My favorite picture of the Jersey Devil

Speaking as someone who spent more than a few nights in the forests of New Jersey, thanks to the good ol' US Army, I feel comfortable saying that the people whom have claimed to see things out there have fairly active imaginations. NOT to say that they didn't see something, but simply that they turned it into something else in their heads…

I was on guard duty with NVG's, in the rain, and let me tell you…you will see things that freak you out for a few, until you regain control of your imagination. Bats flying close by create the sounds of whispering flight, raccoons will come within 5 feet of you, seemingly because they have taken a bet from their other furry buddies to do so, and tree limbs all kind of blur into a miasma of frightening looking things.

So is it possible that there is a "Jersey Devil"? I suppose that anything is possible. Is it probable? I don't believe so. I would be more likely to believe it if there were other creatures that we know about that look remotely like what they describe as the Jersey Devil. ( IE: Apes and monkeys look like the "Bigfoot".)

Speaking as someone who spent more than a few nights in the forests of New Jersey, thanks to the good ol' US Army, I feel comfortable saying that the people whom have claimed to see things out there have fairly active imaginations. NOT to say that they didn't see something, but simply that they turned it into something else in their heads…

I was on guard duty with NVG's, in the rain, and let me tell you…you will see things that freak you out for a few, until you regain control of your imagination. Bats flying close by create the sounds of whispering flight, raccoons will come within 5 feet of you, seemingly because they have taken a bet from their other furry buddies to do so, and tree limbs all kind of blur into a miasma of frightening looking things.

So is it possible that there is a "Jersey Devil"? I suppose that anything is possible. Is it probable? I don't believe so. I would be more likely to believe it if there were other creatures that we know about that look remotely like what they describe as the Jersey Devil. ( IE: Apes and monkeys look like the "Bigfoot".)

In a seperate, yet similar piece of NJ "folklore", in northern nj there was a privately run zoo/amusement park that went bankrupt and the owners turned loose the animals into the surrounding woods. Ever since, there've been reports of strange animals lurking in the area (Google or Wiki Clinton Road in West Milford, NJ). The reason I bring it up is it's believed that the animals cross bred amongst themselves and w/local wildlife to create all types of hybrid creatures. In the case of the "devil", if it is in fact a reality, i think it's a hybrid of some sort. In all likelihood, however, I believe it to be a story floated during colonial times to keep the british at bay. Alot of the pine barrens, specifically, the ones in southern NJ, have HUGE deposits of pig iron. Pig iron was used by the revolutionaries smiths to create a wide range of things found in the rebels arsenal, so it would be advantageous to spread a myth to help keep the British out. Plus all that pig iron is highly magnetized so it's hard to map the area as a compass would go nuts. The Eastern portion of the Pine Barrens apparently weren't alien to pirates and the like as it wasn't too far from the Coast line. Then of course you have the "Pineys" who live out there. That's a whole other story.

In a seperate, yet similar piece of NJ "folklore", in northern nj there was a privately run zoo/amusement park that went bankrupt and the owners turned loose the animals into the surrounding woods. Ever since, there've been reports of strange animals lurking in the area (Google or Wiki Clinton Road in West Milford, NJ). The reason I bring it up is it's believed that the animals cross bred amongst themselves and w/local wildlife to create all types of hybrid creatures. In the case of the "devil", if it is in fact a reality, i think it's a hybrid of some sort. In all likelihood, however, I believe it to be a story floated during colonial times to keep the british at bay. Alot of the pine barrens, specifically, the ones in southern NJ, have HUGE deposits of pig iron. Pig iron was used by the revolutionaries smiths to create a wide range of things found in the rebels arsenal, so it would be advantageous to spread a myth to help keep the British out. Plus all that pig iron is highly magnetized so it's hard to map the area as a compass would go nuts. The Eastern portion of the Pine Barrens apparently weren't alien to pirates and the like as it wasn't too far from the Coast line. Then of course you have the "Pineys" who live out there. That's a whole other story.

I could potentially see a hybrid of some sort. I suppose that the problem with that would be the long term incompatibility of such a small gene pool with interbreeding.

I DO however, REALLY like your explanation of the myth spread to scare the British. To me, that is plausible, historical, and explains why the story would have persisted for so long. Great info Monkey!

I alway thought Philly was one of the nicer parts of New Jersey…

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The Pine Barrens is a huge area. Starts about 5 miles from me. The whole area is creepy. Going on the Atlantic City Exp. you go right through it for miles and miles.

This is one creepy picture.

I was looking online for information on the chupacabra and this picture was shown there as being a photo taken on someone's ranch down in Texas by a security camera a rancher installed to get some answers after some of their livestock had been killed. I don't want to ruffle any feathers, so since I wasn't there, I don't know what that is or is supposed to be so I'll leave it at that.

Monk, my take on this pic is from a photographer's point of view. In these camera setups, the camera would be on TOP of the tripod. The light we are seeing is supposed to be the IR illuminator mounted ON the camera. You see the ring of light from the illuminator – and also light coming from BEHIND the "devil". That doesn't fit the scenario. Also the viewer wouldn't see the legs of the tripod or anything behind the point of focus of the camera.

Now, I am not saying this is a hoax photo…Just saying that it appears to be a staged photo with maybe a little Photoshop thrown to "enhance" the photo.

My 2 cents.

I was sort of leaning the same way. The news report that accompanied this photo was interesting in that the ranchers making the claim refused to show their faces beyond their mouths and they did nothing but smirk and make comments like "well the photo sorta of says it all doesn't it?"