(Historic) Walt Kurshman

Walt Kirschman was born on February 4, 1922. Between 1960 and 1968, Walt was the District Ranger for the Tishtang Ranger District, Six Rivers National Forest, headquartered in Willow Creek, California. He and his wife rented a house from Al Hodgson.

After reports of the Patterson-Gimlin film came into the district office, Walt went to the film site to investigate. Walt arrived after Lyle Laverty and his timber marking crew had already been to the site. Walt reported that he found evidence of the prints and that they had been casted. He was aware that the local Hoopa Tribe had numerous stories about a hairy creature and assumed what was filmed was the same. Walt refers to Patty as "the Big Boy."

Walt currently lives in Sonora, California. In 1968, the Tishtang Ranger District was merged with another district and renamed the Lower Trinity. The District's headquarters is still in Willow Creek.