Lurk Podcast

Recently I have delved into a new genre: podcasting. I, along with my friend Tim, have started a new paranormal podcast called Lurk.  We launches April 2, 2021 and will be producing weekly hour - hour and a half long episodes that will be released each Friday.   

Our plan is to share topics about various creepy/paranormal things such as ghosts, cryptids, aliens/UFOs and a little bit of true crime. Basically we want to share anything that might give you the creeps and keep you up at night.  In addition, we plan on also sharing information on ghost hunting techniques and possibly some actual on site investigations.  

While it seems like the paranormal podcasting genre is saturated, we think we offer something new.  We're trying to cover topics that not everyone is talking about (though we do plan to hit on some popular ones like Mothman and Skinwalker Ranch), and we're offering some personal experiences, photos and EVPs from investigations when we can. 

As far as background on the hosts of the podcast, I have been investigating the paranormal for 30 years now though my interest in the topic has been life long.  I started Gettysburg Ghosts Paranormal Investigations in the late 90's and traveled to many different locations searching for paranormal evidence. I've managed the former Gettysburg Ghosts website and currently mange this blog and the Gettysburg Ghosts Paranormal Investigations group on Facebook. Outside of the paranormal, I have experience in investigations as an in house investigator for a private investigation firm. I also have a love for learning and research in general. 

My cohost Tim has always had an interest in the paranormal.  He loves topics that make you think outside the box and question the status quo. While he hasn't been involved in investigations (yet), Tim did grow up in a haunted house in West Virginia, and has spent time researching many different paranormal topics  (He is definitely more informed about alien/UFO topics than I).  Tim is a personal trainer by trade, and this gives him some insight on different aspects of some of the topics we cover (you ever wonder about the muscles Mothman would need to support those wings?)

Together I think we make a pretty good pair.  Our 2 decade age difference and differing backgrounds offers the opportunity for eye opening (and humorous) conversations.

So give us a listen and see what you think.  And let us know what you think! We're just getting started and learning as we go and welcome all constructive criticism. Also, you can find us and Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, TuneIn + Alexa, Podcast Addict, Deezer and many more. You can also find us at www.lurkpodcast.com 

Talk to you later Lurkers!

So You Want to be a Ghost Hunter- Get Started

 After learning a friend's daughter was interested in becoming a paranormal investigator, I thought it might be beneficial for her and others (including adults) who might also have an interest in the subject to have a series of blog posts to read through and learn from. 

For starters, let me give you a little background about, well, my background, in paranormal investigation.  I began my interest in the paranormal at a young age. I remember (and have a photo of) sitting in the dark living room at age 4 with my cousin listening to our aunt tell us some ghost stories.  While many of the stories we were told at that age were made up, it wasn't long before we began hearing the true accounts of our family's experiences. In school, I checked out every available ghost book I could find.  By the time I was able to drive, my cousin and I ventured out to see what we might be able to experience.  In total, I've been investigating the paranormal for 29 years.  I also have experience in research, investigation and photography through higher education and work experience.  I started a paranormal investigation group back in the 90's, and while most of the group has dispersed, those of us who are diehards still make time for some investigation.  

The number one skill you want to work on before heading out is your ability to research.  Researching is a valuable tool to the paranormal investigator.  Perhaps there's an area that you've heard might be haunted.  You'll need to be able to try to look up some historical information to determine why the area might be a good place to investigate.  Even areas that have been investigated over and over and are typically accepted as a haunted location (like Gettysburg) should be researched a bit to learn about the specific stories and areas you would be traveling to.  Your research into an area can also give you clues on the best time for an investigation. If activity seems to be most prevalent at 7pm, you don't want to show up at 2pm and miss out on the fun.

