Last updated on January 27th, 2023 at 08:55 pm
There is a ranch in Utah known for its strange and unexplainable phenomena. Skinwalker Ranch has been the site of numerous UFO sightings, animal mutilations, and other bizarre occurrences.
Some people believe that the ranch is home to skinwalkers – evil spirits that can transform into animals. Whatever may be happening at Skinwalker Ranch, it is one of the most mysterious places on Earth!
Introducing Skinwalker Ranch
There are certainly a lot of places in the US that are home to paranormal and unexplained activity, but Skinwalker Ranch in Utah is one of the most famous.
The ranch got its name from the Native American legend of the Skinwalker – an evil spirit that can transform into any animal it desires.
For many years, the Sherman family owned the ranch and were well aware of the strange things that happened there.
However, they did not publicize these events as they did not want to draw attention to the ranch.
The strange stories about Skinwalker Ranch began to circulate only after the ranch was sold to Robert Bigelow – a businessman with interest in the paranormal.
Since then, there have been many reports of UFO sightings, animal mutilations, and other bizarre phenomena at the ranch. But this is precisely what we’re exploring today, so let’s jump into the details of what exactly we know about what’s happening down at Skinwalker ranch.
Skinwalker Ranch in a Nutshell
Skinwalker Ranch, which clearly has such a lovely name right off the bat but is also known as Sherman Ranch, is a huge 512-acre property located in Ballard, Utah. It’s also the location that has had numerous reports of UFO-related activity.
The name, Skinwalker actually comes from the Skinwalkers that can be found in Navajo legends when referring to shamans of a vengeful nature. The Navajo is a large Native American tribe located in the Southwestern US, and their legend says that a Skinwalker is an evil witch or sorcerer.
They have the ability to transform into any animal they want and can use supernatural powers to harm others. As a result, the Navajo people avoid talking about them as much as possible and definitely do not go looking for them.
The Sherman Family and the Ranch’s Early Days
Now that we know a bit more about where Skinwalker Ranch got its name from, let’s move on to the people who owned it before Robert Bigelow – The Sherman family.
Now, Terry Sherman was the one who bought the strange happenings of Skinwalker Ranch to the public attention. While living in a supernatural place, Terry described some horrific experiences he went through.
Upon purchase, he originally moved to the ranch with his family of four. They told reporters over the years that they experienced everything from crop circles in the fields to UFOs.
Aligned with the folklore of the area, their cattle on the ranch also seemed to be systematically mutilated in strange, surreal ways.
Yet, there has never been any publically released hard evidence that this has ever been the case. There are no definitive photos or video recordings of anything taking place.
This aligns Skinwalker Ranch with other conspiracy theories because while there’s undoubtedly something suspicious over the last few decades, the lack of proof either comes from the fact that nothing is going at all.
Or perhaps the evidence is being hidden from public view, both options of which are extraordinary.
The real original family of the ranch was Kenneth and Edith Myers, who owned the farm for decades between the years of 1934 and 1994.
The ranch was then purchased in 1994 by Terry and Gwen Sherman, who owned it until 1996. Then, in 1996, it was purchased by Robert Bigelow (as we; ‘ll get into shortly), who then sold the ranch in 2016 to Brandon Fugal, who owns the land under the company Adamantium Holdings.
This company is a Utah-based LLC, and Brandon Fugal is the managing member of Adamantium.
The ranch has been through quite a few owners in its day, but it was always pretty under-the-radar…until Robert Bigelow came along.
The UFO Reports
The first UFO reports started coming in from the Uintah Basin around the 70s, and have experienced reports in the area for over 50 years, building quite the reputation over the decades.
In 2005, Colm Kelleher and George Knapp wrote a book, Hunt for the Skinwalker, on the area, claiming that the area was acquired by the National Institute for Discovery Science to study UFOs, Bigfoot-like creatures that had been sighted in the area, evidence of crop circles, glowing orbs that hung in the sky, and poltergeist-like activity that took place within the homes and buildings of the ranch, as reported by the owners.
This book is a collection of everything that has taken place on the ranch over the years and is a powerful reference to the area.
According to these authors, there were just under 100 incidents where cattle would become mutilated in some way or vanished entirely, as well as the reported sightings of flying objects and orbs.
These reports came in from the authors themselves and various other people. One such witness was US Army Colonel Jon B. Alexander, who was on board with the process to acquire hard evidence of what was going on in the area to back up the claims using proper scientific research.
However, it’s important to remember that cattle mutations had been reported in the area for a long time and were even a part of ancient folklore, dating back to the Navajo legends we discussed earlier.
