Conclusion: Is the Fouke Monster real or a hoax?

Many people, mostly scientists believe that the Fouke Monster does not exist mainly because of the lack of evidence to support the possibility that a large unknown creature lives in the southern states. Judging by the lack of physical evidence and most of the reports only coming from local residents leads me to believe that the creature was made up to draw attention to Fouke to create a tourist attraction and to boost their revenue.After all they did make a movie about it that was even filmed in Fouke, AK. What I believe they are seeing is most likely a black bear standing on it's hind legs trying to get something on a high tree branch. Black bears can be around seven feet tall when they are on their hind legs. As for the strange howls local residents hear at night, they might have mistaken it for a wolf or coyote.

Fouke Monster Evidence

Evidence for the elusive Fouke Monster seems few and far between. The first footprints that were cast back in 1971 were placed in a firehouse which subsequently burned down destroying any evidence of the casts. Sometimes so called Fouke Monster foot prints or tracks are often mistaken for bear tracks, because they have separate toe digits, which in this case can be mistaken for something else. When Elizabeth and Bobby Ford had their encounter back in 1971they had claimed they fired several shots at it and believed to have it the creature saying they saw it fall down but found no blood trail. The search of the following day failed to locate any such creature, however large three-toed foot prints were found close to the Ford's house and scratches on the front porch.

Works Cited

 Unknown Explorers-Fouke Monster 2006
http://www.unknownexplorers.com/foukemonster.php

Eyewitness Accounts and Encounters

Residents in and around Fouke, Arkansas have reported seeing what they call a monster that has a strong odor,six to eight feet tall and said to make bone chilling howls in the dead of night. The beast was first sighted in 1971 on the edge of  a soybean farm after that sightings seemed to explode in and around the tiny little swampy town of Fouke. There are several eyewitnesses that have seen the monster all of which happened during the 1970's , a man on the outskirts of town reported that the beast was banging on his front door trying to get in. One of the better documented encounter with the beast was in 1971 by Elizabeth and Bobby Ford, one night in late May Elizabeth spotted what looked like a bear in her yard and was driven away by her brother. Several nights later her husband Bobby was on the porch at night and was thrown to the ground by the creature, he managed to crawl away and get to the hospital and get stitches  for scratches on his back.
In October 2000 in the Sulfur River Wildlife Management Area, Stacey Hudson who is an avid bow hunter set up his tree stand twelve feet above the ground the day before he was going to hunt. The next morning he came back to find his tree stand on the ground, he repositioned it back around twelve feet after just half an hour he could hear something approach him, "As it approached my stand I could feel something touch my leg, it was large, it was black, when I hunt I'm camouflaged head to toe all except the broad head. He was terrified by this broad daylight encounter, 'I think it cut itself on my broad head because I could hear it running away screaming".

Works Cited

Monster Quest 2009 documentary 
http://www.history.com/shows/monsterquest
The Fouke Monster, by Robert Benjamin
http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Fouke-Monster&id=1406270

History about the Legend of Boggy Creek

First sighted in and around Fouke, Arkansas in the early 1970s, the Legend of Boggy Creek or more commonly called the Fouke Monster. Residents first described the creature as having dark fur, a strong pungent odor and can give a terrifying howl in the dead of night. Given it's name by Texarkana journalist Jim Powell, it first started making headlines when it attacked Elizabeth Ford through her screen window which she first thought was a bear and was subsequently chased off by her husband, Bobby returning from hunting. Only to return hours later and grab Bobby by the shoulder and throw him on the ground, he managed to crawl away and get stitches for unknown scratches.In the early 1970s the legend got so much attention that both tourists and hunters traveled to Fouke. A $1,090 bounty was placed on the creature by a local radio station but was never claimed.

Works cited

 The spirit seekers-Fouke Monster
://www.thespiritseekers.org/GhostsofArkansas/FoukeMonster.htmkers

What is a Urban Legend?

A urban legend for some people is something that sends chills down their spine and makes the hairs on the back of their neck stand up.The definition of a urban legend is a story that has been passed on through the years and usually believed to be true. My urban legend is the one that keeps people in Fouke, Arkansas from going into the woods after dark. This legend got so much attention that a movie was made about it in the 1970s.It has supposedly killed livestock and put the whole town of Fouke in a state of panic.