BFRO #1350: Report of a field investigation over several days

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REPORT OF A FIELD INVESTIGATION by Richard D. McCuistion, Sr., Chilton Williamson, and Keith Foster Between 4 and 7 August 1998 we began a long term study in a drainage thought to be the summer range of the Sasquatch(s) described by Foster in the Big Foot Research Organization’s geographical data base for Conejos County, Colorado. Our purpose was to spend at least six days in the study area to establish our presence deep into, what we thought might be, the home range of the creature and to familiarize ourselves with the area. Exact locations within Townships 35 and 36 North and Range 4 East will not be divulged here because of the area’s importance to us as a long term study area. Also, it is not recommended that anyone, other than serious researchers who coordinate their activities in the area with us, venture into this area because of its remoteness and the unusual occurrences that we experienced. The study area is heavily timbered with slopes ranging from about 10% (6�) to over 100% (45�) and elevations ranging from 9400 feet above mean sea level (MSL) to over 12,000 feet above MSL. The off road terrain is extremely rough and suitable campsites are almost nonexistent. The soils are granitic, very firm, and not particularly conducive to animals with soft feet leaving discernible tracks -- shod horses weighing 1,000 pounds or more generally left slight hoof impressions in the surface of the dirt road. The study area is summer range for an apparently sizable population of elk (Cervus elaphus). The cow elk and their calves that I observed were numerous, well fed, and healthy. I believe that this population serves as a prey base for the alleged resident sasquatch(es) as well as other large predators including man. No evidence of bears was seen on this trip, but that does not preclude them from existing there. The first twenty-one hours spent in the study area by Williamson and me were uneventful. We found a suitable campsite that had a fire ring and other evidence of recent human usage -- possibly by seasonal elk hunters. The campsite lay between dense forest and rising terrain on the north-northwest, east and southeast sides and a large wet meadow that drains into the _________ Creek on the west side. The meadow covers an area of about 230 acres and is oriented on a northwest-southeast axis. It was about 250 yards wide west-southwest of our campsite. At 16:00 MDT, 5 August 1998, Williamson and I heard five distinct primate-like calls apparently originating from an 11,000 foot high ridge north of the campsite. The vocalizations resembled those of a large man rising from a low pitch to a higher pitch before ending -- something like "Uuuuhhhhaaaa - Uuuuhhhhaaaa" and were similar to the vocalizations that I heard near Leadville during the early morning of 23 October 1994. The vocalizations stopped before they could be recorded. To our knowledge, no other humans were within four and a half miles of our campsite. A possible hiker’s camp was observed by us as we drove into the area the previous day. It was approximately four and a half miles southeast of our camp and was next to the access road and a pack trail leading up to _______Peak. This camp was located at about 9400 feet above MSL and the intervening, rough, and heavily wooded terrain rose to over 11,000 feet above MSL. By road, the distance between camps was greater than seven miles. At about 16:30 MDT, we were joined by Keith Foster and his son Andrew. We discussed the vocalizations and it was noted that our campsite was about ______ miles from the site of Foster’s scream encounter of June 1994. At about 01:40 MDT, 6 August 1998, Williamson was awakened by an undetermined disturbance. Since he had decided to keep his horses in their trailer that night, it may have been their movements in the trailer that awakened him. At about 01:57 MDT, he heard a vocalization coming from nearby that sounded something like "Ahhhh - uuuhhhh" -- a diminutive, rhythmic, and almost conversational form of the vocalization heard the preceding afternoon. Also, this vocalization was repeated several times and was followed by a pair of low, sharp clicks as if two hard objects or rocks were being struck together. Foster also heard the clicks. The vocalization seemed to emanate from a small ridge less than a quarter of a mile northeast of our campsite. Unfortunately, Williamson was unable to awaken me sufficiently for me to corroborate his observations. After daybreak on 6 August, we observed several elk cows and their calves grazing on a bench about one half mile southwest and upslope of our campsite. Several bulls were observed bedded down above the timberline on the east-northeast slopes of _______Peak. After breakfast, we conducted a brief examination of the area north of our campsite, but nothing unusual was observed. Foster and his son departed to examine the bait sites that he had established near the site of his scream encounter. These bait sites were established in mid-July

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