 Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and is intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised. Home to a plethora of strange activity and sightings, relatively little is known about Skinwalker Ranch, labeled by one researcher as the strangest place on earth. Perhaps all the more interesting about this secretive place is that it has deep ties to secretive government projects. The ranch sits in the small town of Ballard, Utah. It has been the subject of serious paranormal investigation for over half a century. However, accounts of strange activity on this land goes far back as recorded history, perhaps even further when you consider the indigenous tribes and their oral accounts. For their part, they consider the land under a curse. There have been several well-known UFO sightings over the area. Arguably one of the most widely reported incidents occurred in 1978, a huge saucer-shaped object witnessed by several people hovered directly over Skinwalker Ranch. It would remain there for several minutes before disappearing. Skinwalker Ranch found itself in the mainstream again thanks to the 2013 movie Skinwalkers. While the story is complete fiction, the background and specific events base themselves entirely on years of research and local legend of the area. There is more to Skinwalker Ranch than just the name. I'm Darren Marlar and this is Weird Darkness. Welcome, Weirdos. This is Weird Darkness. Here you'll find stories of the paranormal, supernatural, legends, lore, the strange and bizarre, crime, conspiracy, mysterious, macabre, unsolved and unexplained. Coming up in this episode, bizarre creatures, monstrous footprints, disturbing sounds, portals, gateways, unexplained lights and orbs, shadow figures and the titular beast itself. What is going on at Skinwalker Ranch and what is causing it? If you're new here, welcome to the show. While you're listening, be sure to check out WeirdDarkness.com for merchandise, to visit sponsors you hear about during the show, sign up for my newsletter and our contests. Connect with me on social media. Plus, you can visit the Hope in the Darkness page if you're struggling with depression or dark thoughts. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com. Now, bolt your doors, lock your windows, turn off your lights and come with me into the Weird Darkness. The Skinwalker is a creature known in Native American legends who has the ability to shapeshift into any animal they desire. The land where the infamous ranch resides is rich with such creatures. In fact, the whole land, according to Native American tribes, is a place of strange activity. Perhaps the first journalist to begin to seriously investigate the ranch is leading UFO researcher George Knapp. The ranch was a recent purchase of the Sherman family, Harry and Gwen, and is sometimes referred to as Sherman Ranch. Noticing bizarre and terrifying activity, they reached out to Knapp and his fellow investigator, Colm Kellerher, to investigate. This would ultimately result in Kellerher's book, Hunt for the Skinwalker. Science confronts the unexplained at a remote ranch in Utah in which the Shermans were referred to as the Gormans, which documents some of the bizarre activity on the land. As always, I'll place a link to the book in the show notes. They experienced strange flashing lights over their land and strange voices that would speak to them out of thin air. Furthermore, the voices always spoke in a bizarre language that was unknown to them. Over a dozen of their cattle were subject to precise cattle mutilation. Even three of their family dogs would disappear right in front of them while chasing an orb-like light. Perhaps most startling of all was the night Terry Sherman looked out his window. In front of him was a huge spaceship about the size of multiple football fields. Knapp and Kellerher would witness for themselves strange creatures with glowing red eyes. Perhaps even more chilling, these creatures appeared unhurt when fired upon. They would also notice bizarre magnetic readings as well as the glowing orbs that the Shermans claimed to have seen. The Shermans, following Knapp's and Kellerher's investigation, would eventually sell the site to a billionaire businessman Robert T. Bigelow, who had a vast interest in the paranormal as well as vast wealth to conduct independent research. In looking into the encounters of the Shermans in more detail, we can turn to Kellerher's previously mentioned book, which documents both their encounters and the NIDS investigations extensively. Perhaps the best place to start would be to examine one of the first of the many strange incidents witnessed by the family when they were together. One evening, while the Shermans were on their land near their cattle, Terry Sherman noticed something strange in the distance, an animal of some sort, perhaps a coyote. Whatever it was, it was heading in their direction. When it was a little over 500 yards away, it began to look like a large gray wolf. Then, at a distance of around 50 yards away, it stopped. As Terry eyed the beast, he determined it was around three times a wolf's normal size. Although it didn't appear to be in a frenzy or even looking to attack, it appeared to take in the scene with a cold, calculated stare. It was about this time that he also realized that several of his calves were less than a hundred feet from him and the wolf. And more importantly, while most of them had moved to the back of their enclosure, one had ventured to the front with its head between the bars. Things then turned even stranger. The wolf began walking calmly toward the Sherman family. In fact, it was so calm that Terry even reached out to pet it, which it allowed. However, he also had the feeling that something was terribly wrong. His wife came over to look, seeing how seemingly friendly the wolf was and so calling out to her children. Then, with unbelievable speed, the animal shot towards the lone calf with its head in the bars and quickly clamped its jaws around its head. It immediately began to attempt to drag it through the bars. The family immediately launched an attack on the wolf, kicking at it and launching blows from a baseball bat. Eventually, Terry reached for his 357 Magnum and fired a bullet squarely into the wolf's ribs. However, despite the clear hit, the wolf continued with the attack on the calf, not even