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Evolution is about to be kicked in the teeth by some very large feet. An ancient terror has descended upon a remote Colorado town. The legendary beasts known as Sasquatch have emerged from the woods, hell-bent on killing everything in their path.

The only thing standing in their way are a group of wayward campers, a few scared survivors, and the crew of a cable TV show...but it might just be enough.

It's muscle and fury versus a whole lot of bullets in a battle to determine once and for all; Who is the hunter and who is the hunted.

1 pages, Audio CD

First published February 2, 2012

304 people are currently reading
377 people want to read

About the author

Rick Gualtieri

85 books764 followers
Rick Gualtieri loves to write adventure, mayhem, and snarky dialogue. His bestselling Tome of Bill series combines all of this into a world of supernatural danger with hard-hitting action and plenty of sharp-tongued geeky humor.

Rick lives alone in a dark, evil place called New Jersey with only his wife, three kids, and countless pets to both keep him company and constantly plot against him. When he's not busy monkey-clicking out words, he can typically be found jealously guarding his collection of vintage Transformers from all who would seek to defile them.

Defilers beware!

Email: rickg.author@gmail.com

Facebook: facebook.com/RickGualtieriAuthor

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5 stars
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews
Profile Image for Marie.
1,119 reviews389 followers
April 30, 2020
This book is a grabber as it is fast paced from the first chapter and keeps a grip hold all the way to the end of the book!

Myth and legend comes alive in this book Bigfoot Hunters as some friends decide to go camping out in the woods in Colorado and end up getting the surprise of their life for what they encounter.

Not only are the campers endangered by Bigfoot monsters, but a small town in Colorado is also on the list of the rampage by the beasts. In steps a crew of crypto hunters from a cable tv show that bring along some fire power to take care of the problem. The crypto hunters meet up with the campers and everyone tries to stay alive throughout the book.

I really liked all the main characters in the book and throughout the book the story is also told from the point of view of the Bigfoot beasts which gives the book a little more perspective as it gives the beasts an intelligence as they go on their rampage through the woods and the town!

There is blood, gore, action, and mean, furry beasts that take the reader on a thill ride into the unknown woods of Colorado!

Four stars on this book and a new horror author to add to my list.
Profile Image for Solace Winter.
1,877 reviews8 followers
March 5, 2012
I will be honest. I did not read the description of this book before I dove in. It was by Gualtieri, who I had previously reviewed with Bill the Vampire, which was hilarious. I probably was expecting similar hilarity in this novel, and while a few good parts did make me laugh (anything involving Paula) this book was not meant for hilarity. It is first, and foremost, a horror. I hate the horror genre! Why am I reading this novel? Besides the aforementioned, it was by Rick Gualtieri. Well then…

Plot: Six teenagers go camping in the woods. Within the woods they encounter something that wants to destroy them apart. Sound like a campy horror movie plot? Sure, it is, but it’s also done in a way that is not redundant. Enter the actual Bigfoot Hunters, a group of men that know the secret of these elusive creatures. Saying too much more gives away a few of the plot twists, which we know I’m not about doing. I despise spoilers. However, about 30% through I was wondering where the novel could possibly go from there and found that the six teenagers camping in the woods was just the prelude to the true horror.

Characters: There were quite a few characters in this novel, from the six teenagers, the four Hunters, and the townspeople surrounding the forest. Gualtieri surprised me with a few characters because they were not what I was expecting and the ending was not where I expected it to go. Every character has a unique quality, which is amazing considering that this is not a long novel.

Only complaints about this novel is what I normally would complain about in horror movies: body count. I have a bleeding heart at times during novels so it is rough for me to see a character I was rooting for die. Horribly. But Gualtieri does what needs to be done while covering the destruction it all leaves in the wake. Excellent writing style that has improved since the last novel I’ve read by him and great for any fans of horror, or people who want to read horror that has actual character development.

