YEAR: 1976

SEASON: Spring

DATE: 28

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Island County

LOCATION DETAILS: Directions omitted for privacy

NEAREST TOWN: Omitted for privacy (small town in NW WA)

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy. 525

OBSERVED: In the early spring of 1976. I spent the night at a friends house. I decided to walk down an old logging road, to the country store. To get a cup of coffee. The sun was just beginning to shine through the Forest in foggy streaks. As i walked across a crossroads, I turned my head left. And looked down about 200 feet, there walked out of the forest a tall human like creature. The sun hitting it's backside, i could see it had brown reddish hair, that came from it's forehead back down it's whole body. The hair was long, 8 or 10" and matted. It turned it's head, it's neck about human length. And it did not have to turn it's body to see me. It's face was black and I could not make out any details. It had a long stride, one step onto the middle of the road, the next into the edge of the forest. It was very tall and thin. It's arms swung out below it's knees, as it walked straight and upright like a human. I froze in fear and ran back home in the opposite direction. When I told anyone they just laughed. Even the game warden. But a year later he saw me fishing and told me he got another report 8 miles west with the same description also they smelled it. As they were camping across from the Island county dump. I would love to talk with that game warden or someone else who had the same experience.

ALSO NOTICED: I walked back there with a friend and we saw it's footprint.

OTHER WITNESSES: Yes at a later date a month later.

OTHER STORIES: A couple from Canada camping 8 miles west of there saw it.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 8 am apron. Sun just shining through the forest. A little fog.

ENVIRONMENT: Dense forest

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator David W Ellis:

Although the early morning encounter happened over 34 years ago, the witness recalled details like it was yesterday. She was very calm and did not embellish but was obviously very struck by what she saw. She was rebuffed by friends at the telling of her encounter. But that did not stop her from reporting the incident to the Game Warden stationed at nearby South Whidbey Island State Park. She again was told that nobody had ever reported any such creature to the Park Ranger. She said it was with great relief, one year later, that the same Game Warden informed her that another party reported seeing something that fit the description of the creature, not more than eight miles away.

The witness does mention going back to the area of the sighting with a friend. She did find a deep impression in the duff but nothing could be determined other than it was large, maybe 15" in length.

Whidbey Island has changed much over the last 34 years. The landscape is much different from when this sighting took place. New housing has penetrated the forested land. That being said, at the time of her sighting there was much cover, wildlife and numerous fresh water ponds providing good habitat.

For further follow-up, I will attempt to find the Game Warden. That could prove to be futile but I will try.

About BFRO Investigator David W Ellis:

Senior Sales Representative for Lightolier / Philips

Currently residing on Whidbey Island in Puget Sound

Attended several public and private expeditions in Washington State

Assisted with the 2009 expeditions on the Peninsula and the Cascades