Skunk Apes, Giant Birds, and Lizard MenÉOh My!

Note from Editor Brent Raynes:

As I stated in my Reality Checking column in the last issue, my dear friend Ramona Hibner (now deceased) used to write many letters to me detailing intriguing case developments in her ongoing Bigfoot investigative work that was based at the time in Brooksville, Florida.

Here are several interesting letters written to me by Ramona back in 1977, that contain all sorts of interesting case details, and, in one instance, details on personal paranormal activity going on with her and her husband Duane.

For most of you this information will probably be merely of entertainment value alone, while perhaps to others, who have lived, researched and/or investigated the strange events reported in the Brooksville area of Florida this information may be of greater significance and value, adding perhaps more data and more conviction to those who have followed such anomalous occurrences in this area over the years.

I welcome any feedback from readers on this article. My email is: BrentRaynes@yahoo.com.

Here are quotations from those letters:

In a letter dated April 14, 1977, Ramona wrote:

Dear Brent,

We’ve had some very interesting times at Moon Lake lately. Have uncovered many Bigfoot reports by being nosey. All the people are very cooperative. There are three creatures. One huge one, leaves monster sized tracks! A med and a small one. Perhaps a family? The entire group has been seen at once several times. But usually one at a time. The eight footer mostly. The large one comes to the Wilson home quite often. Poor Charles is beside himself and yelled “Get the hell out of here and leave us alone.” I can understand his worry with three small children (all monster themselves!) Seems these creatures have been around since December. January 1975 only 12 miles away was the Bass Dairy sighting. Perhaps the same grouping as New Port Richey also had several reports, only 12 miles away also. Two rivers, plenty of swamps.

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In a letter dated May 22, 1977, Ramona wrote:

Dear Brent,

Well, we’ve had quite a month around here! Couple of months to be exact! So will clue you in on several parts which you’ll find interesting, I hope.

May 21, WFLA TV Channel 8 Newswatch: They announced it is now against the law in the state of Florida to molest or harm the legendary Skunk Ape!

May 13 (Friday) quite an exciting report of a Bigfoot. We cast some 12 X 7 tracks in the woods next to the house (Robert M____ & Terry C_____).

May 14, next door neighbor saw it in his yard. Was grey in color (Richards).

May 16, Terry and friend Rick saw one near the river. Seven foot tall, red eyes.

All the above at Nobleton, on the Withlacoochee River off highway 41 North.

UFOs (silver disks) seen all month long in area. A 7 foot tall lizard-like creature crossing road by a man after dark. He also heard strange cries or screams, twice, and a big bird report (where) one lady reports one with 8 ft. wingspan. Another man said it was 15 ft. across (wings), moved very slowly. Seen over the orange groves.

Do you remember the young boy who was burned by a UFO, late 1960s? This is same orange grove! I spoke with the boy again. He’s now a teenager. Has had no more experiences, but still ‘quivers’ when he talks about it! (Robert M____ was with him at the time)

This area was really ‘hot’ back in 60s. Everyone out there was seeing UFOs, being chased by them, etc. So will keep it under observation for sure!

The night of the Bigfoot sighting (05-13) a strange electronic beeping was heard, as well as cricket-like sounds which were metallic. I found some round impressions on ground next to house (4) and made casts. Looks like landing gears, ladder? ÉTops of trees were ‘frayed’. We measured about a 40-50 foot craft, maybe? We just don’t know! Robert found an impression of a small shoe [drawing included]É In that sand nothing showed very well. The dogs fought with the Bigfoot and the ground was really torn up badly.

It looks like the Bigfoot print is where something heavy jumped down on one foot. All of the other marks were not deep and only partial (toes). Robert said his hair stood on end and he felt as if he were in some sort of vacuum when the weird electronic sounds were heard. Their puppy acted very strange at the same time.

We talked to about a dozen people and all told us of weird things they had seen and heard in area over the past couple of months. Most of the people have lived out there for ten years and have seen UFOs before. The ‘animals’ are new, except for a five foot black panther many people have seen over the years.

In the center of the grove is an old cemetery on a high hill. The grove is surrounded by swamps and there are caves on one man’s property. Some of the graves have been dug up and parts of skeletons taken away (gross).

Not much from Moon Lake. They say it’s been back, but moved quietly away through the woods.

In yet another letter dated June 1, 1977, Ramona wrote:

Dear Brent,

As I sit here among the bread crumbs and various other enigmas left over from Duane’s lunch, will attempt to answer your questions.

1. The lizard Mr. M____ saw was not very clear. Sort of humped over and a head somewhat like an alligator. No mouth visible.

2. Thered eyes are apparently reflective.

3. The birds are rather large, 15 to 20 foot wingspan. No feathers. “Skin like leather.”Large beaks and long legs with large feet. They fly as if in slow motion.

No one has really gotten a good luck at the face of the Bigfoot. It’s usually dark and the eyes and general shape is all they see. It’s grey in color, however. I’m not sure about the odors. Of late no one has noticed an odor. So that’s a puzzle. It may be a mating function, some glandular thing. They may roll in dead animals to get the ticks off (like a dog) or the odor may be a purely psychic manifestation, who knows?

We’ve sent several people out to the river, and no one has discovered any new evidence. One man saw very small naked footprints in the swamp mud, which he claims no child that small would have been out there alone.

In a letter dated July 5, 1977, Ramona wrote:

É.We’ve had a few minor things happen here of late. Sort of a “routine haunting” I go through every two years or so.

“Someone” comes in this house through LOCKED doors and walked around, then goes OUT leaving the door UNLOCKED and OPEN. Things fall to the floor, but don’t break and I hear a knocking on the front walls. There are movements, like a shadow, here and there. Duane has had the covers yanked off, and someone shook him by the shouldlers.

We’ve seen a strange display of lights on three occasions. ÉThe tapes I made at Nobleton all come out “blank.” We could find nothing wrong but so it goes!