Bigfoot Society - MonsterQuest Director Comes Forward with HIS Encounters!

Episode Date: February 2, 2026

In this episode, we sit down with Jared McGilliard, director and executive producer of MonsterQuest, as he steps out from behind the camera to share the encounters that shaped his understanding of the phenomenon. From the dense forests of Washington’s North Cascades to remote regions tied to decades of unexplained activity, Jared recounts experiences that go far beyond television production.Drawing from his time investigating cryptid cases around the world—including extreme expeditions into the Himalayas—Jared reflects on the moments that stayed with him long after the cameras stopped rolling. He describes locations passed down through generations, a singular place in the Pacific Northwest tied to repeated activity, and the unsettling realization that some encounters don’t fit neatly into any known explanation.How to Watch MonsterQuest:The new season of MonsterQuest is now airing on the History Channel and available through History’s official streaming and on-demand platforms. 🗣️ Share Your StoryHad a Bigfoot encounter or strange experience?Send it to [e-mail] – your story might be featured on the show!🎥 Watch & Subscribe on YouTube🔴 Subscribe here → Bigfoot Society YouTube💬 Leave a comment & let us know your thoughts!📞 Leave a voicemail with your story → Speakpipe (Use multiple voicemails if needed)👥 Share this episode → Watch & Share🎧 More episodes → Podcast Playlist🌲 Recommended: New Jersey Bigfoot Encounters💥 Support the Show & Get Perks✅ Join the community on Supercast – Become a Member✅ Listen ad-free & early on YouTube – Join Here📱 Let’s ConnectInstagram: @bigfootsocietyTwitter: @bigfoot_societyTikTok: @bigfoot.society🧰 Tools & Partners I Use (Affiliate Links)These help support the show at no extra cost to you:Beam (Better Sleep): Try BeamWildgrain (Better Bread): Join HereSeed (Probiotics): Get SeedMedi-Share (Healthcare): Learn MoreLMNT (Electrolytes) Free Sample Pack with your first purchase! : Get LMNTOrganic and non-GMO groceries delivered for lesshttp://thrv.me/uarEhS🎙️ Podcasting Tools:Repurpose.io: Try ItDescript: Sign UpStreamyard: Start RecordingRiverside.fm: Try Riverside🎧 My Audio Interface: View on Amazon☕ Buy Me a Coffee – Support Here🛍️ Grab Some Merch – Shop on Etsy📬 Mailing Address:Bigfoot Society125 E 1st St. #233Earlham, IA 50072

You're listening to Bigfoot Society and I'm Jeremiah Byron. In this show, we go beyond the campfire stories to bring you first-hand encounters from people who say they've seen something impossible. From backwoods trails and remote mountain haulers to quiet farms and crowded highways, the stories come from everywhere, and each one leaves us with more questions than answers. These are the voices of the people who've lived it. So settle in because today you'll hear another account that just might change the way you see the woods forever. So stay with us. All right, Bigfoot Society. Welcome back to another episode.

We've got the privilege of talking to Jared McGillard today. Jared is the director and an executive producer of the show Monster Quest currently. How is it going today, Jared? Oh, that's great, Jeremy. How are you doing? Dude, doing so good. I'm just really glad that our mutual friend, Adam Davies, was able to connect us. and Adam reached out and was like, you should talk to Jared.

He's heading up the Monster Quest thing. I was like, yeah, yeah, I think that would be a good idea, Adam. I'll do that. And Adam, we trust. Yeah, exactly. Well, I was like, as long as he could, does he have Bigfoot stuff to talk about? And he's got Bigfoot stuff to talk about. Don't worry about it.

I could have, if I know Adam, I must have some Bigfoot stuff to talk about. Exactly. So, Jared, man, let's start with the Monster Quest stuff. I've seen a few episodes already. and it's cool to see, you know, really people that I consider to be my friends from this community show up on screen. You were able to get some really good witnesses. Can we talk about, I'm not going to spoil anything, right? It's out in the open now.

So that's all right? It's out there. Let's talk about it. You bet. I mean, you were, first episode right out of the gate, you were able to get Mr. Martin Groves. Such a fantastic story, his dogman account from Land Between the Lakes in Martin's. such a great individual. And then, of course, a good friend comes to mind, Mr. Daniel Hamilton.

Daniel, yeah. And, man, you guys did a great job showing his encounter. And it really makes you think about it a different way. Like, oh, yeah, he was up in the tree in that tree stand. And that's what was going on. And it's like, oh, my goodness, I love what you guys are doing with this stuff. Oh, thanks a lot. Yeah, those stories.

Yeah, Martin was. Yeah, I love Martin. Just what a sweet, kind, generous guy. And, you know, Martin, we owe a lot to just in terms of the show coming to be at all because that was the story we actually filmed for the development or sizzle step that actually got it across the finish line and had history fully commissioned the series. So Martin's story was sort of like always our North Star. You know, it's hard to start with someone like Martin. And then I have every other story try to stack up to it. But now he's so generous with his time. And his story is. just, I mean, just unforgettable, unforgettable story. And Daniel's great. Yeah, I love Daniel. He's, he just, his story was, you know, it's, I love

those stories that have like that weird element to it. It's like you just couldn't, you, you, the, the untying of his shoe is just the most bizarre occurrence, you know, and I, and sort of, I love those aspects of those stories that are feeling very one of a kind.

And his story definitely feels one of a kind like that. Listeners will listen to this on February second and as of so the second how many episodes will you have out do you think that'll be our sixth episodes so six of the eight uh yeah and and the episode coming up this week uh is great i mean i don't know if you know barton nunnally uh baron oh you got barton his is his story is just it's actually one of my favorite edits uh stories and just edit and pieces of the series it's got such character to it and it's fun. It's just, and the music is kind of unforgettable.

I'm really excited to see that. I'm always more nervous for like Barton to see his story, you know, that I was feel like a lot of pressure with that. But Barton's great. This guy named Michael Kane, who had an encounter. Yes, in Ohio, right? Yeah, you got it. Salt Fork.

