Vermont’s Old Slipperyfoot?
Posted by: Loren Coleman on March 1st, 2010
Several years ago a Cryptomundo correspondent named Cade shared this:
“A very interesting event occurred at the beginning of the 20th century in the far north-eastern corner of Vermont. A beast known as ‘Old Slipperyfoot’ terrorized the isolated families in that region of the state. I have not been able to find any information on his appearance, identity, or individual accounts, but I did find out that the monster warranted a hunting expedition by Theodore Roosevelt.”
So my questions of the day:
Does anyone know more about Old Slipperyfoot?
Did TR hunt this beast?
What kind of cryptid was it?
About Loren Coleman
Loren Coleman is one of the world’s leading cryptozoologists, some say “the” leading living cryptozoologist. Certainly, he is acknowledged as the current living American researcher and writer who has most popularized cryptozoology in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.
Starting his fieldwork and investigations in 1960, after traveling and trekking extensively in pursuit of cryptozoological mysteries, Coleman began writing to share his experiences in 1969. An honorary member of Ivan T. Sanderson’s Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained in the 1970s, Coleman has been bestowed with similar honorary memberships of the North Idaho College Cryptozoology Club in 1983, and in subsequent years, that of the British Columbia Scientific Cryptozoology Club, CryptoSafari International, and other international organizations. He was also a Life Member and Benefactor of the International Society of Cryptozoology (now-defunct).
Loren Coleman’s daily blog, as a member of the Cryptomundo Team, served as an ongoing avenue of communication for the ever-growing body of cryptozoo news from 2005 through 2013. He returned as an infrequent contributor beginning Halloween week of 2015.
Coleman is the founder in 2003, and current director of the International Cryptozoology Museum in Portland, Maine.
Hi,
I too, was intrigued by Vermont’s old Slipperyfoot, if it is the same creature as old slipperyskin. I recently came to know of ‘old slipperyskin’, through the book by Joseph Citro, titled ‘The Vermont Monster Guide’, University Press Of New England, 2009, where it is treated on pages 9-10.
In it, Citro writes that it is one of the oldest of the big hairy monsters to be reported in Vermont. I have had no luck sofar in tracing original sources but knowing Citro – I corresponded with him in the past – he is always accurate with his sources, and he cites one in his text.
Old Slipperyskin is described as something like a bear, but much larger, and unusually cunning. Perhaps your old slipperyfoot is the same creature as old slipperyskin?
Sincere regards,
Theo
This is the first time i have heard of old slip. But i do know that TR sons were Big Game hunters themselves. I wonder if they ever hunted down a giant beast. TR did believe in Giants. Cause h wrote about them in his hunting journals.
Let me say how excited I am to see a posting about Vermont (besides the old Champ stuff) on one of my favorite cryptid sites 🙂 and about old slipperyskin is even better.
As Theo touched on Joe Citro’s book which is a great read on many of Vermont’s unknown and unexplained creatures, here is a link to Joe’s blog about Old Slipperyskin. The blog is also a good read on various monters, cryptids and ghosts in Vermont. He even mentions you on this page
As Mr. Citro mentions in his book and on his site he has made the connection to it being an early run in with Bigfoot and people relating it to the only known big hairy thing in the woods a bear! There is also another interesting story of two hunters running in with a “wild man” back in 1879 in WIlliamstown, VT HERE
Have you and Mr. Citro ever met? If not I think it would be great to get your two minds together, would love to be around for the meeting if possible 😉
Yes, Joe and I have met and corresponded for years. He was my guest at my museum when it was in my home. I have credited him often, as the photographer of me (in the blue shirt) in front of the Bigfoot on my porch, August 2005.
i love hearing about VT cryptids other than champ and the awful, by the way has anyone heard of any cryptids in the orange county of VT i live there and have lots of time.
Sounds like an Otter to me… 🙂
Vamp beat me to it. Citro’s book and site cover this cryptid in detail.