History isn't the only thing you should look into.  It's always important in paranormal investigation to make sure you gather as much information on conditions as you can.  You should be keeping a journal or have some other way of recording the specifics of an investigation.  Here is a list of information you should gather for the day of your investigation:

• Weather- You want to make sure that you record the current weather conditions for the day of your investigation.  It's important to know the temperature, precipitation percentage and even the pollen count in the area.  Weather is important for many reasons, some of which I'll go into detail about in another post in this series.  Basically, knowing the weather lets you know what to prepare for.  For example, cold temperatures can drain your batteries, so you want to be aware of that before hand so you don't automatically assume a ghost is killing your battery power.  Precipitation and pollen can create photos that people often assume are paranormal.  And in my experience, when there are some thunderstorms brewing, paranormal activity can sometimes increase- perhaps because spirits are able to draw from the energy in the atmosphere.
• Moon Phase- You should also try to look up the current moon phase.  Changes in the moon have a lot of control over our earth. If they are able to control the tides, it isn't unreasonable to assume that they can control other things as well.  Many people believe that strange things happen during a full moon.  Make sure that you keep track of the moon phase on each investigation and try to determine if there is a pattern.  While a full moon is known for bringing on strange behaviors, it also has the ability to create quite a bit of light which can come into play during an outdoor investigation.  Similarly, the darkness of a New Moon can also play a significant role on your investigation.
• Solar Weather- It's important to record what the solar weather was like during your investigation.  Basically, you want to know what the geomagnetic field of the earth is doing and if there are any solar flares.  Both of these things increase the available energy in the atmosphere and can sometimes cause some issues with your equipment (in times of strong/active solar weather).

All three of these things are easy to look up on the internet.  Weather.com or The Weather Channel app gives you access to up to the minute weather conditions and both the Moon Phase and Solar Weather information can be found on this blog on the right hand side.  

As part of your research, checking out a map of the location can also be helpful.  Google Maps is an excellent way of checking out what is in the area of your investigation. For an outdoor investigation, it is important to know where roads are, what buildings are in the area, bodies of water and anything that might have some type of light source associated with it (porch lights, parking lot lights, etc.).  You want to make sure that you are aware of anything that could be making noises (pumps from a water pumping station, a hidden roadway), creating lights that could created strange photos (buildings in the distance with lights, cars through the trees, parking lots) or producing fog or temperature changes (bodies of water).

Most important, you want to make sure that you have permission to 

be in the area you're investigating!  NO TRESPASSING!  Trespassing is not cool.  Being out at a location past the time it closes is not cool.  All you end up doing is making property owners angry and ultimately ruining things for other investigators.  So make sure you have permission to be on private property and follow the rules about closures on public land (for instance, Gettysburg National Battlefield is open 6:00am- 10:00pm April 1st-October 31st and 6:00am-7:00pm November 1st- March 31st there are hefty fines involved with being on the park grounds after hours).  Following local laws and ordinances is a must!

And last but certainly not least, make sure you go with at least another person to ghost hunt.  Having other people with you is beneficial for many reasons.  If you have some type of emergency (injury, broken down car, etc.) you have someone available to help you out.  It also gives you another witness to any phenomena you may experience.  

Now that you have researched a location and have a solid plan for your investigation, you're ready for your equipment. But that's in the next post. Stay tuned! 

What's Going On

 

So apparently, I've neglected blogging on this particular blog for quite some time.  Blogger let me know it's been more than 24 months (because they're shutting it down if I don't do something).  So I was torn.  Do I want to continue to blog about the paranormal?  Or do I want to just walk away?

Long ago when I started on my paranormal journey, not many people were involved or interested in the topic.  Now entire cable channels are being over run with paranormal shows.  The History Channel has more shows about UFO's, Skinwalkers, lost treasure and aliens than it does about actual history.  The Travel Channel seems to only want to promote those areas that are haunted.  You walk into any historical town and there are ghost tours on every street corner. Heck, sometimes there are 2-3 in the same block! While many might be thrilled with how mainstream the paranormal has become, I am not.

I began my  research into the paranormal because I wanted to learn if ghosts, aliens and cryptids were real.  I spent time researching paranormal investigators and techniques.  I learned about developing technology.  I educated myself about film cameras and then digital cameras and how different conditions could produce different results.  I attended paranormal conventions, met with other serious paranormal investigators and shared theories and ideas.  I was gung-ho.  I was having the time of my life. 