Reasons to read:

4. Beautifully written for such horrible destruction

3. Bigfoot

2. Compelling story while following horror cliché

1. Paula is just ridiculous enough to at least lighten the mood

Reasons not to read:

3. You absolutely hate the horror genre

2. You think Bigfoot should act like Harry

1. You don’t like descriptions of blood and gore
Profile Image for Empress Reece (Hooked on Books).
915 reviews82 followers
August 6, 2018
This is the first book in the Tales of the Crypto series. It's about a group of college kids that go camping for the week and encounter a Bigfoot clan and a group of government cryptid- hunters.

This is a fun, fast-paced story with tons of action and a likeable cast of characters. If you can't stomach a lot of gore and violent deaths though, you might want to pass.

Profile Image for Hunter Shea.
Author 66 books1,007 followers
December 19, 2021
What's better than one crazed sasquatch? A whole clan of them! What a vicious, run romp through the forest (and a poor town) with the Crypto Hunters. I had such a blast reading this. Looking forward to the next book.
Profile Image for Bo.
305 reviews7 followers
May 26, 2025
Alright, fellow cryptid believers—this one’s for us. I’ve read a fair share of creature features, but Bigfoot Hunters grabbed me by the throat from the brutal prologue and didn’t let up. Rick Gualtieri knows his horror, and he knows how to make Bigfoot more terrifying than any grainy trail-cam photo ever could.
This isn’t just a bloodbath in the woods—though don’t worry, there’s plenty of that. It’s got that slow-burn start with a sprinkle of small-town charm and “damn kids on spring break” energy before it dives headfirst into full-blown furry chaos. Once the carnage starts, it’s like someone hit fast-forward on a slasher flick. Think Feast meets The Descent, but with a towering, rage-fueled cryptid at the center of it all.
And yes, I believe Bigfoot is real. After reading this? I’m starting to think he’s pissed.
Gualtieri blends humor, gore, and legit cryptozoological fun in a way that makes the story fly by. The man writes like he’s directing a midnight creature feature—and I was here for every bloody second. Bonus points for characters who actually feel like real people (even if they don’t all make it out alive ).
If you’re into b-movie energy, dark humor, and sasquatch mayhem, this one needs to hit your TBR. Just maybe don’t read it alone in the woods. Or with anything rustling in the trees…
Profile Image for Rick Bylina.
Author 10 books17 followers
April 4, 2012
Don't take this book on a camping trip. Take it to the beach. You'll thank me later. In the beginning of "Bigfoot Hunters" by Rick Gualtieri, I was thinking 'another typical Tuesday night made-for-TV movie (book).' Which kids get whacked by doing something stupid? But the action and stakes kept rising until it is outright carnage and full-scale war between Bigfoot and man. I was in it for the full ride. Though I think Rick gave away too much with continual 'what he/she/it didn't know' lines, it was done well. Hopefully for his next book, he'll let the action rip and scare us even further with turn-of-events that haven't had their horror broadcasted moments earlier.

Still, he stayed away from cliché situations and cardboard characters for the most part, giving the main characters more balance then typical horror fare. And there were a lot of characters and a boatload of POVs (Point-of-Views). Though not a fan of stories with a cast of hundreds, I never felt lost flopping from one situation to the other when the action heated up and you needed to catch up with the latest victim and occasional survivor. Some of his twists caught me and the angry Bigfoots by surprise. And there's one girl I want on my side in any situation. I've camped in the Wolf Creek Pass area years ago, and if Bigfoot is around, this is certainly territory worthy of their homestead. "Bigfoot Hunters" is a solid "4." Wait, what was that horrible shrill call from the woods?
Profile Image for Maria.
2,987 reviews96 followers
January 27, 2022
I always want to believe that Bigfoot will be a cool, cuddly cryptid just like he appears on so many commercials so it's sad to read books like this and come to the realization that he most likely won't end up being my best friend. That being said, this was a thrilling, nonstop, action-packed book filled with every cliché and stereotype possible (all tongue-in-cheek). There were parts where I was laughing but most of the time I was glued to this story, trying to make sense of how my cuddly guy (and friends) could wreak such havoc. I enjoyed this and will definitely read the next one.
Profile Image for Melissa.
Author 3 books111 followers
July 15, 2012