Yep, the grassman, you got it. Yeah. Oh, I kind of know the field a little bit, right? Yeah. Dude, that's great. That's awesome. Michael's great and his story is just also very cool and weird and he's got some cool footage. So yeah, there's, we have a times slip story, Gwen Johns.

I don't know if you're familiar with Gwen Johns, but a time slip of this Friday is really interesting. Nice. And then a woman named Joni Mayhem who had an encounter when she was a kid as well. So, yeah, really cool stories, but Barton and Michaels are real fun. Yeah, I'll be excited for you to see this, Jeremiah. And that's why another reason I really like the show right now because half of it is like, oh, I know this person. I know this story. It's a new interpretation for me because it's Bigfoot stuff.

But then also you're throwing in other stuff too, which is like, I've never heard of this. And this is really cool. So it's kind of a cool mixed bag. But, you know, Jared, let's talk a little bit about, you know, you have a history of doing so many shows. I was looking through Nomatica films, your website. and you've done everything from you just did the was golden greed the Netflix series right that was you and all sorts of stuff in in the past but how did you get set up and linked up with the monster quest series because you know this isn't the there was monster quest back in the day and then out of

nowhere it's back like how did that happen it's back baby yeah yeah it's a cool story i mean i think I'd always been interested in cryptids. I grew up in the Seattle area, Washington State. So, you know, Saskatch and Bigfoot was definitely just part of my, the culture of where I grew up. And then, you know, years and years and years ago, in the original installment of Monster Quest, I produced one of their episodes, and we went to Nepal looking for the Yeti. And so that was sort of my first time. That's where I met Adam.

And I really, you know, I think that the way that that, that. the initial series of Monster Quest approached these types of stories and investigations. It was so objective. It was so, it was very, trying to be as scientific as it could be. And I really appreciated that. I thought that that was like such a, an interesting approach, both for sort of like believers and non-believers, you know. And so I, honestly, this sort of cryptid world was something.

Obviously, I meant Adam. Adam and I talk a lot. And so, you know, this has always just been a part. of an interest level of mine. And, you know, we're, as you said, Nomadica, like, we're pitching, whether it's Netflix, history channel, discovery channel, constantly. And so we had sat down with History Channel and we're batting around a few ideas and, you know, sort of a cryptid show came up.

And it wasn't Monster Quest, you know, initially, it was just sort of, hey, this could be a really cool show. There's more sightings and there's more, you know, with social media and podcasts like yours, it's like there's more access to more stories than ever before. And I was thinking about why now was a good time for bringing it back. And that for me was kind of like a big reason. It's like there's just access to so many stories. And yeah, it started as just a conversation.

And then, you know, we ended up shooting a little development tape with Martin and put a deck together and sort of outlined our vision for what the series would be. And they went for it. And then they eventually decided to sort of put it underneath the Monster Quest banner, which I was thrilled with. I was honestly, it was like such an honor to sort of feel like. Oh, we're bringing it back because it was such a, you know, it was a big part of my history, Monster Quest. And I just always thought it was such an awesome show. So that's kind of how it all came to be.

But it's been a really thrilling way to spend the last year and a half of my life just tunneling into the world. We just had conversations with people and long conversations. I mean, really talking about, you know, and someone's going to be, hey, you should meet such and such person or you should talk to such. You know, we really wanted to make sure people understood what the show was and what the show was not. You know, this wasn't a show where we were trying to prove or disprove someone's encounter, you know, where we're trying to undercut it or, you know, we really were just trying to present these stories as objectively as possible and then build the history around them. And the history was fascinating to dig into, you know, some of these occurrences, I would have thought when we met the witnesses, oh, that must be just a one-off. There's no such thing as a one-off experience. I mean, there just, there really isn't.

You go. But it truly was word of mouth. I mean, we talk to hundreds of people, you know, and I really hope you're another season because there's just so many more amazing stories. And I think, you know, what we, you know, you kind of start in the casting process and, you know, you sort of, you have like your top tier

and then you kind of fill it out. And obviously each episode is themed. Now that we've been through the first season, so many of those stories that didn't quite make it for that first, for the first season, like I would be thrilled to bring into the fold. And I'm sure you know a lot of those people. I mean, there's just,

there's no shortage of these of these encounters and they take you all over the globe all over the united states all different types of people there's not a type of person that necessarily like has these encounters you know um so yeah it was really it was all word of mouth but really just trying not to i really wanted the show to be defined it is defined truly by like the witnesses and i really wanted credible witnesses that not only would speak to the people who are already within the cryptic community and know them, but also to people, you know,

the general history audience that maybe didn't watch the, you know, the first installment of Monster Quest that are coming fresh. And I, so I, you know, finding people that I felt were speaking very confidently with a lot of credibility with sort of like,

you know, like the Daniel Hamilton details. It's like, why, you know, you could, so, you know,

I was looking for specific ingredients. It was strength. It was a great storyteller. You know, I don't know if you know, the judge, the shame, the judge.

Oh, yeah, yeah. Tell the dogman story, right? Yeah, but I mean, he's such a, such a, he's an amazing storyteller. You know, it's like he delivers his story with such confidence and clarity and incredible detail. And I think no matter whether you are somebody who is a believer or non-believer or is the first sort of cryptid story you've heard or like the hundredth or thousand cryptid story you've heard, that confidence, level of detail and that I think someone speak with means a lot. So, you know, in terms of the casting and how we found people, that was really it. It was a lot of Zoom calls, very long Zoom calls. And then obviously, you know, I get them down in the interview chair and then it's, you know, two to three hour, two to three hour conversation where you're really trying to pull out those details and those feelings and slow down the story.

Wow. But it was a blast. Yeah, it was a lot of fun. So are you having to like travel around the U.S. and meet people where they are? or is it a mixture like some people are coming to your studios or like how does how is that working for this? Yeah, you're right on. It was a mix. So some people we flew, we flew into Seattle.

