Oklahoma Investigator Recalls Face-to-Face Sasquatch Encounter

So I stumbled across this gem of an interview over on the Sasquatch Theory YouTube channel, and let me tell you, it's the kind of content that makes you want to grab your notebook and start taking field notes. Brian Terrell, the founder of Red Dirt Cryptid Investigations out of Northwest Oklahoma, sits down to share a lifetime of encounters that will have you questioning everything you thought you knew about the woods. Brian's story starts way back when he was just a kid growing up on the family farm. He always had a feeling something was off about certain activities on the property, things that just didn't add up. But it wasn't until he watched the legendary Boggy Creek monster movie that his eyes really opened to the possibility that something unknown was lurking out there in the wild. From that moment on, he kept his senses sharp and his mind open. His first real dive into the world of Bigfoot investigation happened back in 1996 near Stinchcomb Lake, close to Oklahoma City. He'd heard about an encounter in the area and decided to check it out for himself. What he found was a wildlife management area that was completely untamed at the time, no trails, nothing. He had to hop a bobwire fence just to get in there. And what did he stumble upon? Stick structures. At the time, he had no idea what they were, thought maybe some kids or tweakers had been messing around back there. But the way everything was arranged made no sense to him. It was ununiform, almost deliberate in its weirdness. Now here's where things get really interesting. In 2007, Brian had what he now knows was a dogman encounter in broad daylight. At the time, he had absolutely no clue what a dogman even was. It took him about a decade before he heard a podcast talking about these creatures and suddenly everything clicked. He realized he had actually experienced TWO of these encounters, not just one. That realization sent him down a rabbit hole of research that eventually led him to start Red Dirt Cryptids in 2017, because he realized there was nobody in Northwest Oklahoma doing this kind of work. Nobody to talk to about these experiences. What started as a local group quickly morphed into something much bigger. Brian found himself interviewing witnesses across Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, and even down in Texas. With over 20 years as a scout leader under his belt, he had spent more time in the woods than most people, and he always kept an eye out for things that just didn't belong. But the encounter that really got my heart racing happened just a couple of years ago during deer season. Brian and his group headed to Hayburn Lake, southwest of Tulsa, to an area that was off-limits to deer hunters. They figured it would be a safe spot to investigate. Of course, it started pouring rain on them, and there they were, a bunch of soaked researchers in ponchos trudging through the woods looking for answers. Coleman Ashley, one of the guys in Brian's group, found something incredible. A giant print in the grass, about 15 inches long, and it was fresh. You could even see remnants of a trackway nearby. They spent time documenting what they could, but the rain made it impossible to pour a cast. After the main group headed back to camp, Brian and Coleman decided to keep pushing forward. The rain had turned into a heavy mist, and the woods were dead quiet. That's when they started hearing noises off to their left in the trees. Looking back, Brian thinks something was deliberately throwing sticks or rocks to get their attention. Coleman ducked under some bushes to investigate, while Brian stayed on the trail. Something told him to turn around and look back the way they had come. And there it was. A head leaning out from behind one of two trees they had passed just a minute and a half earlier. Brian describes the figure as tall and skinny, not the big bulky build you often hear about. It had a visible neck, which he points out contradicts the common claim that these creatures don't have necks. The coloring was grayish, though the overcast, rainy conditions made it hard to determine exact details. He wanted Coleman to see it too, so he called him back over and tried to play it cool, acting like they were just having a conversation while subtly directing Coleman's attention over his shoulder. Coleman saw movement, saw the figure duck behind the tree, but didn't get the same clear view Brian had. Still, having that second pair of eyes made all the difference. As Brian puts it, having someone else witness something with you is like 10,000 times better because at least you know you're not hallucinating. The funniest part, and Brian laughs about it now, is that he had his cell phone in his hand the entire time. The thought to record it never even crossed his mind. He was just completely befuddled by the whole experience, stuck in that surreal moment of trying to process what he was actually seeing. This is one of those interviews that really sticks with you. Brian Terrell comes across as a genuine, grounded researcher who has put in the years and the miles. His story about Hayburn Lake is the kind of encounter that reminds you why people keep going back out there, rain or shine, looking for answers. If you haven't checked out this video yet, do yourself a favor and go watch it. Trust me, you'll be glad you did.