Bigfoot is REAL!! Or at least in theory according to Rick Gualtieri's latest horror book. Bigfoot Hunters is written in 3rd person POV and is very reminiscent of Mary Shelly's Frankenstein. He get's you inside the mind of the Alpha Bigfoot via italicized excerpts. It's truly fascinating.



Being a girl, horror isn't generally something I read (not that they're aren't girls who LOVE this stuff, but I'm sure the majority of horror fans are male). Anyhow, this was actually my first go at it and I'm so happy I took the chance. Rick is an exceptional writer with a real knack for flow, description and characterization.



The book focus' on a group of young adults who set out on a camping/hiking trip in the mountains. Things go awry when they get attacked by an angry Sasquatch who has separated from his clan. Just when you think he has nowhere to go with his story after unexpectedly ending the first climatic scene, he unleashes a fury of death and destruction I never thought possible. And the root of it all will make you laugh, sigh and think WOW, that is totally plausible if and this is a big IF, Bigfoot were real.



When reviewing this book from my own personal eyes, the only thing that makes it fall short is its lack of a romance. Was there some crazy lust scenes added in for dramatic affect? Yes. Did they make we want to turn the pages like a Nicholas Sparks novel? No. Is it stupid of me to want this from a horror novel? I don't think so.



Why....? 



Well, for starters if horror novelists want to tap into a new market and gain new readers then they better start including something for the ladies. I would definitely be a repeat customer of Rick's if he even just gave me the slightest romance on the side. It doesn't have to be all Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams-esque where he finds himself channeling his inner Notebook while massacring the townspeople, but a little something would be nice and greatly appreciated. So listen up Rick, if you want me and my 300+ book reading friends to start reading horror do us a favor and give us some hearts and sunshine. I know you can do it! Your stellar writing speaks for itself.



With that being said I just have to clarify that the ending of Bigfoot Hunters was profoundly superb. He did things with the characters I wasn't expecting and took the disaster of the situation to new levels. Never once did I doubt the situations he placed his characters in or their responses to the world they had been unwillingly placed in. Bravo Rick. Bravo. I raise my glass to you and salute your talent. I hope your writing takes you on an impossible journey, albeit one with less blood and viscera splattered about. 



And lastly, to end this poignant look into a book where almost everyone dies, lives, makes love, goes insane, kills someone, gets decapitated uh never-mind I'm not telling you how it ends. But if your interested in learning more then check out my behind the scenes look into the mind of our loveable psycho killer - Rick Gualtieri - on www.theindiebookshelf.blogspot.com. The review/interview goes live 7/15/12 - 2pm EST.
Profile Image for Cujo.
217 reviews13 followers
March 26, 2022
I grew up in the mountains and deep woods of Northeast PA and because of that Sasquatch have been one of my favorite Cryptids or "monsters" since I was little. My friends and I would explore the mountain and woods behind our neighborhood and say we were going on a Bigfoot hunt. As an adult my love for these animals never lessened and for years I have searched for a horror book about these creatures that wasn't complete garbage, and at long last I have found one. This book about the sasquatch who have become dangerous thanks to a very real and terrifying disease, had me hooked from the very first couple of pages. Add in some very likable characters and I say I hope the rest of this series is as good as the first book.
Profile Image for C.T. Phipps.
Author 93 books670 followers
April 28, 2022
BIGFOOT HUNTERS is a new novel series by one of my favorite urban fantasy writers. Rick Gualtieri wrote the fantastic BILL THE VAMPIRE series as well as THE HYBRID OF HIGH MOON that is a cozy urban fantasy I wish there were more entries in. This, however, is a straight up horror novel with almost none of the humor. Basically, a slasher movie or two with the protagonists being a bit smarter and more likable than the typical fair of such films. Which, given I love slasher movies, is a very good thing.

