Skunk Ape
This story is about a sighting on a hunting trip we took in the late 70's. The trip started on a friday after work. It is hunting season and friday trips start with a drive to camp in the dark. After a barbecue dinner, we headed out to the Everglades Conservation and Sportsmen's Club, where we keep the swamp buggies. Its 60 miles through the dark with only swamp and sawgrass on either side of the road. On the trip is Hoss, myself (Steve), Jon , (a neighbor of Jon's) Mark. Mark was a young guy about 17 or 18 years old. Also along was a few of the other Camp Six Pack owners.

As we rode along, we were talking and someone brought up the legend of the Skunk Ape. Now we had all heard stories of this legendary creature, and started to talk about it. Everyone except Mark, this was the first Mark had heard any of this. The Skunk Ape gets its name from the horrible odor it emits. The odor has been described as smelling like something dead, others have described it as rotten garbage. Its a creature that people have just gotten a glimpse of over the years. People would see this reddish black creature with hair like a bear, but thick around its head like a human, but its face mostly covered with hair. Its tall, seven to eight feet tall, walking upright, but stooped over. Its footprints are shaped like a humans, but it only has 4 toes, and the foot size is much larger then any human would have. It has been sighted in the Big Cypress Swamp many times over the years. This is the description that Mark was taking in as we rode along the Tamiami Trail.

We arrived at the club. The air is heavy with a woodsy smell. This is a smell that is missing in town. Its a earthy smell, that takes you back to primitive times. The Big Cypress Swamp in the 70's was just such a primative place. We loaded our gear onto the swamp buggies, got on board and headed out. Mark, Hoss and Jon rode on one buggy and the rest of us rode on the other buggy.
 
 

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