Bigfoot Collectors Club – Episode Summary

Podcast: Bigfoot Collectors Club
Episode: "The Gary Wilcox UFO Encounter" w/ Michael Strayer
Aired: March 12, 2025
Guests: Michael Strayer (Moth Boys Podcast)
Hosts: Michael McMillian, Riley Bray

Episode Overview

This episode of Bigfoot Collectors Club explores personal and historical stories of high strangeness, diving into the weird world of cryptids and UFOs with guest Michael Strayer, host of the Moth Boys podcast. The central focus is an in-depth telling of the 1964 Gary Wilcox UFO encounter—an under-the-radar, but compelling, case of supposed otherworldly visitors in upstate New York. Alongside, Michael Strayer shares his own paranormal history, his mother’s encounters, and his “boots on the ground” investigations into strange local phenomena. The episode blends humor, skepticism, and genuine curiosity, highlighting how personal stories and local legends fuel the world of paranormal podcasting.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet the Guest: Michael Strayer and Paranormal Upbringings

• Background: Michael shares his West Virginia lifestyle, family roots in the paranormal, and how his mother's experiences inspired his interest in the unknown.

• Mother’s Stories: His mother had multiple strange encounters, including seeing a “gnome”-like entity and a UFO with her sisters as a child in Jamestown, NY.

  • Quote [11:32]:
    “She said she can only say it was, like, a tiny person. Just, like, not, like, but, like, tiny tiny, but, like, maybe up to your knees…” – Michael Strayer

• Mothman Inspiration: His fascination was cemented after seeing The Mothman Prophecies movie as a teenager.

  • Quote [10:04]:
    “It was one of the first movies that introduced the idea to me of the Ultra terrestrial or the…Cryptid that might be from a parallel dimension. So that must have been mind blowing for you as a 15 year old kid.” – Michael McMillian

2. Localized High Strangeness & the White Monsters of Sherman, NY

• Boots-on-the-Ground Research: Michael details his quest to track down the witness behind a John Keel footnote about "giant white ground sloths" in Sherman, NY.

• Finding the Eyewitness: Through diligent (and humorous) "detective work," he tracks down John Goodwill, who as a child experienced repeated encounters with these mysterious white creatures.

  • Quote [26:52]:
    “With a little more digging, we found his son…by chance. This is going to sound weird, but did he see giant ground sloths when he was, like, 12 years old? And he's like, that is my dad.” – Michael Strayer

• Family Testimony: John’s whole family corroborates the encounters, including sightings of multiple creatures, some juvenile, often moving slowly and wordlessly—described as very “sloth-like” rather than Bigfoot.

  • Favorite Encounter [30:54]:
    "They see…the creatures out in a cornfield…two big ones and then two…juveniles. And they're just playing…The whole family just sits there and watches them in the car." – Michael Strayer

• Preserving the Story: The Moth Boys help publish “The White Monsters of Sherman, New York” mini-book, supporting the original witness’s legacy.

  • Quote [35:58]:
    “Helping somebody out like that is really, really special. It feels nice to be able to do that for somebody and help them get their story out…” – Michael Strayer

3. Michael Strayer's Own High Strangeness Sighting

• Sherman Swamps UFOs: During a night excursion near Sherman’s notorious swamps, Michael and friends witness a series of unexplainable lights:

  • Star-like Dancers: Lights that moved and zig-zagged in the sky.
  • Triangle Craft: A silent, black triangular object with three red lights passing overhead.
  • Quote [47:55]:
    "Dead silent, triangle shape. Right over our heads. Just kept going." – Michael Strayer

• Ongoing Activity: Michael asserts something strange happens nearly every clear night in Sherman’s swamps.

4. Playful Paranormal Beliefs

• Believe It or Bullshit Game [39:39–41:12]: Michael Strayer quickly asserts belief in almost all classic phenomena (Ghosts, Bigfoot, UFOs, Mothman, ESP, etc.), with a skeptical note only for a couple of cryptids and “bullshit” for Hollow Earth.

5. Story of High Strangeness: The Gary Wilcox UFO Encounter

(Begins [53:54])

Recap:

• 1964, Newark Valley, NY:

  • Farmer Gary Wilcox spots an egg-shaped craft on his property.

  • Physical Description: 20ft long, aluminum, seamless, “like metallic canvas.”

  • Beings: Two short, faceless humanoids in metallic suits, carrying trays of sod.

