Today in Bigfoot History | JAN 20 | Mike Rugg Exposes Pogonip Hoax

The Pogonip Bigfoot side-by-side with the Bigfoot Discovery Day streaker, composited in Photoshop. Photoshop composite by Mike Rugg

Today, January 20, 2008, Mike Rugg posted in his newsletter Bigfoot Discovery Project (Vol. 3 No. 9) a series of events that lead him to believe he was dealing with a hoaxer.

Initially he was sent an email from a gentleman named John Henry Camper claiming he had taken photos of a Sasquatch running away from him. Mike Rugg expressed interest and Mr. Camper sent three digital photos. 

Three Images sent to Mike Rugg

Although it was January when Mike Rugg became certain the photos were a hoax, he had initially published the photos several months ealier in the August 2007 issue. Rugg describes his correspondence since the initial publication of the photos.

For a week or two after I wrote that article I had back and forth emails with “Jack.” He promised to come into the museum as soon as possible to discuss the matter in person as he was interested in getting advice on what to do next, claiming a friend to whom he showed the photos told him they “looked phony.” He assured me he had not doctored the photos in any way and that they represented the “creature” he observed on the outskirts of the City of Santa Cruz, just five miles south of our museum on Highway 9.

Because he seemed to be stalling and no meeting took place after several weeks I was moving ever more towards my initial impression that this was a hoax. I showed the photos to visitors to the museum, including a number of our members, and the concensus was to let it go, so I stopped emailing Jack and gave it up as bogus. Then, just before Thanksgiving I heard from him again: Date: November 21, 2007 2:32:21 PM PST Hi Mike I was hoping to be able to stop by the museum this weekend since I have some time off of work. What are your holiday hours? I look forward to meeting with you. Thanks Jack

The man never did show up and Mike Rugg remembered another "Bigfoot" that was seen in the area at the same time. He referred to it as The Bigfoot Discovery Day Streaker. You can see streaker below in a photo taken by Tom Yamerone.

Bigfoot Discovery Day Streker (Photo by Tome Yamerone)

Mike went to Photoshop to do a composition of the streaker and the "Bigfoot" sent by Mr. Camper and the similarity between the two Bigfoot was uncanny. See for your self in the composite Mike Rugg Made below.

Click on the following PDF links for more details:

The issue publishing the first three photos (Volume 3, Number 4)

The issue with Mike Rugg's breakdown of events and his composite (Volume 3, Number 9)