flinching. Not believing what he was seeing, Terry fired two more shots into the wolf, each of which found its target. Finally, although reluctantly, the wolf released the calf and retreated a short distance away. An already strange encounter, though, was about to turn even stranger and altogether more chilling. For several moments, the huge wolf simply stood and stared at the family. However, it didn't appear to show any signs whatsoever that it was wounded, especially given that the three shots should have proven fatal. Instead, it continued to stare at the family, watching them with its chilling, hypnotic blue eyes. Sensing he was likely in grave danger, Terry lifted the gun once more, aimed for the heart and fired. Once more, the shot was right on target. However, rather than fall to the ground or even stagger about, the wolf simply calmly retreated around 30 feet. Amazingly, the family could see no wounds or blood on the beast, something which made them even more unnerved. Terry ordered his son to retrieve a stronger weapon, the one he used to shoot deer and elk. He did so, and with the wolf still eyeing the family, he took aim with it and fired once more. The shot was once more on target, but once more, it failed to drop the wolf. He fired again, this time noticing that a portion of the wolf's flesh came away from the exit wound. However, although it was clearly hit, the wolf didn't react in the slightest. Then, it simply turned away and made its way back the way it had arrived. The family was relieved, to say the least. Then, Terry made a decision to go on the offensive. He would turn to his family and say, I'm going after it. And with that, he set out in the direction of the wolf, which was now around 100 yards away. His son went with him. The wolf continued away from them, seemingly unaware of the father and son running as fast as they could to catch up to it and launch another attack with their weapons. It also appeared to be increasing its speed as it was further away from them now than when they set off. Although they could still see the gray shape of the wolf as it ran from them, Terry had begun using the paw prints that were clearly visible on the wet ground to track it, especially as they entered the trees and undergrowth. The tracks were still visible here and eventually they came out to a clearing that led to a river. They noticed the tracks directly in front of them and began following them once more. They were seemingly heading toward the water. However, before they reached the riverbank, the paw prints seemingly stopped dead. Terry checked the distance from the water, wondering whether the huge beast might have jumped from there into the river. Realizing they were more than 60 feet away, he quickly dismissed this idea. It was as if the wolf had just disappeared into thin air. Both Terry and his son were more than disturbed by this. Was the wolf somehow close by watching them? Or had it literally vanished off the face of the planet? Noticing that it would soon be dark, Terry suggested that they head back to the house. This though would only be the first of many chilling and bizarre incidents that would unfold around the ranch over the coming months. Several weeks after the incident with the disappearing wolf and with the family ready to forget it, Terry's wife Gwen began to have her own strange encounters. One afternoon after driving onto her land, opening the gate and then getting back in the car, she suddenly noticed the huge wolf once more. This time, it was around 30 feet from her vehicle and simply stared at her through the window. She noticed the same piercing blue eyes like those of the wolf that her husband shot several times. It was then that she also noticed another strange creature a little further in the distance. It was black and much more dog-like than wolf, although she would recall that it appeared to be a very strange dog with a head that appeared too large for its frame. She wondered whether it might be the result of breeding between a dog and a wolf. Becoming unnerved by the two huge creatures, she quickly put the car in motion and sped away to the house. She suggested to herself that the creatures were possibly privately owned and had escaped. However, when she made inquiries with the local authorities, she was informed that no one in the region owned any wolves. What's more, according to them, no wolves had been seen in this part of the United States for decades. Another strange incident occurred several weeks later when Gwen was walking in the area. Suddenly, out of nowhere, a huge rush of wind went by her. So strong was the wind's force that Gwen felt as though she had almost collided with something, causing her to move out of the way of this invisible force. She contemplated that the wind might have been a bird or a bat. However, she quickly dismissed this due to how powerful the gust felt, much too strong for such a small animal. She continued with her walk, and almost immediately she felt the approaching wind once more, again forcing her to duck out of its way. This time, she decided to abandon the walk and return home, noticing there was an uneasy feeling rising within her. Although she wouldn't tell the rest of the family of the incident, strange and bizarre goings-on continued to happen to the Shermans. As the weeks progressed, both Terry and Gwen began to notice random items would go missing from about the house and ranch. And even stranger, they would often turn up in the strangest of places, almost as if someone was playing a prank on them. Indeed, both would suspect their children of doing just that. Perhaps one of the most alarming incidents, however, took place when Terry was preparing to move his herd of cattle, with his son and nephew assisting him. One evening, while walking to check on the herd, Terry spotted what he thought were the headlights of an RV in the distance, seemingly containing trespassers on his land. He brought the lights to his son and nephew's attention, and they set out toward them to make sure whoever's vehicle it was left their land. However, the lights began to move away from them as they began their approach. Thinking whoever was driving must have night vision goggles and had spotted them, Terry began to run in an attempt to catch up to the apparent thrill-seekers. Then a realization hit Terry. It hadn't occurred to him the first few