Travis Taylor Tells us all about the Secret and Beyond Skinwalker Ranch

Let’s dive into the eerie and mysterious tale of one of the strangest locations on Earth, Skinwalker Ranch.

This roughly 500 acre property nestled in the remote corners of Uinta County in northeastern Utah was purchased in 1994 by the Sherman family. They envisioned a peaceful, secluded life on the ranch, far from the chaos of the world. Little did they know they were stepping into a nightmare.

The Sherman’s dream of a quiet life quickly unraveled as they encountered not just one or two bizarre events, but dozens, perhaps even over a hundred unexplainable occurrences during their short time there. The situation became so unbearable that after less than 2 years, they were forced to leave the ranch. When they finally shared their story, the world turned its gaze to this remote patch of land, now infamously known as Skinwalker Ranch.

Today, Skinwalker Ranch is heavily fortified with fences, security cameras, blocked roads, and no trespassing signs, making it clear that the area is strictly off limits to the public. But when Terry and Gwen Sherman moved in with their children in the autumn of 1994, the ranch was anything but secure.

What followed were events so extraordinary that they became the subject of intense investigation and public fascination. In this video, we’ll explore the standard account of what the Shermans experienced during their time on the ranch, as well as the subsequent investigations that sought to uncover the truth behind these mysterious occurrences.

Much of what we know today was first brought to light in the 2005 book Hunt for the Skinwalker: Science Confronts the Unexplained at a Remote Ranch in Utah, authored by Dr. Cole McKelahgher and George Knap.

So, gather around as we unravel the chilling story of Skinwalker Ranch, an account that blurs the line between science and the supernatural.

The Sherman family purchased the ranch with the hope of raising their two children, a teenage son and a 10-year-old daughter, and cattle in this seemingly ideal location. Terry Sherman, an experienced cattle rancher, believed the area was perfect for raising high quality livestock.

The previous owners, Kenneth and Edith Meyers, had held the property since the 1930s. However, it had been vacant for years, leaving the ranch in a neglected state. Despite this, the Shermans felt ready to take on the challenge of restoring the property.

But as they began moving in, they quickly noticed some strange and unsettling details.

First, the purchase contract contained a peculiar clause requiring them to seek permission from the Meyers family before digging on the property. Then, when they arrived, they found the home itself heavily fortified, as if the Meyers had been anticipating some kind of threat.

Doors and windows were bolted shut, metal bars were installed, and chains on the sides of the house hinted that guard dogs had once been stationed there. Despite these oddities, the Shermans dismissed them as the eccentricities of the elderly couple and continued settling into their new lives.

It wasn’t long before the first bizarre incident occurred.

One day, while the Sherman couple, their two children, and Terry’s father were outside, they noticed a large dog-like animal approaching from about 400 yards away. At first, they thought it might be a wolf, but as it drew closer, they realized this was no ordinary animal.

The creature was massive, its size astonishing, with its height reaching the chests of the two 6-ft tall men present. It had muscular features, gray fur, and piercing blue eyes that gave it an otherworldly appearance.

Despite the unsettling sight, the wolf seemed calm and tame, even allowing the family to pet it. But the mood quickly changed when, in an instant, the wolf turned and bolted towards the corral where Terry’s calves were kept.

It attacked a curious calf that had wandered too close to the gate, sinking its teeth into the animal.

The Shermans, stunned by the sudden aggression of the beast they had just petted, realized they were dealing with something far more sinister than they could have imagined.

This encounter would mark the beginning of a series of inexplicable and terrifying events that would plague the family during their short stay on the ranch — a prelude to the mysteries that would later make Skinwalker Ranch infamous worldwide.

Terry and his father rushed to attack the beast in a desperate attempt to save their calf, but their efforts proved futile. The blows they dealt to the creature did nothing to deter it.

Realizing the severity of the situation, Terry called to his son to bring him his Colt .357 Magnum pistol.

What was already a tense and unnerving encounter quickly escalated into a nightmare.

Terry fired at the wolf at point-blank range, but to his horror, the bullet seemed to have no more effect on the creature than the physical blows. The beast remained unfazed, as if completely indifferent to the gunfire.

Terry shot twice more, and while the wolf finally released the calf, it did so slowly and deliberately, turning to face the family once more, its icy blue eyes locked onto them. Despite being hit, the wolf showed no signs of pain or injury.

Terry, now desperate, called for his son to bring him his .30-06 rifle, a powerful weapon he used for elk hunting. He took aim and fired, and this time he was certain he hit the beast.

He even claimed to have seen the bullet strike the wolf from just 40 ft away, but once again, the creature remained unaffected.

