Two Sasquatch Hunters Found Dead in Washington Forest

There's a case that's been making the rounds online that every serious researcher needs to hear about. Two experienced outdoorsmen from Portland headed into the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State during Christmas week of 2024, searching for Sasquatch. They never came home. The details surrounding this tragedy are haunting, and honestly, the more you dig into them, the harder they are to explain away. A YouTube channel called Dark Case Society recently put together a deep dive into the entire story, and it's worth every minute of your time if you haven't seen it yet. **The Backstory That Sets the Stage** The Gifford Pinchot National Forest isn't just any stretch of woods. This place has been a hotspot for Sasquatch reports for decades, spanning hundreds of thousands of acres of rugged mountains, dense evergreens, and valleys where visibility drops to almost nothing within a few yards. For anyone who's spent time researching sightings in the Pacific Northwest, this region is practically holy ground. Skamania County in particular has long been associated with unusual encounters, and it's one of the reasons the area earned its reputation in the first place. One of the most well-known modern accounts from this forest dates back to January 2015. An experienced hunter named Brent Dawson was reviewing footage from his motion-activated trail cameras when he spotted something that stopped him cold. A large dark figure crouched between two trees. At first, he figured it was a black bear. Then it moved, rising up onto two feet with arms that hung far lower than any human's would. Brent packed his gear and left the forest before sunset. He later admitted that if the camera hadn't caught that movement, he might never have realized something had been watching him from the trees. No wildlife agency ever verified the footage, but the story spread through hunting forums and Sasquatch communities like wildfire, becoming one of the most repeated modern accounts tied to this forest. **The Two Hunters** The men at the center of this case were 59-year-old Gregor Sheperost and 37-year-old John Thomas. Gregor wasn't some inexperienced camper chasing internet stories. Friends described him as someone who understood wilderness survival better than most professionals. He could navigate dense forest without technology, read subtle animal tracks, and stay out for days in conditions that would send most people packing. But Gregor also carried a story of his own. Years earlier, during another wilderness trip, he was resting outside his tent on a warm afternoon when an overpowering odor drifted through the trees. He opened his eyes and found himself staring at an enormous upright figure covered in dark hair, standing only a short distance away. Neither moved for several long seconds. Gregor instinctively reached for his rifle, but before he could raise it, the towering figure turned and vanished into the forest with astonishing speed, disappearing between the trees almost instantly despite its massive size. That encounter changed him. He became convinced whatever he had seen was real, and he wanted to prove it. John Thomas worked a regular banking job, but his true passion was the outdoors. The two men met during a hunting trip earlier in 2024 and quickly developed a close friendship. Gregor shared years of hunting knowledge, teaching John how to read tracks and understand wildlife behavior. John helped Gregor organize financial matters that had become increasingly difficult. By late autumn, their ordinary hunting trips had evolved into something far more ambitious. Gregor wanted to search for the creature that had haunted his thoughts for years, not just to glimpse it, but to find undeniable proof that the legend existed. John agreed without hesitation. **The Expedition** On December 22nd, 2024, the two men drove into the heart of Skamania County and established their base camp near a remote location known locally as Paco's Rock. From there, they pushed deeper into one of the least traveled sections of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Most people wouldn't choose the middle of winter for an expedition like this, but longtime Sasquatch researchers have often noted that colder months seem to bring increased reports of unusual encounters. Some believe harsh winter conditions force wildlife, and perhaps anything else living in those forests, to move into unfamiliar territory while searching for food. Whether those stories hold any truth is impossible to prove, but Gregor believed them. This time, he intended to test the legend for himself. The plan was simple: spend a few days deep in the wilderness, investigate the area Gregor believed held the greatest chance of an encounter, and return home before Christmas was over. That never happened. **The Search and the Discovery** As Christmas Eve passed without a call or a message, concern quickly spread among their families. Just after 1:00 a.m. on Christmas Day, a worried family member contacted the Skamania County Sheriff's Office and reported both men overdue. Within hours, a massive search operation was underway. More than 60 volunteers joined deputies, search and rescue specialists, and emergency crews in one of the county's largest winter searches in recent memory. Investigators eventually located the men's silver-gray pickup truck parked near Oklahoma Road outside the small community of Willard, Washington. From there, rescuers followed the only path available into the forest. Ground teams pushed through snow-covered trails while search dogs worked to pick up any scent. Drones scanned sections of wilderness that were nearly impossible to reach on foot. Above them, a Coast Guard helicopter flew repeated passes using infrared equipment, searching for any sign of heat beneath the freezing canopy. The conditions were brutal. Snow continued falling. Freezing rain soaked clothing and equipment. Streams overflowed from melting ice, making every mile more dangerous than the last. Still, the search continued day and night. For three long days, hope slowly gave way to uncertainty. Then on December 28th, rescuers finally made the discovery everyone had feared. Deep inside an isolated stretch of forest southeast of the campsite, they found Gregor and John. Both men were dead. **What Makes This Case Refuse to Disappear** The location of the discovery made everything even more puzzling. Their bodies weren't miles away after becoming hopelessly lost. They were found close to their tent, their supplies still inside, their camp showing almost no signs of panic. And tucked into one corner of the tent sat a strange 10-pound mass that no official report has ever fully explained. Authorities eventually closed the case, calling it a tragic accident caused by severe winter conditions. But for many people who studied the details, that explanation never answered the biggest questions. Even today, hunters, researchers, and mystery enthusiasts continue debating what may have happened in those silent woods. The Dark Case Society video covers all of this in much greater detail, including the full timeline, the search efforts, and the lingering questions that still surround the case. It's a sobering watch, but one that raises important points about what we know, what we don't know, and why these forests continue to draw people who are willing to risk everything for an answer. If this case has been on your radar, or if it's the first time you're hearing about it, the video is well worth your time. Just be prepared, because once you start pulling on this thread, it doesn't let go easily.