times he had seen it, but the lights were seemingly jumping over the wire fencing on his land. He couldn't understand how such a heavy-duty vehicle, or any vehicle for that matter, could leap over fences as a hurdler would clear them. He began to realize he might be dealing with something far stranger than just trespassers. Regardless, he continued the chase with his son and nephew following close behind, telling himself that it was an RV, and he'd find out how they were jumping when he caught up to them, which he did a short time after as the lights approached the trees that encased the boundaries of his land. When they were around 200 yards away from the lights, though, he still couldn't hear the engine of the RV. Perhaps they had cut it. However, as the three of them approached the vehicle, the lights suddenly took off directly upward into the air. When it reached the treetops, which were around 50 feet tall, the three below could clearly see the black shape of a solid vehicle against the sky which the lights were very much attached to. They would later describe the object as oblong and shaped like a refrigerator, which made no sound whatsoever. They watched the object continue to move away from them, eventually disappearing into the distance. Several weeks later, Terry would witness what appeared to be the same object again, this time while walking with his wife. Terry would also witness an even stranger aerial vehicle that seemingly appeared out of nowhere that hovered almost directly over him for several minutes several weeks later. Things, though, would continue to get even stranger. Up next, a triangular craft, dark figures, and the disturbing discovery of monstrous footprints appear at Skinwalker Ranch. If you or someone you know is struggling with depression, dark thoughts, or addiction, please visit the Hope in the Darkness page at WeirdDarkness.com. There, I've gathered numerous resources to find hope and solutions. For those suffering from thoughts of suicide or self-harm, there is the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, as well as the Crisis Text Line. Both have trained counselors at all hours to help those in need, and the page even includes text numbers for those in the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, and Ireland. Those struggling with depression can get help through the Seven Cups website and app. And there's information for anyone to read more about what depression truly is and how to identify it through our friends at ifred.org. There are resources for those who battle addictions, be it drugs, alcohol, or self-destructive behavior, along with help for those related to addicts. The page has links to help you find a therapist or counselor, to find help for those who have a family member with Alzheimer's or dementia, help for those in a crisis pregnancy, and more. These resources are always there when you or someone you love needs them on the Hope in the Darkness page at WeirdDarkness.com. Here at Weird Darkness, I celebrate Halloween year-round, as I'm sure a lot of you weirdos do. So I'm not cutting off the festivities after October 31st. In fact, I'm heading to Halloween Central, Salem, Massachusetts, at Salem, Pericon, November 11th and 12th. They've invited me to be a special guest for the festivities, introducing some of the celebrities and guests, moderating Q&As, and, well, other things that they refuse to tell me until I arrive and then it's too late to back out. Apparently they like to scare everybody, including me. At Salem, Pericon, you can meet numerous paranormal groups, see creepy art and the artists who create it, speak with cryptozoologists, meet horror and sci-fi authors and podcasters, grab spooky crafts, jewelry, clothing, costumes, and other merchandise, and meet the guest of honor, the one and only legendary, amazing Kreskin, the world's most famous mentalist. He'll showcase his mind-reading and psychic powers right before your eyes. And there are tons of other celebrities being announced as the day gets closer. Visit WeirdDarkness.com slash Salem to see other special guests, celebrities as they're announced, and to get your tickets. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash Salem. And I'll see you in Salem, Massachusetts, November 11th and 12th for Salem, Pericon. 1. One evening when Gwen was at the property by herself at around 6 p.m. as she was driving from the main gate to the house, she witnessed a bizarre black shadow momentarily go over her vehicle. When she looked up to see what was causing the shadow, she saw a huge black triangle-shaped object in the sky above her at a distance of around 30 feet. Not only that, it appeared to be following her. The aerial vehicle had red, green, yellow, and blue lights along the exterior and made no noise whatsoever. She continued the short drive to the main house, a triangular object keeping pace with her all the way. When she left the car and headed toward the door, the craft continued on its way and eventually disappeared into the distance. As Terry was away for work, she entered the house and called him at his hotel. He did his best to reassure her and calm her down, but the incident had left her badly shaken. Eventually she calmed a little and did her best to have a normal evening. A short time later though, another incident would bring that fear surging back. As she was washing the dishes in the kitchen, she looked out of the window and noticed what appeared to be an RV in one of their fields. It appeared that the inside light of the vehicle was switched on, as Gwen could clearly see inside it and could make out what looked like a desk behind the windshield. Then, as she was wondering who this strange vehicle might belong to, she watched as a figure seemingly dressed in black with a black helmet and visor on his head moved into view and sat at the desk. Then the darkly dressed figure stood and moved round into what appeared to be an interior doorway. Gwen would estimate that the figure was around 7 feet tall. The next thing she realized, the figure appeared to be looking out of the window straight toward her. It was then that she began to wonder if the vehicle outside was connected to the triangular object she had witnessed around an hour earlier. She quickly moved away from the window and rang Terry once more. He decided to cut his trip short and set out for home