A second shot seemed to remove a chunk of flesh from the animal, but incredibly it still appeared indifferent.

The wolf then slowly turned and began to walk away, pacing back into the distance while continuing to stare down the family.

In a state of shock and disbelief, Terry felt compelled to pursue the creature. He and his son followed it, but the wolf moved quickly, eventually disappearing into the trees.

They tracked its footprints for nearly a mile, but then, inexplicably, the tracks vanished. The ground where the tracks ended was just as soft as the ground where they had been clearly visible, leaving Terry and his son baffled.

There was no explanation for how the tracks could abruptly stop.

As the sun began to set and their search yielded no further signs of the wolf, Terry decided it was best to return home. Despite the many unanswered questions that plagued him, he attempted to put the unsettling incident behind him.

However, the peace they sought was short-lived.

In the weeks that followed, there were more sightings — not just of this wolf, but of other strange canines as well. Though these encounters were less intense, they still left the family on edge.

Eventually, the sightings of the mysterious wolves ceased, but this did not mark a return to normalcy for the Shermans.

Unfortunately, this encounter was only the beginning of a series of bizarre and disturbing events that would haunt the family during their two years on the ranch.

As the wolves vanished, other forms of strangeness began to take their place.

The family noticed that objects around the ranch were going missing. Large, heavy items like a 70 lb post digger would inexplicably disappear.

And when these objects were found, the circumstances only deepened the mystery, as they were often in locations where it made no sense for them to be. For instance, the post digger was found improbably 20 ft up in a tree.

This bizarre discovery was just one of many inexplicable events that plagued the Shermans.

Soon after, another major incident occurred, marking their first encounter with a phenomenon that would become a persistent and haunting presence — strange lights and occasionally the crafts to which these lights seemed to belong.

One evening, as darkness fell over the ranch, Terry, his son, and his nephew noticed lights in the distance on their property — a white headlight and red tail lights, likely from an RV. Assuming they were dealing with trespassers, Terry was determined to drive them off.

But as they approached the lights, they noticed something unsettling. The lights silently moved away from them. When they quickened their pace, the light suddenly rose about 50 ft into the air.

It was then that they saw the object more clearly. It was shaped more like a refrigerator than an RV. The three men froze, staring in disbelief as the object hovered for a moment before flying off into the night sky, disappearing from view.

This encounter made it clear to the Shermans that they were not merely witnessing random isolated oddities. There seemed to be something intrinsically unusual about the ranch itself.

As time went on, they learned that the Uinta Basin, where the ranch is located, was known as a hot spot for strange and unexplained events. Even more unsettling, the very land they lived on was rumored to be cursed.

Unlike many scary stories that are loosely tied to Native American folklore, this one held some credibility. The Utes, the indigenous people of the area, had long regarded Skinwalker Ridge, part of which lies north of the ranch, as dangerous, supernatural, and cursed.

Skinwalkers — the sinister figures from southwestern Native American folklore — are often mentioned in connection with the area.

While the full extent of Skinwalker lore remains largely private and is an uncomfortable subject for many, what has been shared paints a chilling picture.

Skinwalkers are said to be dark figures who wield powerful black magic. They gain these powers through dark rituals, including the murder and consumption of a family member.

In their natural state, Skinwalkers are described as foul, thin husks of people with eyes that burn like coal in the darkness. They possess incredible strength, speed, and endurance, and have a close connection to dark spirits, enabling them to curse others and cause illness.

Their most infamous ability, however, is shapeshifting — often taking the form of animals like bears, birds, or wolves.

But the strange history of the Uinta Basin extends beyond the lore of Skinwalkers.

In 1911, the region was the site of numerous other strange occurrences, adding to its reputation as a place where the line between reality and the supernatural is thin.

The Shermans, once skeptical and hopeful for a peaceful life, found themselves in the midst of a mystery that would forever change their understanding of the world around them.

An article in the Sun Advocate highlighted strange thunder-like noises that had been echoing throughout the Uinta Basin, unsettling settlers in the area.

These sounds were reportedly heard both day and night throughout the year and had persisted for years. The phenomenon was initially attributed to the shifting of rock layers along the Uinta fault, but it did little to ease the residents’ growing unease.

By the 1950s, the unsettling noises were joined by an influx of strange occurrences — UFO sightings, cattle mutilations, and even reports of extraterrestrial encounters.

The area became notorious for these events, which also included sightings of Sasquatches and episodes of poltergeist activity.

The 1970s saw a dramatic increase in these incidents, cementing Uinta County’s reputation as one of the nation’s leading hotspots for unexplained phenomena — a reputation it still holds today.

As winter’s cold grip took hold of the ranch, Terry Sherman grew increasingly frustrated with the continuous disturbances. Determined to protect his family and property, he began patrolling his land at night.