I felt like they actually killed a few too many characters at the end but that's the nature of the medium I guess. It reminds me a good deal of the UNTIL DAWN video game that works best if you save everyone.
Profile Image for John Allen.
Author 8 books23 followers
February 20, 2013
While I was impressed with the premise of Rick Gualtieri's Bigfoot Hunters, I wasn't as equally impressed with the characters. The story overall was good and I could visualize the scenes pretty well. It certainly had it's good moments and I found the subject matter to be well thought out and researched however, the character interactions were too spoofed and cliche for my tastes. Given other aspects of the novel, I can only expect bigger, and better future work from Gualtieri, who is I think on to something with the subject matter and premise. I encourage you to read the book for yourself and to support this author in his writing career.
Profile Image for Myra Gabor.
227 reviews4 followers
July 29, 2017
First book I've read by Rick Gualtieri, but it is a corker! The story starts out fairly tamely with some college friends deciding to go camping. Most of them know each other, but some are new to the group. A few are experienced campers and are willing to set the pace. They top up their supplies in the teeny tiny town of Bonanza Creek, where we meet, or just miss meeting, some of the townies. All of the townies are annoyed with the increasing amount of tourists who manage to go missing in the woods. Not a one of them puts any credence in the sasquatch, or bigfoot, stories. Which is why,when the group comes across downed trees and loud noises, they are willing to put it down to marauding bears. The tension builds and builds. When all are put in danger, some run and some fight, but they all react in totally human, as opposed to superhero, ways. My only complaint is that I would have liked more of the people in the story to have lived through the events. I'm definitely a happy ending kind of person.
Profile Image for Leo.
4,984 reviews627 followers
August 27, 2021
I was not expecting this to be such an actionpacked, gory, awesomeness! It was extremely entertaining and hard to out down the audiobook, found my self really waiting for the next time I had a chance to listen to this audiobook. Didn't realise what a intruiging beast, bigfoot could be. Highly recommends this audiobook and I will definitely listen to the next one!
Profile Image for James.
33 reviews
June 19, 2012


I love Mr. Gualtieri's books and Bigfoot Hunters is no exception. His characters are very natural and real. His laid back writing style make his stories come to life. He is an extremely talented writer. Totally Awesome again.
Profile Image for Mark.
268 reviews6 followers
November 16, 2021
Great rampaging sasquatch! This should be made into a movie. Hopefully not one of those off-mark SciFi channel affairs filmed in Eastern Europe. Though, if it was, it would be one of the better ones.
Profile Image for Taylor.
425 reviews3 followers
January 21, 2025
⭐️ 3.5 - B rated Bigfoot movie in the form of a novel. Action packed and enjoyable audio book. I will be reading/listening to the second one. 👣🪵🪓🩸
Profile Image for Kaitlin Campbell.
22 reviews
August 20, 2025
This was exactly the kind of monster book I love! It was fun and fast paced and gory without being over the top. Action started right away. Just the kind of thing I love. I'm eager to check out the other books in this series now!
Profile Image for Troy Neenan.
Author 13 books11 followers
July 6, 2020
I recently finished reading Rick Gualtieri's Bigfoot Hunters book and this might sound a little controversial but I enjoyed it more than his Bill the Vampire and Get Bent books.
There is a lot of visually inspiring words and it makes for a good horror story.

Plot: The first act of the book has a group of camping university students go camping and get attacked by bigfoot. Things escalate quickly in third act and I can't go too into without giving away the spoilers.

