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Skunk Ape / Fouke Monster / Boggy Creek / Myakka

A

Anonymous

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The author of the book the Legend of Boggy Creek was based on (Smokey and the Fouke Monster), has released a new book.
Too Close Too The Mirror
This book-specific link is dead. No archived version found. Attempts to access the domain re-direct to Smokey Crabtree's (the author's) website. The earliest (2011) archived version of the site is at:
https://web.archive.org/web/20110202223414/http://smokeycrabtree.com/


It continues where his first book left off.

The reason I'm writing about this is this image on his Web site:

legs.gif


This is what it says about the image

It covers the twenty-eight years since the movie, "The Legend of Boggy Creek" was made, and the writing of my first book, "Smokey and The Fouke Monster", and gives you an insight into the country music world of Nashville, owning a supermarket, the finding of an eight foot skeleton in the woods near Fouke, Arkansas that has not been positively identified to this date, and other ups and downs in my life.

What do you guys think?
Does anyone have any more info about this finding/image?
 
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Although it's supposed to be eight feet tall, the foot (judging from the tape measure) is within the normal human size range.

And the rope looks ominous....

A job for the homicide squad rather than the cryptozoology squad, maybe.
 
In a online review board for the movie RETURN TO BOOGY CREEK, we see this bizarre statement:

Summary: This movie is not only a lie, but it doesn't tell the truth either!

I must warn all viewers that this movie does not realistically depict the Boggy Creek monster. My uncle was a Boggy Creek monster, admittedly not the original one, but for about three months in 1963 my uncle Timmy roamed the woods of Boggy Creek. He was not vicious, he certainly had a pungent odor and he was pretty hairy but he absolutely never hurt any other animal or human being except for the Boggy Creek monster that was there at the time- but that was only to establish his territory and not in any way malicious or mean spirited. I'm not exactly sure what he did for those three months, he never really wanted to talk about it- kinda like people who were in Viet Nam or Russia or someplace. I know he hunted dogs and cats for food- but he never went into anyone's yard or house to get a pet or a baby or anything. He only ate wild dogs and cats and babies that were roaming in the woods or that had escaped from zoos and were dangerous. I think he also punched either a teenager who was getting a haircut or a mailman changing a flat tire, but I'm not sure because he's kind of fuzzy on that. Anyway, when a tougher Boggy Creek monster moved into the area, Timmy just quit cold turkey and moved out. Maybe the movie's about the new monster, but I know for sure it's not about my uncle. At least I don't think so.

Is it time for a paradigm shift?

http://us.imdb.com/CommentsShow?78159
 
That whole deal about Uncle Timmy was classic; still, the eight foot skeleton troubles me. Say it actually is that long; why haven't scientists been able to clarify what it is? Who are the incompetents it was taken to for identification? The head of the Cryptozoology Departent a the prestigious University of Fouke? I'd imagine it'd be difficult enough to find a literate soul in Fouke, much less an actual authority on anything remotely touching this, outside the local dogcatcher.
 
The Fouke Monster is covered in my article for Jon Downes CFZ 2002 Yearbook. Basically, although the Fouke Monster crosses into BIGFOOT territory, much of what is plastered on the net is rubbish, but Smokey Crabtree's books, SMOKEY & THE FOUKE MONSTER and TOO CLOSE TO THE MIRROR cover much of the story. The film LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK is excellent but also full of much fiction. The creature in question is now dead, its skeleton found by kids on the edge of TEXAS, it was never actually sighted in BOGGY CREEK but the name sounded good for the film.
Many people still claim to see the Fouke Monster although it is believed to have died a few years back, and could well have been a horrid freak which escaped from a travelling circus. This may sound like a good legend for the background of a monster story, but it is fact. Something escaped when the circus derailed, and the reports began in the '60s. Many reports described a shaggy creature that screamed in the river bottoms but never caused harm, the film turned it into a beast on the rampage. Three-toed prints were found of this flat-footed creature and the skeleton has been examined. However, with so many other reports of Sasquatch-like creatures all over the U.S., any creature can become the Fouke Monster in the same way a large exotic cat in the wild is confined to an area by the local press at the time.
 
Skunk Ape Hunting

Any of you that are from Florida should try and get in here and let us know whats been discussed.

http://tampatrib.com/News/MGAX4XOVF5D.html

Skunk apes are the Florida version of the legendary Bigfoot creature of the Pacific Northwest.

The meeting will be at 7 a.m. at the Tampa Palms Golf and Country Club, 5811 Tampa Palms Blvd.

Membership in the New Tampa Rotary Club is open to businessmen and businesswomen who live, work or are retired in the New Tampa area.

