Many stories of the Sasquatch have come from the Bella Coola area. Most of them are told by Indians-hardly surprising considering they make up most of the population. Cynics tend to dismiss the reports on the somewhat arbitrary and even racists grounds that they are from Indian sources, suggesting-in their more charitable moments-that folklore and booze have combined to weave an over-elaborate Saturday-night fantasy. The fact that the Indians generally keep the stories to themselves until pursued by people such as Rene Dahinden seem to escape their reasoning.
After Dahinden had talked with Clayton Mack he was introduced to Harry Squiness who told of a happening while he was camped at Goose Point near Anaheim Lake in 1963. Squiness was getting ready for sleep when the tent flap was opened from the outside and he saw what he described as a "monkey face, all covered with hair, with eyes like a man." Squiness grabbed for a flashlight, but it wasn't working. He then ran outside and tossed some gasoline on the embers of his campfire. In the light that flared up he saw four man-ape-like creatures lying down, as though hiding, on the edge of his camp area about fourteen feet from his tent. As the flame rose, the four jumped up and walked away into the darkness, "walking like men." Squiness called to them: "Hey, what you doing out there? Hey, come back!" The creatures went off silently. Squiness checked for footprints but the grassy area held nothing. There was however the mark of one huge hand on a tree trunk and this he later showed to Clayton Mack.
Whatever the creatures were that Squiness saw, they scared him. He spent the night sitting up by his campfire and the next morning he went into town and bought five boxes of 30.30 shells.
The Anaheim Lake story, like all other scary Sasquatch stories of face-to-face encounters with the Sasquatch, could be chewed over endlessly, to little gain.
Clayton Mack, who is mentioned in this narrative, was (when this story was included in the book "SASQUATCH/BIGFOOT: The Search for North America's Incredible Creature") a well known and respected big game guide.
What scares me most about this story is the fact one Sasquatch/Bigfoot opened the flap of the tent, when Squiness followed, without a working flashlight, and threw gasoline on the embers of his campfire; four more of the creatures lying fourteen (14ft) feet away from his camp, rose from their hiding(?) place and walked off into the woods.
Now, a lot of people who are just now opening their minds up to the existence of these creatures may think they're like Harry from the movie "HARRY & THE HENDERSONS", but these animals are (by all evidence which has been gathered) "pack animals". Who can say they weren't about to ambush Squiness when he followed the obvious decoy outside?
In the south, we'd have to think this was a reasonable assumption to make. Where there is one Bigfoot, there are usually others.
My second response today, I read all I can on the subject Dave, and again I totally agree with you, that if there's one, there's probably more. The guys at work are deer hunters, and when we talk about it, they always say, if I see one, I'll pop it, in Davy Crockett bravado. I always tell them, boys if it is just you, and you can leave, then leave. If you do keep your wits and not freak out, and do shoot one, with that kind of mass and size, you may not kill it. If it let out a wail, I honestly believe you would have several more on you in a minute. I always tell them of the many hunter stories, and everyone of them, got out of the area as fast as they could, shaking like a leaf. They are dangerous, no two ways about it. Folks, be careful out there. Darrell.
It has been my experience that they do travel in groups
As I have had several encounters. Some from a car and some on foot. The idea that they are dangerous has always been apparent, but until you see a 12 foot tall built like a pro football player only MUCH bigger you have no apprieciation for that word--Dangerous.
My most recent experience was about four days ago. I was at work and it was about 3 in the morning when I had to go outside to do some work that takes about 45 minutes. As I worked I was looking around into the darkness. I wount say I was uneasy as much as aware that something was different. As I glanced around my eyes fell on two irredecent blue green eyes watching me. I watched back as I worked. From where I stood there was a road and a chain link fence on the other side, and on the other side of that was eyes. No biggy but the fence stands on the crest of a hill and the eyes from where they where had to be atleast 12 feet off of the ground. As I watched I noticed atleast 4 others maybe five. I saw two others walking or moving across the field beyond, coming from the river to this direction and moving to my right. I noticed with a glance that there was one to the far right at about the corner of the fence. I noticed one other to the left. I thought not again this isn't real. I turned my back to them and thought It isn't there and turned back again there it still was. Only now this first set of eyes was moving like the owner of them was swaying back and forth, not alot but maybe 6-12 inches of movement. This is really neat in one aspect cause of a daytime sighting about a year and a half ago about three miles from this place. I and a friend saw them and the big male. We went out every day for five days and saw them across the river the one day, but heard them on all other days until the BFRO guy showed up.( took him 5 days and it rained everyday)But part of the sighting we both swayed side to side to see if he would move and he did. His foot prints where about 24 incehs long and 12 across. I have seen him look in windows at a friends house who lives near by and I have seen his prints on three ocassions. I have even seen his face through the reeds near the river, I don't stop and stare I think he is way to big to stare at I get out of the area. SCARES the tar out of me cause I know no matter what side of the river he is on he is big enough to get ahold of me and quick if he decides to. In the handful of times I have seen him I have only seen his harem twice and they hid pretty well the first time.
But for the conclusion of the most recent sighting I noticed that the one to the left was moving towards the direction of the gate, AND OH MY GOD IT WAS OPEN. I concluded my work and made a B-LINE inside and shook it off. I kept my mouth shut too. This happened on 4-02-02