What I like about this book is the visuals the author throws at the reader. There is some decent action in it and the author isn't afraid to pull punches with the kills. The voice actor does also have a good range of voices and you can feel the barely contained rage in their bigfoot voice.
Profile Image for Angel.
383 reviews35 followers
June 5, 2024
DNF. I was listening to the audiobook and the story was good until they introduced the character Wildflower. He’s the only person of color who is native American in this book is written is racist AF. His name is Wildflower(wtf) and he’s a poorly written caricature. Why was the Native American person written this way? It’s a lazy trope and not only offensive but exhausting. Ruins the whole damn story. Fucking unbelievable. The entire character is a trope from the way he dresses to the ridiculous weird dialogue. Native American people are more than just buck skins and long hair and mysticism and wisdom. It’s it’s so embarrassing. He owes the entire indigenous population a damn apology for this shit.
As for the other characters, especially the women they’re also poorly developed and flat.
46 reviews1 follower
January 23, 2018
Not sure when I finished this kindle book, but it was SO good! Harrison and his friends are going backpacking/camping in the woods when they are attacked by bigfoot. With the help of the “Crypto Hunters” (Think Dog the Bounty Hunter mixed with Steve Irwin) they survive, but that’s not the end of the adventure. The battle at the end of the book devastates the town, and the horrors... oh boy. SO GOOD! I am pretty sure that this is just the beginning of this series as the end left it open for more. If so, I can’t wait!
Profile Image for Linda Grant.
89 reviews
October 6, 2019
What?

You meet the characters, empathise with them and wave them off to happier times, then Rick decides to take the story rip off its head and pull its guts out of its neck. If you think people will survive just because they are a main character, or that you like them , or even because they deserve to live then you'd be wrong. I just hope that book two, Devil Hunters, will leave enough of the original characters to warrant a third outing.
Profile Image for Tom Quinn.
654 reviews245 followers
April 18, 2016
You guys, the title is... it's like... what if WE aren't hunting the bigfoots but THEY'RE hunting US?

Trashy. Goofy. Zany. Horror movie schlock mixed with a lurid romance novel. It's exactly what you're expecting and you already know if this is the type of book for you.

1 star out of 5. "Guilty pleasure" reading at best. Capably written bullshit, but bullshit all the same.
4 reviews
September 25, 2017
Wow! If the author of this could make dozens more of those that'd be great!
Seriously, I love these kinds of books and there are far (!) too few quality authors indulging the subject on the ficiton side. Sure you got loads of 20 pages "books" but nothing like this.
So please, Mr. Gualtieri, there are many more cryptids out there and a lot more stories. I would read them all in a heartbeat!
Profile Image for Glen.
60 reviews
July 12, 2018
Cool new story, starting what could be a great series

If you like crypotozoology fiction, and especially if you like Rick G's previous books, you'll like this one! A little gory at times, if you're minds "plays the movie" in your brain as you read, like mine does, but a good read.
58 reviews1 follower
January 26, 2019
A Page Turner!

Really did not know what to expect, but it turned out to be really good. It is really about survival, and what can happen when you let your guard down. I am not going to give any spoilers, but it really makes you wonder, if there might be said about Crypto-Animals being out there. Definitely looking forward to reading more from this series, and author.
121 reviews3 followers
August 30, 2020
Wild!

Horror, action-adventure, and cryptozoology all rolled into one book. No one is safe in the woods because something is hell-bent on gruesomely murdering everyone. In order to survive, everyone will need a lot of luck and bravery because no where is safe. Read the book to find out what caused this and who survives. I will definitely read the whole series.
181 reviews3 followers
June 12, 2017
Bigfoot Hunters

Wow....great book, strong characters, especially Danni....Lots of edge of your seat action and horror....Loved this book about what happens when a Bigfoot Clan gets rabies...No one is safe
Profile Image for Veronica.
751 reviews18 followers
May 26, 2014
I found it to be light reading and lots of fun if you enjoy camping, survivor stories and of course bigfoot.
Profile Image for Ziggy Nixon.
1,147 reviews36 followers
March 2, 2023
First sentence of Prologue: "Gil Mercer loved camping."
My immediate reaction: "Well, this guy's fucked!"

