Greg Jordan: Where to find Bigfoot? Likely not in West Virginia
Jun. 22—We get a lot of requests for information here at the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. Most of the time, these requests involve genealogical information and the search for obituaries going as far back as the 1940s or 1950s. Sometimes the requests are from visitors looking for towns like Bramwell or wondering where to find a particular building such as a county courthouse or a store.
There are times when the request is surprising. I was visiting my mom last weekend, so I started combing through my emails when I returned Tuesday morning to the newsroom. I had an email from a woman who was wondering where Bigfoot might be lurking in West Virginia.
She had read one of my articles about the elusive cryptid and thought I might know about sightings in the northern part of the state. Now I have heard of a Bigfoot, also known as a Sasquatch, eating corn left for deer near a Fayette County farm. The farmer had managed to obtain a photo of a strange figure on the edge of the forest bordering his property.
Back in August 2021, I heard from family that was hearing strange cries in the Bluewell area. Bigfoot enthusiast Matt Moneymaker, who helped host the Animal Planet show "Finding Bigfoot," heard a recording of these mournful howls and said they could be coming from a Sasquatch. I visited the property, sat out on a lawn chair and listened, but alas, I didn't hear anything that night.
Several years previous to that story, I spoke with a man in McDowell County who swore that he watched a Sasquatch for about 15 minutes. He said that it walked across his property while his mind tried to process the sight. He kept telling himself that he wasn't seeing it right and expected it to become a bear, a dog, somebody in a suit or anything else. He also said that it let out a howl that was so loud, he felt it.
Moments later, there was a reply in the distance, he added.
I'll admit that I'm a skeptic when it comes to Bigfoot. At the same time, I'm reluctant to says it's impossible because I soon as I say that, one will be seen rooting through a dumpster or chasing an ATV that's annoying it. I've been in the woods, and I know there are places where an elephant could walk by me and I'd never know it. There are places in the mountains where hunters or anybody else rarely go because the terrain is so rough and remote. I enjoy hiking and I've looked longingly at some mountain ridges only to dismiss the idea a moment later because I know I'll get myself killed.
When I received that email Tuesday, I told the lady that she might want to check out the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization website. Curious, I took a quick look and learned that there's going to be a Bigfoot expedition in West Virginia this September. The site didn't say exactly where this search is going to take place.
If there really is such a creature as Bigfoot, tracking it through these mountains is likely a losing proposition. First, such an animal would have a lot of intelligence as well as excellent eyes and hearing. A group of humans hiking through the woods tends to make a lot of noise unless they're soldiers trained in stealthy travel. Shows that send teams into the woods have to send camera operators and haul equipment while the show's hosts have to talk. They might as well be a heavy metal band.
I often encounter wildlife when I hike, but it's the usual deer, chipmunks and turtles along with occasional wild turkeys and snakes. Seeing what could be a Bigfoot would be spectacular, but I'd probably fumble while trying to get a picture with my cellphone. The most I'd get is a classic blurry photo or a wobbly video that won't be very convincing.
Then again, perhaps I'd be quick enough and get a really amazing picture for the next day's front page.
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