immediately. It was early the next morning when he arrived home. Almost as soon as he did, and Gwen stepped outside to see if there were any clues left as to the strange incident the previous evening. When they did, they discovered huge footprints at roughly the location of where the figure and the apparent RV were only hours previously. The footprints were approximately a foot and a half long. What's more, there were no markings that you might expect to find from any boot design. The smooth print and ball heel suggested that whoever made the print was barefoot. If it wasn't the dark figure who made the footprint, what was it? The Shermans already spooked and concerned with the strange happenings on their land became even more unnerved. So much so that they banned their children from being outside after dark. Even they would only leave the house during the evening when they absolutely had to. As Keller Herr wrote, they began to think for the first time that they could be in real danger. As the months went on, that danger began to take on an even more paranormal aspect, one that was completely out of this world. It wasn't just strange creatures, dark figures and apparent UFOs that were witnessed by members of the Sherman family. Terry at this stage had built up a small array of equipment such as binoculars and even a night vision scope for his rifle. One night while he was on his land checking such equipment, he noticed a bizarre orange object appear in the sky. Knowing it was obviously not the sun, as it was late in the evening, Terry watched the bizarre anomaly. When he focused on the middle of the orange object, however, he saw the strangest thing of all. It appeared that there was another sky on the other side of it, like it was some kind of strange gateway. He would estimate that it was at an altitude of approximately a mile. He witnessed these apparent orange portals on several occasions. He would discover that they appeared different to him depending on where he viewed them from, even appearing to change shape and at times disappear altogether. One particular sighting of these orange anomalies perhaps suggested to Terry more than anything that they were indeed gateways to another dimension. On this occasion, he noticed a strange layering inside the middle of it. However, getting bigger by the second was a dark object that he watched emerge from the orange shape and then disappear with great speed into the distance. He contemplated that he had seen the arrival of a strange vehicle from another world or realm of existence, and what's more, if these portals were in existence over the top of his land, it was likely that they were responsible for the strange activity he and his family have been witnessing for months or at the very least connected to them. Incidentally, as we'll discover a little later when the NIDS team were conducting their investigations, they too would see suggestions of apparent gateways to other worlds or dimensions. Over the following months, the Shermans would discover multiple cases of the mutilation of their cattle as well as some which would simply disappear into thin air. They had also seen numerous strange orbs, most often of a blue color that hovered around them and sometimes even gave chase. The incidents were as frightening as they were varied, and what's more, they affected the entire Sherman family. That something completely out of the ordinary was taking place was without question. What that something was, however, was perhaps so extraordinary that the Sherman family were unable to even hazard any type of guess. Perhaps the Sherman family should have realized something was not altogether right with the ranch when they purchased it. According to Keheler, when they first entered their new home they felt a chill. He would continue how they discovered large, heavy-duty deadbolts on all of the doors at the house, on the inside and outside. What's more, every one of the windows was bolted. Of course, by the time they had had several years worth of strange and chilling encounters behind them, they had a much better understanding of the previous owner's mindset. It was also at this time when the NIDS group approached the Shermans. You can read about many of the Sherman's encounters in great detail in the aforementioned Hunt for the Skinwalker book by Colin Keheler. Now, though, we'll turn our attention to the NIDS investigation who would purchase the ranch from the Shermans and look to investigate just what was taking place there. At around the same time that Bigelow purchased the ranch from the Sherman family in 1996, he also invested multiple millions of dollars into the National Institute for Discovery Science, known as NIDS. The purchase of Skinwalker Ranch would allow them to study the multiple amounts of paranormal activities. According to Knapp and Keheler, this would be done in secret. Bigelow did indeed turn the ranch into an interactive research facility. He would position cameras all over the ranch and surrounding land. Every acre was under at least one camera 24 hours a day. Research teams would also work around the clock. In particular, they were investigating any extraterrestrial activity. Initial reports revealed an abundance of strange activity stating in one section that the objects they had witnessed were not consistent with covert American military aircraft. We'll examine some of the encounters experienced by the scientists shortly. However, by 2004, Bigelow struggled to continue to fund the project and the program eventually shut down. Bigelow, though, still owns the ranch and the land around it. This means for all intents and purposes, he is still in charge of any research that might go ahead. And for it to go ahead, it is Bigelow who has to grant permission. Some of the business ties that followed would raise an eyebrow or two as to his real motivation for shutting down the project on Skinwalker Ranch. It's very much worth our time examining some of the strange encounters of the NIDS investigation a little further, if only to appreciate how intriguing and bizarre they really are. And while the incidents didn't result in any conclusive answers as to what was causing the strange incidents at Skinwalker Ranch, they certainly established that something strange was indeed taking place. Just what did the wide variety of strange incidents mean? Was there an intelligence