Bigfoot Researchers Investigate Historic D-Duck Pond Site in Blue Mountains

There's something undeniably special about researchers returning to the exact spot where history was made. That's exactly what happened recently when Chris Spencer and Todd Hale made the pilgrimage to D-Duck Pond in Washington's Blue Mountains—the legendary location where Paul Freeman captured his famous Sasquatch footage back in August of 1992. For Chris, this trip carried extra weight. He was actually a student at Washington State University when the Freeman footage hit the news, and he happened to be taking an anthropology class at the time. Talk about being in the right place at the right moment to witness how a single piece of footage could shake up the entire field. Thirty-three years later, he finally got to stand on that same ground. The Blue Mountains are often overlooked compared to the Cascades and Olympics, but anyone familiar with the subject knows this range holds serious significance. The terrain is different—drier, with less moss and fewer ferns—but the conditions are prime. At 5,100 feet elevation, summer days sit comfortably in the 70s while nights drop into the 40s. There's an abundance of berries (thimbleberries, blueberries, and several unidentified varieties), plenty of water, and perhaps most importantly—silence. No distant traffic, no noise pollution. Just an island of quiet in the middle of nowhere. Chris and Todd didn't just show up to soak in the history. They came prepared. They deployed Pulsar XQ35 Pro thermal units housed in ammo cans—clever DIY setups that can record for about four days on a 50,000 milliamp power brick. One thermal was positioned overlooking the pond where wildlife comes down to drink, while others monitored the camp perimeter. They also brought along a Wildlife Acoustics SM4 Mini song meter for continuous audio recording, capable of capturing up to 210 hours of crystal-clear sound. One of the more intriguing moments came when Chris heard a suspicious knock that didn't match any pileated woodpecker activity he'd observed over three days. Given the time of morning and the sun's position—similar to when Freeman was filming in '92—it's the kind of detail that makes your ears perk up. The duo also examined some three-toed tracks near the pond's edge. Initially interesting due to their size and lack of claw marks, Chris used a scanning app on his phone to zoom in and revealed partial claw marks in the dirt—pointing to a bear as the culprit. A good reminder that not everything in the woods is what it first appears to be, but also a testament to how modern tech can help researchers make more informed assessments in the field. Chris also gave a shoutout to Michael Rugg's book about his father Paul and the Sasquatch encounters in the Blues. For anyone wanting the full backstory on the Freeman footage and the family's experiences, it's considered essential reading. The whole video has that campfire energy—two friends geeking out over history while setting up gear and hoping to add another piece to the puzzle. It's worth checking out for the footage alone, especially if you've ever wanted to see what D-Duck Pond looks like in 2025.