Cryptids in Kansas - Bigfoot Pt 2

Cryptids of Kansas

Gigantopithecus Blacki

Cryptids of Kansas – Bigfoot Pt.2:

In the first part of this blog, I discussed some history and theories of what Bigfoot might be and a bit of evidence, but is it here in Kansas? The Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), one of the best data bases for bigfoot sightings, shows 49 total sightings in Kansas, that they have starting over 100 years ago in Washington County in 1899. Soon after the Civil War there were reports of a wild man or gorilla in the woods in Washington County. It was said to be very shaggy and would walk on all fours, and then get up on 2 legs and walk like a human. It was said that no one wanted to shoot it because it looked too much like a man. Another very early sighting was in August of 1869 in Crawford County that was called “Old Sheff”. “Old Sheff” knocked down fences, released livestock and ate and tore up grain fields. A witness named Trimble described the creature: “It has so near a resemblance to a human form that the men are unwilling to shoot it. It is difficult to give a description of this wild man or animal. It has a stooping gait, very long arms with immense hands or claws; it has a hairy face and those who have been near it describe it as having a most ferocious expression of countenance; generally walks on its hind legs but sometimes on all fours. The beast or ‘what is it?’ is as cowardly as it is ugly and it is next to impossible to get near enough to obtain a good view of it.” Up to 60 citizens chased it through the fields to no avail.

The site “Phantoms and Monsters” run by Lon Strickler also has several sightings of a big hairy creature here in Kansas. In 1999, a young man named Chad and his uncle were bow hunting deer and turkey near the Marais Des Cygnes River area. They were in a swampy area but in their blinds several feet up in the trees. Chad said that his uncle heard splashing in the water and gave him a hand signal to stay quiet. They were not ready for what was coming through the swampy water. They saw a 7-8-foot creature covered with mud matted hair picking at things in the water. It didn’t know they were there since they were frozen in place from fear. Once it was out of sight the two high tailed it out of the area. In Chase County, October, 2009, a couple got the bejeebers scared out of them, when they were on the Chase County Lake near Cottonwood Falls and they heard splashing in the water and then the creature “roared” at them. ( See update for Chase County.) They wisely got in their vehicle and left. On December 10, 2019, a huge white bigfoot was seen in Rolla, Missouri across the Stateline, and on November 5, 2018, in Linn County near the Prescott cemetery a pair spotted a large creature, and then on November 8, an 8-foot chimp-looking creature started making a high pitched scream like, “oooo-yaaaa”. These are only a few of the sightings in Kansas.

BFRO Map of Kansas Sightings

The BFRO has at least 47 sightings in Kansas, including the following: August 1984, two fishermen had a nigh time sighting near Scranton Lake on a dirt road; April 11, 2011, an individual sighted on eating mussles on the Ninnescah River; July 1978, a fisherman turns to find a man-like creature watching him in Sedgwick Co.; May 2011, a soldier on leave has a sighting while fishing near Bennington in Ottawa County; in Riley County, July 2011, a fisherman said that something was whistling and following him back to his car while in the woods; and many, many more. There is a link to the BFRO website.

Kansas does not have country with deep woods and areas where there is little farming or ranching activity. The majority of our streams and rivers have only small areas of woodlands along them. This certainly is not like the wilds of the Northwest States or even the swampy forests of Eastern Texas. If you look at a map though, the area through western Missouri, eastern Kansas and on south into the eastern part of Texas and western Louisiana is a massive wooded, and in some areas, swampy woodlands. There are plentiful deer and wild hogs in these areas, so there is ample food source for such a large creature.

Bigfoot Research Organization Data for Kansas:

The Bigfoot Researchers Organization (BFRO) has kept data on sightings of Bigfoot creatures since their inception and have 49 cases noted in Kansas (as of this writing). I am going to note those counties with reports. You can go to bfro.net for the specific reports. (If more than 2 reports, all dates not recorded here.)

