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1965, FOUKE, ARKANSAS, USA, JAMES LYNN CRABTREE:

Brief summary of the event and follow-up:

In the literature about the "Bigfoot" and in one ufology catalogue, it was told that close to Fouke, Arkansas, USA, in 1965, James Lynn Crabtree, aged 14, was hunting squirrels when he heard horses run and plunge into the lake close to his house, then he heard a dog howling as if in pain.

He ran to check out what was going on, but while he approached the sound changed. He approached with ecaution and saw a hairy animal turning its back at him, observing the horses in the lake and seemingly agitated about them.

This animal was7 to 8 feet tall, with brown-reddish hair approximately four inches length on its body. It was stood like a man, but it had long arms.

The creature turned around, saw the boy and stopped to look at him. Its face was covered with hair, showing only a flat and dark brown nose. The creature stretched, sniffed the air, and then started to walk towards the boy, who shot it in the face with his 20 gauge shotgun, three times, but the thing kept on coming at him and the boy run away.

The boy told that the animal did not show any sign to have been wounded by his shooting; other versions do not indicate this.

Other stories of this kind were reported in the same area, a movie was made in 1973 with witnesses acting their roles, the Crabtree family owns a gift shop selling books and souvenir items about what is now called "the Fouke Monster", of which a representation for the tourists was put on in the city. In fact, it seems that the principal witness is actually still avakiable to answer requests for information, that his book can be read, but it seems that the Bogfoot books authors took no step about that.

Basic information table:

Narratives:

[Ref. jb1:] JANET AND COLIN BORD:

The authors indicate in their catalogue that in 1955, in Fouke, Arkansas, Lynn Crabtree fired at the "Fouke Monster".

The source is indicated as Fate no.264 p.28.

[Ref. lc1:] LOREN COLEMAN:

The author indicates that in the 70's, the Fouke monsters, as in many other cases, featured gorilla-like features.

[Ref. mb1:] MINNESOTA BIGFOOT SOCIETY:

The society indicates that John Green tells of 14-year-old James Lynn Crabtree who witnessed a 7 to 8 foot tall reddish haired animal in 1965 near Fouke. Crabtree claims to have shot the creature three times in the face, but with no effect.

The source is indicated as "Sasquatch; The Apes Among Us; John Green."

[Ref. mb2:] MINNESOTA BIGFOOT SOCIETY:

This Bigfoot research society reviewed the 1973 film about the so-called Fouke Monster of 1965 and wrote:

[Ref. jg1:] JOHN GREEN:

John Green says strange things started to happen near Fouke, Arkansas in 1965, as James Lynn Crabtree, 14, encountered a strange animal while squirrel hunting. He first heard horses running and plunge into the lake near his home, then he heard a sound like a dog hollering in pain.

He ran towards the noise but as he got nearer it changed to a different sound. He approached cautiously and saw a hairy animal with its back to him, watching the horses in the lake and acting quite agitated about them. This animal was 7 or 8 feet high, with reddish-brown hair about four inches long all over its body. It stood upright like a man, but had extra-long arms.

The creature turned and saw the boy and stopped to look at him. Its face was covered with hair, showing only a flat, dark-brown nose. The creature stretched, sniffing the air, and then started walking towards the boy, who shot it in the face with his shotgun, three times, but the thing kept coming and the boy ran. He said it showed no sign of being hurt by the light 20-gauge loads.

John Green idnciates that it was the first report that attracted attention to what has since been called he "Fouke Monster," but it turned out that it had been seen at least three times previously, and within a month another 14-year old boy saw it and shot at it while deer hunting. John Green tells of more such reports in the next years.

[Ref. in1:] A WEB PAGE:

A web page indicates that Smokey Crabtree and members of his family were actors in a movie entitled "The Lgened of Boggy Creek", concerning the Fouke Monster. Smokey also served as wildlife guide for the filming and published a book. It was Smokey's fascinating experiences and knowledge that made the legend, and he was very disappointed with the filmed legend because so much was left out and so much was not explained. He wanted to tell facts behind the scenes about the large, hairy wildman of the bottom lands of Arkansas.

His book was completed with 33 pictures, 19 in color, a full detailed up-to-date story on the Fouke Monster he wanted to keep on a truthful basis. He told how his family knows more about what the monster actually looks like than any other person living today, as they have had a daylight view of the Monster at 80 yards away, a front view and also a back view. Smokey drew a free-hand sketch of what was seen.

The author of the page pointed out that Smokey Crabtree is very much alive today, that he spent much time in the woods with the unidentified hairy man, that he lived the legend and tells the true story untampered with by movie makers.

[Ref. ar1:] ALBERT ROSALES:

Albert Rosales indicates in his catalogue that near Fouke, Arkansas, in 1965, at an unknown time, in a swampy area 14-year old James Crabtree encountered a seven to eight-foot tall, reddish haired creature. Crabtree claims to have shot the creature three times in the face but without any effect.

Albert Rosales indicates as source "Ron Schaffner."

[Ref. js1:] JOHN STEELE:

John Steele says that in 1965, near Fouke, Arkansas, 14-year-old James Crabtree was squirrel hunting when he heard some horses galloping into a nearby lake. Then he heard a dog howling in pain. Investigating, he came up behind an 8 foot tall creature, covered all over with 4 inch long reddish-brown hair. It turned, and he couldn't see anything of its face, other than a wide flat nose. Everything else was covered in hair.

The bigfoot started walking towards Crabtree, who, terrified, shot it in the face three times with his shotgun. As the creature didn't seem to notice, the boy left as fast as he could.