It’s interesting because even though research of the area, while it’s clear that something is going on, many people have reportedly had experiences of paranormal or UFO activity, there is little evidence and stories as to what has actually happened or what people have experienced.
There’s a clear lack of detail, a prominent lack of media reports on the sightings or activity, but still a ton of legal and property acquisition aspects that made this case incredibly intriguing.
For example, when the Shermans sold the ranch to Robert Bigelow, it sold for $200,000, and Robert himself was the head of the NIDSci project (National Institute for Discovery Science).
In 2016, Robert sold the estate to the shell corporation Adamantium Holdings LLC for $4.5 million, and this is where the mystery thickens.
What Has Been Seen?
Cycling back a little, it’s important to note that not everything the Shermans saw on their farm was sky-bound or UFO-related.
Far from it.
The Shermans reportedly claimed large mysterious animals roaming around their lane, many of which were ‘three times the size of a wolf.’ Terry claimed there were plenty of times that Terry shot at these creatures at close range using a rifle, but the bullets seemed to have no effect.
Even the night that the Shermans sold the ranch and Colm Kelleher had made his way onto the site to pursue his investigation, he claimed to see a larger-than-normal-sized human-like creature spying on him and his research team from a nearby tree.
Detailing his experience in his book, Hunt for the Skinwalker, he described the creature as being around 50 yards away, perching in the tree around 20-feet off the ground.
To quote the book itself;
“The large creature that lay motionless, almost casually, in the tree. The only indication of the beast’s presence was the brilliant yellow light of the unblinking eyes as they stared fixedly back into the light.”
Kelleher then reportedly fired a rifle at the creature, causing it to disappear into the darkness.
“It was then that I saw it—a single, obvious oval track about six inches in diameter embedded deeply in the patch of snow… It looked unusual: a single large print in the snow with two sharp claws protruding from the rear of the mark going a couple of inches deeper. It almost looked like a bird of prey, maybe a raptor print, but huge and, from the depth of the print, from a very heavy creature.”
Now, while we’re not researchers, it does seem strange that you would shoot at an obvious example of what you’re trying to research, but that only adds to the suspicious nature of this area and the people involved in such a process.
Now, the most common reference to these humanoid creatures was the Navajo legends and folklore, but this seems like an even more surreal statement since the ranch is located 400 miles north of the Navajo Nation territory.
In fact, the ranch is more in Ute territory. The Ute are people who have largely stayed out of the public eye and have avoided any real media or press coverage, so again, this only adds to the mystery.
So, are these Skinwalkers? Are they aliens? Or are they just a product of overactive imaginations? We may never know for sure, but one thing is certain: something strange is definitely going on at Skinwalker Ranch.
The Current State of Skinwalker Ranch
After the ranch was purchased for $4.5 million, all the roads leading to the ranch were blocked off, and a perimeter fence was constructed, complete with barbed wire trails and security cameras around the entirety of the outside.
The company, headed by Brandon Fugal, does not want the public to know about whatever is going on within the ranch. Even new road signs have been erected around the entire area, making it nearly impossible for anyone to approach the ranch or find out about its existence, all of which is incredibly suspicious.
It wasn’t until March 2020, four years after the purchase, that Brandon announced to the world that he was even the ranch owner.
Skinwalker Ranch in the Media
Of course, the existence of such a ranch is sure to spark curiosity, and a place like this has been picked up by plenty of media outlets, pop culture shows, and other forms of media.
Since 2009, Skinwalker Ranch has been featured in:
- Lost Tapes
- Joe Rogan Questions Everything
- Skinwalker Ranch (the movie)
- Hunt for the Skinwalker (a movie based on the book)
- Portals to Hell
- Project Blue Book
- Ancient Aliens
- The Secret of Skinwalker Ranch
- Decoding the Unknown (YouTube Series)
Within each television series, YouTube video, or movie, the story and experiences of the ranch are always different, but there is one common factor.
People are fascinated by this place and what goes on here.
All of these appearances have only served to fuel the flames of curiosity surrounding the ranch and its strange goings-on. It seems that, with each passing year, we are no closer to understanding the mysteries of Skinwalker Ranch.
The Myster of Skinwalker Ranch
The case of Skinwalker Ranch is certainly an interesting one. It has been shrouded in mystery and intrigue from the very beginning, with reports of strange activity and sightings that still remain largely unexplained.
While the ranch is currently under constant surveillance and off-limits to the public, it’s clear that something strange is going on, and we may not know the whole story for some time.
What do you think? Have you heard of Skinwalker Ranch before? Do you think there’s something strange going on, or is it all just a hoax? What do you think is being hidden beyond the fence?