On many occasions, he claimed to see strange lights moving in the darkness, usually just brief glimpses from a distance. But one fiercely cold winter night, something far more unsettling occurred.

Terry spotted a craft unlike anything he had ever seen. Jet black and eerily silent, it hovered about 30 ft above the ground, flashing a series of multicolored lights onto the snow-covered terrain below, almost like a disco ball, searching for something.

Terry, trying to avoid detection, hid quietly. But when he shifted slightly, causing his joints to pop, the craft reacted as if it had heard the noise.

The lights abruptly turned off, and the object slowly turned towards him before gliding away in the opposite direction.

Several weeks later, his wife Gwen had a similarly chilling encounter.

While driving home one evening, she noticed a strange object following her car. She rushed home and as she pulled into the driveway, the craft flew over her house and disappeared into the distance.

An hour later, when Gwen looked outside, she saw something even more alarming.

A craft similar to the one mistaken for an RV earlier was sitting on her property. Inside the craft, she saw a 7-ft tall figure standing in a light-filled doorway.

The figure was dressed in a black uniform and headgear, giving the impression that it was staring directly at her. Terrified, Gwen quickly closed the blinds.

The next morning, when she and Terry investigated the area, all that remained were unusually large footprints — evidence that something had indeed been there.

These encounters were just the beginning of a long string of bizarre and terrifying events that would plague the Sherman family during their time at Skinwalker Ranch.

The Shermans’ experiences at Skinwalker Ranch only grew more perplexing and alarming over time.

One of the most common and unsettling sights they encountered were large glowing orange objects in the sky. Each member of the Sherman family witnessed these objects, with Terry reportedly observing them dozens of times.

He would often spend hours watching them, sometimes through the night vision scope of his rifle.

These objects always appeared in the same location, hovering silently over a grove of cottonwood trees about a mile from their homestead.

The objects were described as morphing in shape — sometimes appearing flat and elongated, other times as round as the moon. The shape seemed to change depending on the angle from which it was viewed.

Oddly enough, the area around the Sherman homestead was the only place where the object was fully visible. From other perspectives, such as from a nearby roadway, it would appear as a faint, nondescript orange cloud.

One night, Terry noticed something particularly strange within the orange mass — a blue spot.

Upon closer inspection, he realized it wasn’t just a color. He was seeing the blue sky through the middle of the object, despite the fact that it was nighttime.

This bizarre detail led Terry to suspect that the orange object might be some kind of portal. His suspicion deepened when he began to notice fast-moving triangular objects emerging from the orange mass.

Although these sightings were deeply unsettling, the Shermans initially experienced no direct harm from them. The phenomena seemed more intent on confusing and frightening the family rather than causing physical damage.

This was also true for their animals — with the notable exception of the earlier encounter with the mysterious wolf.

Whether that incident was related to the other strange occurrences was unclear, but it soon became evident that whatever was controlling these phenomena had developed a dangerous interest in Terry’s cattle.

One day, following a particularly fierce blizzard, Terry noticed that one of his cows was missing. Concerned, he went out to search for it, following the animal’s tracks through the snow.

The tracks led him to an open area where they abruptly stopped, as if the cow had simply vanished into thin air. There were no predator tracks or any other signs of struggle, just a stark absence where the tracks ended.

Despite extensive searching, the cow was never found.

This incident marked the beginning of a troubling pattern. Over the course of that winter alone, five more cows would mysteriously disappear without a trace.

The ranch, once a place of hope for a peaceful and productive life, had turned into a ground zero for bizarre and increasingly menacing events.

As spring arrived in 1995, the strangeness at Skinwalker Ranch only intensified, particularly concerning Terry Sherman’s cattle.

In April, Terry began to find his cows dead in horrifying conditions. Their bodies were often mutilated with a precision that defied explanation, as large sections of their rear and other parts were removed as if by surgical means.

What was even more disturbing was the lack of blood at the scenes, suggesting that whatever was responsible had taken extreme care in its work.

The mutilations continued throughout the spring and into the following months, always accompanied by eerie yellow lights that appeared on the property, often during poor weather.

The day after these lights were seen, Terry would frequently find another cow mutilated in the same precise manner.

He also noticed that the carcasses of the cows decayed at a much slower rate than expected, adding another layer of mystery to the already bizarre events.

On one occasion, Terry discovered a strange brown gel-like substance near a cow carcass. When he touched it, he noted that it was cold to the touch, but it evaporated before he could collect a sample.

This strange substance only deepened the mystery and heightened Terry’s growing concern.