behind them or were they some kind of non-understood natural phenomena? Was there even a military involvement in these bizarre occurrences? The team witnessed anything from suddenly appearing orbs, huge black masses, and a general sense that something was enjoying the team's state of confusion. The investigation was truly one of the most extensive of its kind. We start, though, with one of the strangest paranormal encounters on record, not just at Skinwalker Ranch but in any location. Without a doubt, one of the strangest, unnerving, and perhaps even revealing incidents to unfold during the NIDS investigation of Skinwalker Ranch occurred in August 1997. And it was documented by the previously mentioned Coen Kehler in his book, Haunt for the Skinwalker. The incident took place on a summer's night and involved two more members of the NIDS team, Jim and Mike, who will call them, who had set up their equipment in a field on the land where several strange incidents had been noted previously. Around a mile or so away, another team had set up similar equipment for similar surveillance reasons. They had, for the time, state-of-the-art monitoring and recording equipment, including infrared night vision binoculars. By 2.30 am, they had already been at the location for around six hours and had witnessed nothing untoward. Consequently, they decided to move to a different spot. However, before they could do so, they witnessed one of the strangest occurrences on Skinwalker Ranch during their time there. Shortly after beginning to pack up their equipment, Jim suddenly noticed a strange light in the distance. It was below their location at a distance of approximately 150 feet. At first, Jim wasn't too sure that the light was of anything significant. However, when the yellow-orange light began to grow in size, he watched it more thoroughly. When he realized it was continuing to grow in size, he requested his camera back from Mike, who handed it to him. Realizing Jim had seemingly spotted something worth investigating, he quickly began unpacking the surveillance equipment once more. While Jim then began setting up his equipment once more, Mike began looking in the direction of the strange light with his binoculars. It was then he let out a short gasp of surprised breath that made Jim realize he could see something he couldn't. The light continued to grow larger. Jim estimated it was around a foot across and continuing to enlarge. What's more, the light itself appeared to float a very short distance above the ground. He snapped pictures of the light to be examined later. Meanwhile, Mike continued to watch the strange glow through his high-tech binoculars and from the look on his face and the way he was drawing breath, Jim had the real sense that he was seeing something truly extraordinary. Noticing that Jim was also aware that something bizarre was unfolding but did not have the aid of the high-tech binoculars, Mike offered to him that it's a tunnel, it's not just a light. Jim continued to take pictures of the glowing glow below them. Then, though, Mike spoke once more, informing Jim that something's in the tunnel. Hearing Mike's words, Jim refocused on the light below. It had doubled in size to around two feet. He continued taking pictures, feeling sure that he would capture something truly amazing and finally have a piece of solid proof that something strange was indeed taking place on this perplexing and mysterious stretch of land. Then the quietness was broken by Mike's words once again. Jim could hear the panic rising in Mike's voice, suggesting that he could clearly see something that was unnerving a little more by the second. Jim stared at the light once more, however he could not see the dark entity that Mike clearly could. Perhaps he thought it was because it was only visible through the infrared binoculars, suggesting that whatever Mike was seeing was seemingly very much from the world of the paranormal. Jim would ask Mike to hand in the binoculars so that he could see what his colleague was seeing, however much too enthralled and disturbed he continued to watch the chilling scene below. He would offer that the creature was now on the ground, had walked away from the tunnel. Jim looked again at the light below. Now, however, instead of growing in size or becoming brighter, it was seemingly decreasing in size. In less than a minute, it was almost just a mere dot once again as it was when he had first noticed it. He turned to Mike and asked just what he had witnessed. He replied that a big black creature just crawled through that tunnel before dropping to the ground and calmly walking away from it. What's more, it was lurking around here somewhere. He would estimate the strange dark creature was anywhere around the 400-pound mark and stood approximately six feet tall. Mike offered that when he viewed the light through the high-tech binoculars, it made the light appear as a 3D tunnel. And what's more, this strange dark creature almost used its elbows to drag itself through this bizarre tunnel. It appeared that what they had witnessed was the opening of a portal that allowed some other worldly creature access to Skinwalker Ranch. And once that creature had crossed over, it disappeared into nowhere. The claims of the strange orange circles of light witnessed by Terry Sherman in which he could see another sky came flooding back into their minds. The two men remained silent for several minutes, listening for any sound of movement nearby. However, all they were met with was a thick silence. Eventually, they decided to pack up their equipment and head toward the area where they had seen the light. When they arrived at the location, they noticed a particularly strong smell of sulfur. In fact, the smell was so strong it made Jim feel nauseous. They also tested for radiation or any unusual magnetic anomalies. All was as it should be. Both men were confused, in awe, and more than unnerved from what they had seen. They remained at the location for around half an hour. Nothing more unusual happened. They would return the following day with more members of the NIDS team, but could find no signs of anything untoward occurring. When they examined the photographs, although some had captured a strange light, it was blurred and failed to show anything close to what might have seen. Whatever the two men had witnessed, it was almost