Within Higdon Contact
Where Did Higdon's Missing Hours Go?
The strongest way into the case is the hour-by-hour hunt, recovery, hospital visit, and disputed gap in Higdon's memory.
On this page
- The elk hunt before the shot
- Search, recovery, and hospital arrival
- What the timeline can and cannot prove
Page outline Jump by section
Introduction
On 25 October 1974, Wyoming oil-field foreman Carl Higdon left for an afternoon elk hunt near McCarty Canyon in the Medicine Bow region and returned with a story built around one central mystery: several hours of missing time that nobody has ever fully reconstructed. The enduring fascination of the case is not only the later alien-contact narrative, but the narrower chronological puzzle. Higdon was reportedly seen hunting in daylight at roughly 4 p.m., yet was not recovered until around 11:30 p.m., confused, physically distressed, and unable at first to identify himself or recognise his wife. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio…
For believers, the unexplained gap is the strongest part of the case because it involves external events: a search effort, a hospital admission, a displaced truck, and witnesses who described Higdon as disoriented long before hypnotic regression entered the story. For sceptics, the same timeline reveals the opposite problem: the crucial hours remain poorly documented, reconstructed mostly from later retellings rather than contemporaneous records. The missing-time puzzle therefore sits at the centre of the entire Carl Higdon case.
The Elk Hunt Before the Shot
The known chronology begins comparatively normally. Higdon, then a 41-year-old Rawlins resident and oil-field foreman, borrowed a company truck and drove roughly 40 miles south toward McCarty Canyon for an elk hunt. Most accounts agree that rough road conditions forced him to park and continue on foot into higher terrain. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio… [My Dark Path]mydarkpath.comMy Dark Path The alien abduction of Carl Higdon It's Friday,The alien abduction of Carl HigdonIt's Friday, October 25, 1974, around 4 p.m. In the remote Medicine Bow National Forest, south of Rawli…
The approximate timing matters because sunset in late October Wyoming arrives quickly in mountainous terrain. Higdon later placed the key event at around 4 p.m., when he reportedly spotted five elk and aimed his new 7 mm magnum rifle at the largest bull. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio…
According to Higdon, the rifle behaved impossibly. He claimed there was no normal recoil or report, and that the bullet travelled slowly before dropping to the ground about 50 feet ahead of him. This moment effectively marks the beginning of the missing-time window because his memory of ordinary events reportedly stops there. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio… [2cryptidz.fandom.com]cryptidz.fandom.comAusso OneCryptid Wiki - FandomThe witness was a 41 year old oil well driller, husband and father of four, Carl Higdon, who decided to take the day…
One important detail often overlooked in later retellings is that the “alien encounter” narrative was not initially presented in its full later form. The earliest recoverable structure of the story is simpler: strange shot, blackout or discontinuity, disorientation, and recovery. The more elaborate account involving “Ausso One”, a cube-shaped craft, and interstellar travel emerged through later interviews and hypnotic regression sessions. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio…
That distinction matters because it separates two different questions:
- Was Higdon genuinely missing, impaired, or psychologically altered for several hours?
- Did the missing time involve an extraterrestrial encounter?
The first question has at least some independent witnesses attached to it. The second depends much more heavily on recovered memory and interpretation.