  • Telepathic Communication: Beings claim to be from “Mars,” ask about agriculture, warn against manned space exploration, claim mutual incompatibility with Earth's environment.

  • Exchange: Gary brings them a bag of fertilizer (which later disappears), and the beings depart in their craft, leaving only red dust.

  • Corroboration: Other locals and a neighbor corroborate seeing UFOs in the area and vouch for Gary’s sincerity.

  • Synchronicity: The incident takes place the same day as the famous Socorro (Lonnie Zamora) UFO encounter with a very similar craft and beings—possibly indicating a shared origin or “road trip” by the UFOnauts.

    • Quote [66:34]:
      “This was the Lonnie Zamora case out of New Mexico…egg shaped craft land that had landed. And he saw two little men walking around the craft…” – Michael McMillian

  • Aftermath: Farm life resumes, no further paranormal activity; the story is documented in Flying Saucer Review (1969), and Gary’s credibility is supported by a psychiatrist.

Discussion & Theories

• Dreamlike Logic: Story has many Keelian “high strangeness” elements—surreal details, contradictory science, unimpeachable witness.

• Mars: Literal or Symbolic? Hosts discuss the use of Mars as a metaphor for “elsewhere,” or a symbolic “planet” in contact narratives.

  • Quote [73:10]:
    “We are from a place that your people would call Mars. Right. We're Martians...” – Michael McMillian

• The Reluctant Witness:

  • Quote [74:29]:
    “I always love a story…I can…it makes me believe even more when the person that has the encounter doesn't really give a shit about the encounter after.” – Michael Strayer

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Paranormal Upbringings:
  “Choosy moms choose Bigfoot.” — Michael McMillian [13:44]

• On Finding Eyewitnesses:
  “Before they called it Internet stalking, it was just called good old fashioned detective work.” — Michael McMillian [25:14]

• Sloth Story Family Encounter:
  "…my favorite encounter…was him and his whole family…they see the creatures out in a cornfield…just playing. The whole family just sits there and watches…" — Michael Strayer [30:54]

• On the White Monsters Book:
  “Helping somebody out like that is really, really special. It feels nice…” — Michael Strayer [35:58]

• On UFO Witness Credibility:
  “…makes me believe even more when the person that has the encounter doesn’t really give a shit about the encounter after.” — Michael Strayer [74:29]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:19] – Welcome & Personal Introductions
• [05:51] – Michael Strayer’s Paranormal Origins
• [11:13] – Mother’s Gnome & UFO Sightings
• [21:30] – Local Legends & Ground Sloth Investigation
• [26:52] – Tracking Down the Sherman Monsters Eyewitness
• [30:54] – Encounter: Pale Sloths Playing in a Field
• [39:39] – “Believe It or Bullshit” Paranormal Game
• [47:55] – Strayer’s Own UFO Sighting (Triangle Craft)
• [53:54] – High Strangeness Story: Gary Wilcox UFO Encounter
• [66:34] – Socorro/Lonnie Zamora Synchronicity
• [76:44] – Hosts’ Reflections & Theories
• [77:47] – Moth Boys Book Plugs, Cryptid Children’s Books

Additional Points of Interest

• Cryptid Children’s Books: Michael writes and recommends his children’s books about cryptids, including Mothman Learns the ABCs and Curious Creatures series.
• Gray Barker’s Grave: Strayer regularly visits and maintains the grave of legendary UFOlogist Gray Barker and distributes a zine about him.
• Podcast Community & Resourcefulness: The value of skepticism, humor, and empathy in the paranormal podcast world is a recurring theme.

Final Thoughts

This episode deftly weaves unique personal tales, small-town legends, and unsolved historical encounters, all with a breezy comedic tone. The Wilcox encounter bridges the everyday (“I kicked the damn thing, went back to chores”) and cosmic weirdness—mirroring the hosts' own fascination with the mundane mysteries hiding in plain sight. Listeners are left with the sense that the strangest stories often come from those least interested in the limelight, and that belief and curiosity—tempered with good humor—are at the heart of investigating high strangeness.

Further Reading/Listening:

• The White Monsters of Sherman, New York (find on Amazon)
• Mothman Learns the ABCs by Michael Strayer
• Bigfoot Collectors Club – “The White Sloth Creatures w/ Steve Berg” (recommended episode)
• Flying Saucer Review (1969) for original Gary Wilcox article

For more:

• Follow @mothboyspodcast on social media
• Listen to the Moth Boys podcast for deep-dive regional high strangeness
• Support BCC on Patreon for bonus episodes and community access