Unfortunately over the years, life started getting in the way of investigating.  Trips to the battlefield became few and far between.  Plans to attend the annual Mothman Festival never quite came to fruition.  Bigfoot was in no danger of having me spot him out in the woods.  I rarely find the time to look up to catch a glimpse of the night sky oddities.

But a busy life and an increase in the commercialism weren't the only things that kept me away from investigations.  I have a group on social media (really the catch words here are social media which more often than not ends up being the devil).  In the beginning, the group was small and pleasant with a lot of benign discussion.  Unfortunately, as many have probably witnessed in many groups, the larger it grew, the more more problems it started having.  I began spending quite a bit of time needing to police adults.  I made a list of rules.  They were ignored.  So then I changed settings so that I have to approve posts prior to them being posted, and still, people ignore the set rules.  Recently, I had to post again about adults behaving like, well, adults. That is to say, being respectful and polite.  I shouldn't have to parent grown ups.  Quite honestly, I'm on the verge of deleting the entire group.   

And it isn't just the rude and disrespectful people driving me over the edge (though certainly that's enough to do it).  In today's world of the paranormal, TV programs and tour groups have led people to believe that every odd thing that shows up in a photograph must be paranormal.  This reminds me of a scene in The X-Files season 10 episode 1 where someone tells Fox Mulder that like him he is a true believer and Mulder says, "I only want to believe. Actual proof has been strangely hard to come by."  

True evidence of the paranormal is few and far between.  Orbs are no longer considered good evidence by serious paranormal researchers.  I've said it many times- you can only prove something in this field by first disproving every logical explanation (and even then it really isn't "proof").  Everything shows up like an orb in a photo: rain, snow, high humidity moisture droplets, bugs, dust, pollen, reflections, lens flare and pixels in a digital image not filling in.  Your breath in cool outdoor temperatures photographs just like ectoplasmic vapor.  Hair strands and camera straps become vortexes.  Photos taken in low light situations with swirling lights are considered paranormal, though with a little education one learns that streaking and swirling lights are the effect of a slowed shutter speed due to low light. I could go on, but you get my drift.

The problem here is that people don't want you to explain that their photo isn't paranormal. What they really want is for you to lie to them.  They don't want to think that the photo they just took that shows nothing more than a sun dog couldn't possibly be a ghost.  I just want to ask, if ghosts are so prevalent that there are all these thousands of positive paranormal photos, why haven't we proven their existence? Lying to people and coddling them so they don't have their paranormal hopes squashed isn't a good researching practice.  If people want to be taken seriously and want their "evidence" taken seriously, then they need to accept that true evidence is hard to come by.

So here I am, facing a mid life question about something that has been a life long passion.  And to bring up another X-Files season 10 Mulder quote, "I'm thinking maybe it's time to put away childish things- the sasquatches, the mothmen and jackalopes." So what do I do? 

After some serious thinking, I have decided to continue on with paranormal research. A large part of that decision stems from my 6 year old grandson who has taken a serious interest in the paranormal (he actually watched a Ghost Hunters marathon to learn how to use equipment before we went on the Battlefield for a quick hunt).  He reminded me about one of the big reasons I became involved and started all the websites, blogs and Facebook groups- I want to help those interested in the topic of the paranormal learn and find quality information. So I'm going to continue doing things my way, and there will be some changes in order to get stuff back to where I want it to be.  

After all, The Truth is Out There. 

(The X-Files quote 1 from Season 10 Episode 1: My Struggle, The X-Files quote 2 from Season 10 Episode 3: Scully and Mulder Meet the Were-Monster.... no I'm not that big of an X-Files nerd, I just wanted to make sure I gave proper credit- though I knew the quotes so...)

Updates

I've been busy the past week working on streamlining the website and trying to make it simpler.  I've opted to use the blog to share information on investigations, stories, equipment or anything else I think falls into the paranormal category.

