YEAR: 2007

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: February

DATE: 23

STATE: Minnesota

COUNTY: Pine County

LOCATION DETAILS: South of Sturgeon Lake

NEAREST TOWN: Sturgeon Lake

OBSERVED: I saw a large black, human shaped figure in the middle of the road about 1/4 mile in front of my vehicle. From the distance it looked larger than a normal human. When I first saw it I was going down a slight dip in the road. It appeared that the figure was facing me, but as I approached descending into the dip in the road I could only see the upper body, it was turning and appeared to quickly retreat to the side of the road. I lost sight because of the dip in the road but when I came up on the other side within about 2 seconds there was no trace of the figure. The trees are trimmed back about 50 ft so I was surprised that I couldn't see what at the time I thought was a person. When I got to the area where I thought the figure had entered the woods I slowed to look for it. I saw nothing. The woods are pine woods where you can see back under the branches clearly for over 100 ft. The ground surface was icy with a very sparse snow falling. I saw no tracks but that could be because of the ice. It seemed strange to me that someone could exit the road through uneven slippery terrain and disappear before I could get close enough to see what it was.

ALSO NOTICED: I remembered after I submitted my sighting that there was a bunch of garbage including what looked like grapefruit peels and some other stuff that had been scattered on the side of the road that looked like animals had also been into it. It was about where I saw the subject. Also, the thing that was in the road appeared extremely startled by my approach, which made me suspicious, it made me try to keep watching the thing. I was suspicious enough that I went back and forth a couple of times to see if I could see anything else, even went back today, but saw nothing else.

OTHER WITNESSES: none

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was about 5:15 in the afternoon. Close to sunset, cloudy with a very light snow falling

ENVIRONMENT: Pine forest close to a crossing power line clearing. About 1/4 mile from Moose Horn River.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Andy P.:

I spoke with the witness by phone and have the following to add to the report:

The witness stressed several times how large the figure seemed, even from 1/4 mile away. It was all black and he could see no clothing breaks or color changes that would have indicated a person.

He first saw it as it stood up facing him, as if it were startled by his approach. At this point, he clearly saw that it had long legs and arms, and was not a bear.

As he drove down the hill into the dip that separated them, it turned and very quickly and fluidly moved off to the East. He noted that its head sat on its shoulders and was held forward at an angle. No neck was evident. He was especially impressed at how fast and fluid its movement was; though he could only see the upper body move off, because he was descending into the dip.

He lost sight of the creature at the bottom of the dip, and when he came up on the other side, he could not see it anymore. The ditch leading from the road to the plantation of thirty-year-old Norway pines was covered in ice. He could not understand how it could have gotten across that icy ditch, into the pines, and be hidden as quickly as it did. He retraced the area in his car, but could find no sign of it, except for a garbage bag that had been ripped open. Grapefruit peels were scattered around the area of the bag. He never got out of his car, and the window was rolled up, so he did not hear or smell anything.

The entire sighting lasted for about 10 seconds. The area around Sturgeon Lake is prime habitat, with large tracts of forest and bogs.

When asked if it could have been a man, he said that he didn't think so. A neighbor had commented to him that there were Meth addicts in the area and perhaps that would explain why it ran and hid. The witness doubted this though, saying that it just didn't move like a person would and was very large. He had also inquired with the local game warden about the possibility of a bear, but they told him that the bears are not active this time of the year. He also discounted it being a bear because it had long limbs, it never dropped to all fours as it moved off, and it did not have a snout in profile.

The witness is a fifty-year-old man who has spent his entire life in the woods. He was very unnerved by the experience and had had trouble sleeping for a few days afterward. I found him to be very credible and honest.

About BFRO Investigator Andy P.:

Andy P. lives in Minnesota. He is a professional writer with a degree in English and Biology. His interest dates back to his first sighting in 1985.

He attended the following BFRO expeditions:

- 2006 Wisconsin I
- 2007 Michigan
- 2008 Michigan
- 2008 Minnesota (private)
- 2009 Wisconsin
- 2009 Minnesota (organizer)