Bonners Ferry, Idaho

Bonners Ferry, nestled along the banks of the beautifully scenic Kootenai River in North Idaho, fall duck hunting season, 1987. Credible businessman recollects an incident that happened in route to his favorite duck-hunting pond with cousin and two others.

"That morning my cousin Steve and I were heading south towards the duck blind at our usual duck hunting pond-site near Bonner's Ferry, Idaho. Bonner's Ferry is located in the panhandle of Idaho near the Canadian Border. There were four of us, two already waiting at the pond. My cousin and I left the parked car along side the logging road and began walking towards the pond. It was approximately 6:15 a.m. In the stillness of the morning as we walked along the logging road towards the duck blind, we heard trees snapping about 50 yards away from us, some kind of movement in the timber. I didn't think much about it at the time, being anxious to get to the duck blind and all I thought it was elk or deer perhaps. Thinking back, that didn't make sense. As the morning progressed, I began running short of shells and decided to walk back to the truck to get another box of shells, which were left there. I was younger, and a poor shot back then. I left the group and backtracked from the pond to the logging road where the truck was parked. It was 9:30 a.m. Walking back along the road, my shotgun dangling through my arm, I heard that same breaking of branches moving to the side of me going in the same direction, branches breaking and obvious movement in the thick timber and undergrowth. I stopped, it stopped. This time I thought it might be a bear but most likely elk. But what was happening didn't fit the known behavior of either animal I thought. Nearing the car, I stopped again, looked in the direction of the noise and hearing branches breaking again I raised my shotgun. Hell, I didn't know what I was going to do and I was out of shells. As suddenly as I raised my shotgun I heard this terrible scream! It sounded like a woman screaming, but deep throated, guttural pitched sound about 50 yards away. It's difficult to describe something you've never hear before and I've never heard anything like it! It was a loud long screaming tone that echoed through the trees. I cannot describe the terror I felt. I ran to the truck and locked myself inside completely shaken. It was some time before I recovered. I know elk, deer and bear sounds very well. It didn't fit. Back at the pond, they heard it too. I wish someone would send me a recording of Bigfoot, so that I might do a comparison. While the years have passed, it is a sound I will never forget.

My home is in Hayden Lake, Idaho. I prefer my name be withheld except to researchers or to someone with sound recordings of Bigfoot. Being computer illiterate, I am not online. The sounds can be mailed to my Grandfather in Post Falls."

Report taken by phone by Bobbie Short at the behest of Tom Akren, Post Falls, Idaho 1996.