YEAR: 1975

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: September

DATE: 10

PROVINCE: Alberta

COUNTRY: Canada

LOCATION DETAILS: Monument / picnic area: named after Henry "12 foot" Davis a local goldminer. Grouard Hill Area which over looks confluence of the Peace and Smoky Rivers.

NEAREST TOWN: Peace River

NEAREST ROAD: curved gravel road to 12 foot Davis Gravesite

OBSERVED: 1975 - September, dusk, just starting to turn dark (I was 18):

Drove to "12 Foot Davis" Gravesite/Picnic Grounds in Peace River with friend. We walked on the hillside behind the grave site. No birds were chirping, everything was silent, hairs on my neck were standing up). I chose to go to outside toilet facilities; friend moved back to car. When I got about 2 feet from washroom door, I saw a shadow move and I heard heavy outgoing of breath and there was a musky stench. The toilet facilities were about 8 to 9 feet high of a pyramid shape. This thing was standing beside the toilet and I estimate its height of at least 7 to 71/2 feet high. I felt eerie and decided to forget the washroom trip. I started to walk away towards the grave site. My friend yelled at me to get back in the car as he had been looking in my direction. I turned and looked behind me and felt immediate terror. This thing (wasn't a bear) was on its front arms with bum up in the air and pushing itself along in a ambling fashion following behind me about 4 feet away and appeared to be sniffing at me.

It was light haired dark blondish color. Looked not like a bear, had sparse hair on its body, more hair on legs and arms, apelike face with little hair on the face, more on the head. Hair looked extremely coarse almost like a horse's mane in winter. I quickly ran to the car, we jumped in the car and sped away around a corner and down the hill. As we were speeding away, this thing rose up and tried to chase the car a short way. It was angry, standing straight (not like a bear) - more like a human, and it was swinging its arms and screaming. We barely got away from it. It followed us down the hillside a short way.

When I came home I was so upset that I told my mother. She in turn, passed this information on and someone went up there the next day but didn't see anything. They found tufts of hair but that was it. It has been 30 years and I still have the details of what I saw stuck in my head and I imagine I always will. A person does not survive that kind of terror without remembering it for the rest of your life.

ALSO NOTICED: please see commentary - musky scent, light colored, did not stand like a bear, did not look like a bear

OTHER WITNESSES: one witness--standing by car waiting for me, doors to car were open

OTHER STORIES: 1975 December - a friend of mine was working with the power company on power lines and observed several large footprints close to powerlines outside of town.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: dusk, just starting to turn dark, cool weather, had rained earlier in the day. Very quiet, no birds chirping, very very silent. Moon was shining.

ENVIRONMENT: very forested, pine, evergreen, short bushes, hills, grassy hillside

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Cindy Dosen:

I had a lengthy conversation with this witness and I had found her to be credible.

This incident occurred in 1975 when she was 18 years old. She says that her boyfriend, who was there with her at the time of the incident, is now deceased. She recalled driving up to the location with him on a late Sept. evening
(6:30-7:00 p.m.) for a walk. They strolled over to a lookout point and were walking back to their car when she decided to stop and use the ladies room. She heard a deep breath and exhale within 20 feet of the facility. She assumed it was a bear so she started to backup slowly as if there was a bear in the brush. She could then see an upright animal standing next to the washroom

Her boyfriend was parked no more then 30 feet away. He saw the animal and said to her, "Get into the car now!" When she looked back at the animal it was 5-6 feet away from her, down on all fours, and sniffing the air behind her. It was crawling in a awkward position with it's rear end up in the air, like kids do when crawling on their hands and straight legged.

Due to the how close the witness was to the subject she was able to report a lot of detail. Its hair was a copper blonde color. It had more hair on its limbs than on its body and less on its ape-like face than on its head. She described the hair to be course like that of a horses mane.

Once she got in the car the animal stood up on two legs started a loud screeching sound and went into an angry fit as the vehicle drove away.

About BFRO Investigator Cindy Dosen:

  •  Diploma in Animal Sciences. Working toward Veterinary License
  •  Ex-Breeder of Rhodesian Ridgebacks (Dogs)
  •  Work in the Marine Transportation Industry
     (BC Ferries - Supervisor Ship Steward)

Attended/ Organized the following:
  •  2007 BC Van.Island Co-Org.
  •  2008 WA Cascades
  •  2008 WA Oly.Pen.
  •  2008 BC Interior
  •  2008 BC Sunshine Coast
  •  2008 BC Van.Island Co-Org.
  •  2009 BC Sunshine Coast Org.
  •  2009 WA Cascades
  •  2009 BC Van.Island South Org.
  •  2009 WA Oly.Pen.
  •  2009 Yakima - Gimlin Round-up
2010 BC Van.Isle South Alumni Exped.( Org.)
2010 WA Oly Pen. Alumni Exped. (Attended)
2010 BC Interior Alunmi Exped. ( Attended)
2011 BC Van.Isle.South Exped. (Org.)
2011 WA Oly Pen. Exped.( Attended)
2011 TX "All-female" Exped. (Attended)
2012 BC Sunshine CoastExped. ( Org.)
2012 BC Van.Isle.South Exped.(Org.)
2013 BC Van.Ise South Exped. (Org.)
2014 BC Van.Isle South 1 & 2 Exped.s (org.)