Many reports suggest that the witness of a bigfoot encounter is traumatized by the experience. The classic case in my mind involves the lifelong hunter or woodsman who never again ventures more than a few feet from the truck following a chance encounter with a bigfoot. We've even heard from folks here who (unless they are fine actors) appear to suffer lasting negative psychological effects stemming from their encounter.
Rather than simply asking "why?", I'm interested to hear from people who encounter other big, powerful creatures in their element, so we can compare those encounters with alleged bigfoot encounters. I've seen a few black bears in my day, but I've never, for example, come up on a grizzly or been charged by a moose or something like that. So for folks who have, other than the obvious feeling of powerlessness in the heat of the moment when confronted by a relatively enormous and powerful wildlife adversary, has the experience affected you in a deep and lasting emotional way, as in the way some bigfoot witnesses have apparently been affected by their encounters? Are you at all troubled by your experience years later?
Please note those of you who are troubled by your bigfoot encounters that I do not in any way intend in this thread to belittle or make light of your experience or its subsequent trauma. Perhaps there are even some revelations to come in this thread that may bring you some peace.
~Saskeptic
Full Version: Traumatized by Bigfoot Encounter?
interesting new thread. but was not traumatized by my sasquatch encounter i was not scared but a freeze frame feeling i will always remember & honor. good afternoon bill 
Perhaps related...I've met several people who were frightened by or bitten by dogs when young who maintained a great fear of dogs, even small ones, into adulthood.
My sighting was in 1990. I didn't have internet or even know what the thing was. But an inexplainable dread for no reason while I was sitting on a dock watching a WI sunrise. Surprized me when it jumped in the water 15 ft. away and started across the shallow end of the lake. The further it got from me the faster the dread went away. Big lake, south end, Three Lakes chain of lakes. Still hunt and fish.
My "not sure" encounter scared me out of the woods for 3 years. Up until then, I'd hunted/camped/hiked solo for the majority of my life, in most of the states west of the Mississippi.
It wasn't until I started trying to find and understand this thing that I was able to re-start doing the things I really loved doing again.
I still have some issues with being in the woods alone at night (nearly 10 years later). But now they're at least manageable.
It wasn't until I started trying to find and understand this thing that I was able to re-start doing the things I really loved doing again.
I still have some issues with being in the woods alone at night (nearly 10 years later). But now they're at least manageable.
Thanks to those who are sharing their bigfoot trauma stories in this thread - fascinating stuff, and please keep them coming. In the interest of keeping focused on the intent of the thread, however, I'd really like to hear from those of you who've had close encounters with other big animals. The point is not just to share your particular campfire story (though please feel free), but to relay any degree to which you have experienced some lasting emotional trauma from the event. For example, if you had a close encounter with a grizzly, I assume it was a thrilling experience in the moment. But has it "scarred" you as some folks have apparently been affecting by their bigfoot encounters?
Thanks, and that's all the steering I'm going to do . . .
Thanks, and that's all the steering I'm going to do . . .
I've encountered moose up close and personal on at least 3 occasions, including the one that ended up in our freezer. Two of those were unexpected and in the first case I thought our neighbor's horse got out and I started over to grab it ("moose" didn't register immediately as it was about 4:00 PM on a summer afternoon and it was standing on the lawn). It was several seconds before I realized it was a cow moose. She looked at me, I looked at her, then she walked away. No fear, no lasting trauma, etc. Of course, if she had charged me I might have felt differently...
2 experiences. One was a Bull moose this summer where it "chased" us from the lake....all 40 of us. Adrenaline filled at the time, no trauma directly after or now.
Another, 3 years ago.... black bear "bluff charge". One person directly to my left.....I had to physically hold him from running, but he was only 18 and didn't know any better. Bear was about 20 feet in front of us. No trauma, no lasting problems. Adrenaline of course.
I grew up on a farm with bull cows chasing after us when we tried to get them in the trailer, so take that into consideration.
I've chased after 2 black bears on 2 seperate occasions. Both times they were at a seperate camp area where they had got a food reward in the past. Both times the adult sized bears ran away like scared little babies. I wonder if they had lasting trauma from me charging them? Would not do that with a brown bear though.
I would think it would be very different encountering something that was not suppose to exist over something that is known to exist and thus the lasting effects of the encounter would be vastly different.
Not sure if you can compare the two -IMO.
Another, 3 years ago.... black bear "bluff charge". One person directly to my left.....I had to physically hold him from running, but he was only 18 and didn't know any better. Bear was about 20 feet in front of us. No trauma, no lasting problems. Adrenaline of course.
I grew up on a farm with bull cows chasing after us when we tried to get them in the trailer, so take that into consideration.
I've chased after 2 black bears on 2 seperate occasions. Both times they were at a seperate camp area where they had got a food reward in the past. Both times the adult sized bears ran away like scared little babies. I wonder if they had lasting trauma from me charging them? Would not do that with a brown bear though.
I would think it would be very different encountering something that was not suppose to exist over something that is known to exist and thus the lasting effects of the encounter would be vastly different.
Not sure if you can compare the two -IMO.
Saskeptic, thank you. This is a question I've always wanted to ask. I'm sorry for sticking my oar in, as someone a long way from even being a long way from having a bigfoot encounter, but until someone drags a hairy, still-twitching corpse in, questions like this are, for me, very valid.
My opinion is that manbeasts occupy a very special part of our primitive brains. I shall call it the Grendel Syndrome, in a shameful effort to sound well-read. But something bigger than us, as clever as us, very like us, but wild - without justice, law or mercy engenders a deep-set, primeval fear in many people. Such a creature is effortlessly superior to us on its terms.
And where do you see bigfoot? On his territory. Deep, spooky forests. You meet him on his terms. Predominantly at night (scary in itself) when he's alert, can see perfectly (remember Silence of The Lambs' NV goggles?) and is most interactive with his vocalisations and eye-shine and rock-tossing (all scary too). Heavy bipedal footsteps are scary, whether you hear them in a PNW forest or an 11th century Scottish castle which you know is deserted. Or behind you as you cross a dark, dangerous part of town at night.
The idea of gorillas and chimps aren't scary. Both can kill a fully-grown man without real exertion, but they're animals. It's the smart, cunning, human, tracking element of bigfoot that's so scary. We're encroaching on his land. That and the fact he's that bit bigger than us. Just big enough, in fact, to make you doubt whether the calibre of your gun or the number of rounds you're carrying is enough.
Oddly, if bigfoot's out there, we know beyond doubt he's a benign fellow. He's not a nine-foot psycho on a perennial California to Washington state kill-spree. We'd know if he was. But nevertheless he ticks the boxes that scare us the most. Heck, I'm scared of him and there's a decent-sized ocean between me and the places he could possibly exist.
It's clear to me that, whether he exists or not, bigfoot happens to be the very epitome of a frightening idea. And the fact is not lost on me that guns are no defence against him. People can't shoot, because in their fear and awe they don't consider doing so, or else they know what they're shooting at, or because he's too human-like, or because they think it'll simply make him mad and he'll come and insert their still-warm guns deep into them.
Believe me, I'm not trying to trivialise this in any way. But it occurred to me recently that some of the most popular villains in cinema are exactly this: human-like bad guys with no concept of our 'civilisation' and with extraordinary power. Terminator and Predator are only two examples. Like us in some ways, but able to out-think and out-fight us.
Perhaps I can only think this way because I've never come close to having a bigfoot encounter. But if there was a large predatory cat or dog species padding around, doing bigfoot things and remaining elusive, I'm convinced witnesses wouldn't have anything like the trauma they describe.
