Hikers have strange encounter in the Arbuckle Mountains
Report# 02080025
Witness Observation
A friend and I were hiking near the Turner Falls area of Oklahoma on July 10th. We ventured off a bit into the "mountains" there to get away from all the tourists swimming in the pool. As we began climbing the mountain, we began to notice a foul smell. It smelled like old, crusty, dried up urine, mixed with rotting wood, and musk. It's kind of hard to explain, but the odor was bad enough that we made several comments as we climbed as to how it was making us gag. However, the smell would come and go. It was not constant, and we found that a bit peculiar. However, we really didn't think anything of it, because although we were in a pretty remote part of the park, we thought it was probably just from the campers or other hikers.
At one point near the top, we stopped to rest and test our blood sugars (we are both diabetics), and the smell blew in again. We started to look around to see what could be causing it, I spotted a tree (a type of pine) that at about 6 1/2 feet up had been twisted completely around and snapped down. I immediately pointed it out to my friend (who also is quite the bigfoot enthusiast), and we began discussing that because of the thickness of the tree, the height at which it was twisted, and our remote location, we didn't believe that had been done by some hiker. For one, I don't know anybody strong enough to do that. Also, we noted it wasn't wind that did it, because it looked somewhat fresh and the trees surrounding it were fine, as were their branches, and there was no wind that day.
As we began to look around we spotted several more branches, both thick and thin, that looked the same. Twisted and snapped down. Hikers could have done some of them, I suppose, but the majority of them were on branches or trees too thick for something without very large hands and POWERFUL strength to break. Interestingly enough, the first break I noticed looked almost IDENTICAL to the picture of a tree twist on your website, under the "habitat" section.
My friend then looked to our left, down a bit from us, and said, "Look at that!" There we saw several large branches that bad been twisted, and pulled down (though still connected to the trees) and laid, almost on top of each other, with mud and smaller sticks caked into it. This looked VERY similar to the "nest" pictures you have on your website. In fact, when we returned later that night to her house in McKinney, I got on the internet, pulled up the pictures of the tree twists and nests on your website and showed them to her. Her response was "That's it!! That's what we saw!!"
After seeing all this, we began to feel a little out of place. We got really quiet and a little scared. At that point that smell blew in again and suddenly it hit me. Could it be Bigfoot?? The thought had honestly never crossed my mind before we saw the tree breaks. So, tired, and pretty freaked out, we left the mountain and began to hike back down to where there were people.
I did however; take pictures of the tree breaks and the nest.
Unfortunately, leaving my camera in the car for a couple of days, in the intense heat, the film got warped and many of the pictures did not come out. However, a picture of the FIRST tree break which caught my eye did turn out okay.
Not hearing any noises or seeing anything, and understanding that while we were off the "beaten path", we were still in an area that has heavy foot traffic, I have not ruled out the possibility that the culprits were campers. At all. However, due the remarkable similarities in what we saw and what is on your website, the fact that we were in a heavily forested area with low human population, in an area surrounded by water, semi-mountainous, the smell which smelled almost exactly like every description I've heard of them smelling, and hearing that bigfoot has kind of an infatuation with campers...especially their food! I cannot rule out the possibility that we may have stumbled into the habitat of a sasquatch!
I am not crazy, nor is this a joke. I am also NEVER quick to jump to conclusions about tree breaks, but this one truly got my attention. I'm wondering if anybody at the TBRC has heard any tales of Bigfoot near Davis Oklahoma in the Arbuckle Mountains? I would very much appreciate a response. I realize you are busy, but I'd love to hear an expert's take.
I love your website, appreciate what you do so much and wish I could be a part of it. Keep up the good work. No doubt our dream of y'all finding a bigfoot will come true soon.
Physical Evidence
Tree breaks and possible bedding/nesting area.
Sounds
None. However, the area became unusually quiet during their visit to the possible bedding area.
Additional Observations
Musky, sweet mixture with urine like aroma.
Time and Conditions
Sunny day
Investigator's Comments
Jerry Hestand
This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in Murray County, Oklahoma in July 2005.
I interviewed the witness by phone on 26 July 2005. He was not sure that what he experienced was bigfoot activity, but he wanted to submit a report for the database and discuss his experience with a researcher to determine if what he experienced was bigfoot-related, and in case any similar reports were generated from the area in the future.
The hikers were not out looking for sasquatches nor did they have the subject on their minds. However, the signs added up over the course of the afternoon and gave them cause to ponder the source.
The hikers were about a half-mile from Turner Falls. They had been visiting there and thought they would get off the beaten path. They had climbed a steep and rugged trail rarely used by other hikers. The witness reported that the first large tree break stood out remarkably from the other tree limbs. The tree break was under a steep cliff, and he doubted that anyone could have twisted it or have been foolish enough to jump off of the edge onto the tree.
After finding this, the hikers found other smaller breaks that may have indicated the movement of a large animal. The description of the possible bedding area was compelling.
I have seen formations like this at this time of year and the following pattern is what I have witnessed before in Fannin County, Texas. It is possible that a large animal capable of breaking large tree limbs and stacking them up would use this for a shelter from the treacherous Oklahoma sun. Further, the fact that mud was found in the bed may have indicated that an animal had made this nest near a water source and was traveling back and forth for food and water, and then to shelter.
Finally, the "terrible smell" that came and went repeatedly began to concern the hikers since they were so far away from the other park visitors; they decided to leave because of this.
There have been reported bigfoot encounters in Murray County; adjacent counties also are not without anecdotes of visual and aural experiences with these animals.
Note: Interesting encounter with possible Bigfoot.
I'm diabetic as well and this report shows it's important to always
have your diabetic supplies with you if you are diabetic and going
into the woods or a wooded area.
-Rob
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