We filmed all everything here. Other people, you know, some people weren't comfortable traveling or weren't able to travel. So we sort of set up these little satellite areas where, you know, it was kind of close to some people. Martin for the development, we were able to go out, you know, to his home and he takes out to land between the lakes. I wish we could do that for every story because it just, I mean, selfishly, it's just a fun, such a fun. fun experience to sort of walk in their shoes and sit shotgun with Martin and just, just spend time with those people. But for the most part, yeah, it was a pretty quick process.

You know, we'd, again, we'd have sort of the Zoom interview. Then most people, we had them flying to Seattle. We'd sit down for a while, talk a little bit about, talk a little bit about what of those parts of their story that they really feel confident and share, you know. But, yeah, I really, I think the way I try to approach interviews is I truly am, like, enthralled. You know, like, I am, I am locked in when I'm listening to these stories. And that was a lot of fun.

But most people, best case scenario, we could fly them out here because it just made it really easy for us. But some people, we did go out to where they were. That's awesome. Man, I was thinking, and I don't, maybe, maybe this is a thing where, you know, I haven't been able to watch all of it, of course, yet. But it would be really cool if you could get Adam's story. on one of the episodes and i'm talking about the southern oregon portal one have you've heard

adam to say that one right i think i've heard that story adam has a lot of stories but yes adam davies can only stay away from monster quest for so long i feel like he is due he's to sit in the chair yeah it's uh yeah he'd be great he'd be okay good stuff it's a such a such a great encounter and my goodness it's so so good so regarding the the current season of Monster Quest. Is there any chance we can get the old graphics back with the super, you know what I'm saying? Like the crazy graphics, can we get that back? Yeah, you know, it's funny.

We had that conversation with history. And I think they really wanted to sort of feel like there was an evolution. You know, there was like, I know within the community, there was like, can we have the graphic? Like, it's like some of those really classic elements from the old series. You know, I think history really wanted to sort of freshen it up, I would say, a little bit. But absolutely, I miss those original graphics and the original. There's something, you know, when you have that, it's like it makes, it's like a, it's like a hug. You know, it is.

It really is. Yeah. And I'm speaking, so I'm speaking, because I hear a lot from the community and they're like, they're like on their knees. They're big like, give us history. Give us the old graphics back. We want to see those old. graphics and like who knows maybe history maybe not but hey i'll make a push if we get in our you'll make a strong push i promise you i'll make a strong push all right there we go thank you

for for for for making it happen there you go there you go i've seen even people on ticot making videos about i'm like oh my goodness this is a pretty big deal okay all right it's kind of cool though it's neat to see how like the the original series it was it meant a lot to people you know i think it was a little before its time. It introduced, I think, a lot of people to the worlds of cryptids and on a global scale. And I think to some very cool people within the cryptid community, like Adam Davies and Jeff Meldrum and a lot of people that were doing some really, really cool work. So yeah, I totally get, I totally get the, the want to have that original, those original graphics back. So that's just me throwing my little two cents in there. But, you know,

Jared, can you take us back to, I think it's fascinating that you were involved with the first Monster Quest in the Nepal episode. Do you have any memories of what it was or stories you're able to share what it was like to be able to be, you know, in the filming or involved with that episode and any cool things you had happened over there? Oh, man. I mean, how much time do you have, Jeremiah? my life. That was a that was a lifelong memory. I feel like almost died on that shoot. Like it was

it was it was a it was an incredible adventure harrowing. So yeah, I mean we had you know, I had been brought on to basically do mostly the field production of that of that episode. So I connected with Adam, you know, and it was like, hey Adam you want to go to the

Apollo and look for the Yeti and you know, I think you know, Adam's pretty game for for basically everything. Oh yeah. And then I really was into trying to find get in touch with this guy named Ian Redmond, who is this great ape expert. He used to work with Diane Fossey before she was murdered.

And I didn't know where in the world he was. I remember I were just like sending random emails and just constantly trying to get in touch with him. And then one day he finally emerged. And he called me like three in the morning. And I saw this number I didn't know probably from the UK

and I answered it really quickly. And it was Ian. He's like, oh, I'm sorry. I was I was out studying cave elephants and I had like a like a wire tied to my foot. So when they left the, when they left the cave, it would wake me up. And I was just like, oh my God, this guy's incredible. And I was like, well, Ian, I'm going to Nepal, you know, to look for the Yeti. You want to come? And he was like, I'd love to.

And so that was, it was really cool to have, you know, Adam obviously who's there. He had such great knowledge of the Yeti and the history. And Ian came from much with a scientific background. His history was with Great Apes. And I just thought that was such a cool, a cool team. And then we brought in, you know, a lot of the focus on that was trying to go back to the place where they had found some evidence. And so there was this old climber named Yagi Hara, really cool guy. And Yagi had basically was up in this really remote area of Nepal, very high altitude, and had seen a print, a track.

and it, you know, sort of was, it was, there was some headlines about it, some information. And so I got in touch with him and I said, hey, well, you lead us back to that area where you found that track. Now, Yagi Harah, like, he's summited Everest multiple times. I mean, he's a very accomplished climber, which was cool. I mean, a lot of the stories of the Yeti are from local folklore and climbers. You know, you have Reinhold Messner and different climbers that have, that really access these remote parts of the world. So, um, the other thing, we had done because this was sort of before the age of drones. Not that drones,

I must your drones could actually operate at that altitude. But we had worked with this company, they were out of New Zealand or Australia, and they had built us this helium platform, which we attached a infrared camera to, and then it had a signal down that atom or whoever could hold. And so at nighttime, we could basically lift this thing up.

