Field Researcher Brenda Harris Recounts Nighttime Sasquatch Encounter

A recent episode from the Creek Devil YouTube channel is generating some serious buzz in the Sasquatch community, and if you haven't caught it yet, you'll want to clear your schedule. Host William Jevning—a two-time witness and field researcher with more than 40 years of experience—sits down with Brenda Harris for a conversation that runs the gamut from a genuinely unsettling photograph to close nighttime encounters that will have you checking the locks on your doors twice. The centerpiece of the discussion is a photograph taken by a man named David Ortiz in the Chuska Mountains. Anyone familiar with Sasquatch research knows the Chuskas have a reputation. The range stretches across the Navajo Nation in New Mexico and Arizona, and its dense forests, rugged terrain, and deep isolation have made it prime territory for researchers and witnesses for decades. It's exactly the kind of place where these elusive hominids could thrive completely undetected. David had pulled off near a picnic area to do some hiking and see if he could find anything unusual—structures, footprints, anything out of the ordinary. He was snapping pictures of an X-shaped tree formation when he captured something he didn't notice until he got home and downloaded the images to his computer. Right there in the frame, right next to his own shadow, is what appears to be another figure. A head, shoulders, the whole silhouette. David swears there was no one else around. He was completely alone. What makes this even more chilling is what David felt in those moments. He described a "bad presence" nearby—something heavy and oppressive that made him cut his trip short and leave. That gut feeling, that sudden inexplicable urge to get out, is something researchers have heard described time and time again. Many witnesses report a heaviness in the air, a sense of being watched, or an almost suffocating feeling that something is just beyond sight. Some call it intuition. Others who've spent enough time in the woods call it a warning. The Creek Devil crew makes an excellent point during the conversation: always have a camera ready, even when nothing seems to be there. Brenda shares her own technique—she'll turn off her flashlight, stand still in one spot for a few minutes, and snap flash photos around her before moving to a new location. It's a method that's been used by researchers for years, and it makes perfect sense. Sasquatch are notoriously sensitive to light, and many witnesses report that turning off all illumination can sometimes draw them in closer, almost out of curiosity. And Brenda would know. She recounts multiple nighttime experiences where she and her sister were essentially surrounded—three or four of them, closing in. The closest was about 60 yards out, standing tall next to an aspen tree with reddish-brown hair, trying to hide behind the trunk. For anyone who's spent time in the mountains, aspen trunks aren't exactly massive. Plenty of them are skinny enough that a person could barely conceal themselves behind one. For a creature described as tall, with a broad frame, to attempt that kind of cover speaks to a certain intelligence, a wariness that's hard to dismiss. Brenda also brings up something that comes up constantly in Sasquatch research: their sense of smell. She mentions they can pick up a human's scent from miles away, and once they do, they sometimes start moving in—especially toward women. This aligns with countless reports over the years. Witnesses have described Sasquatch as having an almost uncanny ability to detect human presence, and many female researchers have noted being approached more readily than their male counterparts. Whether that's curiosity, territorial behavior, or something else entirely, it's a pattern that keeps showing up in the data. The conversation also touches on the importance of staying quiet, moving carefully, and respecting the fact that these beings are aware of you long before you're aware of them. As Brenda puts it, they already know you're there. The moment you step into their territory, the game has changed. If thoughtful, respectful conversations with people who've actually been out there are your thing, do yourself a favor and check out the full episode. Creek Devil consistently delivers, and this one is no exception.