I've also created a page for the future book: The Haunted Trail which is what I decided to name the book I've been working on about ghosts, cryptids and UFO's on the Appalachian Trail.  Please head over to Facebook and like the page: The Haunted Trail: Ghosts, Monsters and Aliens on the Appalachian Trail !  I post things from time to time that have to do with research and writing the book, tidbits about stories, etc.

And don't forget there is a Facebook group for Gettysburg Ghosts: Gettysburg Ghosts Paranormal Investigation and you can follow us on Twitter: Gettysburg Ghosts @GburgGhosts

Haunted Appalachian Trail: West Virginia

The Appalachian Trail passes through about 4 miles of the state of West Virginia.  In those 4 miles, it goes through the town of Harpers Ferry home to the headquarters of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.  It's considered the "psychological" half way point (the actual half way point is further North in PA).  Harpers Ferry has a rich history in outdoor adventure, but it also has quite the reputation for being haunted.


 

 Lost Gold
In 1747, Robert Harper visited the area where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers meet known at that time as "The Hole".  Harper ended up purchasing the Ferry service and property from Peter Stephens.  He eventually built a Mill and improved the Ferry.  After losing his cabin to a flood, Robert Harper and his wife Rachel decided to build a home high above the flood plain.  Because workers were hard to come by during the Revolutionary War, Mr. Harper was forced to do most of the labor himself and his health began to fail.  Fearing the bands of thieves roaming the countryside, Mr. Harper told his wife to bury all their gold and tell no one where she had buried it.  Robert Harper died before finishing the house.  Mrs. Harper tried to finish the home she and her her husband were building, but she fell from a ladder and was killed instantly- taking the secret of the buried gold with her.  During the 1800's, Harper House was widely believed to be haunted and was feared by the locals.  Today, people claim to see an old woman dressed in 18th century clothes looking out an upper window gazing at the garden.  Could it be Rachel Harper looking over her stash of gold?

 Everyone Loves a Parade
In 1798, our new nation was apparently in danger of a war with France*.  Troops were sent to Harpers Ferry under General Pinkney and camped on the ridge around the bend of High Street in an area now called Camp Hill.   Because no war ever broke out, the troops were often bored, so every evening they would parade through town with their fifes and drums.  During this time, many of the men developed cholera during an outbreak and died and are said to be buried on the west bank of Camp Hill.  Today residents sometimes hear the sound of fifes and drums and go to the window expecting a parade but no one is ever there.  The music grows louder as it grows closes and then fades away.

*Other information states that the troops were there to aide in the construction of the Armory, canal and river dam.

 Screaming Jenny
In 1833, the railroad came to Harpers Ferry linking the town with the east.  Part of the track passed through the Armory Yard.  There were storage sheds located in the Armory Yard, and once the railroad came though, the sheds were abandoned.  It wasn't long before those who were less fortunate began using the sheds as housing in the cold winter months.  One woman named Jenny who was down on her luck and had no family to turn to, took up residence in one of the sheds.  On a particularly cold evening, she sat too close to the fire and a spark landed on her clothing and set her skirt on fire.  Panicking, she fled the shack and began racing down the tracks towards the station for help. In minutes, she became fully engulfed in flame.  Staggering, she did not notice the lights of an oncoming train.  The engineer, seeing the burning human like form, began frantically blowing the whistle and applying his brakes, but he was unable to stop in time.  Men from the station heard the whistle and the screeching of the brakes and ran to the scene.  They found Jenny's still burning body and put out the fire.  She was later buried in a pauper's grave.  Today engineers do not like coming through Harpers Ferry on misty nights.  They claim to see a ball of fire emitting unearthly screams.  When they try to stop, they never stop in time and feel the telltale bump that means they've run over something.  When they stop to investigate, there's never anything there.  Sometimes at night you can hear the train whistle blowing frantically and you know Jenny's ghost has shown up again.