For information on the New Tampa Rotary Club, call Connie Bladon, membership chairwoman, at (813) 273-8221, or visit the Web site http://www.newtamparotary.org
 
that would be me

they would probably want me to join the club ,but maybe I'll call and see what kind of refreshments are being served (also got to see if buffy's on that night) I keep up with the skunk ape info real good though since its right in my back yard almost..I believe its something out there because I've heard of so many sightings..the circus trains in sarosota (for many moons)and it sure looks like a big old Orangatang..those most recent pictures that show it behind the palmetto bushes etc,,those are undesputee-ble! loren coleman has done some great work on those,,WE need some real good field work out here ''Its so darn hard to move about though in this area (swamps,woods,snakes..like dangerous!!)If i here anything new being said I will let you know though I'll check.:cool:
 
Yes it does ressemble an orangutang but there is big differences. For example its standing and has a more hunched an bipedal looking frame.
Most cryptozoologists think that north american great apes are decendants or relations of Gigantopithecus blacki, which died out hundreds of thousands of years ago.. which are related to Orangutangs.
 
The Legend of Boggy Creek

Having just seen this film (about an Arkansas Bigfoot creature with three toes) that used many people who clamed to see the Fouke Monster (as it was called).

Has anybody done any followup with any of the people in the film, one of who claimed to have actually been accosted by the creature?

Here is a link to an overview of the case:

prairieghosts.com/whiterv.html
Link is dead. No archived version found.


And here is a link to Smokey Crabtree, one of the main witnesses:

smokeyandthefoukemonster.com/
Attempts to access the domain re-direct to Smokey Crabtree's (the author's) website. The earliest (2011) archived version of the site is at:

https://web.archive.org/web/20110202223414/http://smokeycrabtree.com/

(Who I guess counts as a recent person talking about the case, but I was wondering about the other people in the film, particularly the Ford family)
 
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This thread came up about six to eight months ago... I imagine it is gone off the website now but it may be worth looking.

The long and short is that the whole thing is a very early "Blair Witch'. In fact it actually influenced the producers of said film.

In a nutshell it's a fake, spoof, gag, whatever you want to call it. Yes there were follow ups but they are all fake too.

Like Blair Witch they were made to look real and sell. But there is no thruth in them at all.

Bit of a bummer...

Keep smiling

Homer:)
 
Boggy Creek film

The LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK film is eerie but not as strange as the facts that were clouded when it emerged. Various hairy hominids roam the river bottoms of Arkansas and it was such cases that attracted director Charles B. Pierce to the area, although the facts are, no man-beasts were actually seen in Boggy Creek, but instead the vicinity of Fouke. The skeletal remains of a creature were found a few years ago, although the skull was missing. The beast stood over seven-feet and had died of natural causes. Most of the reports from the area described a shaggy, three toed creature that screamed but never caused any harm to the locals although the film had many believing otherwise. The film spawned several dire sequels including BOGGY CREEK II and the more Disney-esque RETURN TO BOGGY CREEK. The original BOGGY CREEK movie is available on DVD and worth checking out. Much of the legend is thought to revolve around a freakshow train which crashed in the '40s or '50s and it is said that these apeman escaped, however, reports of such creatures still emerge from the swamps.
 
I've seen Return to Boggy Creek, which is more of an action horror flick (Boggy Creek monster has returned - and this time he's angry!). It's a fun b-movie, but the original is something more, a portrait of it's time period or something. Being from the south, the lifestyle portrayed seems authentic.

That's what I was mostly wondering about - has FT ever done an article attempting to follow-up any of the real events the film is based on? Are the recreated events pure fiction?

Thanks for everybody's help so far.
 
I wrote an article called BEHIND THE LEGEND OF BOGGY CREEK for Devon based CENTRE FOR FORTEAN ZOOLOGY in one of their Yearbooks which highlights all the rumour and fact behind the legend. there are some who believe that the monster was something different to your usual Bigfoot creature, and that it was in fact some hairy freak. The film was brilliant and still looks great to this day, but then again, so do many of the '70s and very early '80s films, but the facts would have been just as appealing. Smokey Crabtree, who lives in Fouke and experienced the screams of the monster, has released two books SMOKEY CRABTREE AND THE FOUKE MONSTER and TOO CLOSE TO THE MIRROR which should be easily available in the U.S.
 
If you refer to the threads dealing with cattle mutilations and particularly the book dealing with the Montana mutilations you will find referenced in there numerous reported sightings of a large ape man with three toes. Apparently it used to emit a call that sounded like a man in extreme agony. There are no reports of it ever having hurt anyone.
 
