Paul Freeman filmed a Bigfoot in Washington woods in 1992. Pic credit: via History/YouTube
A Bigfoot skeptic was shocked when he came face to face with a 10-foot Sasquatch in Washington woods near Walla Walla. He came so close to the behemoth that he could hear it breathing.
Paul’s son, Michael Freeman, a professional gymnastics coach for two decades, tells the story of his dad’s first encounter with Bigfoot.
The encounter sparked a lifelong obsession with the cryptid.
Paul Freeman had always scoffed at Bigfoot stories. According to Michael, his father worked for the Forest Service. He made fun of people who talked about Bigfoot and believed in it.
Paul Freeman was a veteran forest ranger.
Paul Freeman worked with the Forest Service near Walla Walla, Washington. He was a veteran in his field, highly skilled and experienced. He was one of the best trackers in the service.
But he did not believe in Bigfoot until an encounter with a behemoth deep in the forest shattered his disbelief forever.
Freeman encountered a 10-foot behemoth in 1982
Paul’s first encounter with a Bigfoot occurred on June 10, 1982.
He was tracking a herd of elk when he noticed strange movements ahead. Curious, he grabbed his rifle, got out of the truck, and began following the elk on foot.
After following them for a while, he detected a strange smell. He became alert because the odor was unfamiliar and unusual. Along the way, he turned a corner and saw something he would never forget.
He saw a creature coming into view as it stepped over the side of the road.
Paul had no idea what it was. He was a veteran forest service worker, but he’d never seen anything like it before. He had seen many bears, so he knew the creature was not one.
He thought it looked like the prehistoric apemen he’d seen in pictures and documentaries about human evolution. But the creature’s face looked more apelike.
The Bigfoot was so close that Paul could hear it breathing.
The beast also noticed him and stopped in its tracks. Man and Bigfoot froze and stared at each other for a long moment.
Only a few feet separated them. Freeman could hear the creature breathing. It had been running, and he could see its chest and stomach muscles heaving.
The creature did not want to engage. It backed off cautiously and turned. It walked away, glancing over its shoulders warily as it increased the space between them.
It eventually disappeared in the bush.
Freeman’s 15-year hunt for Bigfoot
The encounter made a lasting impression on Freeman and sparked a 15-year quest to prove to the world that Bigfoot existed.
His search for Bigfoot took him to Deduct Spring in Oregon. Wildlife, including deer and elk, came to the spring to drink, and Freeman would go there to search for evidence of Bigfoot.
He would go there before sunrise. He found multiple Bigfoot footprints in the soft soil.
After encountering only footprints, he concluded they came earlier than him, so he decided to come earlier, too.
The second Bigfoot sighting was in August 1992
He was driving home late one day in August 1992.
It was later than usual, but he decided on an impulse to go to the spring and have a look.
He saw the usual fresh Bigfoot footprints in the mud by the water. He filmed them on his camera. As he followed the tracks, he bumped into one of the creatures.
He filmed the individual (see video above) as it disappeared in the bush. Looking around, he realized that multiple Bigfoot individuals were hiding in the bush, waiting for him to leave.
They had come to the water before him but hid when they heard him coming.
They were waiting for him to leave before coming out to resume their activities.
Michael saw his dad shaken.
Michael recalled that when he returned home that day, he went upstairs and saw his dad sitting trembling.
That was the only time in his life that he saw his dad so scared.
He believed his dad must have seen something unusual to return home so shaken. His dad’s reaction convinced him that Bigfoot existed.
Paul passed away in 2003. He continued believing in Bigfoot until he died.
“That’s the only proof I’ll ever need for the existence of the Bigfoot,” Michael concluded. “‘Cos I saw it on his face, and I saw it in his eyes, and I know they are real.”