A Bevy of Ghosts
The Booth House, also known as The Haunted Cottage, was named because of its infamous visitor John Wilkes Booth.  Booth was a nationally known actor who visited Harpers Ferry several times.  He always rented a room at the cottage sometimes inviting a lady friend to join him.  Over the years it served many purposes.  It was rented to families as a single family home and eventually earned the reputation of being one of the most haunted houses in Harpers Ferry.  Paranormal author Vince Wilson rented the home and woke up one night to the sounds of footsteps on the floor above him.  He was able to actually record the ghostly noise.  Many people have experienced paranormal activity at the Booth House.  They report footsteps, strange noises, singing and people talking.  Objects have been known to move on their own.  There have been sightings of shadowy figures and some even report having their hair or clothing tugged.  Several years ago, we attended the open house of the Haunted Cottage (it has since closed).  The basement is supposed to be the most haunted location in the home.  It's said that a child's tricycle is known to move across the room on its own.  While we didn't witness that particular phenomena, we were able to record an EVP in the basement that said "Turn the lights back on".  During the recording the that EVP, we had turned the lights out and my son asked why we had turned them out. The attic area was a somewhat active area for us.  I have a recording that doesn't contain any EVP but records my young son asking who was looking at us and who was behind us.  He was seeing something the adults couldn't.  We also had the sensation of something pushing down on our shoulders.  The Booth House is located near the KOA Campground.

Booth House EVP 1
Booth House EVP 2
Turn Lights Back On

Haunted Appalachian Trail: Maryland's Ghosts

Crampton's Gap

Maryland is the only place along the entire Appalachian Trail corridor where the AT passes through a major Civil War battlefield: The Battle of South Mountain.  Also known as the Battle of Boonsboro Gap, it was fought on September 14, 1862.  Three battles were fought for possession of three mountain passes: Crampton's, Turner's and Fox's Gaps.  McClellan needed to pass through these gaps in his pursuit of Lee's Army.  By dusk Crampton's Gap lost and his position at Fox's and Turner's Gap precarious, Lee ordered his men to withdraw.  The Union casualties totaled 2,325: 443 killed, 1,807 wounded and 75 missing.  The confederate casualties totaled 2,685: 325 killed, 1,560 wounded and 800 missing.  Today hikers claim to have heard ghostly canon fire and see phantom fires and ghost soldiers in the woods along South Mountain.

You can listen to recordings of an EVP (Electronic Voice Phenomena)
from the area of Crampton's Gap:
Crampton's Gap EVP 001
Crampton's Gap EVP 002

Spook Hill

Near the area of Crampton's Gap is an area referred to as Spook Hill.  At Spook Hill, the Union Army managed to push back the Confederate Artillery in the area.  Not willing to allow their canons to fall into enemy hands, the Confederates began pushing their canons up the road.  Now, if you stop and put your car in neutral, the ghosts of those Confederates will push your car up the hill.  Some claim that if you coat your trunk with flour, ghostly hand prints will appear.  During an investigation of the area, we did witness the phenomena as our car did seem to move uphill on its own.  We had plans to use a level to determine if the area was creating an optical illusion and the road actually slopped downhill rather than uphill.  However, the traffic along that stretch of road was heavy and fast, and it was unsafe to attempt any type of measurements on the road.

Daniel Wise Farm

Daniel Wise Farm

At Fox's Gap, a man named Daniel Wise lived in a house with his two children.  Because Fox's Gap was the focal point of the South Mountain Battle, Daniel Wise and his family fled to a nearby church.  During the battle, Wise's home was used as a hospital by the Union Army.  Legend says that the Union Army paid Daniel Wise $5 per body to bury the dead.  It was said that Wise dumped 58 Confederate bodies down a well.  However, it was actually the Union Army that dumped the bodies in the well.  The bodies remained there for 12 years until they were re-interred in the Confederate Cemetery in Hagerstown.  It's said that today, you can still hear the loud thuds of the bodies hitting the bottom of the well.