Now let me respectfully hand this thread back to people with encounters and trauma to talk about.
Ludo
My opinion is that manbeasts occupy a very special part of our primitive brains. I shall call it the Grendel Syndrome, in a shameful effort to sound well-read. But something bigger than us, as clever as us, very like us, but wild - without justice, law or mercy engenders a deep-set, primeval fear in many people. Such a creature is effortlessly superior to us on its terms.
And where do you see bigfoot? On his territory. Deep, spooky forests. You meet him on his terms. Predominantly at night (scary in itself) when he's alert, can see perfectly (remember Silence of The Lambs' NV goggles?) and is most interactive with his vocalisations and eye-shine and rock-tossing (all scary too). Heavy bipedal footsteps are scary, whether you hear them in a PNW forest or an 11th century Scottish castle which you know is deserted. Or behind you as you cross a dark, dangerous part of town at night.
The idea of gorillas and chimps aren't scary. Both can kill a fully-grown man without real exertion, but they're animals. It's the smart, cunning, human, tracking element of bigfoot that's so scary. We're encroaching on his land. That and the fact he's that bit bigger than us. Just big enough, in fact, to make you doubt whether the calibre of your gun or the number of rounds you're carrying is enough.
Oddly, if bigfoot's out there, we know beyond doubt he's a benign fellow. He's not a nine-foot psycho on a perennial California to Washington state kill-spree. We'd know if he was. But nevertheless he ticks the boxes that scare us the most. Heck, I'm scared of him and there's a decent-sized ocean between me and the places he could possibly exist.
It's clear to me that, whether he exists or not, bigfoot happens to be the very epitome of a frightening idea. And the fact is not lost on me that guns are no defence against him. People can't shoot, because in their fear and awe they don't consider doing so, or else they know what they're shooting at, or because he's too human-like, or because they think it'll simply make him mad and he'll come and insert their still-warm guns deep into them.
Believe me, I'm not trying to trivialise this in any way. But it occurred to me recently that some of the most popular villains in cinema are exactly this: human-like bad guys with no concept of our 'civilisation' and with extraordinary power. Terminator and Predator are only two examples. Like us in some ways, but able to out-think and out-fight us.
Perhaps I can only think this way because I've never come close to having a bigfoot encounter. But if there was a large predatory cat or dog species padding around, doing bigfoot things and remaining elusive, I'm convinced witnesses wouldn't have anything like the trauma they describe.
Now let me respectfully hand this thread back to people with encounters and trauma to talk about.
Ludo
I've had several experiences with large and possibly dangerous animals.
I've been bluff-charged by black bears on three separate occasions, twice in Minnesota
and once in North Carolina.
In South Dakota, I was confronted by a buffalo going through it's "pre-charge" routine.
(yes, I know, technically they're bison, but it seems more natural to call them buffalo).
I came upone a timber wolf in northern Minnesota, at a distance of about 20 yards; it
turned and ran.
On Isle Royale in Michigan, a moose got to within 10 feet of me; I kept backing away,
tree-by-tree, until there were enough trees between us that I felt safe enough to make
a full exit.
In New Mexico, I surprised a mountain lion (and it surprised me) at a distance of about
30 feet; it jumped up out of some tall grass and ran the other way.
Every one of these incidents left my heart pounding, but each time I felt lucky to have
had the opportunity to see a large animal up-close, rather than traumatized. Hard to
say what my reaction would be to a sasquatch...it's all speculation until you've been
there.
I've been bluff-charged by black bears on three separate occasions, twice in Minnesota
and once in North Carolina.
In South Dakota, I was confronted by a buffalo going through it's "pre-charge" routine.
(yes, I know, technically they're bison, but it seems more natural to call them buffalo).
I came upone a timber wolf in northern Minnesota, at a distance of about 20 yards; it
turned and ran.
On Isle Royale in Michigan, a moose got to within 10 feet of me; I kept backing away,
tree-by-tree, until there were enough trees between us that I felt safe enough to make
a full exit.
In New Mexico, I surprised a mountain lion (and it surprised me) at a distance of about
30 feet; it jumped up out of some tall grass and ran the other way.
Every one of these incidents left my heart pounding, but each time I felt lucky to have
had the opportunity to see a large animal up-close, rather than traumatized. Hard to
say what my reaction would be to a sasquatch...it's all speculation until you've been
there.
QUOTE(peregrine @ Nov 17 2008, 04:23 PM) 
Perhaps related...I've met several people who were frightened by or bitten by dogs when young who maintained a great fear of dogs, even small ones, into adulthood.
Yes, this is the animal I have the most fear of, the domestic dog. Well, aside from ill-intending humans... I was almost bitten a few times as a child. The scariest (aside from the time my dad was bitten and had to go to the ER) was when I was about 6 or 7, walking to the bus stop with the cookie treats for the day's classroom snack. One of our neighbors had a German shepherd (bigger than me) that barked at me often when I would walk by, and this particular day, ran up to me with its mouth open, as if to bite my arm. I completely ignored it, kept walking on by and it stopped its attack (or maybe it was only bluffing me). However, I do love dogs and have one of my own, so wouldn't say I've been completely traumatized, just do not trust dogs until I know them. And I learned never to run from an impending attack. I have encountered numerous large animals in my life and after the initial shock of recognition of either seeing the animal, have enjoyed all the experiences. It's all been peaceful in a way... Most memorable encounters: the mountain lion I was able to observe for a good 10-15 min as it sunned itself about 30 yards away in southern CA, the African safari during the migration complete with just about all of the animals you'd ever want to see in Africa (an elephant did bluff charge our Land Rover), the wolf, the bighorn sheep that surprised us on the edge of the Grand Canyon (even have a blob-horn sheep pic to show for it somewhere), and a blue whale who charged our boat during a whale watching trip. Yikes! But for all the animals I've seen in the daylight, it has been the night 'encounters' that have scared me the most. For some reason, not being able to see the animal making the night sounds, I am sure even a mouse has terrified me out in the backcountry as I lie in my tent. The rustling thru the leaves, just outside the tent, the critters sound much bigger than they really are (or, maybe they weren't mice...!). I am fine for the most part during the day, night is another story...
Many times in South Dakota I found myself in an open field very near a sometimes startled male bison. I never felt any fear at all from bison and was even forced to walk right through the middle of their herds on a few occasions. Cattle, crazy horses, wild pigs and dogs have frightened me.
Click to view attachment
I was prospecting alone and it got dark so I had to walk about 5 miles though the woods. Apparently I upset a herd of bulls? and they came crashing through the forest after me. I managed to dash into some very thick brush to get away from them. Shortly after that I heard the howls of what sounded like a wolf howl not more than a quarter mile away. I assumed it to be someone's pet. I started carrying my hand ax.
Only a couple of animals have traumatized me. One was a pit bull but I think I was more affected by the fact that the guy, trying to train it, didn't hold the dog and it made a second pass at me. That was more like insane rage than fear even though I was very afraid of that dog.
I was extremely frightened at what I assumed was a bigfoot when I heard something walking up on our camp. It knew we were there because I had just been yelling and it didn't seem worried about walking up on us, whatever it was. That was much more frightening than a herd of bulls running across the valley after me in the dark.
Click to view attachment
I was prospecting alone and it got dark so I had to walk about 5 miles though the woods. Apparently I upset a herd of bulls? and they came crashing through the forest after me. I managed to dash into some very thick brush to get away from them. Shortly after that I heard the howls of what sounded like a wolf howl not more than a quarter mile away. I assumed it to be someone's pet. I started carrying my hand ax.
