Veteran Shares Multiple Bigfoot Encounters and Ongoing Research

If you're a fan of witness interviews, there's a fantastic one floating around YouTube right now that's worth carving out some time for. A researcher named Eric Pototts sits down to share his experiences investigating reports in the Boogie Woods area of Missouri, and let me tell you, this one has layers. Eric's interest goes way back to the early 1970s when he had a sighting as a kid. He's always considered Sasquatch to be an unknown ape, which is a perspective shared by many researchers who lean toward the relic hominid theory. For those unfamiliar, this theory suggests Bigfoot could be a surviving species of primitive ape, perhaps related to Gigantopithecus, an enormous primate that once roamed Asia. It's one of the more popular explanations in the field, alongside the interdimensional hypothesis and the idea that they could be surviving Neanderthal populations. Things really ramped up for Eric in 2017 when he learned about the Boogie Woods, located north of Dexter, Missouri. The area already had a reputation for ghost stories and strange happenings, but when Eric dug deeper, he found Bigfoot reports at the bottom of the lore pile. Just an hour from his home, he started finding tree structures and footprints during his visits. Tree structures, for those new to the subject, are sometimes called "bed sites" or "nests" and are a common type of evidence reported by investigators. They're often described as platforms of bent or woven branches. In 2020, Eric linked up with a local group in Cape, and the activity in the area was described as "hot." He spent two and a half years heading out every other weekend, holidays included, and reports seeing them about seven times. That's a solid track record for any investigator. One of the most chilling parts of the interview involves an incident from 1983 at Little Rock Air Force Base. Eric was in the military, out in the field around midnight, when something that looked like a bush suddenly jumped up and bolted down the trail. The group had blanks, so someone yelled "Don't shoot!" The figure was estimated at around six feet tall but described as massive. Interestingly, Eric mentions the old military map that supposedly lists Sasquatch among animals to watch out for, which has been a piece of folklore in Bigfoot circles for decades. Whether that map is real or apocryphal, it always makes for a fascinating talking point. But the encounter that really got Eric's group going happened on Labor Day weekend in 2020. Eight of them were hanging out at a campground, gabbing around a fire with a full moon lighting things up. Eric's wife kept insisting someone was standing in the parking lot watching them. After about 15 minutes of this back-and-forth, Eric finally remembered why they were out there in the first place. He jumped up, spun around, and locked eyes with the figure. Shoulders almost as wide as a car, two big orange-red glowing eyes staring right back at him. He threw his arm up to point it out, but the moment he looked away to grab a spotlight, it vanished into the woods. The group rushed to where Eric's wife said it had been standing and found a wet spot roughly three and a half feet in diameter. It was urine. The smell was strong enough that everyone got a sniff, which is a detail that will either convince you or make you skeptical, but it's the kind of physical evidence that witnesses often report. Then, from the woods, they heard vocalizations. Three distinct voice pitches, so loud and so deep that Eric says he couldn't even attempt to recreate the sound. Multiple witnesses hearing coordinated vocalizations is considered significant in Sasquatch research, as it suggests social structure and communication. The next day, they went back and did measurements. The figure was estimated at eight feet tall. Eight feet is on the larger end of reported Sasquatch sizes, but it's not unheard of. Many researchers have noted that witnesses often describe the creatures as taller than expected, possibly due to the imposing posture and massive build that Sasquatch are known for. Eric also mentions that wood knocks started happening about an hour before sunrise, which is consistent with a pattern many investigators have reported. Wood knocks are one of the most commonly reported types of Sasquatch vocalizations, along with howls, whoops, and the infamous "scream." The knocks are often interpreted as a form of communication or a warning signal. Eric believes the knocks were coming from a nearby cave, though he never went up to investigate because he didn't want to disturb them. That respect for the subject is something you'll find in a lot of seasoned investigators. The interview also touches on Eric's current home setup. He's got a creek in his backyard that runs all the way to the Mississippi River, and he's found footprints in his yard. A neighbor on the other side of the loop has also reported a sighting in her backyard. Eric mentions he's sitting on an old Indian reservation, which adds another layer to the location's history. Many indigenous cultures across North America have long traditions of stories about large, hairy wild people, and some researchers believe these oral histories could provide valuable context for modern sightings. There's also a mention of a birthday camping trip at a different, more hardcore spot with no running water or electric, and the implication that things got intense there too. Eric doesn't go into full detail in this clip, but it's enough to make you want to hear the rest. If any of this piques your interest, do yourself a favor and track down the full interview. Eric comes across as a genuine, level-headed witness, and the details he shares are the kind that keep researchers coming back to Missouri. The Bootheel region has been a hotspot for reports for years, and interviews like this one help paint a picture of what's been happening out there.