YEAR: 1976

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: December

DATE: 12

STATE: North Carolina

COUNTY: Yadkin County

LOCATION DETAILS: Farmland 5 miles east on Courtney Huntsville Rd. off of Highway 601

NEAREST TOWN: Yadkinville

NEAREST ROAD: Courtney Huntsville rd

OBSERVED: I haven't told many people about my experience because of alot of non-believers.The year was 1976, I was 15 years old. Snow was on the ground and a couple of friends and myself were snow sledding on my Dads farm. It was around 7:30 that night. We had a fire built at the bottom of the hill. We had just slid down the hill and were making our way back up the hill when we heard something making alot of noise and commotion to the right of us out beyond the light of the fire. We didn't stay around long enough to see what it was. I ran hard as I could to the house and told my parents about what we had heard. We went back to the hill the next day to see if we could find anything. When we saw the tracks in the snow we knew what was there at the bottom of the hill that night. The tracks were at least 18 inches long and 5 or 6 inches wide. No doubt in my mind what was there that night watching us.The tracks came from out of the woods that were near by and when it left, it went back in the woods the same way that it came. We didn't actually see the creature that night but we heard it and saw the tracks. That was almost 30 years ago and haven't seen or heard anything since.

ALSO NOTICED: Tracks were around a tree. Branches were stripped from the tree

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 other witnesses We were snow sledding

OTHER STORIES: none

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 7:30 at night snow on the ground

ENVIRONMENT: wooded area with pond and streams near Turners Creek Church

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator :Leevon Patrick:

The witness lived on a cattle farm with rolling pasture surrounded by mixed hardwoods and creeks. When it snowed, he and his friends would pick a hill and sled down it. On this particular snowy evening, he and two of his friends built a fire and began sledding. At about 7:30 that evening they heard noises coming from the tree line and tree branches breaking off. They could not see what was "carrying on" due to the darkness. However, whatever it was remained just outside of the light from the fire ring and watched them. He and his friends yelled to it but no response. They continued to hear tree branches snap along with movement. Needless to say the boys were alarmed and took off up the hill and back to the house.

The next day they noticed the tracks, which measured 18 inches long and over 5 inches wide. They followed the tracks to the fence. A tree that stood 30 yards away from where the boys were gathered was completely stripped of branches and bark from about 8 to 10 feet off the ground. The branches and bark littered the ground.

The witness also added that no cattle were in that particular pasture that evening. He said there is an abundance of deer and other wildlife in the area and the geography has not changed much since his encounter.

About BFRO Investigator :Leevon Patrick:

Patty Lee (photo) lives in Lake County, Florida.

• B.A. in Fine Arts from the University of Colorado
  
• Certified Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician (WEMT)
• Traveled and camped extensively in Canada, Alaska, and Lower 48
• Former manager of a high end climbing and wilderness outfitting retailer in Virginia
• Organized the BFRO's November 2007 expedition in South Carolina

Patty attended the following BFRO expeditions:

• 2006 Central Florida (Lake County)
• 2006 Ohio (Columbiana County)
• 2006 Wisconsin (Price County)
• 2006 New York (Washington County)
• 2006 North Carolina (Madison County)
• 2006 West Virginia (Pocahontas County)
• 2007 Florida Expedition