Jersey Devil Encounters?

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
I would like to talk to anybody who's seen the Jersey Devil in the pines too and ask them to please stop throwing their whisky bottles on the ground out there. :D
 
Omega,

I think people respond because this topic has been done to death here, usually by post-and-run-Weird-NJesque people (not that everyone here is anti-Weird NJ, I have every issue!).

While I'm not sure the best place to find people who claim to have seen the Jersey Devil (you seem to do some serious video making), the best eyewitness encounter write-ups are in the McCloy-Miller books "The Jersey Devil" and "Phantom of the Pines".

If you looking for an interview as part of one of the videos that you produce, your best contact would probably be to talk to Russ Juelg who runs the Jersey Devil hunts for the Pineland Preservation Alliance and see if he would be interested in helping you.

If you are looking to gather up a bunch of people claiming to have seen the Jersey Devil to make a whole documentary about it, you are probably out of luck, and this is probably not a good forum to go hunting for "victims" on.
 

Old Crazy

Explorer
Oct 13, 2007
481
94
Stinking Creek, NJ
Omega, my comment was not meant as a personal insult to you. My apologies if that's the way it came across.

I have hiked thousands of miles through the pines during daylight hours, hundreds of miles after dark, and camped overnight in various places out there, and I've never seen anything unusual. I've read some of the accounts of supposed sightings of The Jersey Devil and my honest opinion is that these people are allowing their fear of being in the woods after dark and their imagination to get the best of them.

All the reported encounters of Jersey Devil sightings I have read about have gone something like this; "I crawled out of my tent late at night to take a leak and something really big let out a blood curdling scream and ran right past me."

Virtually every animal in that woods is capable of emitting some kind of screaming noise when it's startled. I can't tell you how many times I've been walking around in the woods after dark in a dead silent atmosphere and almost jumped out of my skin when a bird suddenly screeched up off the ground right in front of me. I've heard all kinds of noises in the woods at night, but every one of them can be attributed to a known animal.
 

omega

Explorer
@ OC you're right that is how most of them go. Don't worry about it.

@ Mike, I have a couple interviews in the can already, including Russ and a few more scheduled. But, I think to fill out the project I need a couple from those who can describe their experience in the pines with stories of encounters. I figured there are a good number here who spend a good deal of time in the Pines and it would be a good place to look for some who have had those kind of experiences. I mean this is THE place to find information on the Pine Barrens.
 
Omega:

I presume you’ve been in contact with the guy I told you about!?!?! Have you heard the taped interview he made of the man who encountered “something” while driving through Cumberland County?

I think there is some really good material there for your work.

You might also want to reach out to Spungman here on the forums.

Best regards,
Jerseyman
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,356
339
Near Mt. Misery
Omega, you might find this thread I started sometime ago interesting.

http://forums.njpinebarrens.com/showthread.php?t=4209&highlight=jersey+devil

I've always been fascinated by the Jersey Devil. My interest stems from more from a cultural, socialogical, and historical perspective than cryptozoological (is that a word) theories. The mystery of the origins of the legend have led me to many speculations. It is one of the oldest (if not thee oldest) american folklore and is so closely tied with piney culture.

I've had a few experiences in the woods that defy explaination, but I attribute it to wildlife, sleep deprivation, the wind, my imagination, hallucinogens (i'm kiddn'), etc. But in a lonely spot in some god-forsaken corner of a swamp, late at night.....sometimes it does seem like anything's possible.

I think your best bet for encounter recollections is to find yourself some real honest to God pineys. We have pineys on the forum, but pineys with computers, you have to get out to Hog Wallow to get the good stuff.

Jeff

BTW, almost forgot, suresue, who hasn't posted in a while, she had an experience that she believes was the Devil. You can find it in a search here.
 

Stamos

Scout
Jun 11, 2009
63
44
55
Shamong
What the? Maybe some of these cougar sightings are for real. There isn't a huge amount of woods along that road is there? Also, no tracks?

Nearby there is a large patch of woods that run along Jackson Road so it's possible something big could be in there. Just what though could reach the hind quarters of a horse is puzzling. My parent's live not too far from there and I spend some time in those woods....looks like I will be keeping my eyes open just a little more now when camping there.
 

