North American Wood Ape Conservancy

Wildlife biologist reports day time visual encounter while placing game camera north of the North Canadian River.

Report#: 02100008
Occurred Summer 2002: (Submitted October 24, 2010)

Witness Observation

Two of us were planning to place a camera trap near a tree line in an area of recent sightings. After walking in a ways, my associate decided to run back to the vehicle to drive it in closer. While he was gone I decided to walk off the path to try to look at a white-tail buck we'd passed earlier. I hadn't gone very far when a large black creature ran out from behind a tree. It ran on two legs, very rapidly, across a break in the narrow band of trees into more tree cover.

The creature appeared to be tall and muscular, with very wide shoulders. My impression was that its bulk was comparable to an Angus bull. It did not run upright but was stooped over, like it was trying to minimize its size. I did not see its face.

Time and Conditions

Weather was clear.

Investigator's Comments

Daryl Colyer

This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred during the late summer of 2002 in Canadian County, Oklahoma, a few miles north of the North Canadian River.

The witness is an extremely seasoned wildlife biologist, outdoorsman, and naturalist. Having established a close relationship with the witness over the last decade, I can say without hesitation or doubt that his integrity, honesty, and character are of the highest order.

The witness is certain that what he saw defies conventional explanation and that there is no known North American animal that can be reasonably offered as a likely alternate candidate. The subject with which he came into visual contact at a distance of roughly forty yards was bipedal, but was not quite upright?it was in a stooped posture?and briskly sprinted across an opening. The way that the subject ran reminded the witness of how a soldier in combat might run to avoid hostile fire. The subject?s bipedal posture while sprinting alone disqualifies all North American species except for humans; however, the sheer size of the subject as described by the witness?probably between seven and eight feet in height?disqualifies a human as the source. The witness described the subject as black and hairy.

The witness, along with his associate, had been led into the area by a rash of alleged sightings as well as a couple of compelling photographs and rumors of a video. Supposedly, the video had been taken at a local casino by a security camera of what appeared to be a sasquatch feeding from a grease pit. While the area certainly seemed as unlikely habitat for a large, rare and secretive animal to reside, a plausible explanation is that it was merely a temporary abode for a transient individual or two along a riparian corridor. The transient individual(s) hypothesis is reinforced by the fact that the rash of alleged sightings spanned only a temporary period before dying down.

It is also worth noting that when the the witness and his associate returned several days later to retrieve the game camera that they deployed, the camera had been removed from the tree and had the appearance of having been tossed or carried a number of feet away from the tree where it had been attached. The bungee cord had also been removed. There was no photographic evidence of anything similar to what the witness saw.

Nowadays, the witness is involved with the NAWAC in its endeavor to move the sasquatch from the list of hypothetical creatures onto the list of known species.

The area is largely comprised of prairie with intermittent timber.

There are water sources in the area.

The North Canadian River is only a few miles south.

Additional reports in this county

Occurred Fall 1970 in Canadian County, OK

Submitted on March 8, 2009

Coon hunter reports late night visual encounter on Canadian River in Central Oklahoma. Read more...

Class 1a: A sasquatch/bigfoot specimen has been collected (alive or dead).
Class 1b: A report investigation results in a sasquatch observation or the documentation of clear tracks or other forms of physical evidence by an investigator.
Class 1c: An investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot by a very reliable observer is a distinct possibility, tangible corroborating evidence is documented, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 1d: A visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility involving two or more reliable observers, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 2: Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is exceptionally trustworthy, professionally trained, and experienced in the outdoors and/or is accustomed to looking for and recording details (e.g., biologist, anthropologist/archaeologist, ranger, trapper/tracker/seasoned hunter, bird watcher, game warden, naturalist, law enforcement), and other explanations can be reasonably excluded.
Class 3a: Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is credible, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 3b: Unidentifiable vocalizations were reported and there is accompanying tangible evidence to possibly indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot, the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 3c: No visual encounter occurred, but physical evidence was found to indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot (tracks, hair, scat, etc.), the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.