YEAR: 1997

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: September

STATE: Oregon

COUNTY: Tillamook County

LOCATION DETAILS: The easest directions: Look on page 64 of the Delorme Oregon Atlas in section 2C and the location is in the ridges south of Anderson rd, north of Anderson creek. Our camp was on the creek, west of the gaging station

NEAREST TOWN: Elderberry Inn/Tillamook

NEAREST ROAD: Anderson Rd

OBSERVED: It was September 1997, 8 people and myself were camping in the Tillamook County forest. Well anyway, I got up about 6am, got out my 22 and started out on a hike. Before leaving, I heard a friend say "wait up and I'll will go with you" I said "fine but no talking I want to check out the game in the area before they check us out". About 5 minutes up the road I noticed about half way up a hill was a large rock outcropping with a black stump about 9 feet tall. It was around 400 yards from us. I ask my friend "do you see that weird shiny stump on those rocks up there?" He said yes. Then I said "look at it through your scope". Then the gun went off. He said he didn't mean to fire and that he couldn't find that stump any more. In disbelief I looked and didn't see it any more. When looking in the only areas something could go, I saw it walking very fast, long arms swinging, one basic black color. I said "Sh*#$@& you shot at that person!" or what ever it was. We ran back to camp and didn't say much because we did not want to get in trouble. Later I showed a friend who camps there all the time the place and he said no one could climb up there early enough to be up there by 6 am. I agreed. He also pointed out that there were no other camper around this area. It is in the Cook Canyon area, very steep rocky country, great for elk hunting. I am convinced that this was a bigfoot. I've always been a non-believer of bigfoot, but now I'm convinced. I'm always in the woods elk and deer hunting or scouting camping etc. I've never seen any thing like it, including bears standing on there rear legs, both black and brown in Alaska.This thing was tall, slimmer than bear. Thank you.

OTHER WITNESSES: Friend hiking with me.

OTHER STORIES: When I told the story to another friend, he told me that his friend showed him a nest in the 1970's in that same Cook Canyon area.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 6 am sunny, not one cloud.

ENVIRONMENT: Thick pine and steep hills.

Follow-up investigation report:

I spoke with witness over the phone on 4/8/01. He further described the animal as having an "all over" black color with shiny/glossy fur. He described the swinging gait of the creature as very similiar to the bigfoot captured in the Patterson/Gimlin film. The witness also mentioned that he had been surprised that the animal was not running after nearly being shot at.