YEAR: 1998

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Pend Oreille County

LOCATION DETAILS: 1.75 to 2 Miles directly N.W. of Ione.

NEAREST TOWN: Ione

OBSERVED: Three sets of tracks.Apparently traveling together. Found in muddy, flat area back in woods. No residences or logging operations present within .75 to 1 mile. Tracks were described as Large (18"), Medium (15-16") and Small (13"). Found by two bear hunters (On foot/No dogs used). Tracks in lower (depressed) area of mud flat filled with rain water. Undetermined age of tracks, but believed to be fairly recent (within last 48 hours) due to lack of degradation of track edges. Plaster cast (single) taken of largest. Cast condition is poor, due to reporting parties lack of familiarity with casting technique. Cast was taken within 24 hours of track discovery.

ALSO NOTICED: Reporting party has hunted same area for years and never seen anything of this nature before.

OTHER WITNESSES: Bear hunting on foot.

CONFIDENTIALITY: This information is offered to assist those that research the Bigfoot phenomenon. Since it only involves a track discovery (versus an actual sighting), it may not be of much use to you. On the other hand, since it involved 3 different sized tracks possibly made by a small band (family group?), it may be of value in group-dynamics study of this creature. If there is a way to share this info with serious researchers only (versus enticing any net-surfer with a gun to invade the woods around Ione) I would prefer it. If you are going to post it in the general area, please include the request for low-profile activity. The reporting party is reluctant to discuss this with others due to the stigma attached, and does not run around showing the casting and pictures to strangers. He mainly took them as proof to himself that he found what he did. As I mentioned, the casting is pretty rough. Reporting party is a 50+ y/o resident of the Spokane area. I believe his recounting of the incident and the Ione-area history of sightings (as relayed to him by his contacts) to be unembellished and factual. I wish to remain confidential as a source. Though this info is second-party, I hope it is of some help.

ENVIRONMENT: Undeveloped forested area, accessible only by permission through private land. Forest type is predominantly pine and fir, with cedar and scrub alder found in marshy areas/streamsides. No current vehicle roads (abandoned and overgrown logging roads encountered occassionally). No signs of other hunters in area. Due to restricted access, unlikely that any other parties were in the area.

A & G References: Pg. 119, C5