YEAR: 2004

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: May

DATE: 15

STATE: Georgia

COUNTY: Paulding County

LOCATION DETAILS: Off of Hwy 61 in Dallas Georgia in Paulding County. In Burnt Hickory Estates Stephen Court. Behind my house in the 125 acre woods behind my pasture that was 4 acres. Standing to the left of my barn.

NEAREST TOWN: Dallas Georgia

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy 61

OBSERVED: I lived in Burnt Hickory Estates off of Hwy 61 in a 2 story house with my mother, sister, step-father. We had over 125 acres in the back yard nothing but woods. The woods were covered in trees and little creeks. Me and my friends always played in the woods. For years we would find crazy things out there that just didn't make sense like trees bent over and I remember a big hole like 20 feet deep maybe 40 feet wide round. We called it the hole. Well we decided to transport our horses behind our house so we cut down about 4 acres of trees, leveled it off and built a barn and fenced the area in. About 5 months later after everything was built and finished I would get bored and I would go in the pasture and hang out with the horses, feeding them just hanging out. I have 3 horses: Rambo, a Tennessee Walker, all black and 17 hands high. Reno, a Blanket Apaloosa, grey/white, 12 hands high. And Dakota, a Morgan red tone, 13 hands high. I was in the pasture standing by my horses Rambo and Reno. The pasture had a barn in the far back, in the right corner. As I'm standing by Reno and Rambo I heard some movement in the brush to my right. To the left of the barn about 40 yards from me as I turned and looked, my horses Reno and Rambo spooked and ran toward my house away from the barn. As I look at this thing, I could only see the left front side of it facing me, hidden in the brush. The color was a red auburn. I thought, what is Dakota doing? Then I realize this thing is outside of the fence. I thought Dakota got out so as I walk toward what I thought was my horse, Dakota. At that time, Dakota runs out of the barn beside me and runs to the house. At that point I froze and the hair stood up on my neck. This up-right walking figure stepped to its left, made a grunt sound/breathing, looked right at me then turned pushing small trees and brush over and taking off into the woods. It was about 8 1/2 feet tall, massive in size and covered in red hair. The thing I call Bigfoot was ripped, very strong. As it took off you could hear the foot steps, very heavy. I ran towards the house and told my mom and everyone just looked at me like I was crazy. So I kept it to myself. This is my first sighting. Then about 9 months ago in 2012 I had another sighting. I'm about to write that sighting next.

ALSO NOTICED: My horses were spooked.

OTHER WITNESSES: Just myself. My mom and sister were in the house.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Sunny, little breeze a few clouds in the sky.

ENVIRONMENT: horse pasture with 3 horses. pasture was 4 acres and it was ajoined to 125 acres of woods pine,oak trees creeks,lot of deer.I grew up in that area.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Morris Collins:

I spoke to the witness by phone who currently works as a LEO and he remembered the incident vividly. He is sure of what he observed. Even being several years older he said he could recall it, and his feelings at the time, as if it happened yesterday.

I believe he saw a creature as described, which he is sure was not a bear or a person, due to the close distance of the observation and his detailed recollection.

Eight years later he had a second sighting, see Report #38873.

About BFRO Investigator Morris Collins:

Morris holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from Auburn University and additional coursework toward an MBA in International Business. He is an avid backpacker and SCUBA diver. Morris attended Georgia 2006, 2008, 2009 & 2011; North Carolina 2006 and SC 2007 expeditions. He is a member of the SE BFRO Tracking Team and has completed a first course in visual tracking.