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Those interested in the possibly mythical creature known as Bigfoot can learn more about the creature at the Bigfoot Lecture scheduled at the Harlan County Community Public Library on March 4.

The Harlan County Public Library recently announced the event on its Facebook page, stating it will run from 1-4 p.m. The event will feature researcher Lloyd Davis, East Tennessee Bigfoot expert Matt Seeber and Justin Decker of the Skookum Session Podcast. All three have studied the phenomenon of Bigfoot extensively.

The website dictionary.com states Bigfoot, or Sasquatch is “a very large, hairy, humanoid creature reputed to inhabit wilderness areas of the United States and Canada, especially the Pacific Northwest.”

According to a news release, the speakers will share their thoughts and theories on Sasquatch or Bigfoot and their personal experiences searching for the creature.

“I’m looking forward to coming to Harlan and talking Bigfoot,” said Seeber. “The dense forests of both the Appalachians and The Great Smoky Mountains, plus the availability of lots of water and just the remoteness of these mountain ranges, provide ample opportunity for Bigfoot activity. The region that stretches across the state line connecting Tennessee and Kentucky has been known to have quite a bit of Bigfoot activity, so I encourage people to come out to our lecture, share their experiences, ask us questions if they are curious about Bigfoot, and let’s have a good day of talking about the ‘What If’s’ that very well could be lurking in our forest lands.”

Decker, a native of Columbia, was raised in the South American Amazon jungle. He resides in Cosby, Tennessee, and has brought his curiosity about cryptic creatures to his Tennessee home.

“We have been hearing reports of suspected increased Bigfoot activity in Harlan County, especially in the Black Mountain area,” Decker said. “We’re hoping Harlan Countians who’ve had questionable experiences will come hang out with us on March 4 at the Harlan County Public Library and talk about what they have seen.”

Decker and Seeber have presented their Bigfoot experiences and research at the Smoky Mountain Bigfoot Conference in Gatlinburg.

Davis, a native of Point Pleasant, West Virginia, has spent several years in the field doing research in Tennessee and Kentucky.           

“Learning to hunt and fish taught me respect for nature,” Davis said. “Choosing to be a life-long search and rescue volunteer has also allowed me formal training in tracking, print identification, sign identification, behavioral patterns and interview skills.”

He brings a unique perspective based on analytical study and years of experience and research to the table. Davis spent many of his formative years in the farmland of western Kentucky, giving him an eye for detail.

“Once I decided upon the way it walked, that’s what set me on a path of research to prove that I saw what I saw,” Davis said. “In 2019, I came across a report that had the same style of walk as the one I observed in my own Class A sighting. In 2010, I started a Sasquatch research team, incorporating the skills I was trained with and the skills I have gained through life. Our American Sasquatch Research team is still actively seeking the truth today.”

According to Decker, it is human nature to search out the unknown.

“Our world is losing its mystery,” Decker said. “As humans, having that search for the unknown is part of ourselves – part of our makeup. Regardless of what Bigfoot turns out to be, the search is an integral part of us all. There have been Bigfoot reports going back in antiquity. Some of our great names in history have reported such creatures. Why wouldn’t we want to know what they saw and experienced? Thousands of people, from all walks of life, from countries and cultures from around the globe, tell of legends of hairy man-like beasts. How can some of us not help but try and understand this phenomenon as best we can?”

The Harlan County Public Library is located at 107 N. 3rd Street in downtown Harlan; for more information about the Bigfoot Lecture call 606-573-4223.