Skunk Ape Killed in Tennessee?

http://www.lorencoleman.com/skunk_ape.html
November 14, 2003
Has a Skunk Ape Been Killed in TN?

Breaking News out of Tennessee...Has a Skunk Ape Been Killed in TN?

I am beginning to hear that something important may have happened in Campbell County, TN. I would appreciate any further details that people might have, of course. Statements that Chris Dotson, John Placyk, or I were involved in any fashion, of course, are uncalled for, and not worth
detailing here. The BFRO will have to answer the rumors they are behind this. I have no information on their activities. Has someone killed a North American Ape, a cryptid anthropoid, and is a body being hidden by local authorities? Is someone planning a news conference tomorrow (Friday)?

Here's what we're hearing....

Word out of Campbell County is that on Wednesday, 11/12/03, at about 3 PM EST, sirens and gunshots were heard. Screams of the recently sighted apelike animals (Napes? Bigfoot?) were also heard at the same time. Sounds were coming from the right side of one of the houses that has been involved in the series of sightings, down toward the lake, near LaFollette.

On Monday 11/10/03, Abby (a female goat) was found dead in the pond around 11:00 AM. Her neck had been broken and her stomach had been eaten out. (This may have stimulated what then transpired on Wednesday and Thursday.)

A member of the Sheriff's department said that they were working with a group to eliminate these animals. This information came forward today, on 11/13/03. Also, on earlier, on Wednesday apparently, two of these cryptid animals were seen in a field. One was large, the other smaller. This was about 9:15 A.M. The shootings happened after that.

Furthermore, the following edited posting, written by Tennessee's Mary Green, was forwarded to me after I received the above data:
+++

"Recent developments in the Lafollette, TN case has prompted me to post this short note. We will know in the future if this is what occurred, and this post will be proof of foreknowledge of such an event.

The eyewitnesses who were the owners of the cats who have had many killed by the hominoid that is said to be a Skunk Ape in this community near Lafollette TN, reported that the Sheriff asked them to remove their animals to safety yesterday [Wednesday]. They complied by removing as many animals as they could to another farm for safety purposes. While the man land owner arrived at the farm at 3:00 p.m., as soon as he could after work, to load and haul his farm animals to a safe place, he heard sirens, gun shots and the Bigfoot screaming (as he is familiar with their screams). The Sheriff and his deputies were heavily involved with shooting over the hill just off of their property.

This morning, when the woman saw a black animal laying in one of their fields. She called me before she left for work as she was running late. I advised her to get her husband to take a look at this animal. He arrived ten minutes after she left and the animal was totally missing. Gone. Nothing
left, not a sign of it. Nothing was found.

There has been airplanes circling their property night and day for over two weeks. It has disturbed their sleep as the plane was flying so low to their house.

***We are not certain at this point whether this black body was of a Bigfoot that the Sheriff and/or BFRO that could have possibly been shot and injured the day before, or if it was simply a large dog as the woman was afraid to approach it before going to work.

Something or someone has removed this large black body from their premises. They have tried to provide shelter and food to the Bigfoot as of recent times to appease them and cause the attacks on their farm animals to cease. It is looking more and more like something has caused the Bigfoot that have been seen in this area for years, by the lady eyewitness, to declare revenge on the people of this community."
+++
So, the unfolding events in Campbell County have left many unanswered questions. As I said, any further details would be greatly appreciated, and I will share the information with all.
 
Accroding to BFRO, there had been some sightings reported there just a month ago:

http://www.bfro.net/GDB/newart.asp

Wednesday, October 22, 2003

Is a Skunkape Lose in Campbell County ?
By Vince Lennon
Wate 6

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CAMPBELL COUNTY (WATE) -- A new theory emerged Wednesday as a crypto-zoologist weighed in on sightings of a possible primate in Campbell County.

A Crypto-zoologist, someone who studies uncataloged animals such as skunk apes, accompanied a 6 News crew in Campbell County Wednesday.

Myakka "skunk apes" have been spotted in the southeastern United States since the 1940's.

Local crypto-zoologist Chris Dotson contacted 6 News after seeing the stories on Campbell County primate sightings. "The animal people reported seeing is not a pet."

Dotson took the skunk ape photographs Wednesday to people who've claimed to have seen the primate in the LaFollette area. Dotson's convinced that what people are seeing is a skunk ape.

"We need to capture this thing the best we can," Dotson said. "People need to stay away from it, allow experts to come in who have some knowledge of large primates like this and trap this animal."

