Ok, I know what you must be thinking - either Bigfoot isn't real, or he's the most elusive creature known to man. I mean, I am not debating that Bigfoot is the reigning world champion of hide-and-seek that's for sure. However, many of us do indeed believe in the existence of cryptids.

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What is Cryptozoology?

What is cryptozoology you ask? It is a specified field of study that focuses on the creatures we hear about all the time yet seldom see. Examples of cryptids include the Chupacabra, Mothman, Loch Ness Monster, Bigfoot, the Jersey Devil, and countless others.

There are many shows that have highlighted cryptozoology and the search for bigfoot (and other cryptids) including; Expedition Bigfoot, Finding Bigfoot, Mountain Monsters, and even the show, Conjuring Kesha (yes the pop singer) featured a Bigfoot episode. All of these shows can be found on the streaming platform Discovery+.

Cryptid Con

There are even "Cryptid-Cons" one can attend, much like a Comic-Con, these highlight the vast array of existing cryptids rather than our favorite anime and television characters.  In fact, coming up in November, Cryptid Con 5 will be taking place in Lexington, Kentucky, and hosted by members of the show, Mountain Monsters. For information on this particular Con, check out this Facebook page and look for their upcoming events.

Read More: Celebrate Sasquatch With This Exciting Southern Illinois Festival

Bigfoot sightings in Indiana and Kentucky

According to The Bigfoot Researchers Organization, there have been thousands of alleged sightings of bigfoot all across the country. Click here to check out the state-by-state report data.  The research from this site was analyzed by the Travel Channel show, Bigfoot in America.

Indiana

In Indiana, there have been 82 documented sightings. It all started when an ape-like creature was spotted in Westfield in July of 1973, and then again a couple of months later there was a reported sighting by a youth where the bigfoot was said to have been seen in a cornfield near Sheridan. More recent reports come from some campers out around Yellowwood Lake in Brown County where some campers have reported hearing eerie and unfamiliar vocalizations.

According to BFRO, Monroe County in Indiana has the most sightings with eight reports, followed by Washington County with a current total of five. There are, of course, social media pages for just about everything, and if you're looking for a group to join on Facebook, "Bigfooting in Indiana" would be a great group to check out to see others' reported sightings.

Kentucky

In my research for this article, I found on the BFRO website that there will be an upcoming bigfoot expedition (November 2022) in an undisclosed "hotspot" location in central Kentucky. To discover where the trip will be taking place, you've got to register for this event. This website describes Mr. Charlie Raymond as one of the most experienced researchers in the state with over 300 reports in a dozen Kentucky counties in his 30 years of study. BFRO's report states that one of the counties with the most sightings of the Bluegrass is Lawrence County.

Click here for another website to visit for information on Eastern Kentucky sightings.

Coon Hunting or Bigfoot Hunting?

It was a cold, dark evening in the winter of 1970 when a group of friends decided to get together in southern Daviess County Kentucky to go raccoon hunting. The group had brought along a hunting dog to help tree the coons, and their four-legged companion had just done so in the darkness of the evening. Robert's buddies had retreated to the truck for more cold weather gear and to bring back heavier jackets to fend off the bitter air. Robert Pate was left behind and alone to keep the hound accountable for the job at hand. The dog was perched at the base of a large tree, keeping the raccoon safe from any potential escape. The only available light in the wood was his carbide miner's cap, so not much light at all according to the wearer. While keeping post underneath the tree the hound grew noticeably nervous about his environment. Whining and slowly backing away from the tree where the coon was hanging around in. Robert gazed around the area, taking surveillance of the land trying to spot any other animal or potential impending threat. While he noticed nothing amiss at first, he slowly scanned the land over once more, and that is when the light of his miner's cap illuminated a very large, foreboding figure which had glowing reflective eyes about a man's height or more from the ground. Suddenly the wind changed direction, and with it carried a pungent, putrid, and feral smell. It was a smell of dirt, wild animals, and nothing familiar to any prior hunting trip. It was then that Robert and the hound quickly and quietly "got the hell out of Dodge". Robert met his buddies on their trek back into the hunting grounds where he stated the hunting trip had concluded for the night.

So, does Bigfoot exist? Well, that is for you to decide.
I would like to include a big thanks to my Uncle Bob, Robert Pate for sending me this story to share with everyone reading. If you are ever out hunting the woods of Daviess County, keep your eyes peeled you never know what you might see staring back at you in the dark.

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