Anyway, we get to Nepal. I mean, we were very ambitious. We had, we helicoptered out to this remote village drop in. We had 36 Sherpas bringing, you know, all of our gear, just six-day trek deep into the Himalayas. Remember there's this guy, I still have, actually, this is it right, this is it right here. So this little piece of twine right here is a very famous piece of twine. This is the twine that he used to basically, he had a giant helium tank and he wrapped it around his forehead like this in flip-flops and hiked, you know, and trucked, you know, five days carrying

this thing with this piece of twine. So when he was done, I was like, can I have a snip of that twine? I feel like that's like the most epic piece of twine I've ever seen. And so anyway, we went up there. Every day was, it was, it was tough going, you know, straight up, straight down, straight up, straight down. Met with some, some remote villagers who had stories along the way. And then we sort of reach this point and sort of the plan was always to sort of split the teams so you know adam and Ian were confident that there was you know there was the area that yagi had gone to which was very very high altitude and then there was this other area down below that was more along a riverbed and you know adam and he were both like the river bed is truly more of the habitat likely for

a creature like this more than this sort of desolate high altitude um place where yagi saw that that print so he split so half and i mean my crew is like just my best buddies. I mean, that's kind of like the business, right? You kind of, you say, hey, buddy, you want to go to Nepal with me? So, you know, my buddy's Sean and Ryan are with me. So they stuck with Ian. And then Adam, myself, this guy named Mick, who was sort of in charge of that arrow platform, and Yagi Harah, we continued up. Now, our expedition company that we had hired to sort of, you know, help coordinate this whole event, they're like, you're not going to encounter any snow this type of year. Don't worry about it.

Jeremy, there's snow everywhere. Everywhere. And we're just on this pitch. We eventually get to this pitch and it is, no joke, the mountain is like this. And there's no trail. So you're just sort of walking with your feet like this. And I'm not, I don't love heights, but somehow with my jobs, I always end up in those situations. Right.

But you know, like you're walking like this, creating basically like a 12, 18 inch little walkway that you can walk along. We get up to this location. I mean, gorgeous, though. I mean, just, I love those moments in life. You're like, how the heck did I get here? Like, just amazing. So we scouted the area. We put up the balloon at night a few times.

Didn't catch anything. But my DP, who I had worked with multiple times, oh man, I'm already realizing I'm skipping over a few parts of those stories that are great. There were places where, like, the trail we on was not like a hiking expedition trail. It was like the old, you know, the Nepal was a monarchy. overthrown by the mouse. And so it used to be this sort of the rebels used to live up in the mountains. And they would use these trails to basically get into more of the city.

And so there were areas where the trail was completely gone. And you had to almost basically free climb over this cliff. And like where all legs are shaking. And then you'd have like these, you know, local villagers who are just walking it like it's nothing. But we get up to this altitude and this DP, this guy named Jeff Rhodes, who's incredible, he had summoned Everest twice in a day, just really accomplished climber. He's like, listen, Jared. What we just did was incredibly dangerous.

Like, we got to get that. We got to get, we, we, we, we, I know you guys have evak insurance. We should evak because if someone slips, there's, we have no ropes. We have no crampons. We have, like, nothing, nothing to sort of like, if something goes wrong. And so, and no one's fog, you know, it's just like no one, the expedition company didn't expect snow. And anyway, so all, so we finish our filming. We go to the place to the track.

We don't, we don't quite get the information we went, but it was a great expedition. It was trying to go. It's so cool to go back up there with the Agihara. And it's just me and my little crew of like four to five people. Adams there too. And all the shirt was left. And I remember I gave all my flashlights and torches because I was like, I'm not going to need this. Helicopters come in to pick us up.

We won't need it. So we're sitting up through the snowfield. We clear off this big helicopter landing plan. And there's only one helicopter in all of Nepal that can reach us out. just one. So we hear it come. He's coming up through the mountains and you're seeing it come in and you're like, oh man, I'm just like, this is going to be the most epic trip out of here. It's going to be so cool.

It comes. It circles once. It circles twice. And it leaves. And then we're just like, oh, we had very little food. We had very little water. We had all of our gear. It was only the lead Sherpa.

I always knew was M.B. He was our Siddhar up there and his nephew. And it was just my crew. And we're like, we have no choice. Like basically the wind shear was too high

that he couldn't land. He was too afraid he was in a crash. And so it was probably, actually, I guess it was probably middle of the afternoon. And it was a two-day trek up to this place. Oh, wow.

And so we quadruple up our loads on our packs and we just start heading out. And I remember at one point, I remember thinking, like, my legs were starting to shake. I remember thinking, oh, my God, I'm mentally, like, I'm mentally beating myself. I remember I gave myself a strong pep talk, but people were crying, scared. It was harrowing.

And we climbed out of there all through the night we walked, pitch black. I had, Adam gave me this little, like a little pencil light, like probably the size of this little pen right here, you know, like the size of my thumb. And it was, and it was flickering. The battery was just about to go. Because in the cold, you know, batteries go real quick. I just pointed at my feet, and I would just remember walking down, down, down. I remember trying to envision that my legs were just tree trunks because my knees hurt so bad.

We dropped thousands of feet in elevation. We finally get to the camp. Must be like three in the morning, four in the morning. People are waiting out for us. M. B. M. M. M. Sinar just breaks down in tears. He's like, I'm so sorry. We failed you. Anyway, it was, you know, all these moments, all these adventures where in the

moment you're like, this is crazy, but you get through it and you're just like, that was awesome. You know, it was like an incredible experience. The guys down at this day down at the river with Ian saw a couple of cool, found a couple of cool skeletons of different creatures, but no sign. And I remember Ian said a couple things to me on that trip that really stuck with me in terms of sort of me understanding, you know, I was sort of thought, well, how can these cryptids exist and we don't see them? Or, you know, or we see there. seven times, but there's no, like, the photographic video evidence is minimal. We're not seeing any bodies.

