ growling ]

737
00:40:05,771 --> 00:40:08,705
and decided to break off
and run into the woods.

738
00:40:08,707 --> 00:40:11,408
♪♪

739
00:40:11,410 --> 00:40:12,709
the research I've done,

740
00:40:12,711 --> 00:40:17,280
I find out that people are
calling these dog-men.

741
00:40:17,282 --> 00:40:20,049
Personally, I find the name
to be a little silly,

742
00:40:20,051 --> 00:40:24,387
but I think that it matches
the descriptions

743
00:40:24,389 --> 00:40:26,322
of what the other
eyewitnesses have seen.

744
00:40:26,324 --> 00:40:29,426
[ creature growling ]

745
00:40:29,428 --> 00:40:33,363
I believe that this creature was
in the woods, waiting for us.

746
00:40:33,365 --> 00:40:36,065
It was an uncomfortable
feeling to have, to realize,

747
00:40:36,067 --> 00:40:39,669
"oh, hey, there's something
out here that is likely

748
00:40:39,671 --> 00:40:43,540
as intelligent as I am,
and it's hunting."

749
00:40:43,542 --> 00:40:46,276
[ growling ]

750
00:40:46,278 --> 00:40:51,848
♪♪

751
00:40:51,850 --> 00:40:56,219
after the encounter,
I was way more cautious

752
00:40:56,221 --> 00:40:57,887
when going out
into those woods.

753
00:40:57,889 --> 00:41:00,089
I didn't want
to take the chance

754
00:41:00,091 --> 00:41:02,459
of having to outrun
something like that again.

755
00:41:02,461 --> 00:41:08,298
♪♪

756
00:41:08,300 --> 00:41:11,634
there might be more
dangerous creatures out there

757
00:41:11,636 --> 00:41:16,706
than what science likes
to talk about.

758
00:41:16,708 --> 00:41:19,309
I'm more accepting that

759
00:41:19,311 --> 00:41:23,079
these creatures can exist.

760
00:41:23,081 --> 00:41:28,017
Since then, I haven't
stepped foot in any forest

761
00:41:28,019 --> 00:41:31,254
without carrying
either my handgun,

762
00:41:31,256 --> 00:41:34,190
rifle or a knife

763
00:41:34,192 --> 00:41:37,193
or a combination
of all three.

764
00:41:37,195 --> 00:41:42,265
I will not go out unarmed,
not out into any wild areas.

765
00:41:42,267 --> 00:41:43,566
If I could I go back in time,

766
00:41:43,568 --> 00:41:45,969
if I had the knowledge
that this creature

767
00:41:45,971 --> 00:41:49,405
was going to be in the woods
at that moment,

768
00:41:49,407 --> 00:41:51,407
I never would've gone
to the woods,

769
00:41:51,409 --> 00:41:53,243
but can't really change
the past,

770
00:41:53,245 --> 00:41:57,580
so, I mean,
I'm stuck with it.

771
00:41:57,582 --> 00:42:00,049
I'm stuck with what happened.

772
00:42:00,051 --> 00:42:02,685
♪♪