Monkey owner Jerome Love answered a summons at the Campbell County Sheriff's Department with his Macaque monkey "Mugway." Love wanted to prove it's not his animal that's loose. "If it's a monkey that's killing these cats, it's not this one and I'm tired of it."

6 News is hearing more accounts from Campbell County residents who say they've seen the creature. Some date back 35 years. However, many people are hesitant to talk, for fear of being labeled as crazy.

In all, six cats and one dog have been killed in the last three days. And there have been a number of sightings within the last 48 hours. The warning still stands though for people not to try approaching the animal, but to report it to local authorities.

Crypto-zoologists believe there could be hundreds of skunk apes across the Southeast.
 
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these stories drive

me APE sh-t!! Never any photos , foggy info, everything just out of reach , people running around chasing bigfoots and shooting them how much ya wanna bet nothing happens ! the governments already been in (holy x-files!!) and cleaned everything up~!! -Great post though enjoyed reading it!! And it reminded me I have this skunk ape thats been coming around my house knocking my garbage over and I must go leave some food for it (it picks it up after dark)!!
 
Re: these stories drive

ruffready said:
...And it reminded me I have this skunk ape thats been coming around my house knocking my garbage over and I must go leave some food for it (it picks it up after dark)!!
Erm, Ruff - if this isn't a wind-up, care to share any more details? Cos first hand cryptid info from a regular poster would be rather nice :).
 
Well..

I do have my residence in the Myakka "skunk apes" stomping ground, but you have to be a smart cookie to catch one napping. The best time to tell (at night ) when their near is "dogs" either bark or hide. Lots of Raccoons and critters come out and disrupt garbage > I don't know why there hasn't been some LONG serious searches though..I sure don't have the time , but theres something out there, I know the florida pathers are, though I havent seen one except on TV and noone I know has seen one either, it seems more folks around here have seen a skunk ape than the Florida Panthers witch roam all abouts !! I'll post here though if I see anything. I asked my brother awhile back if he'd like to go tromp around in the boonies (he was a former Marine recon) and he's still thinking about it ( I wouldn't go with him and my dad (former marine also) on a over nite everglade 'venture I hate those big fan boats!! woops I gotta go!! someone calling!!
 
Re: these stories drive

ruffready said:
me APE sh-t!! Never any photos , foggy info, everything just out of reach , people running around chasing bigfoots and shooting them how much ya wanna bet nothing happens ! the governments already been in (holy x-files!!) and cleaned everything up~!! -Great post though enjoyed reading it!! And it reminded me I have this skunk ape thats been coming around my house knocking my garbage over and I must go leave some food for it (it picks it up after dark)!!

Uh...why would the government want to hide the existence of Bigfoot?
 
Re: Re: these stories drive

rigmarole said:
Uh...why would the government want to hide the existence of Bigfoot?

Because of the hairy ape-like creature seen on the grassy knoll in Dallas 1963!:D
 
Re: Re: Re: these stories drive

Mr. R.I.N.G. said:
Because of the hairy ape-like creature seen on the grassy knoll in Dallas 1963!:D

Fool, buying that disinformation...

It was a Mothman/Grey Hybrid created by the Illuminati :p
 
The Skunk Ape

New, agglomerated skunk ape thread. There will probably be new bits shifted into it over the coming months..

Stu, 10/11/12
 
I'm surprised the Myakka photos aren't more discussed. Although it's not a video, the image of the creature is a lot clearer to my eyes than the one in the patterson footage. You can make out more detail in this; texture of the hair, reflective eyes, shape of the teeth, ect. Any idea why this isn't more discussed? Or is it and I'm just oblivious? Personally, I find it more striking than the Patterson video, even though it's just a static image.

The embedded link is dead. The MIA webpage can be accessed via the Wayback Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/20040602225240/http://www.lorencoleman.com/myakka.html
 
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Bannik said:
I'm surprised the Myakka photos aren't more discussed. Although it's not a video, the image of the creature is a lot clearer to my eyes than the one in the patterson footage. You can make out more detail in this; texture of the hair, reflective eyes, shape of the teeth, ect. Any idea why this isn't more discussed? Or is it and I'm just oblivious? Personally, I find it more striking than the Patterson video, even though it's just a static image.

When I originally saw the photos in FT, I didn't think much of them, but looking at the larger images in the link you provided, I noticed the long arm... :eek!!!!:
 
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The FT's own Ian Simmons responded thus:
Basically, the Myakka ape photos are cut off from their context.