The financial toll of losing these valuable cattle — each worth thousands of dollars — was becoming a serious threat to Terry’s livelihood.

But the ranch was not just a hot spot for cattle mutilations. It was a nexus for a wide range of unexplained phenomena.

Throughout this period, Terry reported hearing strange sounds that seemed to emanate from underground. Large holes, about a foot deep and several feet in diameter, would appear in areas where flying lights had been seen the night before — as if hundreds of pounds of soil had been mysteriously removed.

Circular impressions were also found in the grass, adding to the inexplicable occurrences.

One of the most unsettling aspects of the ranch were the glowing orbs that frequently appeared. These orbs came in various colors — blue, yellow, orange, and red — and seemed to be observing Terry and his activities.

Although they were usually seen from a distance, there were a few encounters that were disturbingly close.

In April 1996, Terry’s dogs encountered one of the blue orbs. The dogs chased the orb, which seemed to taunt them by descending just out of reach of their bites.

The orb then moved behind a line of trees and the dogs followed. Moments later, Terry heard the dogs let out distressing yelps followed by an eerie silence.

The next morning, when he investigated the area, Terry found three large brown circles of burned grass. In the center of each circle was a greasy, unidentifiable mess — the remains of his dogs.

During another close encounter, Terry and his wife got a good look at one of the blue orbs. It was described as perfectly round, about three times the size of a baseball, with a clear glass-like exterior.

Inside, they observed a swirling, incandescent blue substance that appeared to be on the verge of boiling.

The sight was both mesmerizing and terrifying — a tangible manifestation of the inexplicable forces at play on the ranch.

The combination of these experiences left the Shermans deeply unsettled. Their dream of a peaceful ranching life had turned into a living nightmare, where the boundaries between the known and the unknown had completely dissolved.

The ranch had become a place where the normal rules of reality no longer applied and where the supernatural seemed to be at work.

The strange and unsettling occurrences at Skinwalker Ranch reached a turning point following the loss of Terry Sherman’s cherished dogs.

After enduring over a year of terror and unexplained phenomena, the Shermans decided it was time to leave the ranch.

Around this time, Terry finally went public with the events that had been plaguing his family, sharing his story with Zack Van Ike of the Deseret News, Utah’s second largest newspaper.

The story, published on June 29th, 1996, provided limited details but was enough to spark widespread attention across the country.

Despite Terry’s reluctance to lose his privacy, he hoped that by drawing attention to the situation, it might deter whoever — or whatever — was responsible for the strange events, or at least lead to some answers.

However, instead of stopping the incidents, the publicity only attracted more attention to the property, including unwanted visitors eager to investigate the ranch.

Although Terry turned away most of these visitors, a few were allowed to stay — and some reportedly triggered additional strange events, particularly those who were described as eccentric.

Within weeks of the first publication, the property caught the eye of Robert Bigelow, a billionaire real estate tycoon with a keen interest in the supernatural.

Bigelow had such a strong interest in the paranormal that he had founded an organization called the National Institute for Discovery Science (NIDS) in the previous year, dedicated to the scientific study of paranormal phenomena.

Skinwalker Ranch was exactly the type of site that NIDS was interested in, and the organization quickly moved to acquire it.

On September 5th, 1996, Bigelow purchased the property from the Shermans, who — though unhappy — were desperate to leave and sold the ranch for less than they had originally paid.

Robert Bigelow’s team at NIDS included a range of professionals and skeptics from various scientific backgrounds, including physics, astronomy, psychology, and veterinary science.

Noteworthy figures associated with the project included astronaut Edgar Mitchell, parapsychologist Hal Puthoff, and ufologist Jacques Vallée.

The research team was headed by Dr. Colm A. Kelleher, an Irish scientist with a PhD in biochemistry.

Kelleher would later co-author the famous book Hunt for the Skinwalker with journalist George Knapp, known for his investigation into UFO topics — particularly the story of Bob Lazar’s involvement with Area 51.

Despite relocating to a ranch about 20 miles away, Terry Sherman couldn’t shake his desire to uncover the truth behind the events that had forced his family to flee.

With his family now safe, Terry volunteered to work as the ranch manager under NIDS — a role that NIDS accepted.

The bulls appeared unharmed, but were in an unusual state, almost as if they had been hypnotized or tranquilized.
This incident was one of many that led the NIDS team to believe that the ranch was a hot spot for inexplicable and potentially dangerous phenomena. Despite their best efforts, the team was often left with more questions than answers, as the strange occurrences at Skinwalker Ranch continued to defy logical explanation.