And he was like, listen, you know, he said, you know, even the mountain gorillas of Runga, they weren't found until not that long ago. And before then, they were just like the idea of travelers' tales and local folklore. And not until two British adventures went and killed one and brought it back. Did science finally recognize the mountain gorilla as more than just local folklore and travelers' tales? Here in Nepal, we have a creature in the Yeti that is probably less than number in a more remote area. And he's like, we may not have seen that Yeti, but if the Yeti does exist, it's a high

likelihood that Yeti saw us, you know. And that perspective, that scientific perspective, it has really carried with me until today. You know, and I think like that, that I love that feeling of understanding. that there's more out there in the world than what like, you know, then what, then what, then what, what we're told as where kids growing up is like,

these are the biological, you know, animals, these are the animals that we share this awesome planet with. And so, yeah, that gave me a really cool perspective. But man,

that was such, we did end up getting picked up by a helicopter eventually and flown, and flown back to Catmando do. But, man, that was an epic, epic adventure. It was incredible.

Oh, my goodness. It's such a cool story. I mean, For one reason, outside of all the adventure, it shows that. So I think a lot of the community, when they heard, oh, Monster Quest is back. It's like, I don't know that name. Uh-oh, I'm scared. Is this going to be okay?

Does this guy, can this guy protect our precious Monster Quest? And this guy, Jared, you've been through adventure encrypted related things. Like, you're not just some random Joe off the street. Like, oh, yeah, I'll do Monster Quest. and it'll be cool. Like, you've actually been out in the trenches. So it's a very cool example of, like,

the show isn't good hands, I'd say. So, oh, thanks a lot. I appreciate it. I think the one thing that it really gave me access to was just meeting people in the community, you know,

and I, and that really, I think the perspective of the cryptic community is something that I really brought into it and wanting, wanting the series to meet their expectations. You know, obviously it's not just for that community, it's for a general audience as well,

as for believers, non-believers, skeptics. But I really, you know, knowing the community, you know, being close to Adam,

you know, having a great admiration for people like Martin Groves and Martin, not only, a lot of the people that we interviewed, the judge,

I just really wanted it to be great. I really wanted to be great. And man, we worked our butts off. Like, we really, we really obsessed about this thing and really lived it

and wanted it. to feel like it was a, you know, I missed the days of the expeditions. I wish we were still going out, going on these great adventures and expeditions. It's not where media is right now. But I feel like, I felt like with this that we could do something pretty special still. And I really appreciate you saying that we're hitting the mark. A story you told, you gave me a little bit about, I'm kind of excited because it's, it's, I think it's a Bigfoot thing. And I have no idea about the people to do with this story. And I like I've been doing this for about seven years

and it's at the point where it's like I know like most of the stories right but this I think is going to be a totally new one for me so I'm really curious to hear you know what happened when you went out with Adam Davies and it was an area of the PNW and a home to the big guy what happened with that yeah so I had come back

from I come back from Nepal and obviously Adam and I had kept in touch and we were coming up with all types of different ideas you know Adam is he's hilarious because he goes out on these expeditions

and he's an adventure but man just like me he gets winded really quickly and it creates the most comical funny moments and so we were sort of coming up with all these different ideas but he was coming to the Northwest at that time and I was living in Seattle and he's like

hey I'm going on this going up to the north a place in north cascades with this woman named Lori Simmons and Lori Simmons is a daughter of this guy named Donald Lee Wallace and Donald Lee Wallace was this sort of really famous sort of bigfoot

research I would say back in the day where he lived he lived for 28 years and this guy just had tapes and piles of cassette tapes that he just recorded I just sort of envisioned this guy with sort of like a those old school tape recorders around his neck and He would just walk through the woods, just recording the sounds of nature, hoping I think that he would record a bigfooter sound, like, you know, Ron Moorhead type moment, Sierra sounds, like something that really is like, man,

that is a sound I've not ever associated with nature before, you know, because I think when we think of evidence, you know, we think visual evidence, we think editorial evidence, we think all different types of things that, of something that stands out that's a little bit outside the norm. And so Adam was like, yeah, you want to come up? And so I called my buddy Ray. He was, you know, he's a good buddy of mine. He's not in film or anything at all.

He's a dentist, but he's loved Bigfoot forever. So I was like, hey, Ray, I'm going up to this place with my buddy Adam Davies. And he had known the story from Nepal. And he said, hey, you know, I'm going, I'm heading up. And when you want to come? And so we both head up. It's like a three hour drive up by five and like two hours into the mountains. And it's right at the beginning of springtime.

So there's just a little bit of snow on the ground. but not much. And we get up there and Lori had been going to this place forever. I mean, is where her father went. So she had obviously, she went there as a kid. So she really knew this area well. And there was a singular tree that she had gone back to since she was a child. And she would go up and she'd bring apples and chocolate.

And she'd talk to the big guy. You know, hey, big guy. It's me. It's Lori. And, you know, initially we heard nothing. Like, we saw nothing. We heard nothing. And she's like, oh, you'll hear him.

He'll make noise. He'll knock on the ground. And nothing. Like, nothing. And Adam was there, and he had another friend from the UK that was there as well. And so, okay, it's a little disappointing. So we kind of walk around a little bit. You know, we sort of look for other evidence.

And we don't really see much. And then Lori's like, hey, Jared, you know, why don't, I'd like my little DSLR camera, a little external mic. just something fun to have just in case we found something. And she's like, hey, why don't you come back with me to that tree? But just you and me, instead of the whole group, let's just the two of us go. I was like, sure, sounds good. So I go over there and Lori, he's like, hey, big guy.

Hey, it's me, Lori, you know. And at this point, I'm like, man, is there, it's almost seen her like, this is getting a little, a little silly. Like, I'm not sure we're going to find here or anything. You have this tree. And all of a sudden, there is just, this growl that comes from right beneath my feet. And I, I mean, I wish I could have seen my face. I mean, my eyes just, and then it went, gurg, and the growling continued.

