California Ranks Second In Bigfoot Sightings

SACRAMENTO, CA — Looking for Bigfoot? California has emerged as one of the nation's top states where you might spot the elusive, hairy beast. That's according to Travel Channel, which published its list of the eight best places to catch a glimpse of the fabled creature.

The list is drawn using "never-before-released data," analysts from the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (yes, it's a thing) wrote. "This exclusive tracking information comes from BFRO's Follow-Up Log and Tracking System (FLATS) — the world's ultimate sasquatch database of compiled sightings and testimonies."

Researchers scoured through reports of 23,000 Bigfoot sightings from across the country in achieving its state-to-state compilation. California emerged as the second-ranked state for such sightings, totalling 1,697 and that does not include the "Harry and the Hendersons" film.

And those living in the mountains and forested areas of California have the best chance of running across the mysterious creature. Researchers provided an example of such an encounter — a harrowing account from a hunter that also involves a hog.

"California has long been home to the hairy cryptid," Travel Channel researchers wrote. "In fact, it was here, in 1958, when a construction worker named Jerry Crew stumbled upon massive footprints in a dirt road. He made casts using some of his construction equipment, and eventually the story reached the media. The newspapers named this new creature Bigfoot."

It's unclear from the report if the Bigfoot climbed a redwood tree or grabbed a surf board to go hang 10.

Fueled by first-person accounts, the Golden State nearly topped the list in terms of sightings. In descending order, these are the states yielding the greatest likelihood for Bigfoot sightings:

• WASHINGTON. With 2,032 sightings, the state of Washington is the world's most active region for Bigfoot encounters, according to Travel Channel. The most popular spots for Bigfoot hunters include the Blue Mountains, Okanogan County and Ape Canyon. The latter is the site of one of the most aggressive Bigfoot encounters ever reported, researchers said: "In 1924, a group of miners reported being attacked by multiple sasquatch, which allegedly threw rocks at their cabin and tried to break in. Years after the notorious attacks, an experienced skier vanished near the very same locale. Making these events even more intriguing is the fact that native legend has long told of a species of ape-men living on nearby Mount St. Helens." That's right: Ape men.
• CALIFORNIA. "California has long been home to the hairy cryptid," Travel Channel researchers begin, giving us a new tidbit and vocabulary word in one fell swoop. Among the 1,697 sightings recorded was one involving construction worker Jerry Crew in 1958, who is said to have stumbled across a massive set of footprints on a dirt road. Using the full extent of his handyman powers, Crew made casts of the prints and thus introduced the creature to a wider audience via the media which first dubbed the creature as "Bigfoot."
• PENNSYLVANIA. There have been 1,340 sightings across the Appalachian range amid its hundreds of miles of connected forest lands, Travel Channel researchers said. This is where a bicyclist once decided to take a rest only to awake to see what he thought was a bear rummaging through a downed tree, researchers wrote. When the 7-foot bi-pedal creature stood up to reveal its seven-foot height, the biker knew this was no bear.
• MICHIGAN. While this state is most associated for the legend of "Dogman," it has logged 1,131 Bigfoot sightings. A high concentration of sightings has centered on the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in the state's rugged Upper Peninsula, according to the Travel Channel. One woman here reported pulling into a rest area with her infant only to wake up to see a large, hairy creature staring at her child through the windshield, according to the report.
• NEW YORK. Whitehall, N.Y. has long been known as the Bigfoot capital of the East Coat, researchers noted. With 1,068 sightings of Bigfoot recorded, locals have dubbed the creature the official town animal, Travel Channel reported. This is where the "Abair Road Incident" occurred, involving a group of teenagers who claimed a large and hairy creature charged at them, according to researchers. Police who were dispatched to the scene are said to have also seen the beast, giving the incident that much more currency to researchers.
• OHIO. The eastern portion of the state is particularly teeming with sightings, Travel Channel reports. All told, there have been 1,042 sightings in Ohio. Weird creature aficionados also enjoy searching for what the locals call "The Grassman," a large ape-like creature said to roam the hills and forests of Ohio's Appalachian plateau, according to Travel Channel. The "Ohio Howl" is often heard from the thicket, a jarring series of screams and howls believed to be the call of the sasquatch.
• OREGON. Among the most convincing accounts among Oregon's 1,009 sightings is that of a psychiatrist who was vacationing with his family at Oregon Caves National Monument, as Travel Channel noted. As they left the caves, researchers said, the family watched as a sasquatch ran through the trees.

Skeptics of Bigfoot's existence might want to study the research of a statement published by DNA Diagnostics Inc. The detailed 5-year study purportedly “confirms the existence of a novel hominin hybrid species, commonly called ‘Bigfoot’ or ‘Sasquatch,’ living in North America" as buttressed by scientists' claims of having successfully sequenced the Bigfoot DNA. Needless to say, there were some doubting the claims.

Humboldt County, which has the majority of Bigfoot sightings according to the Big Foot Field Researchers Organization, details an account from 2003, where a fisherman came near-face to face with a Sasquatch who was also catching some fish of his own.

"I would have to say that it was 7'6” tall, and it had to weigh over 400 lbs. It finally turned to me and made me out in a second, but when it turned, it didn’t run away instantly," the reporting party wrote. "It just stood there. I guess it was trying to see what I was. We must have looked at each other for 10 seconds or so, but it felt like 10 minutes. And in that time all I could see was that the creature had dark reddish brown hair, and the arms easily hung down to the creatures knees."

Still a non-believer? More information on the Bigfoot will be shared at the upcoming Original Texas Bigfoot Conference staged by the Texas Bigfoot Research Center on Oct. 18-19.

The annual gathering has convened since 2001, this year taking place at the Jefferson Tourism and Visitor Center, 305 E. Austin St., in Jefferson, Texas. Conference admission includes a catered barbecue dinner that we're fairly certain is beef.

The truth is out there. Increasingly in California, that truth may be lurking among the redwoods. Behold:

Patch editor Tony Cantu, Patch Staffer Ashley Ludwig contributed to this report.