Hunter Footage Shows Bigfoot Corpse in Missouri – Sasquatch Encounter Story

Mysterious Bigfoot Footage in Missouri Sparks Debate Among Hunters and Cryptozoologists

A grainy video showing what appears to be a dead Bigfoot in the Missouri wilderness has resurfaced online, reigniting one of the most controversial debates in the world of cryptozoology: Is Sasquatch real, or are sightings and footage merely elaborate hoaxes?

The clip, which lasts less than a minute, was reportedly filmed by a hunter in southern Missouri’s Mark Twain National Forest. In it, a massive, dark-furred creature lies face down on the forest floor. Its shoulders are broad, arms impossibly long, and height estimated at 8 to 9 feet. The camera shakes as the hunter pans across the body, gasping and muttering about the size and scale of the creature. Then the footage ends abruptly.

Since its initial posting on a hunting forum several years ago, the hunter’s account has vanished without a trace. Attempts to follow up using the rough GPS coordinates shared in the original post yielded no additional evidence—no body, no tracks, no sign that the discovery was anything more than a fleeting, unexplained encounter.

“I have no idea if it’s real or not,” says James Fulton, a former Missouri hunter who has extensively researched Bigfoot sightings in the state. “The shoulders, the arms, the way the body rests in the leaves—it looks heavy and natural, not like a foam suit. But if it’s real, why hasn’t anyone investigated it? Where did the body go? And what happened to the person who filmed it?”

Fulton’s skepticism is matched by fascination. He notes that the video fits a recurring pattern in Bigfoot lore: individuals claim to stumble across a body, capture brief footage, then vanish. “We see this all the time in reported cases,” he says. “Dead Bigfoots are seen, photographed, even filmed—but no one ever produces a corpse for scientific study. It’s frustrating.”

Missouri, with its dense forests, rugged terrain, and relatively low population, has a long history of Bigfoot sightings. Native American tribes, including the Oage and Missouri peoples, told stories of giant, hairy forest dwellers. European settlers in the 1700s and 1800s documented encounters with “wild men” and hairy giants. Logging camps in the early 1900s reported enormous tracks, strange vocalizations, and even makeshift shelters filled with deer bones.

Modern interest in Bigfoot surged with the Patterson-Gimlin film in 1967, capturing a bipedal creature in California. Skeptics argue the footage is a man in a suit, while believers contend that its fluid movements and muscle structure defy human replication. Missouri, despite being far from California, has its own legendary encounters. One notable case, the Momo sightings of the 1970s, saw multiple residents—including children—reporting a large, red-eyed, hairy creature near the Mississippi River. Organized searches found tracks and witnesses remained consistent in their descriptions, though no definitive evidence was recovered.

Fulton and other researchers have combed the Mark Twain National Forest following the approximate coordinates from the Missouri footage. While they found large animal tracks, tree scratches, and other signs of wildlife, nothing definitively points to Sasquatch. “Some of the markings are unusual,” Fulton notes. “Tree scratches eight feet off the ground, footprints with humanlike proportions that don’t match bears or known mammals. It’s intriguing, but it’s not conclusive.”

Other hunters shared personal accounts of strange experiences. One described waking in his tent to heavy, deliberate footsteps circling the campsite. Morning revealed nearly 18-inch-long footprints. Another recounted discovering deer carcasses hanging high in trees, with rib cages opened with almost surgical precision—a behavior inconsistent with known predators. Wildlife cameras have occasionally captured blurry, upright figures at the forest edge, moving with a purpose unlike any deer, bear, or other animal.

Yet skeptics maintain that without a “type specimen”—a verified body or biological sample—Bigfoot remains a creature of folklore and conjecture. Hoaxers and pranksters have long manipulated footage, footprints, and images, making verification difficult. Some suggest government suppression or natural elusiveness explains the lack of evidence. Others point to biological realities: large animal carcasses decompose quickly in forest conditions, scavengers strip remains, and remote terrain makes discovery unlikely.

Despite the lack of concrete proof, the debate persists. Believers argue that the intelligence and elusive nature of Bigfoot, combined with North America’s vast forests, make it plausible that a small population of these creatures exists undetected. New large mammal species continue to be discovered in remote regions worldwide, lending some credibility to the possibility.

The Missouri video itself remains a mystery. Prop makers and special effects artists have examined the footage. Many agree that creating a realistic 8-9 foot creature with the proportions and natural movement seen in the video would require extensive resources and skill. While this doesn’t rule out a hoax, it raises questions about motivation and effort if someone attempted such deception.

Adding to the intrigue is the complete disappearance of the original poster. Some theories suggest the hunter deleted their account out of fear, perhaps intimidated by authorities or other individuals who wanted the location kept secret. Others wonder if the hunter encountered something dangerous upon returning to the site. “People vanish in national forests all the time,” Fulton says. “It’s not impossible that the hunter ran into trouble—or into something alive that wanted the area kept private.”

Even if the footage is genuine, ethical and legal questions arise. Should a living Bigfoot or discovered corpse be protected under endangered species law? Would they qualify for rights or special protections due to intelligence or social behavior? How would conservation and land management policies change? These questions have no easy answers, and the uncertainty only adds to the mystique surrounding the creature.

At the heart of the Bigfoot debate is human fascination with the unknown. Whether a hoax or a genuine discovery, the Missouri footage speaks to the desire to believe in something extraordinary. It validates countless anecdotal experiences, from hunters hearing strange calls in the woods to campers spotting fleeting shadows at dusk.

“It’s not just about proving Bigfoot exists,” Fulton says. “It’s about the search itself. The thrill of exploring the unknown, of questioning what we think we know about the world around us.”

For now, the footage remains a puzzle: compelling, frustrating, and unverified. Without further evidence or a follow-up investigation, the questions linger. Was it a real dead Sasquatch lying in the Missouri forest? Was it an exceptionally well-crafted hoax? And where is the hunter who filmed it?

Until these mysteries are solved, Missouri’s Bigfoot legend continues to thrive, a blend of folklore, eyewitness accounts, and tantalizing glimpses caught on camera. The Mark Twain National Forest, with its towering trees and hidden hollows, remains a place of wonder—and perhaps, a home for one of the world’s greatest unsolved mysteries.

Whether you believe in Bigfoot or dismiss it as myth, the search for answers continues to capture the imagination of hunters, scientists, and enthusiasts alike. One thing is certain: in Missouri, the legend of the Bigfoot corpse is alive, leaving behind as many questions as it does footprints.