Interesting account of a man's close up encounter with a skunk-ape

Dan Jackson is a venomous snake expert from Lithia. He has spent over 20 years tracking the Florida skunk ape, and he has brushed up against the creature on more than one occassion. Dan recently appeared on the History Channel's "Monster Quest" series, talking about his close up and terrifying encounter with the being. He does not give the usual, "peaceful" description of these creatures, but describes it as a ferocious, extremely fast moving individual with very high intelligence. Here is his account:

www.thevillagesdailysun.com...

It's a really good story. One of the better accounts I've read on the bigfoot situation. I guess without evidence, unfortunately it will only remain a story. For the man who experienced what he did, then it is either real or not and he is the only one who knows. Without dna evidence, pictures, video footage or a location so others can investigate, we will never know for sure. We have that footprint cast, but I don't think that's 100% conclusive.

Don't get me wrong here, as I've always been one to think like the following: If people supply no footage as evidence, you say that's not good enough. Yet if people supply some sort of footage as evidence, people say it's faked. These eye witnesses can't win really can they?

So, all we can take from this is a great story (it gripped me anyway) and hope more people come into close, safe encounters with these creatures (if they truly exist.) Then, maybe one day in my lifetime we will see some evidence which can't be doubted.

I am a total skeptic of people and stories they tell. But this guy sends my skeptico metermatic plunging to the real as it gets indicator level. I seen him just recently on Monster Quest and his telling encounter rang true when he reenacted his encounter.

Than I read the story of his encounter in detail and this is no cash in hand and I prove it y'all tale. When he tells how he hired a helicopter to follow game trails, that was something a hunter who is looking for proof would do. The part where the trail ended behind a small strip mall and there were dumpsters with food in them and he sets a simple trap is brilliant and cunning detective work on his part.

I live in a rural northeast Wisconsin location and wonder if one of these has ever come around and looked into my windows. I have a doberman and he's always got his yapper going bout something outside. When I walk at night, I don't leave home without him.

Ya get a star with a flag for bringing this to discussion.

Big Foot or whatever you call them are actually pets of extraterrestrials that came here. They are usually left behind by accident.

Originally posted by Junglistix

Big Foot or whatever you call them are actually pets of extraterrestrials that came here. They are usually left behind by accident.

You say that with so much confidence that it is 100%! How do you know such wild claims?

Bigfoot etc. is one more cryptid where most contact is the same as with any other rare animal - marsupial lions, the kangaroo-type chupacabra... As humanity finally reaches 100% of the planet's surface in numbers the last few most elusive of the animal world will finally get turfed up.

As for the more paranormal ones, well if these cryptids exist then they can be hallucinated, imitated by Tricksters, appear in timeslips etc. same as more common animals huh?

It always amuses me that realistic depictions of the ecology from ancient and medieval times is selectively believed by sheeple- the domestic animals and bees etc. are "real" and the other things illustrated must be "mythical". Right. Mythical. Like all those other "mythical" creatures which have subsequently turned up.

Comets only get seen every few years... Does that mean they aren't real either? It's a witless worldview, especially when most people are so unobservant they can't even notice or describe the human beings who live within 100m of their house.

Originally posted by Junglistix

Big Foot or whatever you call them are actually pets of extraterrestrials that came here. They are usually left behind by accident.

Well than I want one....

Soon as I reconnect into the alien main frame, I will transmit my demands for a bigfoot of my own. Seriously though, I believe these are manifestation of supernatural nature created by quantum effect on our senses to the bigfoots vibrational frequency rhythm to show itself. I kind of follow that theory they are related to the alien phenomena in some quirky way.

I own a book by Jack Lapseritis called, "The Psychic Sasquatch and their UFO connection". It is WAY out there in terms of what most people would be willing to swallow, but he sees these beings as being "watchers" for other alien species. He thinks they not only serve as recon for other species of ET, but that they actually guard hidden underground bases in remote locations. He thinks these creatures have telepathic capabilities, as well as the ability to de-materialize and materialize at will.

[edit on 30-12-2007 by DimensionalDetective]

Sorry I don't buy the reason he gave for no photographic kit if it looked that likely that he would have an encouter...well you know.

Good story though, and don't get me wrong I am sure people do have encounters but in my brief look into the bigfoot community evidence is the holy grail.

IMO, I think to not give the information to ones that study this is wrong. To keep this information to himself because he did the leg work and doesn't feel anyone should get the credit for his hard work is sad.

I see a selfish soul.

I know with beings different then us they use control because they fear us, consider us hostile. Maybe the hostility this being showed was just that "show" for his own safety and enough to give himself time to flee. If these two were that close and this being was truly hostile it could have taken him out instantly.

Just a thought!

Didn't it say in the article that he got off a shot? So then if it was indeed behind a strip mall, even at night there would have been something like a police report or something similar. Or if the shot had hit it, then there would likely be a bloodtrail, and considering the amount that has passed since the incident, I would guess they could have tried to recover the round if it missed.

reply to post by observe50


I agree. Fear may have just come into play with Dan Jackson. Seeing a 7 foot, 500lb hairy humanoid-looking being ten feet from him, it may have just hightened his reaction to the creatures appearance and/or intent. If it moves as quickly as he said, then him firing off a round at it would have been the end of him if it meant him harm IMO.

Most accounts of these beings are that they usually just try to get away from people in a hurry when spotted. They appear to be gentle giants by most eye witness accounts.

That is a wild story, thanks for posting it. Reading it I would say it is real, I have no reason to doubt the guy.

If I caught BF on video I know no one would believe me and if I devoted so much time to out-thinking BF, why the hell would I go and give the location away, forget it.

