Latest From Pine Ridge
Posted by: Loren Coleman on August 9th, 2006
On Tuesday, August 8, 2006, at 10:55 p.m., a local law enforcement evidence technician reports to dispatch that something is hitting the walls of his trailer. He wants an officer to investigate. He is not able to do it himself as he has his family in the trailer with him. The officer arrives at the trailer and finds nothing unusual.
This incident happens about a fourth of a mile east of Sharps Corner, which is about 30 to 40 miles northeast of Pine Ridge, South Dakota.
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.
That is terrifying, I wonder how long it took the officer to show up? Also, were there any tracks or evidence of any tresspassers? weird
Could bigfoot be charged with trespassing? Or is “it” allowed to go where the creature pleases? Questions that boggle my insane mind.
if he’s an “evidence technician” shouldn’t he be able to gather forensic traces of the big-guy?
Yeah, he should be able to find tracks or even hand prints or hairs on the side of the trailer.
Loki, your right. He should have the tools to find something.
who says that was sasquatch? are we going to jump each time something goes bump in the night?
There are two things to remember about this area of South Dakota. One, its a huge area without a lot of roads. Depending on where the police were when they received the call, it could take up to an hour before they could even get to the area of the call.
Second, that area of the country, usually very dry to begin with, is in the middle of a severe drought coupled with intense heat. The ground has probably been baked into the consistency of cement so finding any physical traces would be difficult at best.
PassiveAggressive, I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to SD but I have and am somewhat familiar with Sharp’s Corner. An acquaintance has land around Porcupine. It is a remote area but it’s hardly no man’s land. There’s actually a road called Bigfoot Road that goes into Sharps Corner. Coincidence? Perhaps.
I think they’ve got one ticked off Bigfoot in that area. Why? I am guessing because one of it’s kin was killed. I know that the rumors were looked into but I think something went down and a cover up is in progress.
One thing I would like to add to Law Enforcement involvement in a situation like this (as a police officer myself):
When a patrol officer is dispatched to an event like this (someone or something banging on the walls of a home), generally speaking you would “dark out” the squad when entering the neighborhood, and approach on foot from a short distance away, in the hopes of catching whomever it is by surprise. Upon entering the area of the home, you would wait for a few moments, standing still, hoping to hear or see something.
If nothing presents itself, you would make a quick check of the area to make sure no one is around, then check with the homeowner to make sure everyone is OK. At this point, then, you would take a more careful look around the home for any visual/physical evidence. In most cases, none will be found. Fingerprints only show up on certain types of surfaces, and unless a crime has been committed, you wouldn’t even think to look for hairs. As for footprints, again, only certain types of surfaces would allow for footprints. One thing to look for would be wet/dewey grass, which would show tracks (but not footprints) of something passing recently when a flashlight is shined on it appropriately, but this generally only occurs in the wee hours of the morning. If none of these things are found, there would be no further investigation, as resources and time are generally at a premium.
I hope this is helpful.
It could have just been somebody trying to rattle his chain. Being a cop where was his gun. I would do that if it was to protect my family.
I’m starting to doubt these recent Pine Ridge sightings, but will keep an open mind and hope I am wrong. Solid Bigfoot proof is long overdue!
It seems like this Pine Ridge stuff is being dragged-out. If there was a Bigfoot body or one still making the rounds there, I think we would hear much more on the subject. It seems a major story as presented. Yet no national news.
Here is a chance for Native peoples to prove Bigfoot and make sure such animals are protected worldwide! Think of the good they could do. What’s to hide here!
I called the Pine Ridge Police Department. I had no trouble reaching them. When I asked to speak with someone about all the Bigfoot activity going on, they did not laugh at me as I expected. They actually were quite helpful and told me I could speak to their acting Police Chief. (I’m not sure what “acting” means… a fill-in?) They provided his phone number and I called . Got his voicebox and left a friendly message asking for more information. I mentioned that I was not a reporter and my call was of a personal nature. I also left my e-mail address. I am still waiting for a response and may call again soon. So Chief, please return my call.
Here are the phone numbers- Pine Ridge Police Dept. #605-867-5111. The acting Chief #605-867-8108
CaboChris, if you get any information I hope you share it with us!
The only part that I don’t believe is the part where they say they shot and killed one of these creatures. I believe that they (the perpetrators) would have RAN to someone with their Bigfoot carcass. I could be wrong, but I seriously doubt it. Especially since the publicity of being the Tribe that proved the existance of Bigfoot to the “white man”, and the possibility of bringing in revenue to their reservation by tourist’s coming to see the carcass and or find another Bigfoot, would be enough to persuade them to turn the story over to a national news agency.
