YEAR: 1974

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

DATE: 16

STATE: Michigan

COUNTY: Calhoun County

LOCATION DETAILS: This happened 30 years ago. I haven't lived in Michigan since 1979. Details on location, time might be a little fuzzy. What I saw is burned into my mind.

NEAREST TOWN: Marshall

NEAREST ROAD: Gooselake Road

OBSERVED: I am an X-ray repair man. I traveled between Kalamazoo, Battlecreek, Coldwater and Niles Michigan. Most of my work was at night. I usally took back roads as it was faster than driving out of the way to get on the interstate. On several occasions in the area know as Gooselake, Michigan. On Gooselake road, I observed a big creature cross the road in front of me. Approximately 20 feet in front of me. Upright, Redish in color, and tall. Maybe 7 to 8 feet. The first time I saw it I wasn't sure that I wasn't sleepy or my eyes playing tricks on me. The next week when I went through there I was going slower and watching for it.I was paying close attention and there it was again. On the side of the road with what looked like road kill or something. It was smelling this thing and examining it very carefully. I sat in the middle of the road (in my car) for about three minutes when it gets up and starts walking towards my truck. I was about 30 feet away this time. When it got within ten feet I started backing up to keep a distance between me and it. It was dead on in my headlights. I could see it had sexual organ (male). This wasn't anyone wearing a costume. It scared the the living daylights out of me. I backed up a liitle farther and it stopped coming towards me. It just turned away and walked down into the ditch at the side of the road and walked into the woods. I stepped on the gas and got out of there. I never took that road again. And, until now I've never told anyone about this for fear of ridicule.

ALSO NOTICED: This creature didn't make a sound.

OTHER WITNESSES: There was one witness. He is now a born again christian and refuses to acknowledge this since believes it was the devils work.

OTHER STORIES: Don't know.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 12:30 a.m. Dark of night. Little or no moon.

ENVIRONMENT: Swamp and forrest. Most farms or houses in the area have oil wells on the property. Houses are few and far between.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I spoke with the witness by phone.

The witness stated that he was able to study the face while they were staring at each other. His impression was that it did not look like a gorilla but more like a "caveman".

He also observed that it had huge hands with long fingers. He said that its fur was matted and dirty. As the animal proceeded to leave it walked kind of stooped and "with an attitude" as it stomped off the road and into the brush.

About BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

Stan Courtney has a special interest in wildlife audio recording. He has attended numerous BFRO Expeditions. See Stan's blog StanCourtney.com for recordings he has collected over the years.

Stan Courtney can be reached at illinois@bfro.net