[Ref. mb1:] MARK BANTA:

Mark Banta read Smokey Crabtree's book "Smokey and the Fouke Monster" and wrote a review. He first points out that the classic movie, The Legend of Boggy Creek, 1975, presented as a "true story", is quite unfamiliar to Bigfoot enthusiasts, and tells that Smokey Ceabtree's book tells a different story.

From Mark Banta's review, we learn that the book tells the life story of Smokey Crabtree and how he got involved in the making of The Legend of Boggy Creek, and his opinions on how movie creator Charles Pierce conned the small town of Fouke, and that there were lawsuits following the film.

Banta also tells that he met Smokey at 2005 Jefferson Bigfoot Conference, that he quite a unique character, a pleasant man in person who dedicated a lot of time and money into telling his side of the story,and also a very good salesman, which "is evidenced by my purchasing all three of his books."

[Ref. sc1:] "SMOKEY" CRABTREE:

Smokey Crabtree has his main website at www.smokeyandthefoukemonster.com and another at www.tooclosetothemirror.com

Points to consider:

The story comes apparently first from a John Keel book, and also from a 1973 documentary-style drama, or a "pseudo-documentary" according to one critic who questions the existence of a monster in that Arkansas swamp. It seems that what we have here is more how a local folklore develloped than a real research about a real monster.

Obviously, whether the Fouke Monster existed or not, it does no have any relation with the matter of UFO occupants.

Obviously, much more documentary research could be done on this case, for example, it should be found out if J.E. "Smokey" crabtree is actually James Flynn Crabtree or his brother who apparently also reported a sighting. Obviously, many answers on such questions could be in Mr. Crabtree's book, and he could be contacted and interviewed as well.

So the points underneath are not really dealing with the yet-to-explore occurrence but more the the "story" as it was published in the Bigfoot litterature and a ufology catalogue, as if there were no possibility of further research.

After all, I do not have to make this research: this catalogue is about sighting reports of entities really related to UFOs, and to me, it is already obvious enough that it is not the case here. The affair thus might have to do with cryptozoology, not ufology, and I leave to Bigfoot researchers the care to do more research.

Left: "Smokey" Crabtree owns a bookstore in Fooke selling souvenirs of the "Fouke Monster".

As a "bigfoot sighting", it raises credibility and accuracy questions on Bigfoot literature that Bigfoot researchers should address. For exemple, why does the 1973 documentary tell that Crabtree did not shoot at the creature whereas other versions claim he shot three times? Was this a detail added by John Keel, an earlier source, and an author who often made things much more sensational than they really were? Why are we not told wtheher this happened by day or by night? How distant from the boy was the animal? Is Smokey Crabtree the witness or a relaitive to the witness?

Before being called a bigfoot, even if just using the existing "Bigfoot" litterature references on the case, it should also be wondered why it could not have been quite simply a bear. The description is actually that of a bear.

Left: There is in Fouke a representation of the "monster". It is a silhouette, with a hole in the place of the face, so that the tourists put their head in it and can be photographed posing as "the monster." The silhouette also strongly evokes a bear.

List of issues:

Evaluation:

Possible bear.

Sources references:

* = Source I checked.
? = Source I am told about but could not check yet. Help appreciated.

• [---] ? "Strange Creatures from Time and Space, book by John Keel, Fawcett publishers, USA, 1970.
• [---] ? "The Legend of Boggy Creek", movie, directed by Charles B. Pierce, written by Earl E. Smith, USA, 1973, DVD release in 2002.
• [---] ? "Smokey and the Fouke Monster", book by J.E. "Smokey" Crabtree, Days Creek Productions, Fouke, Arkansas, USA, 1974, available at Smokey Crabtree's Souvenir Shop.
• [---] ? "Strange Creatures from Time and Space, book by John Keel, Neville-Spearman publishers, U-K., 1975.
• [---] ? "Sasquatch: The Apes Among Us", book by John Willison Green, Hancock House publishers, USA, 1981.
• [---] ? Fate magazine, USA, #264, page 28.
• [jb1] * "The Bigfoot Casebook", book by Janet and Colin Bord, Granada publishers, USA, 1982.
• [lc1] * "Mysterious America", book by Loren Coleman, Paraview publishers, USA, 2001.
• [mb1] * Minnesota Bigfoot society, USA, undated.
• [mb2] * Review of "The Legend of Boggy Creek", Minnesota Bigfoot society, USA, undated.
• [jg1] * "The Fouke Monster", article by John Green, USA, undated, at ashevilleparanormalsociety.com/bigfoot3.html
• [in1] * "Smokey and The Fouke Monster", web page, anonymous, 1998, at hometown.aol.com/kimono11/info.htm
• [lc1] * "Mysterious America", book by Loren Coleman, Paraview publishers, USA, page 209, 2006.
• [ar1] * "1965 Humanoid Reports", compiled by Albert Rosales, circa 2007, at www.ufoinfo.com/humanoid/humanoid1965.shtml
• [js1] * "Can Bigfoot be Killed?", web page by John Steele, USA, undated, at www.bigfootencounters.com/stories/jsteele.htm
• [mb1] * "Smokey and the Fouke Monster", book review by Mark Banta, Sasquatch Research Initiative (SRI) website, USA, February 6, 2006, at sasquatchonline.com/content/view/32/47
• [sc1] * Smokey Crabtree websites, as of 2008, including books and gifts ordering, contact information, various articles, at www.smokeyandthefoukemonster.com et un autre à www.tooclosetothemirror.com

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This page was last updated on June 12, 2008