Only a couple of animals have traumatized me. One was a pit bull but I think I was more affected by the fact that the guy, trying to train it, didn't hold the dog and it made a second pass at me. That was more like insane rage than fear even though I was very afraid of that dog.
I was extremely frightened at what I assumed was a bigfoot when I heard something walking up on our camp. It knew we were there because I had just been yelling and it didn't seem worried about walking up on us, whatever it was. That was much more frightening than a herd of bulls running across the valley after me in the dark.
QUOTE(Saaz @ Nov 17 2008, 07:29 PM)
and a blue whale who charged our boat during a whale watching trip. Yikes!
Hi
That i can relate too, Water encounters are pretty scary and heart stopping, Were ya going to go when something attacks ya, I am sure you might have the forum prize ( If there was one ) for being attacked by the biggest animal
I had a Mountain lion run in front of me once in Colorado when i was in the Army out in the range training, It just came down the side of a hill and went right by with out even looking, I only had an empty m16 with a muzzle plug in it,
I got chased by a whip coach snake and i ran like hell,
Got bit several times by a mean old lav while i was in someones yard jumping over fences, He torn my ankle up real bad, I was about 12 yrs old, Didn't stop me from liking dogs or jumping fences,
Been bit many many times by reptiles, Still won't stop me from working, handling or keeping them
Got chased by a bull that crashed through the plexi glass in a hockey rink that was converted into a rodeo rink for a night, he chased me as i was coming out of the bathroom, I ran right back in there and didn't come out until he was caught,
Peace
Tim
Got chased by a bull that crashed through the plexi glass in a hockey rink that was converted into a rodeo rink for a night, he chased me as i was coming out of the bathroom, I ran right back in there and didn't come out until he was caught,
Tim, that was a good move, or we might not have such a good forum buddy now; I'd have paid good money to have seen that whole event unfold.
Tim, that was a good move, or we might not have such a good forum buddy now; I'd have paid good money to have seen that whole event unfold.
QUOTE
Got chased by a bull that crashed through the plexi glass in a hockey rink that was converted into a rodeo rink for a night, he chased me as i was coming out of the bathroom, I ran right back in there and didn't come out until he was caught,
Must have been that snake oil you use!
QUOTE
I'd have paid good money to have seen that whole event unfold.
I second that!!
Hi
Ok quick version : hahahaha, I was like 15 yrs old up in Vermont on vacation with my family, My grandfather found this Rodeo not too far away and off we went, Just your basic run of the mil hockey rink with metal benches, I am pretty sure it was around the middle of the show and i had to hit the can, So i started down the stares and took a right heading to the main entrance, I remember there was a pushcart in the middle of the hallway going to the bathroom it was filled with balloons and stuff so i kinda checked it out quick, So i Find the bathroom go in and hit the urinal, I came out kinda fast and was just streamlining down toward the seats so i could get back and watch the show, As i got closer to the rink i could start to see in and as i watched a bull horns and all came running over into the conner i was in and came right through the glass and landed in the hallway facing me all ticked off and jumping, He turned and ran toward me, i took off and ran past the balloon cart this time not stopping and blasted through the bathroom doors and into a stall, As i ponder there on the toilet for a while i finally heard my moms voice yelling in it was ok, They seen the whole thing and even filled in details i missed, I always laugh at that one, It is was one of those things that just gets burnt into your mind
Peace
Tim
Ok quick version : hahahaha, I was like 15 yrs old up in Vermont on vacation with my family, My grandfather found this Rodeo not too far away and off we went, Just your basic run of the mil hockey rink with metal benches, I am pretty sure it was around the middle of the show and i had to hit the can, So i started down the stares and took a right heading to the main entrance, I remember there was a pushcart in the middle of the hallway going to the bathroom it was filled with balloons and stuff so i kinda checked it out quick, So i Find the bathroom go in and hit the urinal, I came out kinda fast and was just streamlining down toward the seats so i could get back and watch the show, As i got closer to the rink i could start to see in and as i watched a bull horns and all came running over into the conner i was in and came right through the glass and landed in the hallway facing me all ticked off and jumping, He turned and ran toward me, i took off and ran past the balloon cart this time not stopping and blasted through the bathroom doors and into a stall, As i ponder there on the toilet for a while i finally heard my moms voice yelling in it was ok, They seen the whole thing and even filled in details i missed, I always laugh at that one, It is was one of those things that just gets burnt into your mind
Peace
Tim
Yeah, not sure where you go when you're in the water... anything can happen out there. Which reminds me, there was another time in the water, I was out on a surfboard, looked down, and directly below me was a huge shark. I have snorkeled and dove with sharks and most kinds are actually quite harmless. This one had the shape of a kind that didn't seem threatening, however, the size of it alone frightened me - I paddled in to shore immediately. Can you imagine, being attacked from below?
I can still picture most of these big animal encounters in my mind, very clearly. Maybe the point of the thread though, is what animal has frightened you enough that you were so traumatized some part of your life changed because of it, in a negative way (perhaps you mean PTSD, Sas?). For me, the encounters were all positive, and though some a bit scary, they were more awe-inspiring than anything, and I'm grateful to have experienced what I have. Well, except for the near-dog attack. Not inspiring at all, but I did learn a valuable lesson and escaped without harm, so still could be thought of as positive. However, I don't think I'll ever be a German Shepherd owner (to all the GSD fans out there, not saying they are bad dogs, just that I don't trust them due to my own experience, however irrational that is - I'm sure they're great dogs, just not for me).
I can still picture most of these big animal encounters in my mind, very clearly. Maybe the point of the thread though, is what animal has frightened you enough that you were so traumatized some part of your life changed because of it, in a negative way (perhaps you mean PTSD, Sas?). For me, the encounters were all positive, and though some a bit scary, they were more awe-inspiring than anything, and I'm grateful to have experienced what I have. Well, except for the near-dog attack. Not inspiring at all, but I did learn a valuable lesson and escaped without harm, so still could be thought of as positive. However, I don't think I'll ever be a German Shepherd owner (to all the GSD fans out there, not saying they are bad dogs, just that I don't trust them due to my own experience, however irrational that is - I'm sure they're great dogs, just not for me).
QUOTE
It is was one of those things that just gets burnt into your mind
Kinda like the time I saw my dad bending over the tub naked...talk about trauma
QUOTE(BobZenor @ Nov 17 2008, 08:33 PM)
Only a couple of animals have traumatized me. One was a pit bull...
This is an irrelevant joke, but I can't help telling it...
What do you do if you're walking down the street and a pit bull starts humping your leg?
You let it finish!
I've been chased by a bull. When I was about 12 my cousin and I were messing around in my Grandma's pasture. At the time she was leasing her land out to a guy who had put a big bull on it. We were minding our own business and so was the bull, but we suddenly wondered what it would do if we threw a frisbee it's way. I threw the frisbee and it was a really great shot....it caught on his horn, swirled on the tip a couple of times, then fell off in the grass. He sniffed it, pawed it, realized where it came from and got totally full of beans. He took off running our way and we ran screaming. Fortunately my great-grandmother's home was still there---it was old and worn out with no glass in the windows. We bailed through one of the windows and watched in absolute terror as the bull bucked, kicked and bellowed at us. At any moment he could easily have knocked the wall of that old house down or in on us if he'd just exerted a little of his strength. Eventually he lost interest and we made a run for the gate. I don't mess with big bulls anymore, needless to say. I was scared to death of cows for a while, but now just have a healthy respect for them.