On August 26th, 1997, at around 2:30 a.m., two NIDS researchers, Jim and Mike, were observing the property from a bluff when they noticed a yellow light appearing about 100 ft below them. This area had been associated with some of the bizarre events reported on the ranch, and there was a local legend suggesting that meditation could trigger paranormal phenomena. Intrigued by the possibility, Jim and Mike began documenting the light with photographs and infrared binoculars. The light itself was unusual and its behavior seemed to defy conventional explanation.

While Mike was watching the light through the infrared binoculars, he observed it closely and tried to understand its nature. The yellow light remained stationary for a time, but eventually began to exhibit strange characteristics that further puzzled the researchers. As they continued to observe, Jim and Mike noted that the light had an odd quality to it, and its intensity seemed to fluctuate. This kind of phenomenon was not unprecedented at the ranch, but the consistency and clarity of the observations made this instance particularly notable.

During their investigation, Jim and Mike also experienced a feeling of being watched, a sensation that was not uncommon for those on the property. This sense of unease was amplified by the eerie nature of the light and the surrounding environment. The photos and infrared data they collected did not fully capture the light’s behavior or its impact on the researchers, leaving them with more questions than answers.

The incidents at Skinwalker Ranch continued to elude definitive explanation, and the experiences of the NIDS team underscored the complexity and unpredictability of the phenomena. Each event seemed to add another layer of mystery, making it clear that the ranch was a site of profound and perplexing occurrences.

Despite the extensive investigation, the true nature of the phenomena remained elusive. The combination of strange lights, unexplainable animal behavior, and the unsettling sensations reported by the researchers contributed to the ongoing enigma of Skinwalker Ranch. The events at the ranch have since become a focal point for those interested in paranormal research, drawing continued interest and speculation from both amateur and professional investigators.

In 2005, the publication of Hunt for the Skinwalker by Colm Kelleher and George Knapp garnered significant attention, particularly from government figures interested in the ranch’s paranormal phenomena. Dr. James Lacatski, a scientist from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), reached out to Robert Bigelow following the book’s release.

Lacatski’s interest in the ranch was driven by the ongoing reports of unexplained phenomena and the potential national security implications. He wanted to visit Skinwalker Ranch and assess the situation firsthand. This new interest from the DIA marked a shift in the investigation, bringing it into the realm of official government scrutiny.

The interest of the DIA and Lacatski highlighted the enduring enigma of Skinwalker Ranch and the continued curiosity about the phenomena reported there. The ranch’s history of strange occurrences—from mysterious lights and anomalous creatures to unexplained radiation and cattle mutilations—had attracted attention from both scientific and governmental perspectives.

Despite the cessation of formal investigations by NIDS in 2002 and the limited activity reported on the ranch after 1999, the mysteries of Skinwalker Ranch continued to intrigue and provoke interest. The confidential results of the NIDS investigation and the ongoing secrecy surrounding certain findings only added to the allure and speculation about what might truly be happening on the ranch.

While there, Lacatski witnessed what he claimed to be a strange yellow spectral object which Bigelow did not see. Lacatski became convinced of the veracity of the story. Bigelow then contacted a friend of his, the late Nevada Senator Harry Reid, to inform him about a member of the DIA’s interest in the ranch. Reid’s interest was also piqued.

Before long, NIDS was replaced by the much more secretive government-funded Advanced Aerospace Weapons Systems Applications Program (AAWSAP), which contracted the newly formed Bigelow Aerospace Advanced Space Studies (BAASS) to investigate a great number of UFO and other paranormal cases, including Skinwalker Ranch.

The BAASS/AAWSAP investigation was funded by the Defense Intelligence Agency, receiving $22 million and employing a staff of around 50 people. It lasted from 2008 to 2010, a period marked by a number of other strange events and occurrences. The details of this investigation were largely kept secret for many years, but some information has emerged in recent years.

Although much of the information is still shrouded in secrecy, there were attempts to conceal what the program was doing, and distinctions between this and later initiatives—such as Luis Elizondo’s AATIP work—were not immediately clear. In the 2021 book Skinwalkers at the Pentagon, Lacatski, Kelleher, and Knapp outline this era.

Like the preceding period, a great number of strange events are said to have taken place, including what has been termed the “hitchhiker effect.” This effect refers to the phenomenon where the ranch seems to influence visitors even after they leave, with reports of orbs, misplaced objects, and wolf-like creatures occurring elsewhere.

These sightings reportedly spread to individuals, family members, and peers who had not visited the ranch, akin to a virus. Despite extensive research, no substantial evidence of phenomena unknown to science was produced.

The Sherman family moved away and has largely refused to publicly discuss their experiences. In 2016, Bigelow sold the property to Adamantium Real Estate, headed by Brandon Fugal, with the condition that research continued.

