YEAR: 2009

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: February

STATE: Arkansas

COUNTY: Baxter County

LOCATION DETAILS: State highway #62 east from Mountain Home for about two miles, then left (north) on Mallard Point Road for about about one mile to its intersection with Ridgecrest Drive. The intersection is the sighting location.

NEAREST TOWN: Mountain Home

NEAREST ROAD: Mallard Point Road/ Hwy 62

OBSERVED: I had been visiting a friend one night. It had gotten late and I had to work in the morning, so I got in my car to leave. On my way back to the main road, I stopped at a stop sign. Out of the corner of my eye I saw something moving in the trees. I looked over and an upright figure came out of the woods towards my car. I would estimate it was 7' to 7'5" tall with dark brown hair with grey patches on the chest and face. I drove away, quickly, because it was coming towards my door. As I drove, in the rear view mirror I saw it cross the road in about 2 steps, then I lost sight of it.

ALSO NOTICED: A few years earlier, a few friends and myself were walking in the area around the same time at night. We heard two giant howl/grunt like sounds. They were like nothing we had ever heard before. Not like any animal in the area.

OTHER WITNESSES: No.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Around 2:00 am. Dark but lit well with street lamps, and headlights. Clear night, no clouds.

ENVIRONMENT: Subdivision area/ wooded lake area. Plenty of woods and thick brush between houses and on the sides of the road .

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Tal H. Branco:

I spoke with the witness by phone on June 15, 2014 and again in person two days later. Our discussion included both the contents of this latest report and his original report #35297. He confirmed that the visual encounter occurred in February of 2009, and the audible incident mentioned in both reports occurred during April of 2005.

The visual incident occurred about 2:00 AM while he was driving out of a subdivision on Mallard Point which extends into Lake Norfork. He was slowing for a stop sign at the intersection of Ridgecrest Drive. He then noticed a grey and white bipedal animal about 6 1/2 to 7 feet tall walking out of the woods at a fast pace directly toward the driver's side door. By the time he reacted and "blew past the stop sign", the figure was within a few feet of the vehicle. As he drove away he could see in his rear view mirror as the figure continued on across the road illuminated by a street light.

He also stated that even though the windows were closed on the vehicle he could smell a strong skunk-like odor and urine.

After speaking with the witness in person I believe he is a credible observer.

About BFRO Investigator Tal H. Branco:

Tal Branco is a lifelong resident of AR. He began hunting, fishing and tracking many years ago in south AR. Since he was a teenager, his outdoor activities have been primarily conducted in the Ouachita Mountains, although during the past forty years he has also conducted field investigations of reports of enigmatic and unclassified animals in the southeastern U.S. and in the Amazon Basin of Brazil.