Also, a good friend of mine still suffers PTSD from a dolphin attack. He worked with the Navy Marine Animal program and was badly injured during some training.
Also, a good friend of mine still suffers PTSD from a dolphin attack. He worked with the Navy Marine Animal program and was badly injured during some training.
I was bitten by a neighbor's pet squirrel when I was about 5 years old. I wouldn't say I was exactly traumatized, but I didn't like squirrels much for awhile. I like them fine now with gravy.
sorry... it's the only thing I could think of.
The only other thing I can think of was a big Brahma bull named Mr. Bell. 1200 pounds of nasty disposition. He snuck up on me once while I was standing in the feed lot. I could feel his hot breath blowing the back of my hair and down my neck. I wound up jumping over into another pen to get away from him. Another time it was breeding season and the bulls were fighting in the same lot which was where we were unloading hay into the barn. I didn't know it was silly season. I had just drove up and climbed over the fence eating my french fries walking toward the hay trailer. All of a sudden I heard my boyfriend yell "RUN!" I didn't even look back, just threw my french fries over my shoulder and took off toward the trailer. I don't know how I jumped up on that trailer as high as it was, but I did. The Brahma bull was in a frenzy bashing the big flatbed trailer running around and around it. We had to do some creative climbing to get from the goose neck flatbed over into the pick up without getting in harm's way. I had a nightmare or two over that experience and I never did trust that bull.
Ok I'm done... no PTSD... just a lot of bull, a few bad dreams and lost french fries.
sorry... it's the only thing I could think of.
The only other thing I can think of was a big Brahma bull named Mr. Bell. 1200 pounds of nasty disposition. He snuck up on me once while I was standing in the feed lot. I could feel his hot breath blowing the back of my hair and down my neck. I wound up jumping over into another pen to get away from him. Another time it was breeding season and the bulls were fighting in the same lot which was where we were unloading hay into the barn. I didn't know it was silly season. I had just drove up and climbed over the fence eating my french fries walking toward the hay trailer. All of a sudden I heard my boyfriend yell "RUN!" I didn't even look back, just threw my french fries over my shoulder and took off toward the trailer. I don't know how I jumped up on that trailer as high as it was, but I did. The Brahma bull was in a frenzy bashing the big flatbed trailer running around and around it. We had to do some creative climbing to get from the goose neck flatbed over into the pick up without getting in harm's way. I had a nightmare or two over that experience and I never did trust that bull.
Ok I'm done... no PTSD... just a lot of bull, a few bad dreams and lost french fries.
Hi
" T " That somehow makes perfect sense and one hell of a way to get back at a species,
Peace
Tim
" T " That somehow makes perfect sense and one hell of a way to get back at a species,
Peace
Tim
Hmmm...as a kid in Africa we'd play in my tree house (on a huge tree) until a tree viper would drop in, then we'd evacuate in panic and leave it alone for awhile. But it was too fun to abandon, so we'd get back up there and a few months later it'd happen all over again. Seemed to just become a cycle. And I don't fear snakes at all. I like em even. Not so much the venomous ones.
The scariest moment as a kid for me was when a rabid dog ran into our house (it was hot and the door was open, me and my sisters were doing schoolwork at the kitchen table) and came for us. We jumped on the table and started screaming as the crazed dog went round and round the table. I was watching it wondering what we would do if it figured out it could jump up on a chair and get us, when a good neighbor came in with a shotgun and shot it. Boy was that a relief! But, I'm not afraid of dogs, even though I've been bit several times.
The things I don't like which give me the creeps are leeches! Yech! The way they rise up on their tails "seeking" a victim. Very creepy. lol Kinda silly, isn't it, when you think of the fears I overcame as a kid...and ran around in the pitch dark with bare feet all the time, too, in snake country!
Brains are wierd things. They're hardwired to imprint certain phobias at certain times and certain ways, and sometimes only certain people, too.
The scariest moment as a kid for me was when a rabid dog ran into our house (it was hot and the door was open, me and my sisters were doing schoolwork at the kitchen table) and came for us. We jumped on the table and started screaming as the crazed dog went round and round the table. I was watching it wondering what we would do if it figured out it could jump up on a chair and get us, when a good neighbor came in with a shotgun and shot it. Boy was that a relief! But, I'm not afraid of dogs, even though I've been bit several times.
The things I don't like which give me the creeps are leeches! Yech! The way they rise up on their tails "seeking" a victim. Very creepy. lol Kinda silly, isn't it, when you think of the fears I overcame as a kid...and ran around in the pitch dark with bare feet all the time, too, in snake country!
Brains are wierd things. They're hardwired to imprint certain phobias at certain times and certain ways, and sometimes only certain people, too.
Interesting topic Saskeptic!
While crabbing in my boat in the Bandon Oregon Estuary that enters the Pacific ocean I turned to see a 6' black fin approaching the rear of my boat. The fin was about 40' away and it shocked me to say the least. The fin disappeared and I wondered if my boat was going to be dumped. Then a huge black body with scratch marks appeared by the side of the boat, and it was as wide as a VW bus. The body was diving again and at this time I realized it was a Killer Whale. Her 8' baby then surfaced and dove. I was spooked when big momma disappeared since I was a sitting duck. Glad they don't attack humans 99% of the time.
No lasting fear but the scene is etched in my mind.
I think standing before my 8th grade class for a campaign speech had more impact and fear.
While crabbing in my boat in the Bandon Oregon Estuary that enters the Pacific ocean I turned to see a 6' black fin approaching the rear of my boat. The fin was about 40' away and it shocked me to say the least. The fin disappeared and I wondered if my boat was going to be dumped. Then a huge black body with scratch marks appeared by the side of the boat, and it was as wide as a VW bus. The body was diving again and at this time I realized it was a Killer Whale. Her 8' baby then surfaced and dove. I was spooked when big momma disappeared since I was a sitting duck. Glad they don't attack humans 99% of the time.
No lasting fear but the scene is etched in my mind.
I think standing before my 8th grade class for a campaign speech had more impact and fear.
Well, with all due respect to RedRatSnake and others with an affinity for the legless critters, a close encounter with a snake as a child left me with a life long fear of them. I was 7 or 8 and our church in Broxton Georgia was having an Easter egg hunt. There were the normal colored eggs as well as candy eggs. However, there were 3 special eggs that were wrapped in foil (bronze, gold, and silver) and finding one of these ensured receipt of a *special* prize that would be unveiled when the hunt was over and the foiled egg was presented. I must have passed 100 or so *normal* eggs up in my quest for one of those special eggs. Suddenly, there it was in some shrubbery beside the brick structure that protected the well pumping apparatus. As I reached in for it, there was a copperhead coiled up beside it. It struck the back of my hand and punctured the skin with one fang. Luckily it was what is referred to as a *dry strike* and there was no venom produced in the bite. Still, it scare the ^&$* out of me.
While in the 5th grade class of Mr. Johnson at Bouldercrest Elementary I advised him that I did not wish to observe the ring-necked snake he was taking from desk to desk for the students to observe. When the snake was placed on my desktop despite my warning, I disposed of it with my science book.
While frog gigging with friends in high school, I had a snake (probably a banded water snake) drop in the front of the boat beside me when we went for a frog that was on a deadfall under some branches. I promptly gave him the boat and swam to the far shore.
I've had numerous encounters with the legless critters throughout my life while hunting or camping. You do not want to be between me and the path to escape if surprised by one. I cede whatever ground they inhabit to them when they appear. Still, regardless of species, my heart skips a beat each time I encounter one.
