Well, howdy there, good people! Howe Weird here, comin’ at ya from our little corner of East Tennessee. You know, around these parts, we appreciate a bit of creative expression, especially when it comes to decorating your yard. A garden gnome here, a bird bath there, maybe a whirligig if you’re feeling fancy. But I heard a story out of Pennsylvania recently that takes outdoor décor to a whole new, shall we say, *wild* level.
Seems a gentleman up in Pennsylvania decided his front yard needed a bit of a focal point. Not just any old flower bed, mind you, but a rather impressive, nine-foot-tall wooden statue. And what was the subject of this grand piece of yard art, you ask? None other than the elusive ‘Bigfoot’ himself! Now, I reckon that’s a conversation starter if ever there was one.
This wasn’t some quick-and-dirty plywood cut-out, neither. This fellow put some real effort into it. The statue was described as having a detailed, fur-like texture, which certainly would make it look quite lifelike, especially from a distance or in the fading light. And to top it all off, it even had glowing red eyes! Now, that’s where things get interesting. I imagine some clever wiring and perhaps an old battery or two were involved in making those eyes shine. Folks used to get all sorts of bits and pieces for those kinds of DIY projects from places like Radio Shack (paid link) back in the day, figuring out how to make things light up or move.
Well, this highly realistic, glowing-eyed Bigfoot statue was apparently a little *too* realistic for one observant neighbor. They spotted the hulking figure in the yard and, instead of thinking “Bigfoot,” their mind went straight to “bear.” A rather large, potentially dangerous bear, at that. Now, living where we do, a bear sighting isn’t unheard of, so the neighbor, acting on genuine concern, did what any good citizen would and reported a possible bear to the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Imagine being one of those Game Commission officers, heading out to investigate a reported bear sighting, maybe getting your tranquilizer darts ready, preparing for a wild animal encounter. Only to arrive on the scene and find… a nine-foot-tall wooden cryptid with glowing red eyes. I bet there was a moment of sheer bewilderment before they realized the “bear” was, in fact, an elaborate piece of artistic expression.
Naturally, no charges were filed against the creative homeowner. It was just a simple case of mistaken identity, albeit a rather amusing one. The Game Commission officers informed the homeowner about the mix-up, and as far as the story goes, that impressive Bigfoot statue is still standing tall in the front yard, perhaps now with an even better story behind it. It just goes to show you, sometimes the best intentions and the most creative endeavors can lead to the most unexpected situations.
Check out Bigfoot statue on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Bigfoot+statue&tag=howeweirdcant-20 (paid link)
Original story from: https://www.wtae.com/article/pennsylvania-man-bigfoot-statue-game-commission/44885827