YEAR: 1975

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

STATE: Missouri

COUNTY: Stone County

NEAREST TOWN: Cape Fair

NEAREST ROAD: Highway 76

OBSERVED: I was hunting with a friend and we had been out since early morning, it was hot and we were tired. We were just trying to get back to the car, which was parked, on a dirt road about a mile up a ridge that was directly in front of us. The brush we were walking through was thick, really difficult to get through. We were walking single file and I was behind my friend with my head down concentrating on just trying to get through the brush with out tripping. Suddenly I heard an incredibly loud disturbance to my left and at the same time my friend had froze in his tracks. As I looked to my left, this animal, there is no doubt a Bigfoot, came tearing down the ridge right in front of us. It could not have been 10-15 feet from us. It was so close, it must have been sleeping and we woke it, because something that big would have made a lot of noise crashing through the brush on approach, and I heard nothing until it was right on us. We both watched it run past us to our right, on down this ridge and disappear into the forest. It was huge, covered with black fur and long, long arms. As it went by us it turned its face toward us and its face was flat and hairless, but almost black, like its face had been caked with mud all its life. It was bent forward slightly, running and it was still 7-8 feet tall. I was shocked at the speed. This encounter took no longer than 10 seconds. We both stood there scared to death, really scared. We both were familiar with the concept of Bigfoot, and had heard the stories of "monsters in the woods". After we both got under control, I said, "what was that" and my friend said "I don’t know but I'm getting out of here". We both started to run as best we could for the fence line and the road about a mile in front of us. When we reached the road, we were climbing a fence that lined the road, as were crossing this fence we heard the most bone chilling scream I have ever heard in my life. This just added to our terror and we continued to run for the car. We did make it out of there with nothing else to report. I had returned to that same area many times after, always with the same friend and never saw or heard another thing. That was 31 years ago and I can still remember it like it was this morning.

ALSO NOTICED: Shortley after the sighting screams were heard.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 witnesses, myself and one friend. were hunting.

OTHER STORIES: Yes, just what I have read.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 2:O0 P.M. Hot & Sunny

ENVIRONMENT: Deep Wilderness in a valley.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Larry Newman:

I spoke with this witness at length by phone. Witness is now a school teacher in another state. He said the creature was very close, 10 to 15 feet when it suddenly began running away from the two men. It ran from their left to right and angled away from them running downhill. They were only able to observe it only for a few seconds due to the dense brush. The witness was very credible and remembered details of the sighting quite well. He described the arms as very long in comparison to it body.

This witness was not able to give me an exact location due to having moved from the area several years ago. He is attempting to locate his hunting partner at the time so I can update this report.

The location of this sighting is an area of about 50 square miles of Ozarks terrain with only one gravel road traversing it. It is about 8 miles west of an arm of Table Rock Lake and the creek feeding this arm. Appears to be marshy in places and I feel warrants further investigation.

About BFRO Investigator Larry Newman:

Life long hunter and fisherman with tracking skills.
Fall 2009 Missouri expedition.
Retired Law Enforcement investigator and certified crime scene investigator. Also experienced and trained in interview techniques and written statement analysis.