Sightings of unexplained phenomena have continued into this period, and the ongoing TV show The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch, which premiered on the History Channel in 2020, focuses on investigating the ranch. Although Fugal and his team have not obtained conclusive proof of phenomena beyond current scientific understanding, Fugal remains confident that there is something occurring that justifies continued investigation.

Behind the scenes of the show, genuine investigation is taking place, which is respected. In summary, contrary to some claims, the incidents did not stop when professionals arrived. The professionals have their own accounts of strange occurrences, but there is still a lack of hard evidence.

Much of the evidence gathered has not been released to the public. Despite the efforts of the NIDS team, their attempts to find hard evidence were often thwarted. Kelleher and Knapp in Hunt for the Skinwalker were candid about the frustration of not finding hard evidence.

However, the book had issues such as the fact that they did not actually interview the Shermans during its writing, which affects the reliability of the accounts presented. In fact, the Shermans were not even aware that a book was being written about them until it was published. The authors have never commented on or explained this situation.

It seems likely that it was a genuine mistake. They probably thought they had all the necessary information and didn’t want to bother Terry Sherman, who might not have been interested in collaborating on a project that would bring him unwanted publicity.

Regardless of the reason, the major problem is that according to Terry Sherman himself, the stories in the book, some of which we’ve discussed, are not entirely accurate. He said they only resembled a true account of his experiences.

This issue was highlighted in Chapter 8 of The Utah UFO Display by the late Frank B. Salisbury, particularly in the 2010 edition, not the earlier version. Salisbury did sit down with Sherman for an interview and worked with Junior Hicks, a local UFO expert, and James Carrion to provide more insight into the case.

The term “resembled” in this context is vague. The Shermans haven’t released a detailed correction, and they seem generally uninterested in further interviews. Sherman mentioned that the wolf story in the book was based on hearsay but did not elaborate further.

This lack of clarity is a serious issue. There’s no hard evidence; only witness testimony and inaccuracies in the main witness’s account combined with the witness’s reluctance to clarify undermine the credibility of the entire book.

Frank B. Salisbury also interviewed Gar Meyers, brother of Kenneth Meyers, who along with his wife Edith Meyers, owned Skinwalker Ranch for 60 years before the Shermans. The anomalies reported by the Shermans were known in the Uinta Basin long before Skinwalker Ranch became famous.

If the ranch is indeed an epicenter of the area’s strangeness, one might wonder why the Meyers did not report similar experiences. G. Meyers, however, claims that the Meyers did not experience anything extraordinary. But this is not entirely clear.

Some people have claimed that the Meyers experienced strange events such as mutilated cows, UFO sightings, and encounters with mysterious individuals. G. Meyers offers a different perspective, and the story of the Meyers’ experiences might be more nuanced than what has been publicly reported.

Salisbury’s book, written about a year before Gar Meyers’s death and four years before Salisbury’s own, also contains inaccuracies about the Meyers’ experiences. The common narrative is that the Meyers bought the ranch in the 1950s and mysteriously vacated it in 1987, but this account might be more complex than initially believed.

Seven years later, the Meyers sold the abandoned ranch to the Shermans, who found the property in disrepair, and the main building seemingly heavily fortified. Gar Meyers contested this. He stated that the ranch was purchased in the 1930s, not the 1950s, and wasn’t just abandoned.

Kenneth Meyers died in 1987, and Edith lived there alone until she moved to a rest home in 1992. The ranch was vacant for only two years, during which time it was leased to other ranchers and occasionally visited.

G. also mentioned that there were fewer locks and fortifications on the house than often claimed, suggesting that someone could have easily broken in if they wanted to. Edith had only one three-legged dog for part of that period, not a pack of guard dogs.

When Edith died in 1994, the ranch was left to G. He and his sisters decided to sell it, and they sold it to the Shermans not long after. Gar told Salisbury that there was nothing unequivocally, absolutely nothing that went on while she and my brother lived there.

Salisbury asked if Kenneth and Edith might have kept such experiences from G. because they knew he wouldn’t believe them. G., who had a background in science, strongly rejected this possibility, stating that he and his family were very close and regularly communicated.

G. also worked on the ranch as a teenager and mentioned that he told Robert Bigelow the same thing. Upon hearing Gar’s account, Bigelow reportedly called him a liar, which is intriguing because Bigelow was known to react strongly when it was suggested that nothing unusual was happening on the ranch.

This has led to speculation that his employees might have exaggerated or fabricated reports to satisfy him. Terry Sherman generally supports Gar Meyers’s account. While some neighbors have their own stories, few recall anything unusual happening to the Meyers.

