YEAR: 1998

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: April

STATE: Missouri

COUNTY: Ripley County

LOCATION DETAILS: 37 mileseast of Riverton Mo turn on V highway go five or so miles turn on the government road When you see the sign fo Fouche Lake go three to five miles down there to the lake.

NEAREST TOWN: Riverton

NEAREST ROAD: V highway

OBSERVED: About seven years ago some friends and I went camping. At a lake called Fourche Lake. The lake is a small sucluded lake about 10 acres or so and not very heavily used in the Mark Twain National Forest. There is one road in and about 3-5 miles off the highway. So I cant imagine anyone out there and if they came down the road we would have heared them unless the walked and it would have been a long walk.

We where all siting around the camp fire talking and something come runing out of the woods. Just out of the distance of the light of our camp fire and ran down toward the lake. Where the moon light was the fairly bright. It ran around that area for awhile almost like it was running circles like it was confused. It also was waving it arms and making a very strange noise. Then ran back in the woods.

It's appearance was diferent from most that people report. It was about four feet tall like a baby bigfoot. It was on two legs and very stalkey and the sounds it made were not like any of the ones on your web sight.

A few years back I was whatching a t.v. show that was about bigfoot. They had some audio of sounds much like the ones you have. But there was a man in Colaorado that had a recording that was diferent he had it tested by some scientist and he said it was something unexplainable. But it sounded just like what I herd.

Now I dont know what I herd or saw was a big foot. But I know I can't explaing it. I have done a lot of camping and hunting before and since this and have never seen or herd anything like it.

ALSO NOTICED: We looked for prints in the morning but the ground was pretty hard and found nothing.

OTHER WITNESSES: I belive there was seven of us. We were just siting around talking.

OTHER STORIES: no.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: somewhere between midnight and probaly three in the morning. There was a full moon and in clear opening

ENVIRONMENT: I belive it was a pine forest but not for positive it may have been just a regular oak forest. Near a small lake this area is not at all heavily populated and quiet a ways from the nearest house

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Tony Gerard:

I spoke to the reporting witness and one other individual who was present during the incident. The witness said the animal ran from the woods near their fire toward the lake, a distance of about 75 yards. It ran in circles as if confused, all the while waving its arms above its head and vocalizing. Although the reporting witness said he had no real impression of arm length, the second witness said he thought the arms were longer in proportion than a typical human. The second witness said the creature definitely had hands; "just like a little kid – the way it would raise its hands and shake them." The reporting witness estimated the height at around 4 feet, the second witness at between 4 and 5 feet. The color was dark.

The second witness attempted to imitate the vocalization for me, which the first witness said was a pretty good imitation. The vocalization was a rising and falling yell with a distinctly distressed sound to it.

The witnesses related that when the creature first burst from the woods they all sat stunned for a few moments, then jumped to grab flashlights. The reporting witness thought that the sudden movement of everyone around the fire may have been what caused the creature to run back into the woods. In the morning, the witnesses did not find tracks or other evidence.

Both witnesses are experienced woodsmen and agreed that the creature was not a turkey, raccoon or bear. No further incidents have occurred although the witnesses have returned to the area several times.

About BFRO Investigator Tony Gerard:

Tony Gerard is a community college biology professor.