The Sherman Ranch

Warning: This post contains disturbing content that may not be appropriate for some readers. Practice self care <3

My younger siblings are in college.

I know, I know. I just threw two terrifying things at you- younger siblings, and college. But it's relevant, I promise (also, if you want to get technical, it's three things- they're twins). Or at least, partially relevant. Follow my train of thought here, okay?

I remember the story like it was yesterday (it was not, in fact, yesterday). It was a bright and sunny three in the morning, and I was sleeping. My phone rang. It was my brother, so naturally I greeted him with a resounding "What."

"I saw a cryptid, I think." He was eating something.

Now, it's really important to mention- my brother doesn't believe in this stuff. I'm the complete opposite. So the fact he was calling me was impressed (in general, really- my brother doesn't call people, ever).

I offered a wizened grunt in response.

"Yeah, so my friend and I were exploring this abandoned factory, and we saw this deer. And it wasn't moving or anything, just kind of staring at us. It was really creepy, and it started walking towards us. What cryptid is that?"

Now, there were plenty of things it could have been. A weird deer, for instance.

Now, my brain is pretty massive (read: cryptids are a huge special interest), so I chalked it up to being a Not-Deer. Which is....pretty much what it sounds like. It's not a deer. He said 'ok thanks,' like I literally just didn't deliver life shattering supernatural information, and hung up the phone.

Looking back, none of that was really relevant, and it's kind of treading on the anecdotes that proceed gross recipes (which irks me a lot), but in a way, to my diseased brain, it is very much relevant. Because, my brother goes to a rural-ish school. And rural places tend to have the most frightening things.

I am so glad to hear we have not gentrified cryptids yet.

There's this one place, real rural, in Utah. It goes by a few names, and one in particular is more notable than the rest. However, out of respect for the local culture and beliefs, I will be referring to the location by another name. However, if you're curious, you can look up 'flesh pedestrian,' and that should give you a hint.

Regardless, the place really needs no introduction, and many have heard of it.

The Sherman Ranch lies within the Uinta Basin, just southeast of Ballard, Utah. It is also, conveniently, rural. It is also, doubly conveniently, one of the most paranormal hotspots on Earth.

Slay, I guess.

Originally, the ranch appeared to be like any other rural southwestern farm. You know, you've got your cows, your pigs, your alien abductions. The usual. The ranch, which was really not known by any name yet, was pretty synonymous with alien abductions and UFO sightings circa the 1970s.

The Uinta Basin

But really, even before that, there was some sus stuff happening in eastern Utah. In 1776, some dude named Silvestre Velez de Escalante wrote about seeing strange fireballs appearing over his camp in El Rey. Poor guy had never heard of astronomy, I guess.

Anyways, before European people occupied the Uinta basin, it was occupied by indigenous peoples- primarily, the Ute tribe. It is actually from their culture and tribe that the 'flesh pedestrian' word originates from. In Navajo tongue, the word is actually roughly translated to "by means of it, it goes on all fours." However, the 'common variety' that we commonly see used across media is very often created by non-native people, and there are in fact many types of such creature within Navajo culture.

Typically, the pretense is the same- a demonic shapeshifter that should never be mentioned by name (as doing so will draw unwanted attention from the entity). It also exists within other indigenous cultures, such as the Pueblo, Apache, and Hopi peoples. Regardless, this particular post will focus on that of the yee naaldlooshii- the Navajo variety.

Tradition typically believes the following- benevolent shamans, or medicine mans, will abuse indigenous magics for evil, allowing one to transform into or possess any creature. Other traditions believe that anyone, not necessarily a shaman, can be turned towards such a fate- so long as they have committed any kind of deep seated taboo. The Navajo, however, believe that 'flesh pedestrians' were medicine men that chose to used their powers to inflict evil and pain, rather than to help and heal.

Like many other creatures in folklore- these beings are near impossible to kill. Quite animalistic in all forms, the only way they can truly be defeated is with a piercing weapon (such as a bullet or knife) dipped in white ash. It's also heavily advised that they never be mentioned by name, as it is incredibly bad luck and draws attention.

Hence, I will not necessarily focus on the creatures, but rather the coincidences that surround the land and the ranch itself.

Though the area was already ripe with UFO sightings, real trouble did not truly begin until 1994, in which the Sherman family moved into a cattle ranch on the land- a 512 acre parcel. Over the 18 months that they lived there, they were met with nothing but fear, and trouble. Finally, they sold the ranch in 1996.

The place is known as a "real-life x-file," because simply so much unexplainable stuff goes on there. It's like, the Bermuda Triangle, if the Bermuda Triangle was in the middle of Utah instead of the ocean. I'm not sure what you would call it, in that case? The Minishort Square?

Joking aside, many presume the land is cursed- but by whom? Some argue the Navajo people, as revenge for events that occurred during the Civil War (called The Long Walk of the Navajo). Others believe that it may have been caused by past transgressions, as the Ute people had once abducted and sold Navajo people into slave markets. Whomever did it- a plague is now cast upon the land.