And then it was like if you're in an apartment building and someone's below you and there's knocking and saying, be quiet up there. It's like it was hitting the ground beneath my feet. And it was like, and you could feel, you'd hear the boom, boom, boom, like beneath me. And it went on. we sat there just Lori and I for probably 20 minutes, 20, 25 minutes, and it just didn't stop. It went on and on and on and then Adam came and my buddy Ray and we all are at the base of this tree. This creature, whatever it was, it growled and knocked right beneath our feet, like right beneath this giant, giant tree for an hour, hour and a half probably.

and the ground there, I don't know if you know the Northwest, but the whole rainforests, those areas where it's like the ground is really spongy, really mossy. And the ground in this area was just like that, you know, really mossy, spongy, beautiful area, a little bit of snow. And I remember I walked around just being like, there must be some sort of like, how do you get beneath the tree? How is the end of there?

Is it a cave? Is it a bear? You know, what is it? But the fact that it was like the same tree that she had been coming to forever. but the same tree that her father said, this Sasquatch lived there, and that we went there and we heard of these growls. I mean, my buddy, I just went to the, I just saw him the other day because he's also, he's my buddy before he's a dentist, but now he was my dentist.

And I was like, and every time I see him, we talk about this story, like every single time. And we stayed there for a really long time and then we left, but I still can't explain it. It was like the weirdest thing I can, I just cannot explain it. And the history around it and why that exact tree, it was awesome. It was like just an unforgettable experience. I actually want to go back up there. I need to get back up to that area and go reinvestigate it because it was an unforgettable moment. So when she took you over to the tree, did you guys speak out loud or ask for anything before that happened or just started happening?

I don't think we asked for anything. I mean, she would kind of go over there. still talk. She, she kind of, I think she was sort of, she did sort of like knock the ground a little bit with her foot. I mean, she did stop a little bit. Um, you know, I thought always did a bear and hibernation, you know, and it kind of just was startled awake, but it was just, I don't know, I'm not sold on that. You know, I really, I'm not like sold at best, like exactly what it was because I'm like, well, she's been there since she was a kid. Like, this has been happening since she was a kid going to this singular place. Like, it just feels very,

I don't know. I guess unlikely that it's like the same bear or that, I don't know. I'm not convinced it's a bear. I don't know enough about it to be like to really determine when it was or what it wasn't, but it was so odd and so weird and so unforgettable and so clear. I mean, it wasn't, you didn't have to strain to hear this thing. I mean, it was a very clear growl, like right at our feet, like right at our feet. So, yeah, I don't know what it did, but she'd been coming there for years. And that's the experience she'd been having for years.

years. And I think it's in a way that she still feels connected to her father who had passed by that time to kind of continue to go back to this to this spot. And, you know, I think her father called it the big guy. And so she called, she called this creature the big guy. But her father went to that tree believing that there was a Sasquatcher of Bigfoot in that area. And so she had historically gone to that same area. And Lori wrote some books. I think Donald, Donald Lee Wallace has some books too. But I remember coming back, I thought, man, I'm going to make a feature doc about Donald Lee Wallace. and I'm going to look through all these cassette tapes and just like find those

little sounds. I mean, there were generally there were hundreds of tapes like hundreds of little cassette tapes and you just think like what is in there? You know, what I the time it would take to comb through all that stuff would be incredible. But yeah, I still I still think about that

his work. What's on those, what's on those dang tapes? It feels like a true crime. What's on the tapes? Right. And that, but that experience was. was awesome. It was awesome.

Do you hear any other stories like that of like growling coming from beneath people's feet or like So I was trying to think and I've never heard one where it's a growl beneath someone's feet. I did. So I don't know if you could even say it's similar, but I was out in the Willamette National Forest in Oregon this last July. and an area just outside of Oak Ridge is a research area called Oak Hole the individuals that head up the area 58

Bigfoot Information Center Museum that they hit up and so I was up in the area, I've been up there a few times and I was up there with people like M.K. Davis and Ronnie Roseman and all those guys and Don Monroe. And so we go up there and we're trying their thing. People are playing guitars. And so I'm like, you know what?

This time I'm going to go out a little bit in the woods by myself, which half of me is like, this is what you tell people not to do, dummy. I'm going to do it. What could happen, right? Every scary story starts out. Exactly. You're checking out.

Yeah. It is, yeah. So I go out in the woods. in the area where we've had visuals, but out further in the woods, and I'm like, you know what, I'm just going to try something. I'm just going to say,

hey, if there's anything here, can you make a noise? I've never tried it. What could happen? Half a second later, something in the woods goes, knock, knock, knock. I'm like, oh, no.

I was like, that just had to be like a weird thing. So I did it again. I asked it again. Half a second later was like, knock, knock, knock. And they got freaked out and went back to the group. And every day, I'm like, what would have happened

if I just walked 20 feet into, the woods. I've said that story so many times since July. My listeners are like, oh, this story again. But it's like, you don't get it until you're in that situation where it's like, you know, people are like, why didn't you go for it? Well, when you're in a situation like that, things can get really intense, really quick. And I didn't really feel like, you know, a potential missing 4-1-1 that day or a missing person. We don't really want to deal with that. You're vulnerable in those moments. Yeah, you are. Exactly. It's a good way to put it. Whether it's a knock on a tree or a growl or something you see, you're encountering something

that you can't explain. And when you can't explain something, it's not like, yeah, some people I think would walk further, but I think most people would say, I don't know what I'm dealing with. I don't know where I'm at. I'm going to just take a step back to a place so I can live to tell the story one day. But it is. It's encountering something you cannot explain. And, you know, just going back to sort of, I think, my experience on doing this season of Monster Quest, I mean, at its heart, that is like every single story.

Is somebody encounter something they can't explain? And then they go on a journey to try to understand it. And I think a lot of people in the community now, that is their entry point sometimes often is like they weren't looking for it. They weren't out there searching. They encountered something they can't explain. And it's brought them to this community to. to try to understand what that was because it's a great. These aren't stories.