While I haven't stopped hunting, fishing, or camping, my mind is occupied with them to such an extent that a description of paranoia may be an appropriate analogy.
Not sure if that is what you are looking for Saskeptic. They arent as big and ferocious looking as a grizzly or BF. But, for me, the fear is much more with them than it was with a VERY close encounter I had as a teen with a mother black bear with cubs on a sandbar near Pridgen Georgia on the Ocmulgee River. She came straight for me and my cousin and reared up on her hind legs. Not sure how to describe the noises she was making other than to say she was blowing air out of her nose/mouth and popping her chops with her ears laid back flat on her head. The only thing between her and us was a johnboat. We swam out to the middle of the river and waited for her to calm down and amble off with her cubs.
I never think of bears or worry about them at all. Snakes are an entirely different proposition for me though.
While in the 5th grade class of Mr. Johnson at Bouldercrest Elementary I advised him that I did not wish to observe the ring-necked snake he was taking from desk to desk for the students to observe. When the snake was placed on my desktop despite my warning, I disposed of it with my science book.
While frog gigging with friends in high school, I had a snake (probably a banded water snake) drop in the front of the boat beside me when we went for a frog that was on a deadfall under some branches. I promptly gave him the boat and swam to the far shore.
I've had numerous encounters with the legless critters throughout my life while hunting or camping. You do not want to be between me and the path to escape if surprised by one. I cede whatever ground they inhabit to them when they appear. Still, regardless of species, my heart skips a beat each time I encounter one.
While I haven't stopped hunting, fishing, or camping, my mind is occupied with them to such an extent that a description of paranoia may be an appropriate analogy.
Not sure if that is what you are looking for Saskeptic. They arent as big and ferocious looking as a grizzly or BF. But, for me, the fear is much more with them than it was with a VERY close encounter I had as a teen with a mother black bear with cubs on a sandbar near Pridgen Georgia on the Ocmulgee River. She came straight for me and my cousin and reared up on her hind legs. Not sure how to describe the noises she was making other than to say she was blowing air out of her nose/mouth and popping her chops with her ears laid back flat on her head. The only thing between her and us was a johnboat. We swam out to the middle of the river and waited for her to calm down and amble off with her cubs.
I never think of bears or worry about them at all. Snakes are an entirely different proposition for me though.
QUOTE(Saskeptic @ Nov 17 2008, 02:04 PM)
Rather than simply asking "why?", I'm interested to hear from people who encounter other big, powerful creatures in their element, so we can compare those encounters with alleged bigfoot encounters.
Other animals that I've encountered are known, classified, have been dissected and I have a pretty good understanding of them and how they are going to behave.
BF does not exist, there aren't even any pictures of one, I have no idea what to expect from one and I'm pretty much thought of as wacko if I admit to "normal" people that I've seen one. There in lies the "trauma"...how could I have seen one if they don't exist? So if they don't exist what did I see? Whatever I saw was big, agile and aggressive and I don't want to run into something like that again. As soon as somebody pops one, it is dissected, classified and understood...no problemo.
Comparing experiences I don't think that I felt that much different...just with a twist of the unknown/what the hell is that thrown in. After experiences with a bear, wolf, etc I can tell people about my cool although tense encounter, with BF I am left with a memory that makes no sense and until the beast is proven a question of my own sanity/mental well-being.
QUOTE(DZ302 @ Nov 18 2008, 08:57 AM)
Other animals that I've encountered are known, classified, have been dissected and I have a pretty good understanding of them and how they are going to behave.
BF does not exist, there aren't even any pictures of one, I have no idea what to expect from one and I'm pretty much thought of as wacko if I admit to "normal" people that I've seen one. There in lies the "trauma"...how could I have seen one if they don't exist? So if they don't exist what did I see? Whatever I saw was big, agile and aggressive and I don't want to run into something like that again. As soon as somebody pops one, it is dissected, classified and understood...no problemo.
Comparing experiences I don't think that I felt that much different...just with a twist of the unknown/what the hell is that thrown in. After experiences with a bear, wolf, etc I can tell people about my cool although tense encounter, with BF I am left with a memory that makes no sense and until the beast is proven a question of my own sanity/mental well-being.
BF does not exist, there aren't even any pictures of one, I have no idea what to expect from one and I'm pretty much thought of as wacko if I admit to "normal" people that I've seen one. There in lies the "trauma"...how could I have seen one if they don't exist? So if they don't exist what did I see? Whatever I saw was big, agile and aggressive and I don't want to run into something like that again. As soon as somebody pops one, it is dissected, classified and understood...no problemo.
Comparing experiences I don't think that I felt that much different...just with a twist of the unknown/what the hell is that thrown in. After experiences with a bear, wolf, etc I can tell people about my cool although tense encounter, with BF I am left with a memory that makes no sense and until the beast is proven a question of my own sanity/mental well-being.
Well said. Now I almost dont want to see one though...almost
While visiting cousins for the 1st time in North Carolina, I was showing off my California-city boy bravery and jumped inside a small 8x8ft. shed they housed their new un-broken horse in. My first horse close up…
He started bucking inside the shed and spinning in circles to get to me, and I ran in circles staying just ahead of his back legs. After what seemed like forever, and just about to drop from exhaustion, I leaped over the 4 ft lower part of the door onto the dirt; and found my cousins had abandoned me. They tried to get me to ride their other horses later, but no way would I get near them. I was 10 yrs. old then, and didn’t get the courage to actually ride one till over 10 years later. Sweated the entire time, and did not enjoy at all.
Just two years ago (30 years later), a friend and I took the Hollywood Sign horse tour above Burbank. The 1.5 hr. ride down the hills to the restaurant was ok, but my horse started bucking on the trip back up. It was staying right on the edge of the mountain trail, and after 3 or 4 single bucks I jumped off the horse, almost over the edge. One of the guides rode up and told me calmly that my saddle was not centered on its back, and it was trying to center me. We fixed it and had an uneventful, but very nervous, ride back.
Yea, I still have uncontrollable nerves over horses...no problems with black bears or Cali mountain lions...nice thread Sas.
T
He started bucking inside the shed and spinning in circles to get to me, and I ran in circles staying just ahead of his back legs. After what seemed like forever, and just about to drop from exhaustion, I leaped over the 4 ft lower part of the door onto the dirt; and found my cousins had abandoned me. They tried to get me to ride their other horses later, but no way would I get near them. I was 10 yrs. old then, and didn’t get the courage to actually ride one till over 10 years later. Sweated the entire time, and did not enjoy at all.
Just two years ago (30 years later), a friend and I took the Hollywood Sign horse tour above Burbank. The 1.5 hr. ride down the hills to the restaurant was ok, but my horse started bucking on the trip back up. It was staying right on the edge of the mountain trail, and after 3 or 4 single bucks I jumped off the horse, almost over the edge. One of the guides rode up and told me calmly that my saddle was not centered on its back, and it was trying to center me. We fixed it and had an uneventful, but very nervous, ride back.
Yea, I still have uncontrollable nerves over horses...no problems with black bears or Cali mountain lions...nice thread Sas.
T
A question comes to mind, is the trauma you are referring to in the OP, referencing the actual trauma of the encounter? or the Trauma of having to rationalize, that you just saw what is considered to be a non-existent creature?
i.e. are you more traumatized by the creature, or the stigma surrounding having encountered the creature?
i.e. are you more traumatized by the creature, or the stigma surrounding having encountered the creature?
