YEAR: 1969

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

STATE: New York

COUNTY: Hamilton County

NEAREST TOWN: long lake village

NEAREST ROAD: route 30

OBSERVED: We were just going to sleep, when wife said there was a racoon looking in a small window. That window was at least 5 feet from the ground, with no trees or bushes close by. She persisted so much that I rolled over fast and saw something looking through the glass and it sure was not a coon.

Next morning we went looking there was a small clearing, also there was a small stream about 2 feet wide,7 or 8 inches deep we found a heel print by edge of stream about 8 inches wide. By the way, this happened in the Adirondack Mts.

ALSO NOTICED: Not to my knowledge.

OTHER WITNESSES: 2 my ex wife & myself

OTHER STORIES: this couple were at the same lake, and their daughter had to go to the outhouse. She was gone long enough to concern them. They called out "what are you doing?" I am feeding the bear my crackers.

The father took a flashlight and went to get her, and saw a furry thing bending over picking up the crackers, eating them. He quickly got his girl and they slept nervously all night long.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: nightime 11:10 P.M. clear and muggy

ENVIRONMENT: edge of lake more bushey by us forest about 25 yards away

Follow-up investigation report:

* Follow-up Report by Bill P.

I spoke with John on the telephone about his sighting from Hamilton County, Long Lake, N.Y. in 1969. John was in his late 20s early 30s at the time of his sighting. He describes his encounter as follows:

He was at Long Lake, N.Y. at a campsite named the pumphouse, located half way down the lake on the right bank. He, his now ex-wife and a friend were staying the night in a little cabin along the lake. It had a small stove and a small window in the rear.There was a small coleman lantern burning for illumination as the wifes friend would not sleep without the light on. No one was sleeping, just lying around at the time when at around 11:10 P.M. his wife told him there was a racoon looking in the window. After about 5 minutes of his wife's insistance that he look he rolled over fast and saw the creature peering in the window at them. He describes it as having a large conical shaped head, face very dark and pushed in, with brownish fur around its face. There was no eye reflection from the light as it appeared to be angled at the window and facing the back of the cabin. It left a few seconds after he turned over. The next morning he followed a deer trail behind the cabin to a small stream and found one footprint in the mud approx. 8" wide and longer than that from arch to heel, track was partially obscured. He also told of an incident that occurred before this sighting at roughly the same place that involved him and two of his friends while they were bullhead fishing one night. He said that around 11:00 P.M. they heard a loud powerful scream twice echoing from the surrounding forest. I am very familiar with this area and can say that it has not changed much since the time of his encounter. It is a very wild and densely forested area and would make the perfect living environment for a creature of this size.