YEAR: 2000

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: July

DATE: 15

STATE: Virginia

COUNTY: Augusta County

LOCATION DETAILS: There are several campsites. The location was about 1 1/2 miles in.

NEAREST TOWN: Staunton, VA

NEAREST ROAD: Route 250

OBSERVED: In the Summer of 2000 my friends and I were camping in George Washington National Forest. Ramsey's Draft Wilderness area. We experienced knocks and rock throwing. The thing that made us a bit UN-nerved was that that night in spite of our loud talking a deer had decided to wander up to the camp within about 10 feet and stayed next to us the entire night! This area is frequented by large amounts of hunters during the fall which should have made the deer stay very far away. We also had a large campfire. It seems to me that the deer was seeking a safe place to be because there was obviously something bigger to worry about than us humans. There were several more rocks thrown that night.

OTHER WITNESSES: 3 other witnesses. We were all just sitting and talking.

OTHER STORIES: no

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Day and night. Lots of sunlight during the day. The area would be a narrow valley surrounded by mountains. There was a brook with what is considered a pristine population of Brook Trout. Night time was very dark. No moon light. The temp was warm and the air was very still.

ENVIRONMENT: Forest.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator D.K.:

After conversing with the witness, the following information can be added to his report:

The incident started about 3 p.m. after his group of three (including his brother) finished setting up camp and as they sat around talking.

They heard three knocks that sounded like a board being hit against a tree on top of the ridge to their north-east. The three wondered aloud what the sound was, but dismissed it as nothing.

About 15 minutes later they heard what sounded to them like small rocks being thrown. They distinguished the sound from falling branches due to the velocity of the object. Rather than a single thud, the objects would hit and then roll through the leaves. Several of these objects hit the tent closest to the ridge line.

With the summer foliage on, the brush going up to the ridge was very thick. They tried to climb to the ridge top the next day but found it almost impossible due to the vegetation and steep incline.

The deer that entered their camp arrived about 9 p.m., stayed within 10 feet of the witnesses the entire night, and was still there when they woke in the morning. They felt this was very unusual behavior for a wild deer and noticed it would occasionally look off into the woods as though it was alerted to something in the darkness.

It should be noted that in many locations deer can become so accustomed to the presence of humans that they will come close, often looking for a handout of food. The behaviour of the deer alone does not suggest the presence of a sasquatch. But the wood knocks and rock throws are characteristic of sasquatch harassment behaviour. The witness felt the behaviour of the deer, after the knocks and rock throws, was worth including in his report.

The witness and his friends make annual trips to this location and have experienced no other incidents since then.

The vicinity of Ramsey's Draft is very heavily forested and full of the resources a sasquatch would need to survive and stay concealed. Areas to the north and east, particularly near the Virginia/West Virginia state line, have generated a number of reports of the last several years.

About BFRO Investigator D.K.:

D.K. is a business executive with an MS in Systems Engineering. Formerly a linguistic analyst, he applies his knowledge to the collection and study of sasquatch vocals and communication patterns. BFRO expeditions attended: Tennessee 2010, Pennsylvania 2011, Ohio 2012, West Virginia 2012 & West Virginia 2013