When it comes to Fortean phenomena, good, clear evidence is rare; you can count stunning-quality films and photos on one hand and can pretty much forget about conclusive material evidence. So, when something out of the ordinary appears it is a cause of much interest, as with the recent Myakka Skunk Ape photographs.
Given that the pictures are extremely clear, showing a credible ape-like creature seemingly performing a well known ape behaviour -- a "pant-hoot" — we seem well on the way to confirming the existence of this legendary cryptid. But are we! The photos themselves are not conclusive proof because of the possibility that they are good quality fakes. (No amount of analysis can demonstrate any film or photograph to be genuine, only "not yet shown to be fake"). But good evidence should allow researchers to build on it. Do the Myakka photos allow this!

Regrettably not; they follow a pattern we have seen with other high-profile evidence that ultimately fails to prove its case simply because of the way it has entered the public domain.

Let's look at how this comes about. We are told that the Myakka photos were taken in September or October last year, were sent to the sheriff's department in December by the woman who took them and that they were subsequently made public by David Barkasy, who owns the Silver City Serpentarium, a local animal attraction. Effectively, it means that all access to the pictures and the story is through Barkasy and we are entirely reliant on his word in judging the truth. We only have a general area for the sighting -- near Route I-75 and no access to the photographer. Months have elapsed since the sighting, which makes it difficult, if not impossible, for researchers to make a meaningful investigation of the site for physical traces. Nor can we make any judgement of the veracity of the original witness - who wished to remain anonymous. This basically cuts the photos off from their context, leaving them to stand or fall on their own. In this way, the Myakka photos follow the pattern of two other pieces of sensational fortean evidence — the Minnesota Iceman and the Roswell Autopsy film.

In the first case, showman Frank Hansen says he was approached by a Hollywood star, who wished to remain anonymous, but who owned an ape-man encased in ice which he wanted displayed. The frozen body created a sensation and was pronounced genuine by cryptozoologists Bemard Heuvelmans and Ivan Sanderson after examining it through the ice. The furore that followed prompted Hansen to return the beast to its owner and substitute a rubber replica, which has toured periodically since. Here, again, we are left without access to the originator and no testable samples (the original researchers were not allowed to breach the ice) that would ascertain whether or not the corpse was genuine.

Likewise, the visually impressive Roswell film was made public by Ray Santilli, who obtained it from a cameraman insisting on anonymity. There has been confirmation from Kodak that the film's serial number is from 1947, but no-one except Santilli and his associates have seen the piece of film with the identifying code. A part of the film has been independently tested and dated to the right year, but that did not show any image recognisable from the film released to the public — only what looked like steps; it cannot even be proved to come from the autopsy film.

Again, all evidence rests on the word of the discloser who is also promoting the story. Nor can we get corroboration from the alleged cameraman because, we are told, he is deceased. Even if we could convincingly place the film in 1947 — thus slightly strengthening the case for the rest of the tale being true — we would still have very little chance of clarifying the origin of the dissected entities it depicts. On the other hand, there have been some very effective critiques of the film — notably Rod Dickinson's UnConvention presentation — which demonstrate that it could have been faked; better access to the original material would help refute such critiques.

These three cases follow essentially the same pattern: seemingly impressive evidence; no way for researchers to contact the anonymous originator; difficulties in accessing any potentiallly corroborative evidence; and a single person who is acting as promoter of the material and sole guardian of the story. Such circumstances make for a very frustrating situation: the material is good enough to either produce definite proof of an entity's existence or significantly advance its credibility; but, because of the way it has been disclosed, it falls just short, boosting the mystery rather than solving it.

While I have no proof that Barkasy, Hansen or Santilli have been anything but genuine about their material under less than ideal circumstances, it does leave them open to criticism from the more sceptical (and cynical), that they faked the material to boost a commercial enterprise, be it Serpentarium, sideshow or film company. In an era in which fortean phenomena are increasingly being faked for publicity stunts — for instance, the Cake Company PR agency planting mystery animal stories to promote a video game and faking falls of fruit and simulacra to hype a breakfast cereal — those who turn up genuine evidence have a responsibility to treat it openly. If they don't they will be forever tainted with the suggestion of fakery.
from here
Link is dead. The MIA text (quoted in full above) can be accessed via the Wayback Machine:
https://web.archive.org/web/20030302094155/http://www.n2.net/prey/bigfoot/articles/ft142.htm


All fair points. Again, as with the Patterson film, I'd like to believe it's authentic photographic evidence - I do believe in the objective existence of Skunk Apes, certainly: if I may reference myself my take on it is on this page of the Bigfoot in America thread.
 
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The photos were discussed in a thread started by Tangmallow, I think, but his posts have gone, so the thread has too presumably....
 
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