Two nurses from Elizabthtown preparing for trip to the Uwharrie National Forest near Asheboro to search for Bigfoot
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| Linda Durden, left, and Janette Skinner, right study a map as they prepare for their trip to the Uwharrie National Forest near Asheboro to search for Bigfoot in September. ERIN SMITH/Bladen Journal |
Looking for Bigfoot: Two local nurses are planning quite an adventure
by Erin Smith, esmith@bladenjournal.com
ELIZABETHTOWN — Two enterprising Bladen County women have devised a plan to search for Bigfoot, a.k.a. Sasquatch.
Linda Durden and her friend, co-worker Janette Skinner plan to spend some time in September in the Uwharrie National Forest near Asheboro on a mission to gather concrete proof Bigfoot exists.
Why Uwharrie? According to Skinner, Animal Planet did a special in February called Finding Bigfoot. The special mentioned sightings in the Uwharrie National Forest, said Skinner.
“She’s always talked about it and watched the movies,” said Skinner of her friend Durden. “We never heard about it (the sightings in North Carolina).”
Durden and Skinner have been fishing and camping in the Uwharrie forest for several years. They both say they were not aware of the Bigfoot sightings nor have then seen or heard anything out of the ordinary.
When asked if they truly believe the stories, they both thought for a minute.
“I don’t know if he exists, but I know things exist in the woods which we can’t explain,” said Skinner.
Durden said, “I think he’s an animal or some other creature that didn’t evolve.”
The duo are adventurous women who have worked together at the Elizabethtown Nursing Center for the past 12 years. The ladies say they enjoy camping and fishing together.
Skinner said in the years past, the two have always stayed in a camp ground near Badin Lake and fished on the river. They say come September they will go primitive camping in the woods away from the more populated camp ground.
“We planned a trip this year and decided we could do just as a good of job (as professional Bigfoot hunters),” said Skinner. “We want to try and get a good photo.”
But aren’t they apprehensive? Durden said they will be armed, but they hope to not have to use it. Bigfoot has never been known to harm anyone.
“If we feel threatened now we’d have no choice (but to defend ourselves),” said Durden. “We’re prepared.”
Durden and Skinner both said Bigfoot has been known to throw gravel or rocks at humans to try to frighten them away. He’s never actually harmed anyone.
They have tried to contact Michael Green. His reports of a sighting are the reason Anmimal Planet traveled to Uwharrie. They are still waiting to speak with him.
“I hope we can bring some type of 100 percent proof (he exists) back,” said Durden. “It’s a large forest. We have got a few areas in mind we are going to hit.”
They said they plan to look for things like twisted trees, hair and, allegedly, a Bigfoot will sleep on a bed of sticks. They aren’t certain they will be able to find an actual footprint due to the rough, rocky terrain.
They both say they will try various methods of baiting including the use of a Zagnut candy bar, which is reportedly his favorite, said Durden, and peanut butter to try to lure Bigfoot where they can capture a good conclusive photo.
The duo says whether or not they are able to gather conclusive proof Bigfoot exists, they plan to have a great time camping.
Read more: The Bladen Journal - Looking for Bigfoot Two local nurses are planning quite an adventure
by Erin Smith, esmith@bladenjournal.com
ELIZABETHTOWN — Two enterprising Bladen County women have devised a plan to search for Bigfoot, a.k.a. Sasquatch.
Linda Durden and her friend, co-worker Janette Skinner plan to spend some time in September in the Uwharrie National Forest near Asheboro on a mission to gather concrete proof Bigfoot exists.
Why Uwharrie? According to Skinner, Animal Planet did a special in February called Finding Bigfoot. The special mentioned sightings in the Uwharrie National Forest, said Skinner.
“She’s always talked about it and watched the movies,” said Skinner of her friend Durden. “We never heard about it (the sightings in North Carolina).”
Durden and Skinner have been fishing and camping in the Uwharrie forest for several years. They both say they were not aware of the Bigfoot sightings nor have then seen or heard anything out of the ordinary.
When asked if they truly believe the stories, they both thought for a minute.
“I don’t know if he exists, but I know things exist in the woods which we can’t explain,” said Skinner.
Durden said, “I think he’s an animal or some other creature that didn’t evolve.”
The duo are adventurous women who have worked together at the Elizabethtown Nursing Center for the past 12 years. The ladies say they enjoy camping and fishing together.
Skinner said in the years past, the two have always stayed in a camp ground near Badin Lake and fished on the river. They say come September they will go primitive camping in the woods away from the more populated camp ground.
“We planned a trip this year and decided we could do just as a good of job (as professional Bigfoot hunters),” said Skinner. “We want to try and get a good photo.”
But aren’t they apprehensive? Durden said they will be armed, but they hope to not have to use it. Bigfoot has never been known to harm anyone.
“If we feel threatened now we’d have no choice (but to defend ourselves),” said Durden. “We’re prepared.”
Durden and Skinner both said Bigfoot has been known to throw gravel or rocks at humans to try to frighten them away. He’s never actually harmed anyone.
They have tried to contact Michael Green. His reports of a sighting are the reason Anmimal Planet traveled to Uwharrie. They are still waiting to speak with him.
“I hope we can bring some type of 100 percent proof (he exists) back,” said Durden. “It’s a large forest. We have got a few areas in mind we are going to hit.”
They said they plan to look for things like twisted trees, hair and, allegedly, a Bigfoot will sleep on a bed of sticks. They aren’t certain they will be able to find an actual footprint due to the rough, rocky terrain.
They both say they will try various methods of baiting including the use of a Zagnut candy bar, which is reportedly his favorite, said Durden, and peanut butter to try to lure Bigfoot where they can capture a good conclusive photo.
The duo says whether or not they are able to gather conclusive proof Bigfoot exists, they plan to have a great time camping.
Read more: The Bladen Journal - Looking for Bigfoot Two local nurses are planning quite an adventure
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| Uwharrie National Forest North Carolina |
The Uwharrie National Forest was first purchased by the federal government in 1931 during the Great Depression. The land was known as the Uwharrie Reservation.
In 1961, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed these federal lands in Montgomery, Randolph, and Davidson Counties the Uwharrie National Forest. It is one of the most recently formed in the National Forest System.
Though small, at only 50,189 acres, the Uwharrie provides a variety of natural resources, including clean rivers and streams, diverse vegetation for scenery, wildlife habitat and wood products. There is also a wide variety of recreational activities, and the Forest is a natural setting for tourism and economic development.
This website provides numerous links to the following Uwharrie information and maps:
National Forest in North Carolina
Source: www.bladenjournal.com
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