ANDERSON COUNTY, Ky. (LEX 18) — Anderson County has long been a hotspot for Bigfoot sightings in Kentucky, and paranormal researcher Jeff Waldridge has made it his mission to investigate the lore — sometimes venturing into the woods alone in search of answers.
Waldridge said the stories date back centuries.
“There’s a story that back in the 1700s, a family — the Fraziers — had some hairy beast run them off,” Waldridge said. “That’s a lot of word-of-mouth research, and I haven’t been able to verify some it.” He said Kentucky’s thick forests and jungle-like climate make it an ideal hiding place for an undiscovered creature.
“I think a lot of people think, ‘Why Kentucky?’ It’s basically a jungle when you look at our climate,” Waldridge said. “In some places I go, there’s foliage 10 feet tall. It could be anywhere and hide."
For Waldridge, the most compelling evidence comes from footprints and unusual sounds.
“Tracks, footprints — it’s weird, it’s hard to explain,” he said. “The vocalizations are strange. When you have reports and someone sends a video, we’re like, ‘That doesn’t sound like anything in our area’ — a howl or grunt or something like that.”
His investigative methods are unconventional. Waldridge said he sometimes ventures into the woods alone, not out of recklessness but strategy.
“If I’m by myself, it’s almost like I’m not a threat,” he said. “If there is a creature in the woods with me, it sees, ‘He’s by himself, I could easily rip his arms and legs off,’ so he’s not a threat.”Waldridge said Bigfoot fascination extends well beyond researchers.
“There’s a whole subculture to this thing — TV shows, movies, everything you could imagine,” he said. “People like the weird stuff, and the people who don’t believe are the first to turn it on because they’re curious.”
When asked whether he believes Bigfoot is real, Waldridge offered a measured answer.
“If I took it in front of a criminal court, I’d have enough evidence to get an indictment,” he said. “I don’t know if I’ve got enough evidence to get a conviction. There’s something weird going on in the Kentucky woods for sure. Maybe it likes the bourbon," Waldridge laughed.
The Bigfoot spirit is also celebrated through local events. The Wildman Triathlon, held each September, takes participants through the heart of the bourbon trail and is followed by the Wildfolk Music Fest. Elsewhere in Kentucky, the Bigfoot Fest is held each year at the Red River Gorge.