As for the violent BF, that is no surprise. You are an animal trying to eat dinner and this damn human pops his head up and scares the sh*t out of you...haha, that guy is lucky he made it out of there alive.



reply to post by DimensionalDetective

ok , just read the article and there are too many WTF ??? moments for my liking

#1 footprint depth

“I’m 6-foot, about 240. The impression my foot made where I found the footprint was barely a quarter-inch. Whatever made this track went down two inches,” Jackson said. “You can’t hoax this. Not where I found it. You’d put it where other people would find it.”

An engineering professor Jackson consulted estimated whatever made the footprint weighed “a little better than 500 pounds.”

firstly without knowing the soil water content at the time the alledged 2" deep print was made - depth comparison is meaningless

this may be news to some people but after heavy rain , soil waterloggs and turns to mud - which will leave deep footprints

when it dries it becomes solid and often will not take an impression at all

second - his " engineering professor " is an idiot - and his ` estimate ` of 500lb is utter twaddle

there are two reasons for this - first soil compresibility , assuming dry soil , you would need far more than double the wight [ 240lb ] vs 500lb] to produce an impression 8 times as deep [ 1/4" vs 2" ]

second - ground pressure assuming a 6` tall 240lb man has ` normal size ` feet

appologies - but for the calculations i will use SI [ metric ]units

ok the ground pressure for the man

using my size 9 [ UK ADULT ] combat boots as a example - the sole is 30.5 cm long * 11cm wide that gives a footprint of 335.5 cm2 assuming a wight of 120kg [ a 240lb man with a geneous equipment load ]

that gives us a ground pressure of - 0.3576 kg / cm2

now onto the " skunk ape "

using the stated foot lengh of 19" [ 47.5cm ] and an estimated width of 15cm [ the cast he shows appears to have a 3:1 lengh / width ratio ]

that gives a foot print of 712.5cm2 , and with a body weight of 275 kg [ 600 lb] - note that that is higher than the 500lb+ quoted

the ground pressure is still only 0.3859 kg / cm2

an increase of < 10% nowhere near enoth for an 8 fold increase in footprint penetration

i realise that these calculationa re all static loads - dynamic peak load of movement would be much higher - but to do meaningfull calculations speed , stride lengh and height have to be known

the 500lb figure is just pulled out of some ones ass

that is the only point i can disect by scientific argument - the rest are differences of opinion :

such as hunting hogs with a shotgun ????????? then planning to turn it on a bear ???????? i have hunted extensivly - and would not take a shotgun out for either of those targets

lastly - his methedology is just appalling , no NVG , no cameras [ the reason he gives is a pathetic cop out ] he somehow managed to have the alledged ` skunkape ` in a environment he had had time to prepare - and collected no physical evidence from the encounter , WTF was he doing ????

sorry - but i have just wasted my time reading the babblings of an idiot

The true reason that after twenty years this guy finally comes out of the woodwork to tell the world his story:

"And Jackson, who is writing a book about his experience, remains adamant he is through searching for the Skunk Ape, Bigfoot, Sasquatch — whatever you want to call it."

Nope, he won't tell you where his dumpster hiding place behind a strip mall was, but for a measly 29.95, you can get the rest of the story, in paperback or hardcover.

Count me out.

wow ape thats one heck of a glaring inconstincy i also thought the reason he dident take a camra was a bit fishy i mean i wouldent care if everyone belived me or not i would have taken some means of filming it preferably non digital.

reply to post by ignorant_ape


Excellent info, ignorant_ape (double irony...this thread, your handle, I love it!)
Another glaring inconsistency is the pebble-filled soda cans. If this creature is so highly intelligent, then I think the critter would have toppled AT MOST only one can.

edit to add: ...and the "no camera" excuse? uh-huh, riiiiiight...in the words of my non-native English speaking wife, "Give me one break."


[edit on 31-12-2007 by tjack]

Originally posted by ignorant_ape
ok , just read the article and there are too many WTF ??? moments for my liking

#1 footprint depth

“I’m 6-foot, about 240. The impression my foot made where I found the footprint was barely a quarter-inch. Whatever made this track went down two inches,” Jackson said. “You can’t hoax this. Not where I found it. You’d put it where other people would find it.”

An engineering professor Jackson consulted estimated whatever made the footprint weighed “a little better than 500 pounds.”

firstly without knowing the soil water content at the time the alledged 2" deep print was made - depth comparison is meaningless

this may be news to some people but after heavy rain , soil waterloggs and turns to mud - which will leave deep footprints

when it dries it becomes solid and often will not take an impression at all

sorry - but i have just wasted my time reading the babblings of an idiot

Florida is predominately a big sandbar with very, very little dirt. I can say there are parts where foot prints sink in whether it is wet or dry and unless some one walks over them or destroys them, they will remain as made.

Edit: Following added after thought....

The shotgun probably was loaded with slugs and not buckshot. Bears are in florida as this BEAR LINK from florida fish and game wildlife conservation shows. The location where the bigfoot was first seen was in bonita springs area and it is my guess, this is where the search continued in swamp areas. Here is a google maps link to the location of the origimal sighting encounter

[edit on 31-12-2007 by WorldShadow]

Originally posted by Arawn

Originally posted by Junglistix

Big Foot or whatever you call them are actually pets of extraterrestrials that came here. They are usually left behind by accident.

You say that with so much confidence that it is 100%! How do you know such wild claims?

Chewy from Star Wars?? DUHH

Hehe. But seriously, Bigfoots are something I've always figured existed somewhere on the planet, some kind of upright ape, maybe an inbetween human/ape, maybe neanderthal? maybe just one of those first upright walking apes we supposedly evolved from? We've found the bones, we know they existed.

So why cant they still? Because we are here? Well .. all the other apes are still here? Why not the halfway ape?

Previous members have already articulated the many reasons why I think this is a hoax. Not the least of which is the fact he will not give out the location. How convenient.