Bourbon County- 2 (8-2001) (5-2005) Leavenworth County - 1 (1-2005) Riley County - 2 (7-2001) (12-2012)

Cherokee County - 1 (6-1995) McPherson County - 1 (3-2014) Rooks County - 1 (11-2014)

Coffey County - 1 (11-1974) Miami County - 2 (10-1998) (2-2020) Saline County - 2 (4-2011) (12-2012)

Crawford County - 3 (6-1982) (4-2005) Mitchell County - 1 (8-2017) Sedgwick County - 4 (2-2011) (4-2014)

Douglas County - 1 (1-2005) Montgomery County - 1 (11-1977) Shawnee County - 2 (4-2005) (9-2005)

Geary County - 1 (7-1980) Morris County - 1 (8-2009) Sumner County - 2 (1-2005) (4-2013)

Jackson County - 3 (10-2014) (9-2020) Neosho County - 2 (5-2010) (7-2010) Washington - 1 (12-1899)

Jefferson County - 1 (2-2005) Osage County - 1 (8-1984) Woodson County - 1 (4-2017)

Johnson County - 1 (7-2013) Ottawa County - 1 (5-2011) Wyandotte County - 2 (2-2015) (1-2017)

Kingman County - 4 (5-2021) (5-2021) Pratt County - 1 (6-2012)

Labette County - 1 (2-1978) Rice County - 1 (4-2009)

Oregan Bigfoot Website and Arla Williams:

A dear friend of mine runs the Oregon Bigfoot Website and has been involved with Bigfoot and this research for most of her life. Several years ago she wrote a book, “Enoch”, that truly changed the way I perceive these creatures and actually made me stop trying to find them. There is an ongoing investigation that she is doing presently, of an area in that will truly give you the chills. Another dear friend is Arla Williams, who through her native upbringing has also been involved in this research, as well as having her own personal, longstanding relationship with them. Overall, what I have learned is that they are doing just fine on their own and they don’t need our influence or presence in their lives. A link to the Oregon Bigfoot site and book order form for ‘Enoch” is below, as well as an interview with Arla by Ed Brown here, and Roger Sylver in credits.

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Interview link with Arla

Howls At My House:

There are so many resources if you want to further explore the research that so many groups are doing in this area. Some of those resources are noted in this and the previous blog. I have had the pleasure of being a part of the Alliance of Bigfoot Researchers and the Texas Bigfoot Research Conservancy years ago, and meeting some great researchers and knowing some of the intimate details of the evidence that has been found. I want to leave you with a personal experience. A few years ago, it was flooding badly in Oklahoma, some of the worst flooding in years. I was driving outside of Emporia on a dirt road that follows the river, around dusk, and out of nowhere a large handful of gravel was thrown at my car. I went back, but found nothing, but was alerted. A few weeks later, I was in my backyard at dusk, and heard an odd howl. This was not a coyote of any other animal I could think of, and it got the dogs barking. I live down by the river with a large amount of woods behind my house. I taped the howl and sent it to a friend of mine at The Crypto Crew. They enhanced the howl. The link follows and has their story about it, as well as the audio of the howl. You can hear me walking around on the frozen grass and then hear the howl in the distance. They enhance the howl and then play it a few times. I believe that due to the flooding in Oklahoma, this one creature was following the river north to higher ground and better food sources. See what you think….but know that there may very well be very large, intelligent creature living in or passing through our Kansas woods.

Howls from Kansas link

Chase County:

Update! One of the young couple who had the experience at Chase County Lake wrote to me. She said that, "I still remember it like it just happened yesterday. I will never forget that night. Not only did we experience that but strange lights flying over head and when we booked out of there quickly, two white lights appeared like cars coming up fast (which was impossible because of all of the potholes at the time, you would have to dodge it, but it kept straight and fast) then as we made the turn after the walk path of beginning of lake the two lights separated up ad completely disappeared." She later said, " I do believe the area inhabits these creatures. There is what looks like a den area above the lake. There is a lot of water source and tree coverage coming from one end of the lake and at the beginning of lake where it leads to the Falls." She further noted," About the "den like" area. It is up on the hill, it really is not noticeable when you are on the road. You have to climb up the hill to see it. It is kinda like an enclosed area with trees." Apparently, there are others who had seen a Bigfoot in the area, so keep your eyes out if you are in this area!

Clay County:

June 22, 2021, I received a message from a young man about a frightening experience that he and his friend had while fishing north of Milford Lake. He states:

"Me and my buddy were north of Milford lake on the republican (river) camping back in April and witnessed some strange things and were curious about getting more information on creatures or paranormal activities in the area." He further commented, "At first we were sitting around the fire and first it sounded like a truck was flying down the gravel and about to hit us so we both turned real quick and started to move but there was nothing there. And it really loud then the sound morphed into what sounded like 100 people mimicking birds then after a moment into rushing water. Buy I was all so loud you couldn't hear yourself think. We also felt like we were being watched like a real eerie feeling. So we put the fire out and left. It was about midnight."

