YEAR: 1994

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: December

DATE: 18

STATE: Florida

COUNTY: Gadsden County

LOCATION DETAILS: Hwy 97

NEAREST TOWN: fasevile ga

NEAREST ROAD: 262

OBSERVED: In 1994 I was hunting deer and hogs in fla on a farm with a lot of under developed land on it. i was walking around a clear cut heading into the back part of the land i smelled something that did not smell right. the smell was,
well as close as i can describe it, like a bear that had been sprayed by a skunk, but i have been hunting all my life and no skunk or bear every smelled like that. i turnd a curve about 40yards away. i saw a animal that was app.6'9" to 7'4". i am 6'6' and it was taller than i am.the color was a shi--- brenal brown. it was on 2 feet, it turned, i went to my knee to brace for a shot if it came toward me. it ran faster than any man i have seen run. it ran in to the woods. the reason i did not shoot it was possable endangered species or the slim chance it was some one in a suit. i dont think it was a suit. i have been hunting all my life, i still dont know what it was.
p.s. i had a chance to look up the laws if one was shot but can't find any thing. what do you think the repercusions would be? the fish and wild life say that there is no black fl. panther, but if you shoot one you will go to jail?

ALSO NOTICED: have you every heard a deer grunt call. it made a noise close to that but much deeper in tone.

OTHER WITNESSES: none. i told my father he said he didn't want to know anything

OTHER STORIES: i hear of stories from my great uncle and one of his indian friends about a (wild man) and a swamp ape running the creak beds from adupigs ga all the way to tates hell wildlife area

TIME AND CONDITIONS: late afternoon, cloudy

ENVIRONMENT: farmland/swamp/natural growth woods /and planted pines

Follow-up investigation report:

The witness was in an open field with a fire break around it. He came
around a curve into an open field through some pines, and down to the creek.
This is when he saw the creature. It was standing at an angle away from the
witness. The shoulders had a 4-5 ft. spread, and the arms didn't hang down
too far.
The witness was specific about the speed of this creature. It was very fast,
and ran on 2 legs.
The grunts were heard before he saw the creature.