If anybody knows the area, they would realize theres hardly a chance anybody would be pulling that guys chain. At sharps corner there is a junction towards OLC, Porcupine, and to Rapid City (on HWY44). It has a convenience store and gas station. It closes early and at night theres hardly anybody on that road. Besides, a majority of the time homes aren’t just off the road, you have to drive in (on a dirt road) to even reach people’s residences. Random people sure aren’t gonna walk all the way out there just to mess with someone for a minute and risk being hurt. I don’t know what is going on but it doesn’t seem like it involves your average hooligans. Or it doesn’t seem like mass hysteria.
simian1 Says:
“who says that was sasquatch? are we going to jump each time something goes bump in the night?”
Nobody is saying definitively that it was sasquatch. The man who reported it said “something” was hitting the side of his trailer.
And yes, many of us DO jump when things go bump in the night, especially when something is banging on the side of our home!
Theres talk of publicity and all that. When was the last any of you have heard about the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in the national news? I haven’t and my family’s from there! The truth is the media always casts us aside. People know Shannon County is the poorest county in the US, but they ignore us to ignore the problem. The point is I hardly doubt any of this will make the national news, but that doesn’t mean everything happening there should be discounted.
Don’t know if it has been mentioned here, but the places named ‘Big Foot’ in and around Pine Ridge are named after a Souix Chief (who was rumored to have big feet) – and not after the mystery creature.
Also, it is useful in understanding modern native ‘medicine people’ to realize that they do not speak to individuals as teachers to relay understanding for the masses. If someone was instructed that Bigfoot was a dark spirit, (which I am sure I read in one of these Pine Ridge threads) then that was the instruction for him – not necessarily for everyone. If everyone were supposed to see it that way, it would be delivered as such. They are not guides to a speakable, objective truth, but interpreters for individuals to grasp their own place and purpose. Secondhand superstition is a nasty perversion of a misunderstood truth.
I hope I am not reiterating what someone else said, but, in my experience, an “Evidence Technician” is usually the person who takes care of the evidence when it is at the Police/Sheriff’s Department. That person has nothing to do with collecting evidence, just making sure it is properly catalogued, and that it does not get lost or ruined.
Also, at least here in Colorado, these positions are usually filled by civilians and not sworn police officers.
I’m not sure this really clears anything up, but I could see an “Evidence Technician” staying inside his/her house in such a situation (not to make over generalizations, but they don’t tend to be gun toting, kill everything types of people).
Actually, WVBotanist, I was the one who wrote that. And actually this man in particular did want to help “relay understanding to the masses”, because this happening impacted everyone in the community, at least to anyone who was being bothered by the BF. First of all, not all indians believe in the “traditional ways”. So, not everyone had to listen to what one medicine man had to say. Secondly, the more traditional policemen (not man) went to him for guidance on what to do, not for themselves, but for their people. Besides he did tell us and if it was one individual’s case, then he never would have told us in the first place. And yes we trust him because he sort of acts a therapist if you will. Other than that you basically summed up the description of a medicine person’s “occupation”. And yes Bigfoot was a Lakota chief who died in the Massacre of Wounded Knee, so therefore a lot of places around there are named after Chief Bigfoot.
Also, I wouldn’t call it “secondhand superstition”. See thats the deal with people today, they always catergorize Native peoples belief system as superstition, like what we believe in is somehow on a lower scale than non-natives. (Ex: “Secondhand superstition is a nasty perversion of a misunderstood truth”.) Show a little respect and chill, what I said isn’t supposed to be taken as correct, I am just telling from a POV of someone who actually lives and is involved in the area. Besides who really knows what “truth” is anyway?
harleyb, where does a 500 LB gorilla sit? Where ever it wants. I think big foot can do whatever it wants, as long as no one gets hurt. Um, hey, wouldn’t a big foot pounding on a trailer’s walls leave dents? My great uncle said that he had a 55 gallon barrel (full of diesel) thrown against a tree and broke open by something with large human like footprints. Literally, it looked as though the barrel was directly in its path. So, why wasn’t there any evidence of the trailer wall having been messed with. I have been known to dent a trailer or two simply by leaning.
True, that one’s really real.
