YEAR: 2006

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: November

DATE: 04

STATE: South Dakota

COUNTY: Pennington County

LOCATION DETAILS: West of Horsetheif Lake about 1mile, just after 4 in row road signs, and before sharp right curve.

NEAREST TOWN: Keystone SD

NEAREST ROAD: Hywy 244

OBSERVED: I was driving home to Custer,SD from Keystone,SD on Highway 244 or known as the Mt. Rushmore Rd. At about 5:20 in the evening along the side of the road was a large bigfoot.I looked right at him as I drove by . It was Reddish brown in color ,hairy,very tall, with long big arms and slightly hunched over. I drove by at about 40 mph and when I looked in the rear mirror it was gone. Later the next day I went back to the spot to look again and found nothing but a well used trail; I didnt go up the trail . It was about 1mile west of horsetheif lake.

ALSO NOTICED: There was a vehicle way behind us about 1/8 mile.

OTHER WITNESSES: None

OTHER STORIES: Pine Ridge Bigfoot sightings in July, and Spearfish SD sighting.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: about 5:20 pm

ENVIRONMENT: Rocky Mountain pine forest

Follow-up investigation report:

Several details can be added after a telephone interview with the witness.

Shortly after dark, the witness was driving westbound and saw the figure three to four feet off the south side of the road. Although it was a very brief sighting of only two or three seconds as he passed by the figure, the witness claims to have gotten a fairly good look at it. It was standing just past several road signs, one of which was a "No Passing" sign, and appeared to be about the same height as the signs, which he estimated to be about eight feet. The creature was facing south, giving him a left-side profile view, and did not move while in his sight. He mentioned the reddish-brown color to be much like the tree trunks in the area. The head was only visible as a hump as the figure appeared to be slouched over and slightly forward. The arm reached to its knee. He noticed hair that was several inches long on the thigh. He described the large figure as not fat, but lean.

The immediate area is the highest in the Black Hills and in South Dakota at 6,000 - 7,000 feet in elevation and on the north slope of Harney Peak, the highest point in South Dakota and the Black Elk Wilderness Area. The witness mentioned that the sighting location is also a very common game-crossing area and the entire region seems to currently be over-populated with deer and elk.

David Petti