The Washington Monument

The first monument to honor George Washington to be completed is located in the Washington Monument State Park.  The rocks in the area below the monument contain a maze of caves.  During the Civil War, a young solider stopped at a farm to get a drink from the well.  He met the landowner's daughter and they fell in love.  The girl begged him to leave the war so he deserted and the two ran away and hid in the caves.  While hiding there, a rockslide trapped them inside where they died.  Today people can hear their cries as they continuously try to escape their tomb.

Old South Mountain Inn

Located along Route 40, the Old South Mountain Inn has stood since 1732.  In 1755, General Braddock and Lieutenant George Washington marched the army past on their way to battle the French and Indians near Fort Duquesne.  The Inn served as wagon stand and stagecoach stop and in 1859, John Brown's followers held the Inn overnight as an outpost and staging point.  In 1862, General D.H. Hill used the Inn as his headquarters during the Battle of South Mountain.  The Old South Mountain Inn was sold in 1876 to Madeleine Dahlgren who used it as her private residence.  Madeleine enjoyed entertaining guests and often had friends stay the night.  One night, her guest opened her bedroom window and dozed in the rocking chair near the window.  She woke up to eery quiet and a strange glow.  She moved to the window and looked out and saw a glowing figure about 50 yards from the house floating above the road.  The apparition was taller than any human she had ever seen.  Terrified, she slammed the shutters closed and hid under the covers.  A few nights later, another guest was staying in the same room when she too noticed a strange light.  She went to look out the window and saw the same large glowing figure.  The woman ran to get her friend Madeleine and together they watched as the figure unfurled gigantic luminous wings.  The women slammed the shutters closed and knelt down and began praying.  Though Madeleine Dahlgren died in 1884, some say she is still in residence at the Old South Mountain Inn.  The current owner tells of seeing a "flash of something" in the attic while she was searching for holiday decoration, and they also say that Madeleine saved her beloved house.  One evening, the cleaning man was staying late waiting on a delivery.  He noticed that a door that is always kept shut had come open, and through the open door he smelled smoke.  The rear of the Inn was engulfed in flames.  The man called 911 and the Inn was saved.  It's believed that Madeleine opened the locked door to save her home.  Other phenomena have been experienced in the Inn as well.  People tell of seeing phantom soldiers inside and around the grounds outside of the Inn.  There are doors that shake as though someone is trying to open them, and voices and footsteps that come from empty rooms.  During a night of investigating, I stopped at the Old South Mountain Inn and pulled into the parking lot.  There were portable toilets along the back of the parking lot and as I sat there in my car, I heard the distinct sound of one of the port-a-potty doors slamming shut.  The spooky part was that all the port-a-potties were visible and there was not a soul to be seen.

Gathland State Park

George "Gath" Townsend was a journalist and a novelist who built an estate on what is now known as Gathland State Park.  Mr. Townsend, who used the pen name "Gath", built the first War Correspondant's Memorial on the property.  Gath had a tomb erected on the estate grounds though it went unused as he died in New York and was buried in Philadelphia. Today his ghost still haunts the property.  Mr. Townsend's footsteps can be heard in the area of his former home.

The Purple Church

Built in the 1880's, this abandoned church in the area of Crampton's Gap was once the site of Satanic rituals in the 1980's.  Many claim that the church is haunted.  During an investigation, we were able to get an EVP at the church. 

Purple Church EVP

Haunted Appalachian Trail: Maryland Cryptids

The Maryland section of the Appalachian Trail is probably one of the most paranormally active, if not the most paranormally active section of the entire Trail.A large part of that is that Maryland doesn't have just your typical ghosts, it also boasts 4 different cryptids along its 40 mile section.

