Any suspected Sasquatch footsteps/stomps around you lately?

[Tylo]

Wondering if any of you have heard any suspected Saquatch footsteps around you lately?  I had a strange thing happen in early November while I was checking on the stray cat outside. It was probably between 11 PM and 12 when this happened:  I was about to run down into the basement using the outside door to get the cat some fresh water, made it out the back door and got close to the basement steps when just in the darkness ouside of the flood light range I heard something make a commotion in the leaves.  It sounded BIG, lots of rustling around then four footstomps, pause..., then stomp, stomp (two more after the four) then dead silence.  Sounded big, heavy, bipedal.  That happened at the top of the stairwell to the basement.  I paused, a bit stunned, listened for a bit then quickly turned around and went back inside, it was very close to me.  I did break my "Do Not Go Out After Dark" rule LOL, but it was for the kitty.  Of course, I startled something just outside the edge of the light.  I do live around cattle and deer, footsteps definitely were not of the four legged variety. I'm not a small female but I know I cannot make such heavy footstep sounds no matter how much I hop up and down on the ground.  Have any of you hearding stomping footsteps lately?

[NorthWind]

Stomping, no. At times Madison and I hear things moving near us. We generally hear knocks.

 

Roughly where are you located, @Tylo?

[Tylo]

Missouri, rural area.

 

[Madison5716]

I would take a good look around the property in daylight. Then go buy audio recorders and lots of batteries and let it run all night. Odds are on human prowlers more than sasquatch, but never say never! Got dogs and protection, good locks and cell service?

[NorthWind]

10 hours ago, Tylo said:

Missouri, rural area.

 

https://www.bfro.net/GDB/state_listing.asp?state=mo

 

And I was going to check the SSR, but cannot log in for some reason.

 

[Tylo]

Yes, it was interesting due to the sound of the weight.  Only middle aged people around me, no kids/teens. Also, people heavily armed.  Unfortunately we can't have dogs, too unsafe for them.  I noticed that even with my heavy snow boots and stomping around I could not come close to reproducing the sound.  I certainly startled someone.  : )  I will probably invest in some trail cams at some point this year.  Things do happen in the yard but nothing threatening, I usually make sure chores are done before nightfall.

[DrPSH]

Tylo, do you know what makes the environment around you unsafe for dogs? I ask because we have some very active coyote packs near us and have seen them in the woods that surround our home (always at dusk or after dark, we see their eye shine and when we watch carefully we are able to see them moving through the woods if the moon is out). As a result, we don't allow our overly fat yet still small, four-legged family member outside off his leash by himself day or night.

[hiflier]

1 hour ago, Tylo said:

I noticed that even with my heavy snow boots.....

 

You have snow I take it then? This is news to no one, but anything heavy, or even light, will leave tracks. Can't be avoided. Some daytime exploring could provide you with some good sound answers to your night walker.

[Tylo]

DrPSH, we also have coyotes.  I grew up with them very near the house, they switch from the north side to the south side of the road during the year.  Moving closer to the river and fields, seasonal I think.  Unsafe for dogs here because they could be shot if they got loose or hit by a car. We no longer have a sturdy fence. 

 

hifler, we recently had a snow.  I was still trying to figure out the footfalls when I had my big snow boots on. I really experiment and it is a bit silly but I try.  When I heard the heavy footsteps, we did not have snow.  Lots of fallen leaves, dry. That is how I first heard the commotion, something really stirring around in the leaves.  Was not small.  We have lots of raccoons and possums.  This was larger.  Much larger.  Was not a deer, distinctive bipedal footsteps.

 

We've just had the typical things that people report happen in the yard.  Arches, asterisks, interwoven branches, upright sticks, trees bent, etc. I pay close attention to what changes in yard.  Usually when something changes, I had just been doing gardening/yardwork in that specific area.  It's interesting to be sure.

[Tylo]

This kind of activity happens around here.  Trees/branches manipulated.  Every one of these manipulations happened after I had been working in the area.  Sometimes I talk to myself.  The first photo shows a dead tree that had fallen, I had said out loud (I'm sure) that when winter comes, I'll need to cut it and get it out of there-making a note of it.  Not too long after that, the top of that fallen dead tree was twisted, broken, bent upward and woven through three tree trunks.   There is an asterisk that was woven into tree trunks.  The last one is a sapling that was bent/twisted on both sides, happened after I had been weeding the iris bed.  Tree manipulation.  

[NorthWind]

Look closely for hairs, I suggest.

[Tylo]

NorthWind:  I do look carefully for anything else that has changed in an area with the tree/branch stuff.  Have never seen any hairs, only plenty of breaks, there is a certain type of twist/bend/break to things. We've been having this stuff happen since 2014/15.  Obvious (to me) alteration of trees/branches.  One possible print in the soil that may have been fingertips/partial palm, inch deep.  Since I constantly wander around in the yard, I know what changes.  We've had a series of things happen in this area, much of it subtle and non threatening.

[DrPSH]

Good job paying such close attention, Tylo!

 

[NorthWind]

Good eye, Tylo. Call me crazy, but that center picture you posted - the sunburst one - is beautiful. 

 

For the twists, can you tell if they are all in one direction, i.e. clockwise or counter-clockwise? Might give you clues if it was from the same individual and also handedness. Right handed would likely twist clockwise, I would think. Maybe. Might be good to note, IDK.

[Tylo]

NorthWind, it was a bit startling to see the asterisk/sunburst appear in the tree.  I had been in the area picking up things to get ready to mow.  A few days later I was on the mower and saw it.  It is very close to the house, by an old outbuilding, close to barns.   I can say that when this type of thing began to appear in the yard I was extremely uncomfortable with it.  It is sporadic activity but something seems to happen with trees/branches each year.  One year the top of a thin tree was snapped off and placed directly in front of the riding mower in a straight line.  There was another tree between the broken tree and the mower, if it had been natural it would have fallen directly down or tangled in the other trees.  The piece that had been broken off was approximately 7/8 feet long and was placed about 15 feet away from the broken tree.  In conjunction with that there was another 8/9 foot branch interlocked with a branch 12 feet high in an east/west orientation. 

 

There have been tree/branch/stick things of small scale close to the ground which made me think perhaps a young one?  There have been things really high, too.  Don't know what to make of it all.  I just video record and photograph things.  It usually happens after I've been working in the yard so the changes are unmistakable.  Kind of in your face sometimes and other times it's like one of those puzzles where you need to find changes in a picture that are different than the original.

 

In 2017 I had been working in the pumpkin patch.  Two days later a 7/8 foot forked branch was leaned up against the walnut tree where I had been weeding.  I paused and looked at the branch closely.  It was not a walnut or maple branch, I thoroughly checked both trees, the bark was different and it was not fresh.  You just pause and wonder.  I'm somewhat accustomed to it now but I should not go outside when it's dark.