Comments on: New Mexico’s Bighoot

By: Jeremy_Wells

Jeremy_Wells — Mon, 07 May 2007 14:13:04 +0000

Rilo,

I’ve only seen a couple of owls in the wild myself (a horned owl and a barn owl), and then in the daylight when they were unmistakable, so I don’t totally rule out the possibility of what you are saying.

Besides, a giant owl is no less likely than any of the other theories that I’ve heard advanced for Mothman.

By: LiberalDem

LiberalDem — Sat, 05 May 2007 15:07:13 +0000

Loren, Excellent article! Isn’t Mark hall working on another book about giant owls?

By: Jjm3233

Jjm3233 — Sat, 05 May 2007 12:35:24 +0000

shovethenos - living in New Mexico I doubt seriously the Greater Roadrunner is responsible for sightings of anything. After all they get to be about a foot tall, and they are very common.

By: bill green

bill green — Sat, 05 May 2007 05:25:37 +0000

hey loren, very informative new article about new mexico owl. very interesting. thanks bill

By: Rillo777

Rillo777 — Sat, 05 May 2007 01:37:59 +0000

Jeremy_wells:
I have never seen this in real life, but on nature documentaries I have seen agitated owls duck their head towards their chest, particularly as they are lifting their wings. It could give the appearance of a headless or neckless creature with its eyes in its chest.

Also, while I certainly don’t believe the folks of Point Pleasant are unfamiliar with their wildlife, owls are really only seldom seen. In the country I only saw two in my youth and only from a distance although I heard them for years. I have two or three that live in my neighborhood now on the southern edge of town. I hear them everyday and have for about three or four years. I’ve gone looking for them and still haven’t seen one. The ones I saw in my youth were huge Great Horned owls. (Got a good look at one through binoculars.) Just thought I’d pass that along.

By: BugMO

BugMO — Fri, 04 May 2007 21:01:35 +0000

Jeremy_Wells, I believe that Mark Hall talks about the BigHoot sightings in the West Virginia & Ohio area in his book Thunderbirds: America’s Living Legends of Giant Birds. I think, I’m not sure. And I also agree that mothman was a giant owl.

By: Jeremy_Wells

Jeremy_Wells — Fri, 04 May 2007 20:40:26 +0000

Tomdee,
Do you know if that article is available on the ‘net anywhere? Or in any printed compilations? I grew up in that area, but I’ve never heard of any “giant owls”. Giant snakes, yes. But the giant owl story is a new one for me (well, except for the folks who have tried to attribute the Flatwoods Monster to an owl.)

By: tomdee27

tomdee27 — Fri, 04 May 2007 20:36:44 +0000

Rillo777:

I completely agree. Sure makes more sense then the ol’ sandhill crane theory. Interestingly, Mark Hall, in an article written for Wonders back in 1998, stated that a large concentration of BigHoot type sightings have been reported in the West Virginia & Ohio area. Food for thought.

By: Jeremy_Wells

Jeremy_Wells — Fri, 04 May 2007 20:28:42 +0000

Well, maybe I’m biased, but I’d like to think the good people of Point Pleasant could tell the difference between and owl and a giant headless “mothman”.

But, then again, the most notable feature of the mothman was that it had no “neck” or “head” and its eyes appeared to glow from the center of its chest. So, if it actually was some sort of a giant owl, that could explain why a distance “head” and “neck” couldn’t be seen.

Interesting.

By: OKCurious

OKCurious — Fri, 04 May 2007 20:11:16 +0000

Maybe the Mothman was an ordinary sized owl with a lot of ambition!!!

Good post! Very interesting!