I think the "trauma" is different for a BF-type experience than another "known" animal. For me, with my limited experience (finding prints, tree breaks, etc.) it was traumatic, in that it was un-nerving, or made me anxious. It had to do with the "unknown". I have a decent amount of woods experience and am familiar with the animals you'd normally find in the woods. Having found footprints that were relatively fresh I was at a loss as to what could make them, and if it was a bi-pedal man-like ape thing I had no idea what it could do. I don't know if they can come through the brush at 30mph and hit me in such a way as to kill me immediately, or are they afraid of me and will run from me like some other "predators" (black bears often do, cougars often do). That's what was traumatic, but even more so, the fact it was unknown.
I had an "encounter" with a weird sound(s) and what might have been a rock thrown near me, possibly near an old footprint. Although I was armed, it was traumatic in a sense. Again, unknown(s). I also felt a very distinct and deeply rooted fear. It was very aboriginal (I hope that describes it). I had a six-shot pistol and felt that I had no defense what-so-ever in this situation. That was traumatic; although, I never saw anything and can't say the sounds or even the rock couldn't be explained by other means. It didn't keep me out of the woods, but I know I don't want to be in that situation again. Again, because I don't know what makes those noises in the woods.
I don't attribute the "unknown" immediately to BF, meaning big foot prints don't mean there is a bigfoot, but there is something that makes big foot prints that I'm not familiar with and that's traumatic or unnerving to someone that is very "black and white". Things are either real, or they aren't, for me. But usually, if something is real, you can know what it is. That, for me, is traumatic. I had a very difficult time going to the area where I found the first set of prints. I still find it difficult, but have been back a couple times, solo, and it was easier each time. If I saw one I think the trauma of an event would be less than not knowing what makes 17" big foot prints in the middle of a forest no where near a trail. If I saw one at least I could say, "oh, it's a big ape-man like everyone says it is."
I had an "encounter" with a weird sound(s) and what might have been a rock thrown near me, possibly near an old footprint. Although I was armed, it was traumatic in a sense. Again, unknown(s). I also felt a very distinct and deeply rooted fear. It was very aboriginal (I hope that describes it). I had a six-shot pistol and felt that I had no defense what-so-ever in this situation. That was traumatic; although, I never saw anything and can't say the sounds or even the rock couldn't be explained by other means. It didn't keep me out of the woods, but I know I don't want to be in that situation again. Again, because I don't know what makes those noises in the woods.
I don't attribute the "unknown" immediately to BF, meaning big foot prints don't mean there is a bigfoot, but there is something that makes big foot prints that I'm not familiar with and that's traumatic or unnerving to someone that is very "black and white". Things are either real, or they aren't, for me. But usually, if something is real, you can know what it is. That, for me, is traumatic. I had a very difficult time going to the area where I found the first set of prints. I still find it difficult, but have been back a couple times, solo, and it was easier each time. If I saw one I think the trauma of an event would be less than not knowing what makes 17" big foot prints in the middle of a forest no where near a trail. If I saw one at least I could say, "oh, it's a big ape-man like everyone says it is."
Redwood spiders, big, hairy, ugly, blood red colored, with a nasty painful bite. I had one run across my pillow when I was going to bed. I never knew they got that big. UUHHGGG! I awoke one night and felt something menacing. I grabbed my gun and turned on the mounted tac light and lo and behold right where I turned it on, perched on my ceiling ready to drop was that ugly 8 legged monster. Which I promptly sent to a better place 
QUOTE
I think the "trauma" is different for a BF-type experience than another "known" animal.
You've never seen my dads ass!!
Or, maybe seeing your dad's ass is more like a BF-type experience than a known animal experience
Excellent posts everyone. From what I'm reading . . .
Some have developed phobias (for lack of a better term) following a scary encounter with something.
Some who have been up close and personal with big, powerful animals in their element were understandably stressed out in the moment, but not traumatized such that they remain troubled by the experience years later.
Some who have had bigfoot encounters are legitimately freaked out by the experience, though it doesn't stem from anything the creature necessarily did (like aggression). The problem seems to be related to either or a combination of (1) trying to make sense of something that doesn't fit into a predetermined "box" and (2) fear of (or realized) ridicule from sharing the story.
Have I got that right, eyewitnesses? This is what I'm trying to learn more about. If you suffered some kind of PTSD-type problems after your encounter, what precisely do you think is the root? It's generally not an attack or even a "bluff charge" that I read in these reports.
Thanks again for all willing to share their stories here.
Some have developed phobias (for lack of a better term) following a scary encounter with something.
Some who have been up close and personal with big, powerful animals in their element were understandably stressed out in the moment, but not traumatized such that they remain troubled by the experience years later.
Some who have had bigfoot encounters are legitimately freaked out by the experience, though it doesn't stem from anything the creature necessarily did (like aggression). The problem seems to be related to either or a combination of (1) trying to make sense of something that doesn't fit into a predetermined "box" and (2) fear of (or realized) ridicule from sharing the story.
Have I got that right, eyewitnesses? This is what I'm trying to learn more about. If you suffered some kind of PTSD-type problems after your encounter, what precisely do you think is the root? It's generally not an attack or even a "bluff charge" that I read in these reports.
Thanks again for all willing to share their stories here.
I had a persistent white faced hornet chase me for a quarter mile down a trail on the Tennessee side in the Great Smokies while on a dayhike (not a large animal but one of the more persistent wood devils I've locked horns with). At first it was just angry and attempted to sting me around the head, I swiped at it a few times, then it didn't get the message and tried to spike me between the eyes. After more hat waving and cussing, I decided to back off some.
No luck, the demonic pest continued to attempt to pop me, so I began walking very fast back down the trail from whence I came, got away from it for a few seconds turned around and it was trying to hit me between the eyes again, I then took off on a sprint back down the trail for several hundred yards and thought I'd outdistanced it..... so I stopped and turned to my alarm and here it kamikazees the old furrowed brow one more time, barely was able to take a swat and misdirect it that time. I then sprinted until I was out of breath, turned once more and the hornet from hell, could be seen closing the final 3 yards or so coming directly at the old noggin' once more.
This time I timed my attack, waited for it to close at arms length, took the old sombrero off, timed the whack, hit the damn thing swinging down into the ground with as much force as I could muster, the damn winged hellion then could be seen bouncing high off the ground and corkscrewing into the sunset with a very bad case of vertigo and navigational error
but as far as I could tell, not a death spiral 
......but you know what it didn't come back at me again. Good story, hellacious experience. 
?PTSD, damn straight, and I don't cut much slack to hornets anymore
No luck, the demonic pest continued to attempt to pop me, so I began walking very fast back down the trail from whence I came, got away from it for a few seconds turned around and it was trying to hit me between the eyes again, I then took off on a sprint back down the trail for several hundred yards and thought I'd outdistanced it..... so I stopped and turned to my alarm and here it kamikazees the old furrowed brow one more time, barely was able to take a swat and misdirect it that time. I then sprinted until I was out of breath, turned once more and the hornet from hell, could be seen closing the final 3 yards or so coming directly at the old noggin' once more.
This time I timed my attack, waited for it to close at arms length, took the old sombrero off, timed the whack, hit the damn thing swinging down into the ground with as much force as I could muster, the damn winged hellion then could be seen bouncing high off the ground and corkscrewing into the sunset with a very bad case of vertigo and navigational error
but as far as I could tell, not a death spiral ......but you know what it didn't come back at me again. Good story, hellacious experience. ?PTSD, damn straight, and I don't cut much slack to hornets anymore
Been there and done that bipedalist. But you captured the moment in words much better than I could have.
