Elkins Creek Cast
Posted by: Loren Coleman on May 24th, 2006
Grist Magazine Dan Rafter has an interesting new article about "Protecting Bigfoot" that touches on issues dealt with here, for example, by John Kirk in "The Skamania County Sasquatch Saga". Reporter Dan Rafter talked to Peter Jewett, founder of a website devoted to Champ, and to me, about the need for laws against harming cryptids.
Perhaps we can pardon Rafter because he didn’t know any better, but why then did the Grist reporter waste his time with reporting about and quoting a certain Florida campsite owner who has had an interesting history and unique luck with filming "Skunk Apes"? A few of us may be open-minded about evidence, but most of us will be careful when an alleged hoaxster who has shown a routine pattern of producing "evidence," who then wants to tells us the next best place to look for nine Bigfoot.
Folks, if you are a reporter looking to talk to southern Bigfoot researchers, I’m glad Georgia is being mentioned more recently. Let’s give a quick look at three of the good guys, the ones in the Peach State wearing the white hats.
Take Sam Rich of Georgia Bigfoot, for example. It was good to see him highlighted a couple days ago, in "Is There Bigfoot in Georgia?". Rich has noted the natural trails that denote some activity local researchers call the Belt Road Booger.
Then there’s the amazing discovery of the other Georgia Bigfoot researchers of note: Steve Hyde and James Akin.
The best summary of their adventures comes to us via Times-Record reporter Alex McRae, from April 24, 2005:
A 2003 story in the Athens (GA) Banner-Herald recounts the story of Steve Hyde, of Griffin, Ga., whose hobby was searching for Bigfoot in central and south Georgia. In 1999, the story says, after locals reported barn damage and disappearing animals, Hyde and a friend, former law enforcement officer James Akin, began a search of Elkins Creek, which flows into the Flint River in Pike County south of Griffin.
They were astonished to find a huge footprint measuring 17.5 inches in length, according to the Banner-Herald story. They were more astonished when a plaster cast of the print was sent off to be tested.
Photo of the Elkins Creek Cast – credit Steve Hyde. Permission granted to reproduce here. For further info, go to GeorgiaBigfoot.com
The cast was examined by Dr. Jeff Meldrum, of the Department of Biological Science at Idaho State University in Pocatello, who has studied literally hundreds of Bigfoot sightings over the years. The print, according to the news report, was also examined by J.H. Chilcutt, identified as a fingerprint examiner with the Conroe, Texas, police department.
Chilcutt, like Meldrum, had examined other suspected Bigfoot artifacts in an attempt to determine their origin, according to the story. The report from Chilcutt to Meldrum ended by saying, "The Elkins Creek Cast is that of an unknown primate."
I’d rather read more about Rich, Hyde, and Akin, any day of the week, than some more quotes from that Florida guy.
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.
Georgia Bigfoot is doing things right. They not only get out there to investigate, but they also collect the evidence, have it analyzed, and then share it with the community.
Major kudos to them.
Looks like Georga has some promising tracks..research looks good and they seem to be doing it right..good job and good luck.
The Times-Record account is somewhat inaccurate. Pat Akin made the cast as part of an investigation into an incident in the Elkins Creek area while he was still an active sheriff’s deputy in Pike County. I was not involved until some time later. We first sent the cast to Grover Krantz, then to Jeff Meldrum.
The original cast was damaged in shipment back from Jeff but he made a mold of it and thanks to Jeff I have both the original cast and a good copy. I do have several photos of the original cast as it was before we sent it off to be analyzed, if the Cryptomundo readers are interested in seeing one.
Steve Hyde
You BET we are, Steve
Pleeeze, can we, huh?
Fuz
Wayll, suh, ah am im-pray-ussed!
Good site. Bookmarked it. Will be back.
Thanks, Loren, for putting two great sas sites (this one and oregonbigfoot) on my ‘favorites.’ From opposite ends of the country.
To Bigfoot. He’s bad. He’s nationwide.
Very informative article. Hope to hear more about the research in Georgia.
Quite a humbling suprise to come home and find myself on Cryptomundo. Thanks again for the kind words Loren.
Sam Rich
Good Job Steve-O and Sam!!
:: an unknown primate :: Sounds convincing to me! Do you guys ever get worried about what would happen to Bigfoot if we found it? i think about it all the time. i do not want any harm to come to these creatures.
Re: the above big Bigfoot BIG FOOT footprint cast!
GOOD HEAVENS! Look at the shoe, then imagine the foot inside it, then translate that image to the footprint, morphing it larger and larger until it fits that huge plaster outline!
Now imagine the leg above that foot, then the body above that, and the head atop that huge torso!
You’re alone, walking quietly thru the forest, thousand dollar digital camcorder tightly cradled in both hands, voice-activated digital audio recorder continuously monitoring the ambient silence from your jacket pocket, walkie-talkie set on voice activation, its headset earpiece comfortably positioned, its mike awaiting a whisper from your lips, zoom binocular strap around your neck, Gen-2 night-vision device nested in the fanny pack ~ man, you are ready!
You pause to survey a tiny glen opening before you, turning your head from left to ri- urk! There, right THERE! Right next to that tree, just twenty feet away ~ OMIGOD, it’s him, it’s the creature that made that footprint!
OH
MY
GAWD!
He is massive, gigantic, colossal, immense, huge, solid and REAL! He is three-dimensional, tangible, touchable! He breathes, and you can hear the air moving as his enormous chest expands. He moves, adjusting his stance, and his long brown hair sways, glistening. He towers above the shrubbery, his head crest brushing the leaves of a young oak, his arms reaching almost to his knees, powerful legs supporting him, muscles bulging beneath the hair.
You stand transfixed, your mind racing to capture all the details before it is too late ~ his dark eyes inspect you calmly, broad mouth closed, now opening, and he mutters a breathy “hunh” and turns away, taking a long noiseless stride into the surrounding greenery, vanishing instantly.
Did you get the video? Did the recorder sense his parting grunt? Did you call to alert your partner? Did you capture his image, his presence, in any way, with all your equipment?
No. But the actuality, the absolute verity of factual existence of this incredible being from nature, has created an indelible memory that will entertain and haunt you forever.
And now, you can make a giant footprint cast of your own.
For some comments on Forever Elusive’s question, please see
“Johor Bigfoot Found, Then What?“
Thanks for the good words from all, and the clarifications from Steve Hyde. We try our best to convey the news we all hardly ever heard, and when that news needs some fine tuning, it’s always great to hear from those in the know for the final word.
Much appreciation to Steve and Sam, and for Steve’s sharing of the photo of the cast above.
Excellent work impressive cast….Georgia…please share the results of Dr. Meldrum and Officer Chilcutt’s analysis, when you can…
seeing is believing….
ole bub and the dawgs
Chilcutt’s report on his examination of the Elkins Creek cast is available here.
Hey, fuzz, saving your post. Next best thing to being there! 😉
So a mainstream newspaper is printing the words “unknown primate.” One day at a time, folks, we’re getting somewhere…
Good afternoon Bigfoot Bloggers…
Excellent post Fuzzy…next best thing to being there….probably why many films and photos are shakey or the lens cap was left on….
Imagine how you would react to someone rummaging through your stuff…or threatening your family or domicile…it’s all in the perspective…JMHO
seeing is believing….
ole bub and the dawgs