YEAR: 2008

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

STATE: Tennessee

COUNTY: Sevier County

LOCATION DETAILS: If necessary, I can give the exact address, but don't want it posted because we no longer live there and don't want to cause problems for the new owners.

NEAREST TOWN: Kodak

OBSERVED: It was late October of 2008, unsure of the exact date. At approximately 2:30 am, my oldest son called me on his cell phone. I was upstairs doing some research on the computer & he was downstairs on the back porch smoking a cigarette. I could tell by the tone of his voice that he was scared or excited about something. He said, “You need to get out here right now, and bring the spot light and the shotgun with you!” I immediately retrieved both items from my bedroom and met him on the back porch. His eyes were as big as dinner plates and he looked a little pale. Now, my son (18 @ the time of this sighting) started hunting the swamps of north FL with me when he was 4, and he is normally very calm & doesn’t get spooked or excited very easily. So, when I saw him like this I knew something had definitely gotten his attention.

I said, “What’s up?” He said, “Point the light over there between the 2 sheds, at the oak tree.” I aimed the spotlight to where I thought he had indicated, but saw nothing. Then he said, “No, beside the oak tree.” Again I aimed the light, but still didn’t see anything. At this, he became agitated and grabbed my arm, moving the spotlight where he wanted it and exclaiming. “Right f…ing there!” The light revealed a large upright figure standing behind the oak tree. The animal was standing obliquely to us, using the tree to block our view. The tree was probably 3 ½ to 4 feet in diameter, and about 30 yards from us, but we could still see it standing there, with the right side of its body at an angle to us. I noticed how the arms hung almost to its knees, and it stood slouched forward a bit, with its knees bent slightly. It was covered with brownish-red hair, maybe 2-3 inches long and appeared to be uniform in length except for the face, which appeared ape-like. It sounds funny, but the face looked similar to “Harry” from ‘Harry & the Hendersons’.

As the animal stood there, I panned the spotlight off to the right from its location. When I did this, it half-stepped from behind the tree, peering to see what we were doing. When I brought the beam of light back, it immediately stepped back behind the oak tree, remaining at an oblique angle to our position. I again panned the light away to the right, and the animal again half-stepped to the right to see what we were doing. When the light came back, it again hid behind the tree. Almost in amusement, I turned the spotlight off for 3-4 seconds. I then pointed it directly at the tree and hit the on switch. The beam of light revealed the animal standing to the right of the oak tree, squarely facing us. When the light came on, the animal squinted and retreated back behind the oak tree, only this time it retreated back through the woods, using the tree to block our view of its departure. After we could no longer hear it crashing away through the brush, my son and I stood there shaking in amazement of what we had seen. After a moment, I finally managed to smile and said, “Holy crap dude, we just saw a sasquatch!” With that, my son replied, “That was fricking awesome!” We went back inside and talked about the details of what we’d seen for quite awhile before heading off to bed.

The next morning, I went out to look for tracks where we’d seen the late-night visitor. Here in east TN, the soil is mostly clay and not conducive to tracking, but I was still able to locate 2 footprints behind the oak tree. They measured just under 17 inches in length and about 6 ½ inches wide across the ball of the foot. Also, there was another print in the leaf litter to the right of the tree, but it wasn’t clear enough to measure. Due to the hardness of the soil, the tracks were not deep enough to cast. Further investigation did not yield any further tracks or spoor along the animal’s route of egress.

I have discussed this event with friends and co-workers, mostly being met with doubt and skepticism, but my son and I both have no doubt whatsoever about what we had seen.

Before we moved out of that house due to divorce, we continued to observe strange occurrences from time to time but never had another visual encounter.

ALSO NOTICED: We had several other incidents in the months prior to the visual encounter. Myself, along with all 3 of my children, had heard wood knocks on a separate occasion the previous summer.

OTHER WITNESSES: 1, my 18 year old son. He had been sitting quietly outside smoking a cigarette.

OTHER STORIES: Not at this location, but have read other reports in Sevier County.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Approx. 2:30 am. Weather was cool, low 50's. It was dark but a clear night.

ENVIRONMENT: Residential neighborhood with mixed hardwoods and pine trees all around. The back of the property is all woods and slopes away to a road at the bottom of the hill. Beyond that, a deep holler, sparse homes and mostly roadless woods for about 2 1/2 miles off to the northeast.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Ashlan Yost:

After speaking with the witness several times via phone & e-mail I would add these details to his description of the encounter:

When this incident occurred, the witness along with his whole family were at home. All but he and his 18yr old son were sleeping. As described, his son was on the back patio smoking, which was a routine occurrence. The witness' son has grown up in the outdoors, hunting, fishing, camping, etc. He is familiar with the wildlife in this area, and does not get startled easily. When the witness heard the fear in his son's tone, he became concerned and followed his son's instructions to bring a weapon and light and come downstairs. The backyard is laid out in such a way that the back patio is approximately ~30 yards from a large oak tree. To the right of the oak tree there is a ~4ft. gap of space followed by a small shed. Likewise to the left there is also a ~4-5ft. gap and another shed. As stated the oak tree is ~3.5-4 ft. in diameter. When the father first saw this figure it was facing the shed to their right (The left of the figure) turned at an oblique angle. This allowed the witnesses a view of the right profile and some of the back. It would then take what the witness described as a "half step" back behind the tree. It was unable to move to the left or right without being in full view due to the gaps between the tree and the sheds. Behind the tree and sheds is 10-15 yards of open grass followed by a dense tree line and a fairly steep drop off.

The final time that the witness and his son pointed the light at this creature, they got the best view of it. It had taken a "full step" out from behind the tree towards them. No part of it was obscured by the tree at this point. It was squarely facing them, but was slouched over more than it had been previously, almost crouching. The witness was able to see the face. Which was covered in shorter hair than the rest of the body. He estimates the facial hair at between 1-2 inches in length. The facial hair was thin enough than he was able to see dark colored flesh beneath it. He estimates that the rest of the body hair was between 4-6 inches in length. He insists that the creature was covered in reddish-brown hair, not fur. The brow ridge was quite pronounced and the nose was flat, much like an ape. The final time the light hit this creature, it used both hands to cover its eyes. It did not use open palms but rather loosely clinched fists and its wrists to shield itself. When it stepped behind the tree this final time, it used the tree as a shield to block its retreat, though the witnesses could clearly hear running and crunching of branches once it reached the woods. The witness estimates the height at ~7ft. He also recalls that it was very broad and muscular. "He looked like a big beefy football player crossed with Michael Jordan." This witness and his son believe that this creature meant them no harm, that it was simply curious about what they were doing.

This witness has agreed to work with an artist to recreate what he saw that night. When the sketch is complete it will be added to the report.

About BFRO Investigator Ashlan Yost:

Ashlan Yost was born and raised in East Tennessee. She has spent a great deal of time hiking and camping in remote areas.She has also spent a considerable amount of time in remote upstate New York. She has had a life-long fascination with animals, particularly wildlife. She is a licensed Veterinary Technician, practicing in the state of Tennessee. Ashlan began researching the sasquatch phenomenon ~2005. Attended:
2010 Tennessee BFRO Expedition
2011 Tennessee BFRO Expedition
2013 Kentucky BFRO Expedition
2013 West Virginia BFRO Expedition
Numerous private Expeditions.
Her main interest in the subject involves evidence such as tracks, scat, and hair samples. She also has a distinct interest in animal behavior.