Snallygaster

The name Snallygaster comes from the German Schnelle Geist or "fast ghost" that was associated with slamming doors and the toppling of light weight objects.  It's thought that it migrated here with the Germans in the 1730's.  Unlike the ghost, the Snallygaster is a large creature that is part reptile and part bird.  It has a large metallic beak lined with razor sharp teeth and vise like alligator jaws.  Its tail is like that of a lizard, its body scaly and its legs short and tipped with talon sharp hooked claws.  It has large wings with a spread of 25 feet. Some descriptions include octopus like tentacles and poisonous breath.  The Snallygaster flies over South Mountain looking for prey, and once it finds a victim, it shrieks and screams as it swoops in to grab its dinner.  It's said that the screech of the Snallygaster sounds similar to a train whistle.  In the area where the Snallygaster roamed, there were reports of dogs, livestock and even children going missing.  Outrunning the monster was the only way to prevent being devoured if it had you in its sights, but you could prevent the Snallygaster from coming near your property with the use of a 7 pointed star.  Many barns in the area still have them painted on their sides.
In February 1909, there was a report that the Snallygaster grabbed a man, bit his jugular, drained his blood and dumped his body off the hillside.  In fact, the Snallygaster's reign of terror was so great that Theodore Roosevelt considered postponing a highly publicized African safari to go to Maryland and hunt the Snallygaster.  However, he decided to just stick with the African safari. 
I came across some information that suggested in the 1980's, Maryland added the Snallygaster to its Endangered  Species List.  A check of the current Endangered Species List did not turn up any mention of the beast.  So next time your out camping or hiking the area of South Mountain and you hear that train whistle, ask yourself  "Was that really a train whistle?"

Snarly Yow

The Snarly Yow might be more ghost than cryptid, but I'm still including it in this list.    It's described as a large black dog with grotesque red mouth, large fangs and a howl like a werewolf.  Its appearance is similar to a Hell hound, but unlike the Hell hound, the Snarly Yow hasn't foretold anyone's imminent death.  The Snarly yow roams the area around South Mountain chasing cars and scaring hikers by jumping out of bushes.  Many years ago, an expert huntsman came across the Snarly Yow.  He took aim and shot at the animal but the bullets passed directly through. 

Dwayyo

The Dwayyo is a creature that is described as being between 7 and 9 feet tall, hairy, similar to a wolf but with the arms, stance and stature of a man.  Its hair is bristly and it has a large bushy tail.  Many accounts mention hearing screams from the creature.  Chickens and cattle have been found dead in the areas where the Dwayyo has been seen and dogs refuse to hunt the beast and hide when they sense its presence.  There was an account of a girl who was driving to a friend's house who saw the Dwayyo.  As she drove through the woods she felt as though something was watching her and she saw something running through the trees.  As she slowed her car, a dog like creature ran out into the road on 2 legs.  It had large fangs and lunged at the car.  The girl sped away.  A nearby farmer claimed to see what he described as a 9 foot dog creature.  There was also a report from a man who used the alias "John Becker".  He said he went outside to investigate a strange noise and saw something coming at him as big as a bear but it had a long bushy tail and growled like a wolf or dog in anger.  The creature stood on hind legs and attacked him.  Becker fought the creature until it ran into the woods.  He did call the State Police and file a report under the alias.  Several hunters have also reported seeing a strange creature, and 2 men out spotlighting deer also had an encounter.  They said they saw a 6 foot tall creature that was inclined forward as it moved.  The head was large and had a profile like that of a wolf.  Its body was covered in brown or brindle fur and the lower half of the body had a striped pattern.  It's forelegs were slimmer and held in front and the back legs were think and muscular like a kangaroo's. Two park rangers also described seeing a large hairy bipedal creature in the area.  So what is roaming South Mountain?  Is it a werewolf like some have said or something akin to a hexenwulf- a person able to transform into a wolf like beast by using a magical talisman like a wolf hide belt or an amulet given to them by another person (often received by making deals with the devil).  Whatever it is, I would prefer not to encounter it or hear its awful screams.

Bigfoot

Bigfoot doesn't really need any introduction.  Most people know the basic Bigfoot description.  But many people don't realize that Bigfoot doesn't just live in Oregon and Washington.  Bigfoot has also been sighted often on the East Coast.  In fact, there is some speculation that Bigfoot uses the Appalachian Mountains as a migration route.  There have been a few sightings of Bigfoot like creatures in the South Mountain area.

So, if you're out and about on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland, keep your eyes peeled for something out of place.  There's no telling what kind of beast you might stumble upon.