Neighbor John Garcia, however, claimed to have seen a round, floating reddish-orange object on the Meyers’ land that the Meyers were unaware of. The strange clause requiring the Shermans to contact the Meyers for permission to dig could be explained by a desire to retain mineral rights, a common concern in such land transactions.

This might also be a concern for Brandon Fugal given the controversy surrounding excavation on the property in the TV show. Charles Nunn, another neighbor, reported that Kenneth Meyers was unusually secretive about digging in certain areas, claiming that bad things would happen if one dug, but he never explained why.

Another issue is that while the events described in Hunt for the Skinwalker were said to be occurring, Jacques Vallée, who was associated with but not stationed on the ranch, reported that the team wasn’t witnessing anything. It’s unclear if Vallée was referring exclusively to hard evidence or if Kelleher and his colleagues were not sharing information with him.

Salisbury’s interviews cast doubt on the most famous version of the Skinwalker Ranch story. Many details of the popular account are either questionable or incorrect. Although Hunt for the Skinwalker is not solely to blame for these inaccuracies, it did make some mistakes.

Despite this, the case remains intriguing. Salisbury, who was sympathetic to the possibility of supernatural entities, admits that while the popular account is inaccurate, it does resemble the original claims as verified by people like Zach Vanek, Junior Hicks, and Sherman himself.

The Skinwalker Ranch case presents a complex puzzle. While hoaxing seems unlikely due to the significant risk and lack of clear personal gain for the Shermans, other explanations like delusion or misidentification could also be considered.

The Shermans’ reluctance to profit from the story and their choice to sell the property at a loss add layers of credibility to their experiences, but the need for empirical evidence remains critical for validating such extraordinary claims.

The involvement of multiple credible witnesses and researchers, coupled with the documented anomalies, keeps the case intriguing and open for further investigation. The idea that the Skinwalker Ranch phenomena could have been a hoax orchestrated by a third party like the American military is intriguing but faces several challenges.

For such a hoax to be plausible, it would involve highly sophisticated execution and coordination. If we consider the possibility of government involvement, it would imply a level of secrecy and complexity that goes beyond simple pranks or experiments.

While it’s true that governments possess advanced technologies and have engaged in various forms of deception in the past, orchestrating an elaborate hoax involving multiple phenomena and maintaining it over several years—especially with the scrutiny that Skinwalker Ranch received—would be a considerable risk.

The idea that the government might have been testing reactions or technology, although compelling, seems less likely. Governments typically have less conspicuous means to test technology or study reactions without drawing the level of public and media attention that Skinwalker Ranch did.

Additionally, if the aim was to drive the Shermans off their land, this could have been achieved more directly without involving elaborate paranormal phenomena. Delusion is another potential explanation, but this would imply that not just the Shermans, but also the NIDS team and others were collectively deluded over an extended period.

Despite extensive testing for environmental factors that could affect mental states, no evidence of such interference was found. While it’s possible that fear and stress could cause individuals to misinterpret normal occurrences, this would still leave unexplained phenomena like the cattle mutilations and the reports of orbs.

Misidentification of natural phenomena is a common explanation for UFO sightings and other paranormal claims. However, each of the reported phenomena at Skinwalker Ranch, such as the cattle mutilations and the orbs, could potentially be attributed to known natural occurrences.

Though the details are often disputed, cattle mutilations, for example, are known to occur worldwide and can be attributed to predators or environmental factors. However, the bloodlessness and other unusual aspects of these mutilations at Skinwalker Ranch suggest that there may be more to consider.

In summary, while hoax, delusion, and misidentification are all possibilities, the specifics of the Skinwalker Ranch case make each of these explanations challenging to fully validate. The complexity and persistence of the phenomena observed suggest that the true nature of these events remains elusive, requiring a closer examination of each piece of evidence and explanation.

The phenomena reported at Skinwalker Ranch defy easy classification. Ball lightning, often suggested as a cause for UFO sightings, is rare, occurs mainly during storms, and doesn’t typically persist for long.

The lights observed by Sherman and others were frequent, persistent, and seemed to exhibit purposeful behavior, suggesting something more than random atmospheric phenomena. The orange portals observed by Sherman and others are particularly challenging to explain.

They might be optical illusions or unique weather anomalies, but their rarity and specific characteristics raise questions about their nature. If these were natural phenomena, one might expect them to be observable more consistently in the area. Yet, this isn’t the case.

The wildlife in Utah includes a variety of species like bears, raccoons, coyotes, wolves, and mountain lions, but none match the descriptions of the creatures seen during the incidents. The details surrounding the creatures seen in 1997, especially the wolf-like entity, have been inconsistent, and the local fauna doesn’t neatly fit the descriptions provided.