QUOTE(Saskeptic @ Nov 18 2008, 04:52 PM)
The problem seems to be related to either or a combination of (1) trying to make sense of something that doesn't fit into a predetermined "box"
Hi
Predetermined might be a little off in my way of thinking about it, Most folks are not thinking BF before he comes into the picture,
My take would be seeing something completely different, An animal of that size moving with such ease and skill ( As been reported ) just don't add up in the North American woods, It should not be there,
If it happened in lets say in Africa, Things might be much different in the thinking department as to what it is cause it would fit in much better there, Still very odd but in a land of many strange animals not as traumatizing
Peace
Tim
QUOTE
Some who have had bigfoot encounters are legitimately freaked out by the experience, though it doesn't stem from anything the creature necessarily did (like aggression). The problem seems to be related to either or a combination of (1) trying to make sense of something that doesn't fit into a predetermined "box" and (2) fear of (or realized) ridicule from sharing the story.
Saskeptic
Thats what makes it so hard ,when you expierance encounter there is something about that encounter that grabs you.It hits you like a frieght train,like what the heck am i looking at ,Is this really happening ,All these thoughts keep going through your head.But what hit me were the dreams ,a year later.I am not sure of others but for me were dreams of them.Thats more of my strange stuff.The other scary stuff for me and that is knowing that there is something in those woods that can kill me and i cannot stop it.So I have to live with that knowing for the rest my life.
I was charged by a huge whitetail buck about 10 years ago in what I feel was a life or death situation. I was stalking through the woods and made a bad shot on the buck at about 50 yards and he turned toward me, lowered his head and came at me full speed. Thank everything holy that I had the presence of mind to fire another round as he was coming at me on his hind legs and pawing with his front legs. He dropped 15 steps from where I was standing. It was an experience that I'll never forget and it changed the way I hunt during the rut.
The difference between that situation and my sighting was that I knew there were deer in the woods even though I never thought one would react the way that buck did. Another difference was that the creature I saw never seemed to know that I was anywhere around. Of course I was terrified at seeing an unknown, and in my mind, a non-existent animal, but it was different than having an animal try to kill me just because he was pizzed. Both events caused me to stay out of the woods for a while, but I forced myself to go back out there both times. I'm just more cautious now, but I'm not traumatized by either event enough to keep me out of the woods.
The difference between that situation and my sighting was that I knew there were deer in the woods even though I never thought one would react the way that buck did. Another difference was that the creature I saw never seemed to know that I was anywhere around. Of course I was terrified at seeing an unknown, and in my mind, a non-existent animal, but it was different than having an animal try to kill me just because he was pizzed. Both events caused me to stay out of the woods for a while, but I forced myself to go back out there both times. I'm just more cautious now, but I'm not traumatized by either event enough to keep me out of the woods.
QUOTE(JayleeD @ Nov 18 2008, 10:05 PM)
I was charged by a huge whitetail buck about 10 years ago in what I feel was a life or death situation. I was stalking through the woods and made a bad shot on the buck at about 50 yards and he turned toward me, lowered his head and came at me full speed. Thank everything holy that I had the presence of mind to fire another round as he was coming at me on his hind legs and pawing with his front legs. He dropped 15 steps from where I was standing. It was an experience that I'll never forget and it changed the way I hunt during the rut.
The difference between that situation and my sighting was that I knew there were deer in the woods even though I never thought one would react the way that buck did. Another difference was that the creature I saw never seemed to know that I was anywhere around. Of course I was terrified at seeing an unknown, and in my mind, a non-existent animal, but it was different than having an animal try to kill me just because he was pizzed. Both events caused me to stay out of the woods for a while, but I forced myself to go back out there both times. I'm just more cautious now, but I'm not traumatized by either event enough to keep me out of the woods.
The difference between that situation and my sighting was that I knew there were deer in the woods even though I never thought one would react the way that buck did. Another difference was that the creature I saw never seemed to know that I was anywhere around. Of course I was terrified at seeing an unknown, and in my mind, a non-existent animal, but it was different than having an animal try to kill me just because he was pizzed. Both events caused me to stay out of the woods for a while, but I forced myself to go back out there both times. I'm just more cautious now, but I'm not traumatized by either event enough to keep me out of the woods.
A good sized buck is certainly capable of killing a person. I'm sure its happened before even somewhere.
QUOTE(Saskeptic @ Nov 18 2008, 03:52 PM)
Have I got that right, eyewitnesses? This is what I'm trying to learn more about. If you suffered some kind of PTSD-type problems after your encounter, what precisely do you think is the root? It's generally not an attack or even a "bluff charge" that I read in these reports.
Saskeptic:
PTSD. Interesting angle. Experts claim PTSD can often be alleviated or eliminated all together with proper and early intervention.
When a police officer shoots and kills a suspect, responsible law enforcement agencies will quickly provide expert psychological support and the officers usually end up doing OK. Agencies that believe PTSD to be a "fad made up mental condition" and do not treat it effectively often experience a higher number of resignations, behavioral problems and even suicides post critical incident.
Who the heck is the typical BF witness going to get PTSD treatment from?
Might be a good question for Dr. Matthew A. Johnson, a psychologist who had a BF sighting back in July 2000.
Might make for an interesting and groundbreaking study.
Is he in the Forum?
QUOTE(Ace! @ Nov 18 2008, 12:13 PM)
Or, maybe seeing your dad's ass is more like a BF-type experience than a known animal experience
From that position, it did'nt look human!
The topic headline should read....Bigfoot traumatised by Human encounter...
I was chased by a black bear once when I was about 12. Scared the snot out of me. Mostly because I was young, unarmed, and alone and I knew that made me helpless. I wouldn't call it trauma, but I had little desire to wander too far into the woods alone for a while. Knowing that it was a black bear helped me deal with the encounter though because I was able to learn about bears and their habits and 'come up with a plan' to avoid repeating the situation. That wasn't possible the day I found BF tracks in the woods I was hunting. All I knew was that I was not in those woods alone. They were verifiably shared with at least least 1 sasquatch because I was walking by its tracks. That was pretty unnerving because I didn't (and still don't) know what it can and can't do. Bear behavior is documented and available for study. Bigfoot bahavior isn't. I think that makes a big difference. I wasn't scared out of the woods, but I do look into them a little different since that day. I also didn't see what made those tracks.
I think another difference worth comment was something I saw Cape Buffalo do in Africa. Every other animal I've ever seen ran away. Elk, bear, cougar, even elephant, have run away when I got too close. Every other animal I ever seen let you know you were too close and that they could make you pay for that error if they wanted, but then they ran away. The buffalo didn't. They looked you (or the 20 of us in our 40' bus) straight in the eye and started coming right at us. They didn't charge, but slowly walked right at us letting us know that we had better not still be there when they got to where we were. In every encounter with them, we moved away from them, not the other way around. It was a weird feeling as we humans are used to being in control of the situation. I think encounters with BF are kinda' like that. We typically are not in charge and move away from them. That makes those encounters very different from most other animals.
17x7
I think another difference worth comment was something I saw Cape Buffalo do in Africa. Every other animal I've ever seen ran away. Elk, bear, cougar, even elephant, have run away when I got too close. Every other animal I ever seen let you know you were too close and that they could make you pay for that error if they wanted, but then they ran away. The buffalo didn't. They looked you (or the 20 of us in our 40' bus) straight in the eye and started coming right at us. They didn't charge, but slowly walked right at us letting us know that we had better not still be there when they got to where we were. In every encounter with them, we moved away from them, not the other way around. It was a weird feeling as we humans are used to being in control of the situation. I think encounters with BF are kinda' like that. We typically are not in charge and move away from them. That makes those encounters very different from most other animals.
