YEAR: 1989

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

STATE: Michigan

COUNTY: Oscoda County

LOCATION DETAILS: camp 2 mi east 33 3 mi s mio

NEAREST TOWN: Mio

NEAREST ROAD: 33

OBSERVED: Late at night just before bedtime while camping. Extremely quiet, no hint of it approaching camp, we all jumped up and ran after the loud roar. I don't remember anything after that or even exchanging story with my kids until recently. We still avoid talking about that night. I can't stop thinking about that night!

ALSO NOTICED: extremely loud roar, trees on trail 20' from sighting were twisted all along the trail 2 of the three witnesses saw creature, all heard loud scream

OTHER WITNESSES: 3

OTHER STORIES: no

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 11 pm calm dry

ENVIRONMENT: all types of trees - orv trail nearby

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Don Peer:

I spoke at length with the witness two times by telephone. He started with the initial story by Mio and then went on to tell about another sighting near Cadillac. In the initial story, the witness stated he and his kids were camping near Mio in a location that they camped at several times per year. He stated it was quite late at night, around midnight. He was sitting in a lawn chair next to a bonfire and his kids were laying in a hammock near the fire. The animal came from behind him and either jumped over him or ran right past him. He stated it was like he was paralyzed or in a haze of some kind. His kids did react to it though, and ran for their van so fast and hard they left an indentation on the van from running into it. As soon as it ran by, the animal let out a loud scream and was gone. The witness stated several times that he has no explanation of why he put it out of his mind for so long or why he felt paralyzed at the time. He remembers his kids being very scared, but he stated that they simply went to the van and went to sleep. Looking back he states that it unnerved everyone to the point that they never went back there again. The witness also states that there were several trees that seemed to be braided together at the tops. I hope to scout the location in the near future, as it is a short distance from my home. Although many years have lapsed, the general area is a hotbed of bigfoot sightings and not far from the Foley Swamp, which is famous for bigfoot encounters.

The other experience occurred near Cadillac in 1986. He and his kids were camped next to the Manistee River, as they had been canoeing. It was first light in July and as he stepped out of his tent, he spotted the animal just standing and looking at him from a short distance away. He stated that he clearly remembers the expression on the animal's face, it was a very peaceful expression, not hostile, nor surprised. It was around 5 1/2 to 6 feet tall. It was described as a very peaceful encounter, although the witness did not know what he had seen at the time. The animal was described as being black in color. It simply turned and walked away. He described the face as being more human than ape like. While not a frightening experience, he did state a couple of times that the whole unnerving experience made him quit canoeing.

In regard to the incident near Mio, the state the witness found himself in is often reported by persons who have had sasquatch encounters. Several witnesses have described similar occurrences, which although not fully understood, it is often discussed among researchers. Several animals including elephants, whales, tigers, giraffes and alligators are known to have the ability of using infrasound. Although inaudible to human ears, it can travel for many miles and is known to affect other animals near it. Humans have experimented with the use of infrasound, including its use as a weapon in warfare. Symptoms, including temporary paralysis and a dreamlike state, have been reported to possibly affect a person's health and well-being from minutes to weeks after the encounter. There is little known about this phenomenon and about bigfoot behavior, and the important information collected by the BFRO from these reports and their field work will contribute toward future research.

About BFRO Investigator Don Peer:

Don Peer lives in northern Michigan and has studied the bigfoot phenomenon all his life. He has attended numerous Michigan expeditions and co-organized the 2011 Michigan BFRO expedition. He is an avid outdoorsman and works for the Michigan Department of Corrections.
Don Peer may be contacted at dpeer_mibigfoot@yahoo.com