In 1968 we were logging just out of Hayfork, California and on the weekends a group from the Bay area would come up to hunt old Bigfoot. One weekend we camped at Stuart Gap near Platina. There was 16 of us; we had finished dinner after a long days hunt and was just setting around discussing the next days plans when a couple dropped by riding horses heading to a small lake about 4 miles north of us.

Around 9pm we heard something coming down the trail it was the horses running wild through the forest but no riders! We decided to wait till daylight and go look for them. The lake was in a ‘no vehicle allowed area’ - you had to hike or ride a horse in about 3 miles from where you left your horses in a forest service corral. Later that night about 1am we were awakened by these loud screams of something not like any animal I had ever heard in that part of the woods.

We lit a fire and set waiting hoping to see what was making all that noise. So just past daylight we crossed the road and a small creek looking for sign. What we found was around 160 tracks, each 21 inches long by 7 inches wide and part of a fresh killed deer. It appeared it had been ambushed with one creature standing behind a large yellow pine on a deer trail the other creature following behind. It appeared the creature just stepped out and grabbed the deer. Most of this doe was taken but the head to just behind the front shoulder was all that was left. It looked as if she had been ripped in two the spinal cord was twisted in two.

As for the horses, 2 years later a forest service ranger found their carcasses or part of them stuck in a rock out cropping 7 miles from our camp. The couple walked out unhurt but terrified and claimed two huge hairy stinky creatures tried to ambush them the horse threw them and ran off. As I said they weren’t hurt but just scared to death. They had holed up in some rocks and waited the night out.

I have several stories from the Stuart Gap area; will send another in a day or two. We found a great deal of evidence over the years in that area. Some of these can be found in John Green’s books On the Trail of Sasquatch. I have a friend who is hunting that area every summer. It’s hard for me to get out much now I’m 60 and have under gone 8 major back surgeries. I know they are in that area a family of them and have seen them on 4 different occasions.

Hope you all enjoyed that story I have many more from over the 26 years I worked in Trinity County; many years a logger from Anderson, California and involved with John Green in his research. I now live in Indiana but still fast to the research. Anyone who wishes to contact me at my email address feel free

Ben Foster


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