These are stories that, like, people obsess about it. They think about it daily, you know, it's like a traumatic event. But that's a cool story. That's a cool. Well, Lamb, it's a beautiful area. That's awesome. Oh, it really is. And, you know, just to say another reason why I'm glad that the show is back and is,

if you think over the last, well, maybe even like 20, 20 or so years I mean every generation has something that for the TV crowd that they're like okay I came in with in search of I came in with original monster quest I came in with finding Bigfoot or Expedition Bigfoot

and we're at the point where I was like man we got to have something on TV outside the internet where you know the next generation can come in so thankful that you guys are here because this is pretty much this generation's like it's going to get them into it so. So,

that's up to you, guy. I appreciate it. You know, and it's fun. You know, I think a lot of these folks, you know, I've been obviously on your podcast, another podcast, and there's been other things they've done. And I always say the thing is like, the best stories should be told over and over and over again, you know, and there's so many different, yeah, I mean, I'm stoked.

If I'm like, oh, I've heard that story before, fantastic, but it doesn't mean the Monster Quest audience has heard it before. And how can we offer an audience or like you said, even for Martin's story or Bartons or something where you know it, but you're seeing in a different light. And that's, I think, what we're trying to do. But yeah, it's neat that there are so many outlets for stories and witnesses right now. One, I think it makes people much more comfortable coming forward and feeling.

And there's a place where they can try to help wrap their head around what it is that they, what it is that they experienced. So I really appreciate that. I couldn't be more thrilled that Monster Quest is back and to have a hand in it. It's pretty awesome. And I agree with you. We are at the point right now where there are so many outlets. And the way I look at it is hopefully it's all working together for one, for people to feel like they can actually tell someone their story.

They're not going to be made fun of it. I hope that hopefully all these stories getting out, maybe someday we'll get a little bit more information or the truth will start to come out about like, what do people really know about Bigfoot in the background? Who knows? I hope that'll happen someday. But, you know, one more question about this show, Jared. Do you have a witness that you were, I mean, you had to work really hard at or you were really excited to be able to get them on film one that really stands out to you as like you look at the whole series that you're able to film and you're like oh that was probably like amazing that we were able to get that one on film i can probably say that for most but the one

the one that does come to mind and i and and not just because but he isn't this week's episode but it is also do you know john me and ginski oh yeah dude uh ida i don't i Wyoming why only right and he gets Is it like hand, the big foot? Yeah. Wind River Mountains. Yeah. Wildlife biologists spend his whole life up there, living with these big horn sheep, sort of following the, the sort of like embedding with

the animal approach that like Jane Goodall took with the chimps back, you know, the day before she passed. And he, his story, one, we had to go to him. It was like in the most remote part of Wyoming. It was like we flew in. I think the Salt Lake is like a five-hour drive. It's this small town, middle of nowhere, population 50. It was awesome.

Like the whole experience was like really, really wonderful. And he's the one that I wish I could have just sat out there and hung out with him for just days and days and days. But his, I remember leaving that interview with him and thinking, and this is before Jeff Melderman had passed. And I remember telling John, I was like, John, I actually, I truly believed, I was like, this guy is. going to figure it out. Like this guy is going to bring, going to figure out the evidence. And we had there some conversations about different things he was looking to do. Um, you know, he's an older guy. So he's like, I need young people. I can't do the fieldwork I used to do. And I was like, well, I have those people. Like I know exactly. And I remember I got back and I reached out to Jeff

Meldrum. And I was like, hey, I just met with John. I just met John Mianchinski. Like, let's get on the phone. Um, and talk about like a feature doc or a project that, you know, hopefully we could raise some and go out and really like get evidence. Like when we went to Nepal, I remember sitting there with my crew and I really believed. I was like, man, we're going for this.

Like we are going to a remote, remote area. We're putting crazy resources. We're going to get some evidence. I remember looking at my team, my camera team, I'm being like, we are all responsible for getting the shot.

Like, don't just keep your eyes on Adam and Ian, you know, and Mick and Yagi. Like, you guys got to be looking into the, into the, like,

to the, mountain tops, like into the bush, like everywhere you could. And, but John, I really left that feeling like he was positioned to do just like what you said, which is like to provide the evidence to science. That is undeniable. And these parts of it didn't necessarily make the show, but, you know, talking about what science needs evidence-wise to actually, you know, say, this is a real creature. this is the truth.

And that to me, anyway, John was an amazing interview. I mean, just like the knowledge, the history, the evidence that he has found, the story of how he came out,

out the mouth. I mean, his encounter is interesting. Like, his encounter is cool, but it's almost what happened after his counter that was more interesting to me.

You know, it was coming down and I don't want to give away the whole story, but it's, you know, it led him to find more evidence. And, you know,

there's some conversations we had off camera. But yeah, John blew my mind. Like that, he was, his background to have a wildlife biologist i've talked about this before but i i do think like whether it's the judged wildlife biologists for those guys to come in a big i have i have experienced

something whether we like to it or mid or not they have a bigger no mountain to climb as far as like there's more risk for somebody in that the most risk for somebody in that world coming out and saying i've had this experience than any other you know um it does John get isolated from other biologists being like, I believe that the Sasquatch does exist. I do believe that this is like a real, a real creature. And, you know, and he spoke a lot about the Native American history in that area. And he's just, he's so tapped into everything in the Windward River Mountains. That, that one really shook me. Have you talked to John? Do you know, do you know, John? I have never actually talked to John before. Oh, you got to get him on.

I should look into that. Yeah, yeah. His story's great. His credentials are really cool. He's just also a really neat guy, thoughtful. You know, I remember finishing that interview, and I texted my buddy who is our executive history, and I was like, man, we just had an awesome interview.

Like, can't we're free to see it. Like, because it just, it wasn't, it wasn't, it was a very unexpected individual having that encounter. There was a journey after. words. I love the stories where people like Daniel, Daniel had his experience as a kid. Then for years, he tried to figure out until he saw her run more head serious now. He's like, that's the sound I heard. I mean, I don't know about you, but sounds, smells. Nothing access is my memory like those. And so I can, I'm like, oh yeah, that makes total sense that

would take, if you heard that sound again, it would take you back to that moment. But John, yeah, John was, you should definitely, you'd be fascinating to have a conversation. He's a very, very busy guy. That guy stays incredibly busy. But just a fascinating individual. Build his own house out there. Oh, wow. He rides around the desert, Wind River Mountains,

with this little motorcycle, a sidecar. I mean, just a character. But really incredibly intelligent. And as just a true believer in really trying to find evidence that sort of changes the entire scientific community's perspective on Sasquatch. So that would blow me away. That's awesome. Man, Jared, what a fascinating

conversation. How many episodes for season one can we be looking for? So there'll be eight altogether. Okay. Eight all together, yep. Awesome. And can we say anything about season two yet or we will see?