The noises attributed to underground activity might be explained by geologic activity, a theory supported by historical reports. As for the observed craft, misidentifications of ordinary aircraft could be a factor, though their behavior and design diverge from known technology.

Conventional explanations struggle to account for the full range of reported phenomena, especially those witnessed by multiple observers. This leaves open the possibility that forces or entities beyond current scientific understanding could be responsible.

While some suggest extraterrestrial involvement, others propose advanced humans, extradimensional beings, or even cryptozoological creatures. Ghosts or poltergeist activity often associated with unexplained phenomena could also be a factor, though this term generally refers to unusual object movement rather than specific supernatural entities.

Additionally, the legend of the skinwalker and possible black magic influences add another layer of complexity to the case. Ultimately, the Skinwalker Ranch case remains enigmatic, with conventional explanations falling short and more speculative theories providing possible but unconfirmed alternatives.

Determining which explanation to favor for the phenomena at Skinwalker Ranch is challenging due to the variety and complexity of reported events. Each proposed explanation—whether it’s extraterrestrial, interdimensional, cryptozoological, or a product of military experimentation—offers a different lens through which to view the phenomena.

Some suggest that all these elements could be interconnected in some way, with the ranch serving as a hot spot for diverse anomalies. This perspective sees the ranch as a focal point where various strange occurrences converge, but it also risks diluting the focus and making it harder to identify any one cause.

The “interstellar boogeyman paradox” refers to the contradiction between the presumed intelligence required for interstellar travel and the seemingly trivial or nonsensical nature of some reported alien activities. This paradox also applies to the Skinwalker Ranch case.

If there is a higher intelligence behind these events, the motives and actions seem puzzling. Why target cattle and why not exhibit more sophisticated behavior? The fact that animals were harmed but humans were not adds another layer of intrigue.

It raises questions about whether there was a conscious choice to avoid human harm, possibly to avoid drawing too much attention or causing immediate alarm. The apparent focus on cattle, which are less likely to be directly connected to the scientific or military research one might expect, further complicates the claims of health problems arising from exposure to these phenomena.

Though this is not universally observed, the phenomena did seem to diminish when researchers were present, which some suggest could indicate an awareness of the observers. If there is a consciousness behind these events, it might be manipulating its visibility and interactions to avoid solid evidence being gathered.

The lack of concrete evidence is a major issue. Despite extensive professional investigation since 1996, tangible proof of the phenomena remains elusive. Terry Sherman’s attempts to capture evidence were reportedly thwarted.

And while he did see and describe many events, there’s a lack of photographic or video documentation of some of the key phenomena like the portals. The delay in reporting by Terry Sherman, which was over a year, could raise questions about the credibility of the account.

Though it’s also reasonable to consider that not everyone would immediately report such encounters, especially if they fear skepticism or personal risk. Ultimately, the Skinwalker Ranch case continues to be a subject of debate because it presents an array of unexplained phenomena and lacks definitive evidence.

The variety of experiences reported suggests that multiple factors might be at play, or that a single complex cause could be influencing these events. The challenge remains in reconciling these accounts with scientific understanding and finding a coherent explanation that fits the evidence or the lack thereof.

Your exploration of the Skinwalker Ranch case touches on several critical points. The secrecy surrounding investigations by entities like NIDS and AAWSAP, and the involvement of figures like Robert Bigelow, add layers of complexity to the narrative.

Bigelow’s role in founding NIDS and later transitioning to focus on other areas such as the afterlife suggests that the ranch’s phenomena might not have yielded the groundbreaking discoveries some hoped for. The fact that Bigelow himself reportedly never witnessed any phenomena on the ranch adds another dimension to the skepticism surrounding the case.

The notion that Bigelow or the government might be withholding significant information due to fears about public reaction is intriguing. While it’s possible that sensitive or reality-altering information exists, the lack of evidence and transparency raises questions about whether the phenomena truly warrant such secrecy or if the lack of definitive findings influenced the decision to keep certain details under wraps.

Your approach to balancing both skeptical and believer perspectives reflects a thoughtful and fair analysis. Emphasizing the importance of avoiding pseudoscience while remaining open to new possibilities is crucial in navigating such enigmatic cases.

The absence of hard evidence for extraordinary claims, coupled with the difficulty in fitting these claims into conventional explanations, highlights the ongoing struggle to understand what, if anything, is truly occurring at Skinwalker Ranch.

Ultimately, the case remains a compelling example of the limits of current scientific understanding and the challenges inherent in investigating unexplained phenomena. Whether future discoveries or shifts in our understanding of the universe will shed light on what happened at Skinwalker Ranch remains an open question, making it a fascinating and unresolved part of the broader quest to understand the unknown.