CreekDevil Episode Explores Catskills Field Research and Sasquatch Stigma

There's something fascinating happening over on the Creek Devil YouTube channel, and if you haven't checked it out yet, you're missing out on some really compelling field research discussion. In a recent episode, host William Jevning sits down with two guests, Norma and Lisa, for an update on their ongoing investigations. Lisa, who has been exploring the northern Catskills region of New York, shares some genuinely intriguing findings from a brand new area she recently gained access to. After one of the hottest and driest summers on record dried up her usual mountain water sources, Lisa got permission to explore thousands of forested acres on a massive farm property in the valley below. What she found there has researchers talking. The standout discovery? A teepee-style structure. Lisa mentions she's spent years in the Catskills and has never come across these classic wood structures before, though she's found other things that might have been created by Sasquatch. This one was large but not particularly intricate, and what made it especially interesting was a smaller, crudely made structure on a nearby dead tree break just five inches off the ground. When two structures appear together like that, it raises questions about what—or who—made them. But the feeding evidence might be the most compelling part. Lisa found striped maples (those understory bushes that can grow over 20 feet tall in the Northeast) where something had been sitting and eating not just the leaves but breaking off branch ends that were still wet with saliva. She followed the trail of broken branches and a pushed-over sapling and discovered something remarkable: a mushroom that had been picked and placed in the fork of a dead tree about three feet off the ground. That's the kind of deliberate behavior that researchers have been documenting for decades. She also came across what appeared to be an old trackway with footprints in the 14-inch range—not the massive 18-inch prints some report, but still substantial—and fresh scat that was bright green, matching the foliage being consumed. For those unfamiliar with the work being done in the Northeast, the Catskills have a long history of Sasquatch reports. The dense forests, rugged terrain, and remote areas make it prime habitat, though many people dismiss the idea of these beings existing in states like New York. Lisa actually touches on this frustration in the interview, mentioning how even people in her local hiking groups don't want to engage with the topic, and how her own father gets angry whenever she brings it up—comparing her research to chasing leprechauns. The conversation also gets into something really interesting about why people react with such strong emotions to the subject. Jevning brings up the possibility that sometimes the anger comes from a place of concern, or that people might know more than they're letting on. Lisa mentions that her father grew up camping in upstate New York back when camping meant pulling over on a dirt road and heading into the woods, which opens up a whole other line of questioning about family histories and encounters that often go unspoken. This is the kind of grassroots field investigation that deserves more attention. Lisa's methodical approach—following broken branches, examining scat, documenting structures—represents the kind of patient, detective work that builds the case. The placement of that mushroom in the tree fork alone is worth pondering. These beings have been observed caching food in similar ways across multiple regions, and it fits a pattern researchers have been tracking for years. If you're interested in serious field research, eyewitness accounts, and discussions that treat the subject with the respect it deserves, this episode is worth your time. Creek Devil has been at this for over 40 years, and episodes like this one show why that experience matters.