We discussed the location over several messages and it is actually on the Republican river just north of Milford Lake. A friend and I went to investigate this area and didn't find anything but a possible track by the waters edge. The following photos are of the area and the track I found. I have added this report to the Bigfoot section because of the loudness of the sounds and that it was mimicking bird sounds, as Bigfoot has been known to do. More investigation should be done in this general area of northeast Kansas....there may be things in those woods!

Miami County:

Paul P. has had several encounters with the strange here in Kansas. He reported to me that he had another encounter, this time with Bigfoot.

In late December 2020, around 9:30 pm, Paul said that he was hunting on a neighboring property about 20 miles West of Kansas City. Deep in the heavy timber he heard the haunting sounds of the coyotes and then he noticed a horrible stench that he couldn't explain. Then there was silence. Then he began to heard the intimidating sounds of something breaking limbs and then a tree fell.

It is interesting that the BFRO has 2 reportings in Miami County also. Paul also has had experiences at Toronto Lake in Greenwood/Woodson County, near La Cygne in Linn County and at Pamona Lake in Osage County. Those who venture out into the Kansas woods often may find themselves with many experiences of the strange type.

Linn County:

An interesting encounter with a huge, hairy beast on the Maris des Cagnes National Wildlife Refuge. This was reported in Phantoms and Monsters, March 5, 2020, by Lon Strickler. The report is as follows:

"When I was in high school, my uncle and I would hunt deer and turkey in eastern Kansas. In 1999 we were near the Marais Des Cygnes Refuge bow hunting for deer in a swampy woodland area. We had been in the same location before and familiar with the layout. Both of us had portable tree stands overlooking the bottom land.

We had been in our stands for about an hour, it was early morning but I don't remember the time. My uncle was to the right of me about 50 yards, so we could both see anything moving below. I heard splashing from his direction and notice him waving at me. The splashing was getting louder. I first thought it may be a small herd of deer moving my way. As I looked through the thickets, I noticed something tall and bulky standing beside a tree. I then saw something similar a few feet away from the other figure. I looked over at my uncle. He was crouched down and still. The two figures started to move towards me. Then one worked its way into a clearing and I was able to get a good look. It was definitely a Bigfoot and it was huge. It was around 8 ft tall and covered head to toe in matted muddy dark hair. It was reaching into the water and putting whatever it found in its mouth. I didn't see the other Bigfoot. It must have moved off in the other direction.

I was as still as possible, though I was shaking. This Bigfoot was no more than 100 ft from me though I was 12 foot in the tree. I must have watched it for 10 minutes or so as it waded through the water eating whatever it pulled out. It eventually walked away from us towards the woods on the opposite rise. My uncle and I looked at each other, but didn't make a sound. I was ready to get out of there but he remained in his stand holding his hand palm out to let me know to hang on. I wasn't even thinking about hunting deer any further that day.

About 15-20 minutes had gone by. My uncle started moving off his stand. I did the same, dropping the ladder and climbing down. We walked towards each other and agreed to come back for the stands later. In fact, I didn't go back. That afternoon, my dad and grandfather went back with my uncle to look around and retrieve the stands. Both of them believed we saw the Bigfoot. My grandfather said he believes they were eating freshwater mussels and snails.

I never went back to that area, though I still hunt. That was the only time I have ever seen anything like that. I'd be interested to know of other witness sightings in eastern Kansas and western Missouri. I've heard many stories but nothing recent. Chad"

NOTE: I made contact with Chad the same day I received his account. His story seemed credible and he agreed to let me publish it. He no longer lives in Kansas, but has gone back to hunt for deer and turkey. Lon

Lyon County:

My father was the Chair of the Biology Department at Emporia State University until he retired in the early 90’s. I remember people bringing huge snapping turtles, injured animals and found baby critters over to the house, and so I had numerous odd pets and experiences as I grew up. In the 70’s, here in Emporia, my dad got one of his strangest calls.

A lady that lived South and a bit West of the Emporia Airport, off of Highway 99, called my dad to come out to find out what was looking through their windows in the middle of the night, making strange howls and stealing bottles off of the porch. She thought it was a Bigfoot and it had been bothering the family for the past few weeks! Imagine my excitement!

My dad contacted the Biologist at the Kansas Wildlife Department in Emporia, to go with him to investigate this report of oddity. Being biologists, it certainly had to be a natural animal, but totally misidentified. My dad invited the two ladies to his office to discuss what was happening and taped this interview, which I still have. The family said that for several weeks, something large and hairy was disturbing the family at night by looking in the windows of the farmhouse and scaring the bejeebers out of them and their children. They heard it walking around outside at night and making odd grunts and howls. The one lady was a nurse who had brought these odd orange bottles home and had placed them on the porch. One by one, over time, they all disappeared. They didn’t know what it was, but wanted it gone, thus they were reaching out for assistance.

