Bigfoot Bulletin - No 09 - 1969

Magazine Overview

Title: BIGFOOT BULLETIN
Issue Date: September 30, 1969
Issue Number: 9
Publisher: George F. Haas
Location: Oakland, California, USA

This issue of the Bigfoot Bulletin focuses on recent reports and investigations into Sasquatch sightings and related phenomena, primarily in North America.

Sasquatch Reported Seen in Alberta

The lead article details a report by John Green, dated September 7, 1969, concerning an incident on August 24, 1969. Five men working on a pumping installation beside the North Saskatchewan River, about 20 miles west of Nordegg, Alberta, Canada, observed a dark, human-shaped figure on a bank approximately 300 feet above them. The figure was seen for about an hour, walking about a quarter mile along the top of the bank before disappearing into trees. The men noted that the figure appeared to be watching heavy equipment at a nearby dam construction site. Later, other men went to the location and found that small trees in the background were less than half the height of the figure, indicating its significant size. The area is noted as being within ten miles of where two 16" and 13" Sasquatch prints were photographed the previous September. Local Indians had reported seeing Sasquatches at least four times in the past year, with one group of four women reportedly seeing a group of four such beings. John Green considered the area promising due to its open terrain suitable for helicopter tracking and a planned 20-mile stretch of cleared valley bottom where tracks would likely be visible in the ashes.

This section is reprinted from John Green's "THE ADVANCE", Agassiz, B.C., dated September 11, 1969, and reiterates the Alberta sighting. It mentions that John Green spent a week in Alberta following the report. The construction workers saw the figure from over half a mile away, and it stood out clearly against the skyline. Comparisons with trees indicated a large size. The figure was dark in color and appeared to be watching heavy equipment. The report also notes that a group in Edmonton had assembled a helicopter, tracking dogs, and other equipment for a 10-man search team. Sixteen-inch footprints had been found and photographed the previous September.

Recent Publications of Interest

This section reviews several publications relevant to the study of Bigfoot and related mysteries:

• BOOK: "THE ABOMINABLE SNOWMEN" by Eric Norman (1969). The Bigfoot Bulletin is mentioned and quoted on page 79.
• SCIENCE DIGEST magazine (September 1969): Features two articles: "The Secrets of China's Ancient Men" by Daniel Cohen and "The Hairy People: Hypertrichosis Portrayed In Art" by James R. Raven and Gerald P. Hodge.
• MALE magazine (October 1969): Contains the article "UFOs And Abominable Snowmen - What Is Their Strange Connection?" by John A. Keel.
• Le nouveau PLANÈTE (June 1969): A French magazine featuring an article "Qui a tire sur Adam?" by Jean-Claude Guilbert, concerning the "Ice Man." "Le Bigfoot Bulletin" is mentioned on page 77.
• THE SKAMANIA COUNTY PIONEER (Stevenson, Washington): Offers a Special "Bigfoot" Edition for $1.00, which is a condensed version of three previous editions related to the Beacon Rock sighting.

Footprints in Southern Oregon

An article by Maude Ziegler in the Medford Mail Tribune (September 8, 1969) reports on Perry (Slim) Lovell, an elderly prospector near the California line, who found 18-inch tracks near his garden and on sandy bottom land on August 30. A neighbor and two women also saw the tracks, which had distinct toe marks and a six-foot stride.

Tracks Seen in Trinity County Again

On August 21, 1969, Alfred King, an employee of the Forest Service in the Trinity National Forest, California, discovered two fifteen-inch human-like footprints in dry sand along the East Fork of the South Fork of the Trinity River. The prints were of naked feet, separated by about 1/3 mile, with definite toe marks and a human-like big toe position. These were deeper than human tracks would make in the same sand and were not fresh.

Loren E. Coleman (Carbondale, Illinois) is seeking correspondents with data or interest in ABSMS (Bigfoot-types and "Little Red Men") from the Mississippi waterweb, eastern United States, and lower eastern Canada.

Reports from Butte and Plumas Counties, California

By Jim McClarin:

Jim McClarin investigated reports in Twain and Oroville, California, in July 1969. He interviewed Lester Olinger, who reported seeing a big, dark, apparently hair-covered creature that filled most of the lane in which he was driving, possibly a bear or a Bigfoot. No anatomical details were noticed.

The report on Charles R. Jackson's sighting (Butte County Deputy Sheriff report 69-19430, July 14, 1969) provided new details. Jackson reported the creature was seen standing by an outhouse, swinging its arms as it ran. He mentioned burning rabbit entrails and that his dogs were very excited, with a strange scream heard the night before. McClarin collected 8 or 9 short, brown hairs from the outhouse door and apparent rabbit hairs from the structure. No conclusive tracks were found, but Dennis Jensen of Northwest Research Association had reportedly found and cast a print and collected suspected Sasquatch hairs in the vicinity.

McClarin also spoke with three other individuals in the Oroville area who thought they had seen a Bigfoot, and collected reports from four more individuals and one group. These included an elderly couple disturbed by a loud, woman-like scream and other unusual occurrences. One person described seeing an apparent Bigfoot advance through brush, retreat, and return from a different direction despite being illuminated by spotlights.

On August 16, McClarin and C.A. Eagan visited the elderly couple. They reported hearing about 12 screams over 20 minutes on August 11, during which their dogs were fearful and several cars were stopped nearby. Additionally, their apple tree, close to the house, had been stripped of an estimated 4 to 5 bushels of fruit by unknown means, which their German shepherds did not confront. Various types of hairs were collected from the tree. Heavy "footfall" noises were heard on the night of a robbery, which was not detected for several days.

Further details from the Butte County investigation include:

• Dennis Jensen had returned and reported finding good prints near Lake Oroville.
• Dr. Stephen Pauley and companions investigated the thievery and inspected "vague tracks," possibly collecting hairs from the tree.
• A musky "non-skunk!" odor was detected near a vacant cabin.
• Speculation arose regarding an individual who had shifted an 800-pound concrete grave slab and dug beneath it.

McClarin stated he had recorded 12 persons and one group accounting for 11 possible Bigfoot sightings in Butte County, with 5 or 6 reports of definite footprints. He planned to prepare a detailed confidential report.

C.A. Eagan, in a letter dated September 22, 1969, added that he, Rene Dahinden, and Roger St. Hilaire explored Coal Canyon to the caves but found no signs of habitation. However, they heard an undulating whistle-scream from the tree-brush area, which Eagan described as startling.

Personal Announcements

• Kent E. Hylton (Portland, Oregon) has obtained a French copy of Dr. Bernard Heuvelmans' paper on the "Ice Man" and seeks assistance with translation.
• Editor George F. Haas is seeking input from readers with experience using predator calls or ideas on how Bigfoot might be attracted by screaming rabbit types.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the reporting of eyewitness accounts of Sasquatch sightings, the discovery and analysis of large footprints, and the ongoing field investigations into these phenomena. The editorial stance, as represented by the publication of these reports and the editor's call for information, is one of serious inquiry into the existence and nature of Bigfoot. The inclusion of scientific publications and detailed investigative reports suggests a commitment to gathering and disseminating information on the subject.