Search, Recovery, and Hospital Arrival
The timeline after the alleged blackout is fragmented but more externally anchored. According to repeated accounts, Higdon eventually regained awareness near or inside his truck sometime after dark, though his own recollections remained incomplete. [podcastufo.com]podcastufo.coma wyoming elk hunter takes a ride in a ufoIt had to be towed out. Higdon was taken to Carbon County Hospital in…Read more…
Several versions state that he used a CB radio to call for help after hearing company radio traffic. One frequently repeated detail is that he identified a nearby sign reading “North Boundary Lincoln Forest”, suggesting confusion about his precise location. [podcastufo.com]podcastufo.coma wyoming elk hunter takes a ride in a ufoIt had to be towed out. Higdon was taken to Carbon County Hospital in…Read more…
From there, the chronology becomes more concrete. A search party reportedly assembled, involving local law enforcement and experienced outdoorsmen using four-wheel-drive vehicles to navigate muddy roads and rough terrain. Accounts commonly place the recovery at approximately 11:30 p.m. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio…
The condition in which Higdon was found became one of the case’s strongest corroborative talking points. Multiple later summaries describe him as:
- dazed and incoherent;
- unable initially to state his name;
- unable at first to recognise his wife;
- suffering from red, watering eyes;
- highly sensitive to light;
- unsteady on his feet or suffering equilibrium problems. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio… [2podcastufo.com]podcastufo.coma wyoming elk hunter takes a ride in a ufoIt had to be towed out. Higdon was taken to Carbon County Hospital in…Read more…
These symptoms were reportedly serious enough that he was transported to Carbon County Memorial Hospital in Rawlins during the early hours of 26 October. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio…
The hospital episode is important because it creates a documented transition from wilderness incident to medical observation. However, one of the central evidential weaknesses of the entire case is that complete hospital records have not circulated publicly in a verifiable archival form. Much of what is now repeated comes from newspaper retellings, UFO literature, later interviews, and secondary summaries rather than directly inspectable medical documentation.
The Real Missing-Time Window
The missing-time period is usually described as lasting from around 4 p.m. until recovery near 11:30 p.m., producing a gap of roughly seven and a half hours. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio…
Yet the chronology is not actually that clean.
Some versions of the story claim Higdon briefly regained awareness around 6 or 6:30 p.m., implying that the “blank” period may have been shorter than often advertised. [Reddit]reddit.comRedditThis abduction case from 1974 might be the inspiration for…It was 6:00 to 6:30 P.M.; a rescue party found him at 11:30 P.M.. Aft… Others compress or omit that stage entirely, creating a more dramatic uninterrupted disappearance.
This uncertainty creates a major interpretive problem. The case is often discussed as if investigators established a precisely documented absence. In reality, the exact sequence remains fuzzy:
- The shot allegedly occurred around 4 p.m.
- Higdon later remembered fragmented events.
- A radio call for help may have occurred around 6:30 p.m.
- Searchers recovered him near 11:30 p.m.
That leaves several unresolved intervals:
- How long was Higdon unconscious, if at all?
- How long was he wandering?
- How long was he sitting in the truck before searchers arrived?
- Was his confusion continuous or intermittent?
The absence of a detailed minute-by-minute reconstruction is one reason the case remains suggestive rather than conclusive.
The Truck Problem
One of the most debated parts of the timeline concerns Higdon’s truck. Later accounts repeatedly claimed the vehicle was found roughly three miles from where he had originally parked it, deep in rough muddy terrain difficult for a two-wheel-drive truck to access. Some retellings further claim there were no tyre tracks leading to the vehicle. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio… [2podcastufo.com]podcastufo.coma wyoming elk hunter takes a ride in a ufoIt had to be towed out. Higdon was taken to Carbon County Hospital in…Read more…
If fully verified, that would represent one of the strongest physical anomalies in the case because it would not depend solely on Higdon’s memory. But the evidential quality is uneven.
Several important questions remain unresolved:
- Was the original parking location independently documented?
- Were photographs taken before recovery?
- What were the precise weather and mud conditions?
- Did searchers literally mean “no visible tracks”, or merely difficult-to-follow tracks?
- Could terrain, snow, mud collapse, darkness, or later towing activity explain the impression?
Most modern summaries repeat the “no tracks” claim without providing original sheriff reports or contemporaneous photographs. As a result, the truck story occupies an uncertain middle ground: too specific to dismiss casually, but too poorly documented to treat as established fact.
Why the Hospital Behaviour Matters More Than the Alien Story
The chronology becomes more compelling when separated from the later extraterrestrial interpretation. Higdon’s confused state reportedly appeared before hypnotic regression and before the fully developed “Ausso One” narrative entered public circulation. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio…
That distinction is significant because critics of UFO abduction cases frequently focus on hypnosis as a source of confabulation or memory contamination. In Higdon’s case, however, several basic claims existed independently of hypnosis:
- he went missing for hours;
- searchers reportedly had difficulty locating him;
- he appeared medically distressed;
- he displayed confusion and memory disruption afterward. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio…
None of those points proves alien contact. But they do explain why the case survived beyond local folklore. Something unusual appears to have happened to Higdon physically or psychologically that night, even if the cause remains disputed.