The two intrepid biologists drove out to the remote home, down a very long driveway through fields and some woods. It was August, hot and dry, so the ground was hard and devoid of any tracks around the house or entire area. They did find a path that went into a small wooded area and found a place where the creature had been bedding down. All around the huge flattened grassy area where the creature slept, it had lined the area with those orange bottles. This was not the behavior of any creature in Kansas, other than Wood Rats, which are much smaller. To move these bottles from the porch to the bedding area, this would take a creature that had human-like hands and walked on two legs. Not finding any other evidence, they left the farm, telling the people to contact them if they saw it again. Unfortunately, my dad followed up with the family and found that the husband that lived there had had enough and when the creature showed up again, he went out with a gun and shot it in the shoulder. He said that when he shot it, it looked at him with a very sad, questioning look like, “Why did you shoot me?.” It walked off into the field and never bothered them again.

This broke my heart, but I remember being a young idiot, along with other young idiots, would go to the general area to try to find it. Although we never found the poor creature, we certainly scared ourselves half to death on several occasions…..youth.

If you see something strange or have any questions, please feel free to contact me at flinthillsparanormal@gmail.com or message me on our Facebook page.

Stay strange!

Dr. Linda Clarke

Roger Sylver Interviews Arla Williams 10-11-2011 YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYb00-FB49c

Oregon Bigfoot.com

https://www.oregonbigfoot.com/

Phantoms and Monsters.com

https://www.phantomsandmonsters.com/

Crypto Crew, “Howls from Kansas,” Dorraine Fisher (Linda Clarke tape)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FFN46V1VO_8&feature=emb_title

Strain, Kathy Moskowitz, “Giants, Cannibals & Monsters: Bigfoot in Native Culture,” Hancock House, Washington, 2008.

Redfern, Nick, “The Bigfoot Book: The Encyclopedia od Sasquatch, Yeti, and Cryptid Primates,” Visible Ink, Detroit, 2016.

Coleman, Loren, “Bigfoot: The True Story of Apes in America,” Paraview Pocket Books, New York, 2003.

Coleman, Loren and Clark, Jerome, “Cryptozoology A to Z: The encyclopedia of Loch Monsters, Sasquatch, Chupacabras, and Other Authentic Mysteries of Nature,” Fireside, New York, 1999.

Coleman, Loren and Huyghe, Patrick, “The Field Guide to Bigfoot and Other Mystery Primates,” Anomalist Books, San Antonio, 2006.

Coleman, Loren, “Mysterious America: The Revised Edition”, Paraview Press, New York, 2001

Newton, Michael, “Hidden Animals: A Field Guide to Batsquatch, Chupacabra, and Other Elusive Creatures,” Greenwood Press, California, 2009.

Newton, Michael, “Encyclopedia of Cryptozoology: A Global Guide,” McFarland and Co., North Carolina, 2005.

Phantoms and Monsters, "Bigfoot Encounters in the American Heartland (Nebraska and Kansas)," March 5, 2020.

Phantoms and Monsters - Real Eyewitness Cryptid Encounter Reports

Montgomery County:

According to the BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization), in the Southern part of Montgomery County, near Coffeyville, an individual seems to be getting harassed by something in the woods near their Oklahoma border. Apparently, there are strange smells in the area, the sounds of tree breaks, screams and all kinds of odd noises.

Source:

BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization) Facebook page, January 12, 2016.

Wyandotte County:

A retired police office had a frightening experience when he sighted a large bipedal creature run across the road in front of him at the western edge of Kansas City, KS. In February, 2015, a little after midnight, the man reporting the sighting was heading home from work when he saw a large. hairy beast run across the road in front of his car. He said that he had only the time to see the back of the creature and was about 5 feet away from the creature as it ran across the road and was illuminated by another cars headlights. It was the size of a large horse or elk. He reported that the hair/fur was at least 2-3 inches long and "a little darker than color tan but a lighter color than the color brown, more of a dirty blonde, it had waves in the hair, almost curly in areas.' He stated that the creature was the size of a large horse or elk, but around 9 feet tall and around 600-700 pounds. "The tail bone was about even to the middle of my driver's side window. I drive a Ford Focus." He determined the height of the creature as its waist was as high as his window, around 4 foot 6 inches. He then doubled this to get the 9 foot in height. I am sure that even as a former police officer, this was a shocking sighting.

Source:

BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization) Facebook page, Ron Boles, September 30, 2016.