The Fouke Monster, also known as the Southern Sasquatch, is a bigfoot-type cryptid reported to have existed around the town of Fouke, Arizona in the 1970s. Often referred to as the Legend of Boggy Creek, the initial sightings occurred in the Boggy Creek and Jonesville areas in the 1940s where it destroyed livestock. Later sightings, which include a reported attack on a local family, occurred around Fouke.
The physical appearance of the Fouke Monster was reported to be around seven feet in height and estimated to weigh around 250-300 pounds. Its body was covered with long dark hair with a very broad chest. When moving, it ran with a galloping gait, swinging its arms in a manner similar to monkeys and apes. Those who were able to get close to the creature described it as having a terrible odor with large, bright red eyes.
Physical evidence collected at the time of the sightings includes a number of tracks and claw marks discovered in the areas the creature was reported. Lending credibility to the reported size of the creature, some of the footprints collected measured 17 inches in length and 7 inches in width. Interestingly, other samples collected indicated the creature only had three toes but whether this is natural or due to an accident is unknown.
The sightings prior to the 1970s were often vague with most reports centering around the Jonesville area which seemed to be the creatures territory at the time. The first real report involving human contact came May 1st, 1971 when the creature attacked the home of a couple named Bobby and Elizabeth Ford, late during the night.
According to Elizabeth Ford, she first thought the creature was some kind of bear. According to her story, she had fallen asleep on the couch and woke up to find the creature reaching through the screen. Fortuneately for her, Bobby Ford and his brother Don, returning from a hunting trip, arrived just in time and chased the creature away. However, their fortune was short lived because the creature returned the following night.
The creature surprised Bobby Ford, grabbed him by the shoulders and threw him to the ground. He managed to fire several shots at the creature which drove it away. Even though he was sure the bullets had struck the creature, no trace of blood was discovered. He was later treated in St. Michaels Hospital in Texarkana, Texas for his physical injuries, as well as for shock.
A search of the area around the Ford’s home didn’t find the creature but investigators did discover the three-toed footprints, scratch marks on the porch of the house and damage to a window and the siding of the house.
Almost three weeks later, the Fouke Monster appeared again on May 23rd when three people saw an ape-like creature crossing US Highway 71. Over the following months, locals and tourists often reported seeing the creature and more footprints were found, including the best from a soybean field belonging to Scott Keith, local filling station owner. Local game warden Carl Galyon examined them and was unable to identify what the creature was but again the footprints had only three toes.
The Fouke Monster gained media attention when local radio station KAAY posted a $1090 bounty for the capture of the creature sparking several unsuccessful attempts to track it with dogs. Concerned for the safety of the general public at the hands of cryptid bounty hunters, the local sheriff forced a temporary no guns order on the area for public safety. While three people were fined for filling out ‘fraudulent monster reports’, the creature was never found and bounty remained unclaimed.
As time moved on, reports of the creature began to trail off, as did the media’s attention. Between the years 1972 and 1978, several reports were made of footprints and sightings and the Fouke Monster was blamed for attacks on dogs and missing livestock. One of the more notable, recent sightings occurred in 1991 when the creature was reported jumping from a bridge. There were approximately 40 sightings in 1997 and again it was reported 5 miles south of Fouke in 1998. The last noted reports came from the Fouke area in 2007 and in 2010 when a couple saw a hairy bipedal run across a country road in front of them and we’ve posted their video from 2010 here.