Talk about a Bigfoot body! Lets say a hunter had the opportunity, nerve, skill and big enough gun to put-down such a creature. Keep in mind the hunter would first have to get over the shock of seeing such an animal. Then a decision would have to be made to shoot or not to? After all most responsible hunters would want to 100% ID the target, before pulling the trigger! It might look too human? Or too scary? And so on…
But lets say our hunter thought it was a bear and shot it. (For the hunters sake I hope he/she used a big gun-375 H&H or 416 Mag. The average 30-06 might just make it mad?!) Now the hunter makes their way and is standing over a 700+lb body! Gee, now what? Wonder if any of its buddies might seek revenge?
So the hunter would have to remember the spot and get some muscle for help. 5 or 6 hairless buddies show up and they manage to lug it into the back of a pick-up and drive to town, perhaps with huge arms and feet hanging out over the bed edge!
It would seem difficult to hide this large monster, starting to smell and decay. Seems to me with all this excitement someone would spread the word- like wildfire! Then the Feds/State would get involved. I could just see this happening in my State, Washington. If you could not hide the Bigfoot Body and somehow get it to cold storage right away, the Department of Wildlife would come and take it and perhaps arrest the hunter? The police would get involved, to make sure no one was murdered. Then would come the press and brand the hunter as a “Murderer”!
So, if a Bigfoot was really shot at Pine Ridge, I would think that someone knowing more, would have spilled the beans by now. After all, It might have taken 4 to 6 men, just to load it up! One of them could make history! Yet there is silence?
Might I point out there have been more recent reports than the rumored shooting?
I for one appreciate the observations from those who know the place and the people, I try very hard to stay open to learning.
It was noted on an earlier thread that there are wildfires in that general area now. I would think a BF trying to get away from it’s burning territory and continuously encountering human habitations would at least become curious.
rozz_b
My sincerest apologies, regarding my inappropriate delivery. I was inaccurate in assuming that what I had read as coming from the medicine man was not intended for the masses. Thank you for correcting me.
I spoke out of concern regarding the label “dark spirit” – not to pre-empt nor in any way demean what the medicine man said – but to deflect a potential misreading of that for any readers here. In that regard, my statement “Secondhand superstition is a nasty perversion of a misunderstood truth” was not intended to classify your statement, nor the medicine man’s description, but as a warning (even to myself, no less, and perhaps mostly so)against attempting to apply such a label outside of its appropriate context. I do not consider anything a superstition – for words can mean many things – until words are used to foster fear and confusion. I did not mean to imply that was happening here, I meant to prevent that.
I am a scientist, by profession, and was born a Cherokee. I fully embrace both the ability to measure and observe as well as the ability to stand on our Earth and know our place. I mean no disrespect, and if I waxed too bitter and defended something that requires no defense, it was at least a good reminder to myself.
As with many other wild animals, find one and others may be close by. A breeding population of Bigfeet would require a family. (Other fellow Foots). Sure there could be a Rogue, but I would like to think Bigfoot is a more social creature. So if one Bigfoot at Pine Ridge was driven by wildfires, then it would be reasonable to think, perhaps some of his friends came with and hence the other possible multiple sightings? At Pine Ridge, perhaps the clan has gone home now?
WVBotanist:
Apology accepted… I knew you most likely didn’t mean any harm or disrespect, and yeah it is sometimes hard to get the tone of words and context across on the internet. Its just when you live in the area where all this is going on, its hard to not get a little defensive once in awhile. Especially when all the “criticism” is coming from people who don’t know the area or the people.
Anyway back to the point… anythings possible. When you first enter the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, its hard to imagine that a BF would be roaming around. Nothing but prairie and a little badlands. However when you actually reach Pine Ridge, more trees and vegetation emerge. Its the same with Porcupine. I know that the Chadron area is very forest-like. But you know there have been reports of BF in Porcupine. If you go to the BFRO website, there is an “offical” report from a family taken a few years ago. Supposedly there were hair samples and saliva samples. So if anyones interested you might wanna check that out.
My step-dad, who is a medicine man, has always said that Bigfoot is a good spirit. The thing is that he’s a messenger of bad things (the same role that an owl plays in our culture). There’s actually a Bigfoot that lived near his home in Wounded Knee, at Mouse Creek. Anyway, we also had a ceremony during that time. We were told that Bigfoot came as a warning. That the people had to change, or else bad things would happen to us. The different messages are interesting. I’d be interested to know what medicine man you go to, should you ever wander back into this article thread.