Skinwalker

Skinwalker is the eleventh episode of the first season of the thriller horror docudrama found-footage television series Lost Tapes. It originally aired on Animal Planet on February 10th, 2009 and was directed by Douglas Segal.

Plot
Andy Miller returned to his home at Skinwalker Ranch to visit his parents after two years away at college studying political science, as well as to try to repair the strained relationship he developed with his father after leaving for college instead of staying to work on the ranch. He videotapes the trip to show his girlfriend when he returns to college. Shortly after arriving, his parents approach.

Andy joins his father as they drive out onto the ranch to check on a mother sheep that had recently given birth. His father tells him of a recent coyote problem that had developed at the ranch, and after a while they drive past a strange Native American woman walking along the road, who is wearing animal hides and making strange growling sounds. When Andy asks him about it, his father dismisses it as simply being that there are several reservations in the area around the ranch.

As they arrive at the north end of the ranch, where the mother sheep is being kept. As they walk up into the hills, they spot tracks in the dust. Andy notices that, while the tracks start off looking like those of a coyote, they turn into what appear to be human footprints as they progress through the sand.

They suddenly hear Andy's mother calling from the truck. At first, they think that they had left the truck's radio on, but when they arrive, they find that it has been off the whole time. They then hear coyote calls from up in the hills and the bleating of a sheep. Andy's father grabs a rifle from the truck and they head towards where the sheep is being kept. A coyote suddenly appears on a ridge, and Andy's father shoots at it, but it seems to disappear.

They finally arrive at the pen where the mother sheep is being kept, but find it slaughtered, and the lamb is missing. They suddenly hear what appears to be an entire pack of coyotes approaching them and they decide to leave as night begins to fall. As they drive back, they see what appears to be the woman from before up on a ridge. It is completely dark in a short while, and a person, presumably the same woman from before, suddenly walks out into the road in front of them and seems to be hit by the truck.

When they get out to check on her, they find only the missing lamb wrapped up in the animal hides the woman had been wearing. Andy suddenly hears a sound and turns just in time to see a coyote running away at the edge of the headlights' beams. Andy returned to college, switching his field of study to Native American mythology. The coyote problem ceased shortly after his visit, but his parents continue to report strange animal calls and sounds on their ranch at night.