certainly connected to the strange events that had been taking place on this patch of land for decades, perhaps centuries. Several weeks earlier, in early June, another bizarre incident had unfolded that also involved a dark, mass-like creature. And this incident was witnessed by Kehler himself, along with another member of the NIDS team, a physicist. On this occasion, they had been directed to a certain position to monitor in front of the left-hand window of the old homestead, due to a particularly intriguing piece of footage of a strange moving light the previous week. As the two investigators looked out over the field with two trained dogs at their side, they realized how silent and still the night was. Nothing moved, and nothing made a sound. It was chilling, to say the least. Next to Kehler, the physicist raised his infrared binoculars to survey the area. Just as they thought it would be an uneventful night, a silent, brightly lit sphere of bluish-white light appeared in front of them. They estimated it was around the size of a basketball, and it swayed as it moved silently, approximately 15 feet from the ground. As it passed over the ground, it bathed the grass below in a blue wash. They both stared and watched the blue orb as it continued to rise and fall slightly. Behind them, the dogs were equally as silent as they, too, watched the bizarre sphere. Kehler raised his camera to get a shot of the anomaly. As he did so, though, the orb vanished into thin air. With them, they had a mexa-beam military-grade flashlight. They immediately turned it on and moved it toward the area where the orb had been. There was nothing out of the ordinary to be seen. They cautiously walked toward where the orb had been hovering only moments earlier, but there was no sign of the orb or that it had ever been there. The physicist raised his binoculars to his eyes once more. As he surveyed the area around them, things took a drastic and decidedly chilling turn. As the physicist continued to look through the high-tech night binoculars, Kehler could see that he was looking at something in the trees, when he suddenly let out an exclamation of shock. Before Kehler could see what the matter was, he blurted out, there's a huge black thing in the trees just in front of us. He would continue that whatever it was, it was moving north. When Kehler looked toward the dogs, he could see clearly that they had also noticed something strange and were looking in the same direction as the physicist was pointing his binoculars. His voice suddenly brought Kehler's attention away from the dogs as the physicist informed him that the black mass was huge and that he was not sure if it is in the trees or behind the trees. What he did know, however, was that it was blocking out the stars. Kehler raised his camera to his eye and pointed it in the direction of the apparent anomaly. He pressed down on the shutter in an attempt to capture it on film. However, even through the camera, Kehler couldn't see what the physicist clearly could. Suddenly, his colleague informed Kehler that it was still moving. Then his tone changed to one of dread and fear as he screamed, It's got me. What's more, he claimed the black entity was saying to him, We are watching you. As soon as the words had left the physicist's mouth, the atmosphere changed. The physicist still appeared in a state of panic for several moments before he suddenly began to calm before saying that it's getting smaller, it's gone. Kehler left him for several moments before asking him to explain exactly what he had seen. The physicist explained that he was scanning the trees through the infrared binoculars when he noticed something big seemingly sat in them, so big that he cannot see the stars through the frame of his binoculars. He would continue that the strange entity took control of my mind and informed them through this form of brutal telepathy that it was watching the NIDS investigators. Kehler noted how established, grounded, and respected this man was in his chosen field, certainly not someone to manufacture such an account, nor someone to be easily scared into being at the mercy of his own mind. They decided to remain where they were in case any further strange activity happened. Eventually, though, they decided to pack up their equipment and head back to base. The investigators, along with other members of the NIDS team, would return to the same location over the following weeks. Although they witnessed the strange blue orbs many times during those monitoring missions, the black entity did not return, or at least they were not aware of any further appearances. Kehler noted though that there was a feeling among the investigative team that whatever was behind these strange incidents, it was as if something intelligent was leading us on a dance, as if something was toying with them. Despite this, though, the team was never able to capture solid evidence in the form of video footage or photographs as proof of these unnerving events. That something out of the ordinary occurred there, though, is surely without a doubt, nor is the notion that Skinwalker Ranch is most definitely one of the strangest, most mysterious places on Earth. Might it be that it connects to another equally strange and mysterious place through the portal-like anomalies we've examined here? And if that's the case, then who or what is causing them? And for what reason? We'll examine some of the possible reasons for such strange incidents at Skinwalker Ranch when Weird Darkness returns. Ever had that eerie feeling of being watched? There's no one there, at least nobody you can see anyway. But still, you can feel those ghostly eyes upon you, the watchers in the shadows waiting for their moment to scare you, haunt you, or something even worse. That is the theme for these carefully selected, creepy true stories of the paranormal designed to have you wondering if you too are being watched from the shadows. This all-new collection includes stories about the Hat Man, Black Eyed Kids, Shadow People, Poltergeists, UFOs, the premonitions of a dying man, forest demons, and much more. All absolutely true. All chosen by the master of the paranormal himself, G. Michael Vasey. Watched from the shadows. Scary true stories of the paranormal. Available now on the audiobooks page at WeirdDarkness.com. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash audiobooks. He has been spotted all over the world. But photographic evidence is lacking, as is any scientific proof. But he still exists, and is still seen. And now, you can search for Bigfoot every month in the Find Bigfoot calendar by Timothy Wayne Williams. Each month, you'll be captivated by an original Timothy Wayne Williams painting. Beautiful and captivating. But within each painting hides a monster, Bigfoot is hiding somewhere in each painting. Search for Bigfoot and invite others to do so as well with the new Find Bigfoot calendar. Available now at WeirdDarkness.com slash Bigfoot. That's WeirdDarkness.com slash Bigfoot. Before we look into possible reasons for all the strangeness on a ranch, we should first realize the importance of the location itself. Understanding Skinwalker Ranch will very likely lead to a greater understanding of multiple fields of interest and, of course, mystery. We just might find the elusive connection between UFOs, apparent alien beings, Bigfoot-like creatures and strange appearances and disappearances that will contribute to a much greater understanding of our world and our reality. Given that the initial NIDS findings suggest it very much a UFO connection to the strange happenings at Skinwalker Ranch and the fact that Bigelow himself had stated to the media that he had some pretty strong convictions of the authenticity and existence of such things, it's strange that he should suddenly shut the project down and more to the point not allow any other party to conduct any research on the land. Some believe that he was, in fact, too close to the truth, so close that he would receive an offer to close down the research. Bigelow would move into the space tourism field, an area he had little experience in. That didn't seem to stop him obtaining some lucrative contracts from NASA for his new company, Bigelow Aerospace. Maybe Bigelow have shut down the research at Skinwalker Ranch in return for these contracts? Might he be developing extraterrestrial technology and wisdom from studies at the ranch to use in the space tourism industry? Might the ranch become a testing ground for such technology? As a company, Bigelow Aerospace rarely acknowledged the research that took place at Skinwalker Ranch. One of the only statements, in a rather mocking and tongue-in-cheek response as to the reason for the sudden end to the research was, quote, maybe he, Bigelow, wanted to leave the aliens in peace, unquote. Many people still flock to the boundaries of the area, and many strange reports of sightings still surface. We'll stick with this notion of an apparent ban on digging into the land a little further, especially when we consider the idea that the reason might not be grounded in a paranormal at all. We've already mentioned that many researchers into Skinwalker Ranch have pondered whether the United States military might have more of an active involvement in the events in this region of the country. If we look at similarly strange places, perhaps the best example would be Dulce, might it be possible that a tough secret military facility resides underneath the land? And might the reason for the speculative facility be to experiment with all manner of advanced technology, perhaps such technology that would cause anything from hallucinations to opening portals to other worlds? Or perhaps the many UFOs witnessed over the land are creations of a secret military project? Perhaps a further interest in possibly offering corroboration of claims of a military involvement is that the Shermans often heard the sound of heavy machinery or metal equipment that appeared to be coming from under the ground directly under their land. We should remind ourselves that this order to not dig on the land is not in the form of an urban legend or a local curse. When the Shermans purchased the property, it was a clause in their contract that digging was forbidden. Was the reason for such a bizarre clause due to some kind of military stipulation? While we should stress that military interest and involvement in Skinwalker Ranch is purely speculation, it is something that we should keep in the back of our minds. The ranch would undergo a change of ownership in 2016 when real estate owner and billionaire businessman Brandon Fugl purchased it, and his reasons for the purchase were similar to the previous owner. It was his desire to bring the most advanced scientific research team to the location in order to attempt to understand the bizarre activity. However, unlike the secrecy surrounding the previous owner's time, the new owner also promises to disclose all of the findings fully to the public. Indeed, we have already seen the television series looking at recent activity. Not only is Fugl looking to get to the bottom of the sightings of strange creatures and the multiple UFOs, but he also plans to test the most advanced gravitational propulsion systems and techniques, perhaps even harnessing the strange power of the location. Indeed, such a discovery of how to use the planet's own natural energy would surely be groundbreaking in itself. We have spoken of several locations around the world where ancients appeared to know where special places of natural energy were. Might Skinwalker Ranch be one of these places? A place that following whatever civilization might have once lived here in prehistory has since become a place of uncontrolled releasing of such energy. Only time will tell if such notions, however speculative they might be, prove to be true. And if the timeline Fugl has in mind also proves reliable and accurate, we should have findings within the next decade. Whatever research does take place, one thing the researchers are not advised to do is to dig into the ground on the land. And as we mentioned, it is forbidden to do so. And according to the accounts of the area, those who have gone against this unwritten rule have suffered bizarre and sometimes painful consequences. For example, one workman who went ahead and dug into the land would notice a short time later that all of his tools were simply missing. He was even more surprised several days later when he discovered all of them neatly positioned high up in the trees. Another worker on the ranch suffered even more concerning payback for attempting to dig a hole for a fence post. Shortly after, he would begin to suffer intense headaches before eventually collapsing. When