Okay, okay: no spoilers, I promise! I mean, it's not like you're going to get any hints from the title or the cover of the book, right? Anywho, once we make it past the rather brutal wake-up call of the prologue, Rick Gualtieri's "Bigfoot Hunters: A Horror Adventure (Tales of the Crypto-Hunter Book 1)" [noting that is the last time I type out the full title] starts off with a kind of tranquil easiness that belies all that is about to happen to our collected group of innocent (+/-) undergraduates and townspersons. And like, well, every book of his that I've read, the author's prose makes for smooth reading and generates an instant interest in what's going to happen not only in the coming few chapters, but the rest of the book(s) as well!

There was a certain element of uncertainty when dealing with creatures unclassified by science.

Unlike some of his other story-lines - obviously then paying proper hommage and adoration then to the Billverse or the Bent stories - this one starts out at least ever so slightly more in the direction of Young Adult fiction. None of this was 'unwelcome', mind you, and reminded me of more than a few schlocky horror films I've both cringed and laughed at over the years! Still, I did find myself ever so slightly missing a bit more of the adult take brought by (for example) Bill's coven friends or even Tara Bentley and her family and fellow enchanted cast members, which goes a long way to making her seem a lot older than she really is! The BH:AHA(TotCHB1) gang isn't bad by any stretch of the imagination but it has been a long time since I started college. Holy shit, it's been 40 years in fact come this September. No wonder I'm so jaded (not jealous, I definitely said jaded)! Damn kids, bleeding all over my forest…

Rage! He couldn’t remember when he had felt anything other than a seething hatred for all things.

But worry not true believers, for my patience paid off! In patented Gualtieri fashion, the fecal matter is slams right into the rotating oscillator at about the 20% mark - both literally and, um, literaturally (which may not be a real word but you can buy sweatshirts with it printed on them so surely that counts?)! In keeping with the theme of movies, there's hardly enough time to get all your illicit snacks out of your parka and make that first awkward pass at (on?) your date before the send-the-kids-to-bed level carnage commences! In reading terms, it just means you better not blink or you'll miss something or someone flying by! Just about the time you think it's safe to sit back and chomp down some Milkduds, well, we start using words like offal and viscera because, you know, yum! And I bet you guys thought COVID was a bitch, huh?

This situation was rapidly turning into a giant furry clusterfuck.

Overall, I really enjoyed how smoothly this story read, not only from the style of prose but how each layer of this, well, not so much mystery but 'epic event' is unveiled. Sure, like I mentioned, when we started it seemed like all the dumb college kids were going to be slowly but surely wiped out and that would be that. But like so many of his other stories, Gualtieri's ability to weave in seemingly secondary characters and create a much more expansive tale is second to none. The things that happen in the coming chapters to the poor folks of Nowhere, Colorado are truly horrifying. I found myself just wanting to read faster and faster to see how it would all turn out!

As the night wore on, Bonanza Creek became less of a town and more a graveyard.

Yes, there is humor mixed in with all this, fear thee not! Heck, just finding out about Phil is worth the price of admission alone! And don't get me started about what they do with that convenient listening equipment in the van! Plus, if you enjoy a bit of imaginative yet utterly convincing (paleo)anthropology, well, you've come to the right place! It might not jive completely with your more Turd-like approach we've gotten to know in other story-lines, but what the heck, as long as we have some hope for the two-legged things making it out of this in at least a reasonable number of pieces!

I’m not quite ready to start believing in zombie sasquatches.
[reviewer note: though that would be AWESOME!]

Good stuff! Now outta my way, I've got Book 2 burnin' a hole in m'Kindle and shitty March weather doing nothing but convincin' me to keep a'readin'!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 105 reviews

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