YEAR: 1997

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: November

DATE: 15

STATE: California

COUNTY: Tuolumne County

LOCATION DETAILS: We were located in Eagle Meadows. Do not recall the specific directions to this particular site.

NEAREST TOWN: Strawberry, California

NEAREST ROAD: California State Highway 108

OBSERVED: My husband and I were hunting in Sonora. Our location was Eagle Meadows which is above Strawberry, California off of California Highway 108. It was a sunny, cold day. We dressed in our camoflauge and began our hunt. We were deep in the woods had climbed down a hillside of boulders and into what looked like a perfect hunting area. Forest on either side of a meadow approximately 300 yards wide. We found pine trees to sit under (they had low branches) to await our perfect buck and so put on our skunk scent. My husband was approximately 10 feet away from me. We each had views across the meadow. But I could not share his nor could he share my view for there was a clump of trees and bushes about 100 yards in front of us and positioned between the trees we were under. About 20 minutes into the hunt we heard branches breaking across the meadow. My husband quietly told me to be aware of bears. To stay alert. It was approximately 10:30/11:00 a.m. when I looked back across the meadow and saw something that wasn't there 3 to 5 minutes ago. Immediately, I thought "Could it be a Bear?" I rationalized if it was only shadows from trees, a dead log with light coming through? But none of my theories fit. The image I saw was black. The sun was shining from behind it so the front looked black. Then I thought "It must be a Sasquatch." I saw most of his head, 3/4's of his chest area and down to what could possibly be the waist. The rest was hidden by the trees/bushes. After totally analyzing the figure, the blackness, I thought if it is a bigboot it must have eyes. I brought my small camouflage binoculars up to my eyes slowly and looked across this meadow. It was then that fear and anxiousness prevailed. For I saw two yellow eyes watching me very intently. I have never been so scared. I was afraid to move an inch. I continued observing for about 15 minutes and he stood there and watched me too. We were both very still. I was wondering if he would move, why he was so intent on observing me? Then my instinct told me to move and get out of there. I motioned to my husband that I was going back to camp but did not tell him why. My fear didn't allow me to speak. My intent was to leave the area as quickly as possible. I high-tailed it back to camp. Up the stoney hillside and through the woods all the time looking over my shoulder. Later when my husband came in I asked him if he saw anything unusual? He said he didn't. So the Bigfoot didn't walk across the meadow or my husband would have seen him. The Sasquatch found me. I was there under that tree first, minutes before he came into the area. I honestly believe without a doubt that this was a Sasquatch. I do not believe that it was a dangerous threat to me or it would have advanced towards me. I do not believe it was a bear because a bear would not have stood still for so long. I wonder if these creatures are just as about us as we are of them. If only I could go back to that point in time. I would have slowly moved across the meadow towards it, to see what it would have done and to investigate farther. My husband said, "What would you have done if it charged you?" I said, "Run and scream." My point is, how will anyone ever know the truth if they don't cautiously and tamely approach one. Would love the opportunity to go on a real sighting and/or search. The opportunity to see a Sasqatch in motion would be awesome.

OTHER WITNESSES: I was the only person to see this Bigfoot.

OTHER STORIES: No have not heard anyone else's reports.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: A cool sunny day with clear skys.

ENVIRONMENT: It was a pine forest. A meadow. Behind us was a wall of stone and boulders.

Follow-up investigation report:

Talked with witness by phone. Comments added:
--head shape was rounded;
--eyes were yellow;
--did not get a good look at nose or lips because the sun was shining behind it;
--saw the creature after the sound of branches breaking, was not there before that;
--was not a tree or log;
--she did not smell anything, but husband said that he smelled something awful at the same time as her sighting;
--found it curious that the bigfoot spotted her while she was sitting under a tree with camo on (only her face showed), but they "locked eyes" for 15 minutes, before she decided to leave the area.