17x7
QUOTE(Saskeptic @ Nov 18 2008, 01:52 PM)
Excellent posts everyone. From what I'm reading . . .
Some have developed phobias (for lack of a better term) following a scary encounter with something.
Some who have been up close and personal with big, powerful animals in their element were understandably stressed out in the moment, but not traumatized such that they remain troubled by the experience years later.
Some who have had bigfoot encounters are legitimately freaked out by the experience, though it doesn't stem from anything the creature necessarily did (like aggression). The problem seems to be related to either or a combination of (1) trying to make sense of something that doesn't fit into a predetermined "box" and (2) fear of (or realized) ridicule from sharing the story.
Have I got that right, eyewitnesses? This is what I'm trying to learn more about. If you suffered some kind of PTSD-type problems after your encounter, what precisely do you think is the root? It's generally not an attack or even a "bluff charge" that I read in these reports.
Thanks again for all willing to share their stories here.
Some have developed phobias (for lack of a better term) following a scary encounter with something.
Some who have been up close and personal with big, powerful animals in their element were understandably stressed out in the moment, but not traumatized such that they remain troubled by the experience years later.
Some who have had bigfoot encounters are legitimately freaked out by the experience, though it doesn't stem from anything the creature necessarily did (like aggression). The problem seems to be related to either or a combination of (1) trying to make sense of something that doesn't fit into a predetermined "box" and (2) fear of (or realized) ridicule from sharing the story.
Have I got that right, eyewitnesses? This is what I'm trying to learn more about. If you suffered some kind of PTSD-type problems after your encounter, what precisely do you think is the root? It's generally not an attack or even a "bluff charge" that I read in these reports.
Thanks again for all willing to share their stories here.
I have had some dangerous experiences like getting chased by a herd of wild angry cattle in the dark, stepping on huge rattlesnakes, getting envenomated by 1 foot long centipedes, menaced by wild pigs and several bad experiences with dogs. There is a difference and that is why one makes you much more frightened. A bull is a stupid animal and not likely to make an effort to find you. All you have to do is find some place they can't go. It gives you reason to think you can almost certainly avoid a nasty encounter. That isn't true for certain animals. For example, if you knew that you had angered a leopard and it was after you, that would be terrifying. There is really nothing you can do except kill it to make you safe. If a gorilla took an interest in you and started walking up on you, you would also have that helpless feeling. They rarely hurt people but that isn't really known about an alleged bigfoot encounter. When something obviously knows you are there and takes an interest in you it is beyond something that would be expected from bison or pigs. Bears, large cats or large apes are able to follow us if they took an interest. Most people have the instinct to realize that is a different level of threat. A mind capable of following you has taken notice.
QUOTE(wickie @ Nov 17 2008, 10:16 PM)
Kinda like the time I saw my dad bending over the tub naked...talk about trauma
Poor Wickie! I hope you got expert psychological assistance to allay the traumatization you experienced! Oh, wait, there IS no help for something like that...
Saskeptic- great idea for a post. I was lying in bed this morning thinking about this topic. The thing that scares me the most about meeting a BF in the woods is definitely fear of the unknown. We have bear and bobcats and fishers and coyotes and moose here in Maine, but I have no fear about running into one. I know what to expect from those animals; they've been captured and studied for centuries. BF, however, scares the crap out of me and I'm not even convinced he exists! I can imagine that seeing one would probably turn your world upside down and result in permanent trauma.
And on the subject of PSTD, my little brothers used to chase me around the yard with squished up tomato hornworms. To this day, 40 years later, I am deathly, horribly, ridiculously afraid of CATERPILLARS. Love spiders, snakes, animals in general, etc, but to come into contact with a caterpillar will send me screaming and crying into the house, shaking for 10-20 minutes. Irrational fears come in all shapes and sizes, I guess!
QUOTE
Poor Wickie! I hope you got expert psychological assistance to allay the traumatization you experienced! Oh, wait, there IS no help for something like that...
I tried, but they think it was a hoax!... nobody believes me
Some good post in here...see that's why I came to this board, I wanted to get insight from others who have had encounters. It makes me feel more normal to know that others have similar feelings, thoughts and reactions.
Yes, it does make a difference if you know a getaway plan. In Africa the people there had the greatest respect for the warthog, of all the big and scary animals out there, because they were so aggressive and would come straight at you. The strategy for getting away was to run in a zigzag pattern. Funny I remember that. Leopards were mostly out at night, when most sensible people were indoors. My dad did have an encounter with a couple of lion cubs but quickly and quietly backed away from the area before mom could show up. It was probably a pretty close call.
I did see huge snakes. I saw one in a tree when I was swimming in a river, looked up and here's this huge snake coiled on a branch not far above me. A Boa or something, it was leisurely eating the sleeping fruit bats hanging in the fig tree. And I saw a huge snake traveling beside a road, it was overtaken by the tour bus we were in and it was like passing a train...it just kept on being there, if you know what I mean. BIG!
Oh yes, and another frightening experience was when I was passing a tree and a hive of African bees took after me. I outran them! Uphill, too! I was a skinny fast kid then, not a fat sassy housewife like now.
That wasp story takes the biscuit! I can relate! But apparently the most deadly animal in Africa is the hippo, since absolutely nothing can come between them and the water when they are out at night browsing on the grass. They trample people in their rush to get back to the water and are responsible for the most fatalities.
I did see huge snakes. I saw one in a tree when I was swimming in a river, looked up and here's this huge snake coiled on a branch not far above me. A Boa or something, it was leisurely eating the sleeping fruit bats hanging in the fig tree. And I saw a huge snake traveling beside a road, it was overtaken by the tour bus we were in and it was like passing a train...it just kept on being there, if you know what I mean. BIG!
Oh yes, and another frightening experience was when I was passing a tree and a hive of African bees took after me. I outran them! Uphill, too! I was a skinny fast kid then, not a fat sassy housewife like now.
That wasp story takes the biscuit! I can relate! But apparently the most deadly animal in Africa is the hippo, since absolutely nothing can come between them and the water when they are out at night browsing on the grass. They trample people in their rush to get back to the water and are responsible for the most fatalities.
QUOTE(vilnoori @ Nov 19 2008, 01:48 PM)
But apparently the most deadly animal in Africa is the hippo, since absolutely nothing can come between them and the water when they are out at night browsing on the grass. They trample people in their rush to get back to the water and are responsible for the most fatalities.
I would recommend the book 'Death in the Long Grass' by Peter Capstick Hathaway.
He basically lists the deadliest animals in Africa, and gives stories and anecdotes relating to those creatures.
There is a chapter each on; Lions, Hippos, Cape Buffalo, Crocs, Leopards, Elephants, Rhinos, Snakes, Hyenas, and other miscellaneous killers like Kudu and other Antelope.
But you'll not find what he considers the deadliest Animal in Africa until the very end. (Hint: It ain't one of the ones listed above) There is also a short section about the were-hynena, which are actually old witches who take on the form of Hyenas, he relates stories about a hunter shooting a hyena, and tracking it and finding an old witch lady with bullet holes in her in the bush. Also about people killing hyenas and finding the hair braided intricately.
He makes the point that fatalities in Africa due to animals will never be accurately reported, A. because they don't want to hurt the tourist industry, and B. Because people in the bush just dissappear, and no one is ever notified, it is just a fact of life for people living in Africa.
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