In this installment, after the team opens with a discussion about new legislation in California that seeks to make Bigfoot the official state cryptid, we are joined by researcher Jeff Carpenter, who discusses his experiences covering more than 20 years of research into the Sasquatch (Bigfoot) legend as well as local history/legends from the WNC mountains.

Jeff grew up learning outdoor craft of hunting and tracking from his father, Earvin Carpenter. He is a descendant of some of the earliest settlers of the Western North Carolina mountains, including his grandfather, Harley Carpenter who was one of the first mountain people written about in the well-known Foxfire book series on Appalachian Mountain Living. Jeff is currently a Field Investigator for the Bigfoot Research Organization which interviews witness reports as well as documenting them for further study.  He is also a member of the East Coast Expeditions Group, Kentucky Bigfoot Organization and the Co-Founder of the Appalachian Sasquatch Research Project. 

Jeff has presented his research findings during presentations he has given in North Carolina, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and Ohio, as well as being a guest speaker on numerous podcasts.  He made an appearance in the Small Town Monsters documentary movie titled “ On the Trail of Bigfoot: The Ancients”, which can be seen on YouTube and Amazon Prime, as well as other streaming channels. Jeff is the former Director of the Jackson County Parks and Recreation Department where heworked for 32 years and is now retired.  He is a graduate of Western Carolina University and still resides in Sylva.

Stories and other links discussed in this episode: 

• Albert Ostman's story of being kidnapped by Sasquatch

Follow Sasquatch Tracks on Twitter.

Got a news tip or story to share? Send us an Email.

Have you seen an animal you can't identify? Submit a report here.