You know how, when you move into a new place, the neighbor might bring over a pie, or a desert, with the sole purpose of trying to look into your house? Yeah, that didn't really happen with the Sherman family. Terry, Gwen, and their two kids moved in in 1994, and were met with the pleasant surprise of deadbolts. Everywhere. The exterior doors, the interior doors, the kitchen cabinets. Like babyproofing, but against the violent supernatural.

Only, instead of a neighbor bringing over a reluctantly delicious plate of cookies, or something- the family was met with a big wolf, at least three times the size of any other wolf. The wolf approached, and passed the uneasy family, attacking one of the cows.

So, they actually reacted appropriately, and attacked the wolf. Terry shot at it multiple times, but none of the bullets 'stuck,' and instead bounced off. The wolf didn't even appear to be in pain. Finally, it let go, stared at Terry for a good long while, and trotted off. Weeks later, Gwen would encounter an incredibly large wolf, accompanied by a dog-like animal she couldn't quite place.

This was only the beginning of an 18 month nightmare. From 1994-1996, the Sherman family would lose approximately 20% of their cattle in strange and unexplainable circumstances. In fact, these circumstances were described as "oddly surgical and bloodless," as well as systematic and repetitive. They lost about seven cows; four gone with no trace, and three unfortunately dead.

One of the cows had a hole in the center of its left eye, but was otherwise untouched. Another had the same hole, as well as a deep hole carved into its rectum. The last cow was actually seen alive five minutes prior. It was found with a bloodless, 18 inch deep hole carved into its rectum.

In all three cases, there was no blood, no evidence. Just a strange chemical odor.

The only trace they had for the disappearance of one of the cows was that it seemed to have just vanished into thin air, as though it were "magically lifted from the snow." The prints led into a nearby field, and simply stopped.

Alongside the cows, they observed several other strange phenomena, some of which even the neighbors have supported. In two such instances, Terry was walking dogs when they encountered incredibly "terrifying" events. The latter of the two actually resulted in the final straw, and the family moved shortly after- selling the house for 200,000$

Event 1: The Voices

Terry was walking his dogs late one night, and heard voices speaking in an unrecognizable language. He estimated they were about 25 feet away, but as it was so dark, he could see nothing. The dogs went nearly insane, barking, growling, and overall going "berserk" to the point they ran back o the home.

Event 2: The Blue Light

In another instance where Terry was walking dogs in May of 1996, he noticed a blue orb darting about the field near the house. Terry urged the dogs to chase it, and they did so, following it into a brush. Terry heard "three terrible yelps" followed by silence. The next morning, he only saw three "round greasy lumps," and the dogs were never seen again.

Alongside the light were several instances of UFOs. One such shone a wave of red light, another emerged from a strange, circular orange orb. A third UFO was a large craft, the size of several football fields. The Sherman family actually did videotape two of their sightings, as well as observe crop circles- perfectly flattened, large, and deep.

The Sherman family strongly believed that the strange lights had everything to do with the cattle, but genuinely felt like they couldn't contact the authorities, as there would be nothing they could do, and it would simply be "a waste of time and effort."

Shortly after the family moved from the ranch, it was purchased by Robert Bigelow, under the National Institute of Discovery Science. Unfortunately, the strangeness didn't stop.

In March of 1997, Colm Kelleher, a biochemist, reported seeing a big humanoid figure watching the research team from a tree. It had penetrating, yellow, unblinking eyes, and stared fixedly at the group. They fired, and it vanished, but Kelleher did take note of sharp claws and an almost predatory bird shape.

Bigelow's goal was to confirm or deny the existence of such creatures, by using modern tools. They never did obtain concrete evidence, though Kelleher and investigative journalist George Knapp supposedly had over 100 similar encounters.

In 2016, Bigelow once again sold the company- this time to Adamantium Real Estate Holdings (to which they own it to this day). However, the research continues on the ranch.

However, it isn't just the ranch, but also the surrounding areas. Back in 2019, Ryan Skinner and his girlfriend Iryna claimed to have been followed by a transformative glowing light, which shifted into three figures. This happened 30 miles south of the ranch. Back in 2004, a young man named Garrett Bardsley mysteriously disappeared near Cuberant Lake, some 60 miles from the ranch. There was no evidence he was ever found, or even attacked. It was as though he had vanished into thin air.

Garrett Bardsley, Age 12

Currently, the ranch is privately owned, with only few certain people allowed in (apparently one is famous rapper, Post Malone). You can still view the facility behind the gates and fences, but with everything that's gone on- and continues to go on- there, would you truly want to?

Everyone has their theories, of course- curses, portals, delusions, pranks.

Regardless, with glowing entities, UFO sightings that number into the 400s, and creatures that aren't quite creatures- something is going on in the Sherman Ranch.

And quite frankly, perhaps it's for the best we never know.