Sceptics have proposed several alternatives:
- temporary dissociation or psychological shock;
- concussion from a fall in rough terrain;
- exhaustion, dehydration, or exposure;
- misremembered chronology amplified over time;
- contamination from UFO culture and hypnotic suggestion in the 1970s. [Reddit]reddit.comcarl higdons alien encounter of 1974 and itsRedditCarl Higdon's alien encounter of 1974 and its connection to…February 23, 2025 — Under hypnosis Barney Hill drew a sketch of an a…
The difficulty is that no single conventional explanation cleanly accounts for every reported feature, especially the combination of disorientation, missing recollection, alleged truck displacement, and the unusual bullet story.
What the Timeline Can and Cannot Prove
The McCarty Canyon timeline is strongest when treated narrowly and weakest when stretched into certainty.
What the chronology can reasonably support is limited but notable:
- Higdon appears to have undergone a period of confusion and impaired memory.
- A search and recovery operation reportedly occurred.
- Medical personnel allegedly observed unusual disorientation and light sensitivity.
- Several hours of activity remain poorly accounted for. [Cowboy State Daily]cowboystatedaily.comalien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainableCowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain…September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio… [2podcastufo.com]podcastufo.coma wyoming elk hunter takes a ride in a ufoIt had to be towed out. Higdon was taken to Carbon County Hospital in…Read more…
What the timeline cannot independently prove:
- that Higdon was abducted; [reddit.com]reddit.comcarl higdons alien encounter of 1974 and itsRedditCarl Higdon's alien encounter of 1974 and its connection to…February 23, 2025 — Under hypnosis Barney Hill drew a sketch of an a…
- that non-human entities were involved;
- that the truck was impossibly relocated;
- that physical laws were violated during the rifle incident.
The enduring power of the case comes from that unresolved middle territory. Unlike many UFO stories built entirely on distant lights or anonymous witnesses, the Higdon incident contains a tangible human timeline with apparent behavioural consequences. But unlike a well-documented criminal investigation or aviation accident, the surviving evidence is fragmentary, retrospective, and heavily filtered through decades of retelling.
That is why the “missing hours” remain the real core of the Carl Higdon case. The later contact narrative may be the most dramatic part, but the unresolved chronology is the piece investigators still cannot neatly close.
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Endnotes
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Source: podcastufo.com
Title: a wyoming elk hunter takes a ride in a ufo
Link: https://podcastufo.com/a-wyoming-elk-hunter-takes-a-ride-in-a-ufo/Source snippet
It had to be towed out. Higdon was taken to Carbon County Hospital in...Read more...
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Source: cryptidz.fandom.com
Title: Ausso One
Link: https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Ausso_OneSource snippet
Cryptid Wiki - FandomThe witness was a 41 year old oil well driller, husband and father of four, Carl Higdon, who decided to take the day...
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/aliens/comments/sb30zl/this_abduction_case_from_1974_might_be_the/Source snippet
RedditThis abduction case from 1974 might be the inspiration for...It was 6:00 to 6:30 P.M.; a rescue party found him at 11:30 P.M.. Aft...
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Source: reddit.com
Title: carl higdons alien encounter of 1974 and its
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/skeptic/comments/1iw7139/carl_higdons_alien_encounter_of_1974_and_its/Source snippet
RedditCarl Higdon's alien encounter of 1974 and its connection to...February 23, 2025 — Under hypnosis Barney Hill drew a sketch of an a...
Published: February 23, 2025
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Source: reddit.com
Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/StrangeEarth/comments/17d1zo8/carl_higdons_humanoidufo_encounter_alien_named/Source snippet
t miles away in a spacecraft. Aliens & UFOs.Read more...
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Source: cowboystatedaily.com
Title: alien abductions of 2 wyoming men in the 1970s remain unexplainable
Link: https://cowboystatedaily.com/2023/09/30/alien-abductions-of-2-wyoming-men-in-the-1970s-remain-unexplainable/Source snippet
Cowboy State DailyAlien Abductions Of 2 Wyoming Men In The 1970s Remain...September 30, 2023 — 30 Sept 2023 — The March 16, 1973, editio...
