Skinwalker Ranch — Terry and Gwen Sherman: The Family That Started It All
Skinwalker Ranch — Terry and Gwen Sherman: The Family That Started It All
[edit | edit source]Profile
[edit | edit source]| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Primary witness | Terry Sherman |
| Secondary witness | Gwen Sherman (wife) |
| Family | Two children |
| Intended purpose | Cattle ranch; experienced ranchers |
| Purchase year | 1994 |
| Departure | 1996; sold to Robert Bigelow for $200,000 |
| Post-sale role | Hired as caretakers; Terry continued working the property under NDA |
| Pseudonyms in published account | "Tom and Ellen Gorman" in Hunt for the Skinwalker |
| Non-disclosure agreement | Required by Bigelow as condition of sale; Shermans agreed not to speak further about ranch events |
The First Encounter
[edit | edit source]Shortly after settling in, the Shermans were confronted by a massive wolf-like animal approaching their livestock pen. Terry described it as three times normal wolf size, resembling the long-extinct dire wolf. He fired at it multiple times with a rifle at close range. The animal appeared unaffected — shrugging off the bullets — and eventually walked away leaving no blood trail.
The Full Range of Sherman-Era Phenomena
[edit | edit source]Cattle mutilations: Multiple cattle found dead with characteristic features — precise incisions, specific organ removal, completely bloodless carcasses, no tracks near the animals.
Disappearing cattle: Some cattle simply vanished. Hoof prints in snow ended abruptly with no continuation — the animals gone without trace.
The dogs' destruction: The family's cattle dogs chased a glowing blue orb that appeared on the property. The dogs disappeared. Only greasy spots in the grass remained where the dogs had last been seen running.
UFO sightings: Multiple unidentified craft of varying types: blue and orange glowing orbs; structured craft appearing and disappearing; a large black triangle.
Poltergeist activity: Post-holes dug for fencing found the next morning with the posts relocated as if picked up and placed elsewhere. Disembodied voices heard speaking directly above the family. Objects moved without explanation.
Disembodied voices: The family repeatedly heard voices speaking overhead with no visible source.
The Decision to Go Public
[edit | edit source]After approximately 18 months of escalating phenomena that were economically devastating their cattle operation and psychologically distressing their family, the Shermans shared their story with George Knapp. Articles were published in the Deseret News and Las Vegas Mercury in June 1996. Within three months, Robert Bigelow purchased the property.
The Financial Relationship Complication
[edit | edit source]After the sale, Terry Sherman was hired as a caretaker — a paid employee of Bigelow's operation. Skeptic Robert Sheaffer noted that "many of the more extraordinary claims originat[ed] solely from Terry Sherman, who worked as a caretaker after the ranch was sold." The financial relationship between Sherman and Bigelow creates a potential conflict of interest that NIDS did not adequately address in its published account.
