YEAR: 2006

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: November

STATE: Oregon

COUNTY: Douglas County

LOCATION DETAILS: off hwy 138 w half mile south of elkton turnwest across umpqua river proceed a mile turn right on camp cr road up in the hills

NEAREST TOWN: elkton

NEAREST ROAD: camp creek road

OBSERVED: While collecting mushrooms i came across a huge footprint. The area was thick with brush', and knowing i didn't believe i saw what i saw. my hair still stands with the thought ...my friend and i will never forget. the print was indented and around 18 inches long and 8 inches wide

ALSO NOTICED: a tree torn to shreds about 8 feet up all around it

OTHER WITNESSES: me and my friend

TIME AND CONDITIONS: around 2.overcast

ENVIRONMENT: second growth douglas fir damp and mossy

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Kristi Sanders:

After contacting the witness, he had more to add, and I have included his interview here, rather than reword it.

There is basically what I experienced and seen, and I don’t have much more to add, me and a friend were mushroom picking, I went up the hill and in less than 5 minutes we had walkie talkie and he told me to meet him at truck now, and I met him, and he was white as a ghost and he says you are not going to believe this, he was freaking out, and so when I went to where he had been, it was an obvious one foot and it was huge and just one, ....and the rest was brushy area so there were no more, ....and my guess was that it was in an area that probably we were the first (people) to be there in 50 years, I mean that figuratively you know, but it was so remote, .....and it was so obvious what it was, my hair stood on end --and we went back to truck and we decided it was time to leave, and we drove down road,-- and as we drove away, just down a bit we saw a snapped and shredded tree.

--- I spent my whole life in the woods and I have never ever seen anything like this-- at the 10-12 feet mark it was snapped and shredded, absolutely shredded!

I have dealt with lightning strikes before, and it was not that, and I have never heard of this being reported by others, but I don’t care if people don’t believe me, but this is what I have seen. This area is now a logged area, and it took me a while to get the nerve to go, and its hard to tell people what I have seen, and I told some hunting friends and they think I am full of ****and I don’t care.

I seen what I seen, and its hard for me to figure that it was something else that could snap and shred a tree at that height..the tree it was 30 ft. tall, and 18” in diameter girth, and just shredded at the 10-12ft point.

About BFRO Investigator Kristi Sanders:

Kristi Sanders, a twice-qualified National NPC bodybuilder, personal trainer, gym owner, and business CE lecturer, was raised in a hunting and fishing family. When Kristi is not working, she is camping with her daughter (rain or shine) and exploring the Pacific NW to pass on her love of the outdoors to the next generation. Kristi attended the 2009 WA Cascades Expedition.