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Geographical Index > United States > Pennsylvania > Mercer County > Report # 45958
 
Report # 45958  (Class B)
Submitted by witness on Sunday, July 20, 2014.
Bow hunter recovering deer has possible experience near Grove City

YEAR: 2012

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

STATE: Pennsylvania

COUNTY: Mercer County

NEAREST TOWN: Grove City, PA

NEAREST ROAD: Brent Road

OBSERVED: I was going to recover a deer I had shot in archery season. When I found the deer I was getting everything set up to take pictures and I heard this scream that made the hair on my neck stand up. I don't know how to explain it. It was like a scream from a horror movie. It was really close to me then there was some crashing down through the woods and it sounded big. I have never heard anything make that noise before. In the area that it is, borders a huge swamp on one side and is one of the darkest places I have ever been. At night you literally can't see anything with your light off.

OTHER WITNESSES: Yes my brother in law and dad were there as well.

OTHER STORIES: Yes there was a report probably around 2006 or so of a woman who claimed to have hit one with her car on George Junior Rd in Grove City.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Night

ENVIRONMENT: Large swamp and game lands nearby.


Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Jarrett Johnson:

The witness is an avid hunter who shoots archery competitively. In addition to a number of global archery and outdoor equipment sponsors, he and his business partner have a hunting show sponsored and aired by a major television network as well as online viewership. They also make archery hunting videos and primarily hunt deer and turkey. These claims were validated via research following our discussion. In short, this person spends a large amount of time in the woods and is very knowledgeable. The hunter is also a US Army veteran whom served several tours in the Middle East.

In October 2012, the witness was hunting deer in archery season near PA State Game Lands # 284. In the early evening hours, he arrowed a nice, heavy eight-point buck from his tree stand. Feeling confident of his shot, he let the deer proceed into the woods to bleed out and expire. The hunter went to meet his dad and brother-in-law.

The three of them met up, discussed the hunt, and proceeded into the woods at dusk to retrieve the deer. The blood trail was easy to follow and they soon found the deer. It had become dark outside. The witness prepared to pose with the buck for a photo when the group heard an incredibly loud vocalization. He described it as a woman being murdered but with such volume that its origin could not be an average animal of the forest.

His brother-in-law, also a US veteran with multiple tours in the Middle-East, fell to the ground and sprang up wielding a knife in response to the deafening vocalization.

I inquired about the distance and the hunter estimated the source of the vocalization was very close at approximately 30 yards. Before they could respond, they heard something that sounded very large begin to crash through the foliage, brush, and trees away from them deeper into the forest towards a large swamp in the area. They quickly flashed their lights into the dark woods but saw nothing.

Being frightened, they quickly grabbed the trophy deer and hastily retreated as fast as they could to their vehicles. In fact, the group dragged the deer to their parking location without field dressing the deer.

The witness stated that at the time of this encounter, he had never in his life experienced anything like this in his life. He also did not think about Bigfoot or Sasquatch creatures at the time. This encounter perplexed him so much, that he began to research animal vocalizations. He soon found himself listening to Sasquatch vocalizations and reading more on the topic. He now feels due to the volume of their audible encounter and the sounds and size of the unknown source crashing through the woods that they encountered a Bigfoot that evening.

The hunter stated that he felt that perhaps his group had interrupted a Bigfoot coming for the deer. I asked him if there was any evidence that the deer had been disturbed or handled in any way. He stated he did not think so. After this encounter, they did not return to the area to look for any additional evidence. He also stated that his father and brother-in-law will not discuss the incident.

In trying to locate the report he mentioned of a Bigfoot being hit by a car, the closest thing I could find was in this news article titled 'Bigfoot in the Backyard', "A man claimed to have hit Bigfoot with his car in November 2004 while driving home from work late at night in the Grove City area. The man told researchers he had hair samples, but never consented to an interview."


About BFRO Investigator Jarrett Johnson:

Jarrett grew up in an area of western Pennsylvania that has historically experienced reported sightings regarding a hominid creature in the Hell's Hollow area. Having heard the stories as a child, he never gave the local lore serious thought... until years later when a family member revealed a personal encounter. He also spent a number years on the edge of the Florida Everglades where sasquatch activity has been reported for many years. In 1998, a Skunk Ape photo taken near Ochopee was posted along with a feature article in the Sun-Sentinel newspaper and his serious interest in the subject of sasquatch began.

JJ is an enthusiast of the outdoors including remote camping, hunting, fly fishing for native trout, seeking wild morel mushrooms, riding Harley Davidson motorcycles, and all things related to the sasquatch phenomena.

Jarrett has attended BFRO expeditions in Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. He has also attended a number of private expeditions.