Bigfoot hoax ruined my life, says Australian man

An Australian man says his life has been ruined since he exposed a world-famous Bigfoot hoax.

Andrew Clacy left his home in Wodonga, Victoria, last December to join self-described Bigfoot hunter Rick Dyer, who claimed to have shot a Sasquatch dead and put it in a glass case.

Clacy put his life on hold and joined the Texan’s entourage to court media attention for what he thought would be a history-making adventure.

For three months the Australian toured the US believing "Hank" was a genuine Bigfoot carcass – even after touching the creature's foot.

"It felt slimy and like a dog's paw," he told 9 Stories.

But the fantasy was shattered in March when Dyer, a serial Bigfoot hoaxer, privately admitted eight-foot-tall Hank was a dummy made in a Washington toy store.

Clacy says he struggled with denial but soon decided to expose the hoax to the media.

"I was broken-hearted when I came back to Australia," he said.

"I felt like a fool."

The venture left the Victorian $12,000 out of pocket, damaged his business and his family, and has seen him ridiculed by friends.

Dyer, since being exposed, has also allegedly conducted an online campaign to abuse and discredit Clacy, even trying to hack his emails.

In a series of rants on his blog, Dyer has accused Clacy of knowing Hank was a hoax for the months he was promoting it – a claim the Victorian denies.

"He is actively trying to destroy me and (other former associates)," Clacy said.

"That's our reward for telling the truth."

Clacy admits he was foolish to be duped by the notorious Bigfoot fraudster, who pulled off a similar hoax in 2008 with a rubber ape suit in a freezer.

"I asked him if this was the real deal, and he said: 'Would I do this to my own family?'" he told 9 Stories.

The Texan even had a phony taxidermist and doctor brought in to confirm the beast was real in front of the team.

"There were much smarter guys than me who believed it," he said.

"I thought I was part of something huge, I thought I was going to be part of history."9 Stories tried to contact Dyer for comment but received no response.

Hank the Bigfoot was eventually sold to the Mr Happy Wellness Centre in Colorado, a medical marijuana dispensary.

In spite of his ordeal, Clacy still believes there is a real Bigfoot out there somewhere.