he was looked at by medical staff, it was found that he had a bizarre and sudden swelling of the skull. He would eventually recover from this mysterious condition. And while there is no clear evidence that it was not just coincidence, it is certainly strange and chilling, nonetheless. If we accept that these strange incidents are indeed some kind of chilling reaction to the forbidden activity, what might the reasons be? Might they be nothing more than some kind of mischievous spirits toying with the living? Or might there be some deeper, unknown paranormal reason behind it? Perhaps only further research and a willingness to dig further, both figuratively and literally, will give us the answers. Maybe we should stay with the land itself for a moment, as many of the local tribes who have lived in the region for generations claim that it is cursed, and the sheer volume of strange incidents that have been recorded as taking place there would certainly appear to back that up. There does appear to be a legitimate and traceable story behind the legends of a curse. According to local accounts, the land itself was at the center of a dispute between Indigenous tribes of the area at some stage in the early years of the formation of the American government. The two tribes embroiled in it were the Ute tribe and the Navajo tribe, and they failed to reach an agreement. However, it was when the Ute tribe actively sided with the American government, essentially foreign invaders to the Indigenous tribes of America at the time, the Navajo would respond by placing a curse on the entire region. Whether this curse was indeed responsible for the plethora of strange activity that has taken place since is perhaps open to debate. However, neither of the tribes set foot on the land to this very day. Perhaps the curse, in whatever way it can be understood, unleashed the powers of the region, perhaps even opening a portal for strange creatures and vehicles to reach our realm of existence from theirs. Regardless of what we might think the explanation might be for the strange activity at Skinwalker Ranch, that strange activity takes place there is surely without a doubt. Why, though, does the location attract a whole host of strange activity? For example, rather than merely being a UFO hotspot or a stretch of land that is haunted or cursed or where strange creatures might be seen at night, all of these bizarre and chilling events take place here. What makes Skinwalker Ranch a hotspot for such paranormal and supernatural events? In truth, only further study followed by open and transparent results will suffice in getting anywhere close to those answers. And if we should one day solve even a small part of the mystery at Skinwalker Ranch, it will most likely lead to an overall better understanding of the universe around us. Might we, for example, begin to understand what exactly UFOs are, where they are coming from and why? Might our understanding of such things as ghosts and hauntings suddenly become clear to us, which in turn might place before our eyes what awaits us on the other side? We might also go on to find that there are other such locations that are hives for all manner of strange activity all around the world. Indeed, if we agree that our world and in turn our collective reality is being visited by all manner of strange entities and energies that we don't understand, then these locations might prove to be of the utmost importance. Thanks for listening and be sure to stick around for the bloopers at the end. If you like the show, please share it with someone you know who loves the paranormal or strange stories, true crime, monsters or unsolved mysteries like you do. You can email me anytime with your questions or comments at darren at WeirdDarkness.com. Darren is D-A-R-R-E-N. WeirdDarkness.com is also where you can find information on any of the sponsors you heard about during the show, find all of my social media, listen to audiobooks I've narrated, sign up for the email newsletter, find other podcasts that I host, including Church of the Undead. Visit the store for Weird Darkness merchandise and more. WeirdDarkness.com is also where you can find the hope in the darkness page if you or someone you know is struggling with depression or dark thoughts. Also on the website, if you have a true paranormal or creepy tale to tell of your own, you can click on Tell Your Story. You can find all of that and more at WeirdDarkness.com. All stories on Weird Darkness are purported to be true unless stated otherwise, and you can find links to the stories or the authors in the show notes. This episode was modified from an article written by Marcus Louth at UFO Insight. WeirdDarkness is a registered trademark. Copyright, Weird Darkness. Now that we're coming out of the dark, I'll leave you with a little light. 3 John 1, 11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil is not seen God. And a final thought. Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything. I'm Darren Marlar. Thanks for joining me in the Weird Darkness. Over a dozen of their cattle were subject to precise cattle mutilization. I'm just making up words now. How do you like that? This time, she decided to abandon the walk. I'm just going to start adding consonants for no apparent reason. One evening, while talking to Cher, she spends a lot of time at Skinwalker Ranch. How else do you think she gets that plastic surgery? There's a lot of skin there to go around. He witnessed these straightly amin- According to Kehler, we examine some of the encounters experienced by the scientifics. Brandy species that they just found on Skinwalker Ranch. You hadn't heard about that, huh? Yes, the scientifics, which interbreed often with the nerdlings. Next to Kehler. Next to Kehler. Next to Kehler. Next to Kehler. Before Kehler could. Before Kehler could, as what the matter was. Okay. Kehler. Kehler. Your name is a killer. That's what it is. Your name is a killer. You're killing me, Kehler. Hey Weirdos, be sure to click the like button and subscribe to this channel, and click the notification bell so you don't miss future videos. I post videos seven days a week, and while you're at it, spread the darkness by sharing this video with someone you know who loves all things strange and macabre. If you want to listen to the podcast, you can find it at WeirdDarkness.com slash listen.