YEAR: 2004

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: April

DATE: unknown

STATE: Wisconsin

COUNTY: Clark County

LOCATION DETAILS: Forest Road, north of Hatfield, witness prefers to keep exact location private.

NEAREST TOWN: Hatfield

NEAREST ROAD: Unknown

OBSERVED: April 2004

Our family has land just out side of Hatfield towards Neilsville. We decided to take our camper up to the land and stay overnite with our 3 children. At aprox 2:00am I woke up because I heard something walking around the camper. We are in a remote area in the woods near a gravel road. The footsteps were right next to the camper. I was very still but knew that my husband was also awake. I whispered to him "do you hear that?" He replied that he did and it woke him also. He had hoped that It would not wake me. We were very still for a few minutes listening to the steps. This was a creature that was walking on two feet. We could hear the crunching of leaves and twigs under it's feet. We decided to make some noise and see if we could scare whatever it was away.

I flipped on the camper lights and we yelled for whoever it was to make themselves known as we were armed. Nothing replied but the foot steps stopped. We waited about 5 muinutes and turned the lights off again and waited. About 10 minutes after that the foot steps started again. My husband went outside with his flashlight and weapon to take a look. Keep in mind it is a really dark night and we are set in the woods away from anyone who might be able to hear us if we needed help. Again, nothing. He came back in and we settled down again, 10 minutes later the steps started again. I know that this is something on two feet that is not afraid of us but is not human. We decided to get out of there with our boys. My husband stood outside while I carried them into our mini van and we left. We spent the night in the parking lot of Kwik Trip in Black River Falls. In the morning we went back to break the camper down and look around for traces of anything unusual. Because of the heavy leaf and pine needles covering the ground we were unable to find any footprints. We looked at the camper and tried to determine if something was rubbing on it to make the sound. There was nothing there.

As we were taking the camper down I felt really creepy, like we were being watched. My father in law several years earlier told my husband that he saw a big foot crossing Fischer Rd on his way back to camp. He told my son that he thought he saw one in the woods while deer huntiong also. My husband while hunting when he was younger found several deer carcases in the woods all piled on topp of each other. At the time they dismissed it as someone hitting them with a vehicle and dragging them into the woods. Now when he looks back at it he thinks they were way too far into the woods for someone to drag in from the road. The carcases were picked clean.

While we never saw anything I really truly believe we had a bigfoot encounter. I know that the creature walked on two feet and had a long stride. It came back over and over again. I wish we would have had a stronger flashlight, we only had a mag light on us. Now we have a really high power flashlight in the event we need to look far into the woods.

I have been back to the spot several times and my husband and his family hunt every year in that same spot. As far as we know nobody else has had the same experince. I will never go back and camp there again. If they are as big as people say they are they are it could have easily pulled my kids out of that camper through the canvas.

My husband and I have jobs that require us to be honest and not embelish experinces. This was by far the most terrifying thing I have ever been through.

ALSO NOTICED: None

OTHER WITNESSES: My husband, Myself and our 3 children ages 9,8,6

OTHER STORIES: Yes, above comments from my father in law. Other comments on this web site and others from Clark and Jackson counties.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 2:00 am It was a pretty dark night, so I think the moon was either early in the cycle or it was cloudy. I do remember it being slightly overcast that evening and the next morning.

ENVIRONMENT: 2/3 Pine Forest 1/3 Hardwoods

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Paul Schnabel:

Talked to the witness on 10/25/06. She was certain the animal that was prowling around their camper was bipedal. She was adamant that it had a long stride. She and her husband tried to scare away the animal but after repeated attempts they decided to gather their children and leave.

About BFRO Investigator Paul Schnabel:

Paul Schnabel is a letter carrier for the U.S. Postal Service and an EMT for the area search and rescue.

Paul attended the BFRO's 2006 Wisconsin, 2007 and 2008 Michigan U.P. expeditions and the 2008 Minnesota private expedition