West Coast Investigation

My mission as the Bigfoot Field Reporter is to share information with the public regarding active research being conducted in the field.

This past August, I attended the event known as Beachfoot, in Lincoln City, Oregon.

I met many fantastic people/researchers there and they are supportive of my mission.

The following is a report by Todd (Todzilla) Neiss of an ongoing investigation.

Hey Sharon!

After speaking with the other principles in the investigation (Peter Byrne, Joe Beelart, and Hal Halderman), I have been cleared to give you a somewhat redacted version of the sighting(s) which took place in the Eddyville/Chitwood area along Hwy 20 (which runs between Corvallis in the Willamette and Newport on the Oregon Coast.

There is a very large 3-year construction project where being overseen by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) in which they are cutting a direct route through the dense temperate rain forest of the Oregon Coast Range (the same range I had my sighting in back in 1993). This cut is about 3 times the width of Standard power line cut (perhaps 300 meters wide) and cuts through some 2nd and third generation fir and spruce growth. Unlike old growth groves, which are populated with huge trees (some over 200 feet high), these groves are intentionally over-planted for mid-cycle harvest/thinning and consequently incredibly dense.

In July of this year, some tracks were apparently discovered by the Project Manager near the bridge abutments #730 & #735 (see attached aerial photo taken October 5th). Sometime after that, someone decided to pull a prank by constructing fake tracks with the use of carpeted shoes. When the contracting supervisor found out, he warned everyone on the project to “knock it off” as he concluded that such shenanigans could jeopardize their project. The original track find is considered legitimate.

In the first week of October, the project was winding down for the winter as this area can get substantial rain and snow in the winter. As the project was wrapping up, up to a dozen workers (both ODOT and the construction crew…who will remain unnamed at this point) were standing on abutment #730 looking SE when they saw a dark figure meandering around a couple of large towable generators with flood-light standards down a ravine about 100 meters away. At first they thought it was a person and feared it could be someone vandalizing their equipment. One of the guys yelled down to the figure which failed to respond or even notice them. Finally one of them hurled a rock towards it which got it’s attention. Upon realizing there was a group of men observing it, the “person” immediately turned and headed for the wood line. It was then that the group realized that what they were looking at was not human.

This is essentially the information we were acted upon. Below is a truncated e-mail received by Joe on October 13th from one of the sources…

Subject: RE: rumored sighting at Pioneer Mtn., Lincoln County, Oregon

Unfortunately, the reason I looked for information was the lack of contact information here. Whoever began the inquiry does not want to be known, I don't know why. Unless it is to keep people out of a sensitive, expensive construction project…

Please be sure this is not official ODOT business. I do know that xxxxxxxx Construction Co, has a field office just west of Eddyville and their personell [sic] were most likely involved. And the project is shutting down for the winter.

The sighting was reportedly…directly south of Chitwood, along Cougar Creek. The cut has bridge columns and large fills for the abutments, and in an area prone to landslides. The best way to get there is to obtain an escort from the construction office. Or pose as a deer hunter.

Since it was deer season and I was actually hunting, we chose the latter. Having stayed with Joe and his wife Sharon at their “sainted” mother’s house outside of Corvallis on the evening of the 17th of October, I contacted Peter and Hal (who live at the coast) and had them rendezvous with Joe and I at the covered bridge in Chitwood on Sunday morning (see Photo).

We located the site of the encounter and made a cursory investigation. Suffice to say we did not find any tracks (or critters) as there had been a substantial amount of rainfall since the sighting. I did, however, take some photos of the area for your use.

In the final analysis, and having seen the area first hand, I am convinced that the likelihood of this encounter and subsequent track find are highly probable despite the solitary hoaxing event.

That’s all for now. Take care and keep up the good work Sharon!

Beast regards,
Todd “Todzilla” Neiss
Sandy, Oregon

This is the view the ODOT and contractors had. The BF was down at the two generators near the bridge supports. Note: This is in the middle of NOWHERE.


Critter view. "figures" at the top of the hill are actually tall light posts approximately near where the witnesses were.


Here is the master (Peter) doing what he does best.