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This was discussed in detail many years ago - with a fair bit of misinformation circulated. At the risk of angering members for regurgitating the details here is my summary compiled some time ago: The Justin Smeja Shooting Incident - “Facts” as reported by the two eyewitnesses (they agreed in all salient respects when interviewed separately) – summarized from a variety of sources the most trustworthy to be, in my opinion, Ro Sahebi’s 2013 movie “Dead Bigfoot: A True Story” (resulting from Smeja’s desire to tell his story on camera) Occurred October 8, 2010. Smeja and an anonymous friend, both from Sacramento, were bear hunting in the Sierra Nevada near Gold Lake in Plumas County, California. Gold Lake is about 5.5 miles SW of Graeagle, about 10 miles N of Sierra City, about 45 miles NW of Lake Tahoe, about 50 miles W of Reno, Nevada, and about 90 miles NE of Sacramento. Smeja’s friend was driving his truck, with Smeja in the passenger seat, down a dirt road removed some distance from the nearest well-travelled road through a forested area. They were passing through a meadow expecting to see a bear, if they were to see any wildlife. Just ahead of them about 80 yards off the road to their right (the passenger side) they spotted a dark hair covered animal. They estimated it to be about 7 feet tall – it stood upright and stood and walked like a human. Smeja’s friend stopped his truck and picked up his binoculars. Smeja picked up his scoped rifle (a 25-.06), opened the passenger side door, placed his right foot on the ground, rested the rifle on the car door (window was down), and placed the crosshairs on the animal for 6-7 seconds. Smeja’s friend was telling Smeja in ever more forceful tone: “Bro, don’t shoot. Hey Bro, no! Hey, hey, hey, hey!” Smeja is thinking this animal is out of place; this animal should not be there (his words “this ain’t right”). The animal was standing at the edge of the clearing waving its arms over its head and taking a couple of slow steps toward the truck. Smeja had the crosshairs trained center mass (center high chest) and was squeezing the trigger as the animal started to turn to its left. The gun discharged and impact was positioned just below the right armpit (the driver witnessed the concussion of the shot through his binoculars). The animal stumbled a couple of steps, dropped to all 4’s, and began scrambling quickly over a hill. Smeja had racked another bullet, considered firing a shot up the animal’s A$$ (Smeja’s words), but didn’t, as the driver was yelling: “No way!” As the two humans departed the truck to chase the adult animal to verify the kill, they encountered two young animals at close range. The young animals were searching for their parent – sometimes separating, sometimes rejoining, and vocalizing to one another. Smeja decided to shoot one of the little ones with his chambered round – intending to take a dead little one with them back to civil1zation. Smeja shot it below its chin in the neck just above the chest. It rolled down the hill and landed on Smeja’s right boot. Smeja picked it up and looked right into its eyes as it died in his arms. Smeja said at that moment he realized he had murdered a little kid. He said it was human – not an ape – a little human kid. Smeja said he was not thinking rationally. He thought he had just committed murder. He buried it under some brush intending to return the next day to retrieve it but failed to do so – not returning until Spring 2011 and not finding the body (he found a piece of hair and hide in the general area – DNA testing later determined that to be bear).

The video referenced here has the testimony from Smeja. The adult ran off into the woods on all 4 / 2 legs and disappeared. The two little ones wandered around while Smeja tried to track the adult.

Hello from Southern California! I've always had an interest in the Bigfoot phenomenon, and I'm currently devouring everything I can read about the history of the research, recorded sightings dated waaaaaaaay back, and pretty much everything in between. I'm currently reading In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond, and it's great. I personally think anything is possible, so I'm open to all theories surrounding Bigfoot's existence.

i thought they saw the adult go down and were looking for it when the 2 smaller ones showed up. He shot one of the smaller ones and the other one ran away. I do not believe they found the adult because they got out of there. Just knew the general area it went down (i think from a lung shot). They covered up the little one in debris and got out of there. More than likely if it was not a bear, the little one that ran away brought back another adult, and they retrieved any remains.

Hello, I've always been interested in the topic of bigfoot. Since moving to Ontario over 10 years ago (originally from the UK) and realizing the vastness of the wilderness here, its easy to understand how bigfoot can live almost undetected. Hoping to learn more about this fascinating subject.

This evening, I happened upon an episode of Expedition Bigfoot in Kentucky while channel surfing. I noticed Mayor and Ronnie were poking around a swampy area and both were wearing gaiters. His were clearly snake gaiters. They appeared more rigid and might be either Snake Guardz or Crackshot. I suspect she was wearing snake gaiters too but I couldn't identify them from the limited spots on TV I could see them. I've been out twice this past week and wearing them both times. When I get off trail, or do an overnight, the chaps are coming along too. This is the size of a Timber Rattler I encountered twice last year--both very close to me. It's unsettling just thinking about it.

Not that I'm aware of. Smeja only surfaces when someone recycles the story thinking there are clues yet to be discovered, and he may answer questions based on that. I think BF audiences have squeezed all that is going to be squeezed out of this one. Not mindspeak. He became emotional, realizing he shot what appeared be a somewhat human looking child.

Not really a matter of "how far along" those species are, its not their goal to evolve into a human like species, its to just evolve and see what does or doesnt work out for them, humans are not from other great apes, we simply shared a common ancestor millions of years ago.

It seems like the Bigfoot story is what got him in hot water as opposed to muddying said waters. Seems like he would have taken the ‘3 S’ route if he shot a bear and was trying to avoid attention. Coming out and claiming that you shot not only a Bigfoot but some juvenile Sasquatch as well...that seems like a recipe for disaster no matter who hears the story. Skeptics will think that you are crazy or a hoaxer, Bigfoot believers will want your head for killing the juveniles, F&W are going to think that you poached bears... That’s a lot of drama and hard feelings...and for what? Some mostly negative attempts in the Bigfoot community and the chance to have your face on a few Bigfoot tv shows? Actually, I always think of Smeja as an example of why someone who actually shot one of these things might not want to come forward...even with some sort of proof. You are going to get no warm welcome from any group...least of all people who are involved with the Bigfoot world. You will be considered a crazy hoaxer at worst...a murderer by the tree huggers at best. All those people with visions of Harry and the Hendersons in their heads would be out for your blood.