YEAR: 1980

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: August

STATE: California

COUNTY: Butte County

LOCATION DETAILS: Butte Meadows CA, in the mountains about 40 miles north of Chico

OBSERVED: I was driving down into the campground area at about 6:30 am and I saw a large dark colored shapewalking in the willows along the creek. At first I thought it was a person, but it did not walk like a person. It had a very fluid walk with an exaggerated arm swing.

ALSO NOTICED: No

OTHER WITNESSES: I am employeed by the California Department of Forrestry, and was a Captain at Trandfer Point Forest Tire Station (since closed) at the time. My crew and I had been on a fire in Stirling City since 10 or 11 o'clock the night before. I had 3 firefighters with me, one in the cab & two on the back. They were all in the back. By the time I got over my supprise and woke the firefighter in the cab up it was gone. We went down to the area but it was mostly gravel and though the rocks seemed distirbed there was no footprints.

OTHER STORIES: A very interesting site. I have not told this story more than a couple of times because I felt that no one would believe me, or care.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About mid August of 1980. This was, I remember, The first day of bow hunting season. That means that it was the first day that there would have been a lot of people wandering in the hills.

ENVIRONMENT: I was coming into Butte meadows on the Bull Roan. As you approach the community you drop down a grade to Butte Creek. The thing I saw was about 200 yards downstream from the bridge, and on the opposite side of the creek from the campground.