Published: September 30, 2023
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Source: mydarkpath.com
Title: My Dark Path The alien abduction of Carl Higdon It’s Friday,
Link: https://www.mydarkpath.com/77-carl-higdonSource snippet
The alien abduction of Carl HigdonIt's Friday, October 25, 1974, around 4 p.m. In the remote Medicine Bow National Forest, south of Rawli...
Published: October 25, 1974
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/fiveunknownfacts/posts/he-pulled-the-trigger-and-the-bullet-simply-fell-out-of-the-air-in-the-fall-of-1/1554163309609136/Source snippet
was soon found - and was taken to the hospital due to his "unusual state.Read more...
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Source: facebook.com
Link: https://www.facebook.com/UnexplainedMysteriousUniverse/posts/carl-higdon-was-allegedly-abducted-by-aliens-on-october-25-1974-while-he-was-hun/674385281359569/Source snippet
was soon found - and was taken to the hospital due to his "unusual state."...Read more...
Additional References
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Source: facebook.com
Title: both carl higdon and pat mcguire made national headlines in the 1970s when in se
Link: https://www.facebook.com/cowboystatedaily/posts/both-carl-higdon-and-pat-mcguire-made-national-headlines-in-the-1970s-when-in-se/1147219080754126/Source snippet
Both Carl Higdon and Pat McGuire made national...Both Carl Higdon and Pat McGuire made national headlines in the 1970s when, in separate...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: in the fall of 1974 a routine elk hunt in wyomings medicine bow national forest
Link: https://www.facebook.com/LifeFactsInc/posts/in-the-fall-of-1974-a-routine-elk-hunt-in-wyomings-medicine-bow-national-forest-/1333173122183993/Source snippet
In the fall of 1974, a routine elk hunt in Wyoming's Medicine...After finding his misplaced truck, Carl Higdon radioed for help - was so...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDx0uMPivJYSource snippet
The Alien Abduction of Carl HigdonStep into the shadowy fringes of the unknown with My Dark Path as we unravel one of the most bizarre UF...
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Source: instagram.com
Link: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYfyeLJkchy/Source snippet
It was almost like it was just dropped in the bog with, you know, Carl inside of it. OCR.Read more...
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Source: pararational.com
Title: the 1974 carl higdon abduction wyoming hunter meets ausso one
Link: https://www.pararational.com/the-1974-carl-higdon-abduction-wyoming-hunter-meets-ausso-one/Source snippet
Carl Higdon Abduction 1974: Wyoming Alien MysteryCarl Higdon's 1974 encounter involved a humanoid alien and interplanetary travel, backed...
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Source: facebook.com
Title: Brought up the “Alien Abduction” Memory
Link: https://www.facebook.com/stewartfriesenracing/posts/brought-up-the-alien-abduction-memory-matt-crafton-was-pretty-shocked-it-seems/1843889909051805/Source snippet
Matt Crafton was...Such is the case of Carl Higdon, an elk hunter, who said he was abducted by a humanoid creature on Oct. 25, 1974, at...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: Carl & Margery Higdon | The Carl Higdon Alien Abduction Story
Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=789LVh-GF1YSource snippet
Wyoming hunter Carl Higdon and his alien abduction experience in Medicine Bow National Forest, 1974 Eyes On Cinema · 21K views...
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Source: youtube.com
Title: The Mysterious ALIEN ABDUCTION of CARL HIGDONEpisode 434
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fGNRjfGEC_ESource snippet
This story is of a man name Carl Higdon that was abducted by an alien named Ausso One in 1974 and was taken back to the aliens...
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Source: open.spotify.com
Link: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5bjgD2dSKQVkEOJd4t3tZFSource snippet
Higdon and the Being Called Ausso One | Scary True...In 1974 Carl Higdon went on an elk hunting trip in Wyoming that ended in a surreal...
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Source: youtube.com
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6LCz175is4Source snippet
1 | Part Two | Missing Time. Bedtime...Read more...
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