I don't know. Yeah, I truly don't know yet, but as soon as I do, I You'll probably know because we'll be asking around looking for stories. I'll probably hit you up. Be like, hey, let me, who do I? What stories do I not know that deserve this treatment? Bigfoot Societypodcast.com. Go to siting map.

All the people I've talked to are on that citing map. And then you can see the episode. And it's kind of like, I was like, I got so many people I've talked to. I got to make this map. And it's a lot of work. But like people are starting to check it out. So make sure you check that out. And is there anything?

that we can do to make sure that, you know, maybe we can help a little bit with, with season two? I would just, yeah, just keep checking it in, just keep talking about it. You know, the, um, the feedbacks has been, has been amazing, you know, and I knew that we were, that the initial monster quest set a really high bar for us, you know, and the last thing I wanted to do was put a, put a product out that was disappointing to people. And so, you know, it's felt just incredible that it's, that the community's been so excited about it. It's so welcoming. That's felt awesome. But no, I would just say, just, you know,

I don't know, write the history, tell them how much you love the show, but just keep watching and being enthusiastic about it. There are no shortage of stories, you know, there just are no shortage. I remember we finished the first season and we had some conversations and they said, oh, well, you know, what is, you know, do you think we could do more? I was like, there are so many stories. Like, this is, I wouldn't even say this is the tip of the iceberg. These are really amazing stories. But there are more of these histories. There's more of these, you know, as you can see, like we're really focusing on like small localized stories, folklore, histories that are connected in some way to this witness encounter. And they're everywhere. They're really,

it's hard to find a place, especially in the United States, that isn't touched by some history of some sort of unknown cryptic encounter. You can't just. ignore that. Like that is it is it is literally part of like our human history of like searching for these answers. So I don't know. I'm going off on a couple tangents. But yeah, I would just say keep being enthusiastic about the show. Let history know what you think about it. And keep tuning in as the best thing we can do. But yeah, I will certainly let you know the second I know. If I'm allowed that there's going to be another season coming. But I'm I'm hopeful. I'm certainly hopeful. There you go. Well, Jared McGilliard, thank you so much for hanging out with us talking about Monster Quest.

Guys, make sure that you, if you see it on TV, if you see it on TV, watch it, talk about it on your social media accounts, share it all that good stuff. But thank you so much for coming on the show, Jared. Oh, Jeremiah, it's been a blast. Appreciate it. Thanks for all you're doing too. I really appreciate it. Have you ever heard all the accounts of Bigfoot activity around Oak Ridge, Oregon? and you think to yourself, man, I would love to get out in those woods and experience it for myself. Well, guess what? This year, you can.

If this is interesting to you, stay tuned because it's pretty cool. Sasquatch Summerfest is coming up July 10th through the 11th, 2026. It's going to be even better than the previous year's reason number one. I'll be one of the speakers. It's going to be wild. I'll probably, I'll say this, there may be stuff you haven't heard anywhere else because let's just say sometimes it's,

well, you just got to be there. We'll leave it that. More about looking for Bigfoot in the Oak Ridge Woods. Now check this out. You may know Jason Kenzie from his documentary series searching for Sasquatch. Well, this year, you can not only go to the festival, but you can also sign up for a trek deep in the wild forest outside of Oak Ridge with Jason Kenzie

to the Bigfoot spots to look for Bigfoot. There's only eight spots to sign up for this. And yes, this will also be filmed for the next chapter in his documentary series, which is searching for Sasquatch. This is a once-in-lifetime deal. It's just, trust me, it's going to be a wild, wild experience. to get a ticket head on over to Sasquatch Summerfest.com

and listeners can use the code B-S-P like Bigfoot Society podcast in order to get a two-day pass for the price of a one-day pass. So thanks to Priscilla for giving me that code

so that you guys can can get a little help with the cost there. Appreciate that, Priscilla. I hope to see you at the booth in Oak Ridge this year. We can talk about your encounter. I was able to talk to so many people last year and the year before.

It is an incredible time. You're not going to want to miss it. And I'll see you there. Before we wrap this episode, I want to say something directly to a very specific group of listeners. If you're in the military, any branch, or forces, and if you've seen something that no one can explain, or if you're now, if you're a National Park Ranger or forestry worker who's been told to stay quiet, if you're a pilot who's seen something strange down on the ground, or if you're with the FBI, a federal agency, or working intelligence,

and you stumbled upon something you're not allowed to talk about, and if you're a firefighter, paramedic, or search and rescue responder, who's heard screams or found tracks that didn't make sense, if you're in the logging industry on a remote oil field or trucker with government contracts, and you've had something happen that you've never told a soul. And if you're a biologist, a wildlife specialist, or a field researcher under contract, who has found evidence you're not allowed to report, if you're a pastor, a missionary, or someone on a spiritual retreat,

and you saw something that shook your faith, or if you work in the shadows, CIA, NSA, or anything with clearance, and you've seen what the public hasn't, then I want to talk to you. even if it's anonymous you can reach me at bigfoot society at gmail.com

the world needs to hear what you've been forced to carry alone and you're not alone you've got the story we've got the mic see you in the woods thank you for listening

to this episode of the bigfoot society podcast every encounter we share reminds us that the world is bigger and stranger than we think and that the truth is often hiding just beyond the tree line.

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Thanks again for following along with the Bigfoot Society. Until next time, keep your eyes open, trust your gut, and never stop asking what else might be out there and see you in the woods.