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 The legend of Bigfoot has been told for
centureis, but some local residents have come forward to say it is more
than a legend in Scioto County. According to them, Bigfoot is alive and
lurking in the Shawnee Forest.
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- Dallas Gilbert said he has seen Bigfoot,
smelled Bigfoot and has even been lifted off the ground by Bigfoot.
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- "I have seen the creature nine times,"
Gilbert said. "I have been in situations that have nearly scared me
to death."
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- Gilbert has numerous videos and pictures
showing what he believes is proof of a local Bigfoot community. Although
he will not discuss the exact location -for fear of Bigfoot's safety- Gilbert
said he has seen where Bigfoot calls home.
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- "There are places where you can
see territorial markings and snaps that the creature has made in the trees,"
Gilbert said. "There are even canopies and bows made of trees for
him to sleep under."
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- A burial stone with the impression of
Bigfoot is another piece of evidence Gilbert points to as proof the creature
exists.
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- "It looks like a tombstone almost,"
Gilbert said. "You can see the outlines of the creature's eyes, head
and his teeth.
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- Gilbert said the stone could represent
a burial site for a Bigfoot creature or creatures. Although Gilbert claims
he has discussed his findings with a primatologist in Columbus, he would
not give the expert's name or what she said about his alleged discovery.
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- "There's nothing else like in in
the world, from what I know," Gilbert said.
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- Wayne Burton is Gilbert's Bigfoot-hunting
partner and also said he believes the creature exists. He first saw Bigfoot
in 1978 and has seen the creature several other times, he said.
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- "We realize that it's a hard thing
to believe if you haven't seen it," Burton said. "There are a
lot of skeptics out there, so we want to prove to people that Bigfoot does
exist in Scioto County."
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- According to Burton, he has nearly been
attacked by the creature during one of his expeditions. Bigfoot charged
and came within 20 feet of him, he said.
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- "I turned around and Bigfoot was
gruntin', growlin' and carrying' on," Burton said. "It was a
scary, scary thing."
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- Although Burton and Gilbert are excited
about their alleged discovery, Shawnee Forest officials are not so enthused.
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- "We have had no confirmed sightings
of Bigfoot out here," said Ben Hamilton, assistant manager of Shawnee
Forest. "There has been no concrete proof that anything exists like
that here."
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- Hamilton said he has seen Gilbert's pictures,
but still is not convinced the photos show any type of Bigfoot creature.
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- "No one has proven that there are
such things as Bigfoot," Hamilton said, "let alone one in the
Shawnee Forest."
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