Pine Baron

Explorer
Feb 23, 2008
480
25
Sandy Run
What the?:jd: Maybe some of these cougar sightings are for real. There isn't a huge amount of woods along that road is there? Also, no tracks?

There are acres of woods across the road behind the fields and the airport. Good deer woods. That dog must have been really feral to attack something as big as a horse. And canines are generally pack hunters against larger prey, aren't they? Unless it had rabies. A few years back, a fox attacked my next door neighbors collie. When I went to defend the dog, it turned on me! I put it down with an ax handle. Had the head tested and it turned out to be rabid. So, I guess the size of the prey doesn't matter in that case.
BTW, Jeff, apparently there were tracks of some sort.

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/loca...orse_in_Camden_County__officials_believe.html

John-
 
Nov 18, 2008
42
0
51
Erial, NJ
www.facebook.com
Wow, that's right up the street from my house. You know, late at night I have been having a feeling like someone or something is watching me when I go out to catch a smoke, and let the dog do her business. I also noticed my dog acting paranoid and sniffing the yard a little more than usual too. I wonder if she senses something is in the area. I also noticed a drop in the population of wildlife visitors in the area. We normally have deer, fox, ground hog, (which is still around) seen him yesterday, and squirrels. I haven't seen or heard any of them in a while.
 

woodjin

Piney
Nov 8, 2004
4,356
339
Near Mt. Misery
I'm finding it hard to believe that a feral dog could do that? That horse's back must be over 5' high and has multiple claw marks. Dog's claws aren't designed to inflict damage, especially like that.

I'm no expert, and I don't have an explaination, but the feral dog theory seems far fetched to me.
 

46er

Piney
Mar 24, 2004
8,837
2,144
Coastal NJ
I'm finding it hard to believe that a feral dog could do that? That horse's back must be over 5' high and has multiple claw marks. Dog's claws aren't designed to inflict damage, especially like that.

I'm no expert, and I don't have an explaination, but the feral dog theory seems far fetched to me.

Take a close look at the Elk in the picture at the link, body is about the size of a horses. Wolfies bring them down all the time while the rest of the pack watches and drools.....

There are several shots previous to this one.

http://www.pbase.com/46er/image/30566243
 

Wreckless

New Member
Jan 9, 2009
19
4
Ocnaled
It was August of 1978 in my hometown of Delanco. It was your typical sultry hot summer night on the banks of the Delaware River. I was 16 years old and had a girlfriend I was madly in love with. My parent’s 10PM curfew put a serious crimp in the style of this then young Romeo. Being creative, full of hormones, and desperate I quickly concocted a plan to sneak out of the house and visit my gal for a midnight smooch. After a week of doing this the strangest thing happened, no I didn’t get beat by my Father as that came later. On this night at around 1 AM I was jogging the seven blocks along Delaware Ave that I done every prior evening. As I approached Oakford Ave I saw a creature I at first took to be a raccoon crossing the road from my left to right, towards the river. It was two blocks up and moving under a street light. The odd thing is that it was walking on its hind feet only. Being young and fool hardy I sprinted towards it to have a closer look. I lost sight of it when it left the road but I was confidant that I would find as the strip of land was only 50 feet wide and butted against a concreter seawall. The river tide was high and reaching the lower portion of the 4 foot high wall. Imagine my confusion when I failed to locate the animal despite a thorough search. The creature would have had to swim or fly to have escaped from being cornered. To this day I am at a loss for any valid explanation. Nothing was seen swimming or flying away but they were the only avenues of escape. What did I see? I’ll never know but it sure fits the Jersey Devil’s Modus Operandus. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
 

jburd641

Explorer
Jan 16, 2008
410
22
Port Charlotte, Fl.
Feel bad for the horse. Obviously, it was done by the Leeds child. I digress;
Maybe it was a feral dog and the injuries to the back could have come from the barbed wire around the enclosure? I could see the horse trying to fight off the attacker while against the fence. Seems to me if a cat had grabbed him, there would be a few claw marks next to each other instead of one here and one there. Wouldn't they be grouped more?

Oh, and anger, think about coyotes when wildlife begins to disappear. It's cool to hear them but there is a downside. Watch your dogs.

46er, awesome pics in your gallery.
 
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