YEAR: 2005

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: April

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Thurston County

LOCATION DETAILS: nope

NEAREST TOWN: Oakville Wa

NEAREST ROAD: ***

OBSERVED: This is how it all started i was walking home from my boyfriends house i would have to walk [past a] creak it was about 10:00 p.m. something kept throwning stuff at me like sticks and rocks i would turn around and look but i could not see anything then i would have to go across a Bridge it would not stop follow[ing] me it would hide when cars go by it had this really bad smell to it i did[n't] like the smell so i started running i knew it was a something so i just ran [and] stood on the bridge [and] it ran when i ran then it ran into the bushes and started throwing sticks and rocks on the bridge where i was i could[n't] see it really good but it was the scarys thing in my life

ALSO NOTICED: i found footprints in the sand the next day

OTHER WITNESSES: just me nobody else

OTHER STORIES: yes just about my sister was in the car and it started [chasing] at her

TIME AND CONDITIONS: it was doing the night

ENVIRONMENT: bridge and lots of trees were i live

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Tracy H.:

I followed up with the witness with numerous phone calls and an on-site investigation. During the telephone interviews, the witness reiterated her experience, stating that she has had rocks and sticks thrown at her on several occasions, most recently in June of 2005. The witness noted that sticks “about the size of her forearm” had been thrown at her. She also noted that rocks “the size of eggs” had been thrown, and that she could “hear footsteps” and smelled a strong odor “like a bad wet dog.” The witness stated that when cars would pass by, the rock and stick throwing would cease. The witness indicated that the incident lasted for at least ten minutes, and that it occurred only next to the creek. Once she got onto the bridge, which is not flanked by concealing undergrowth, the footsteps and projectile throwing ceased altogether. The witness indicated that the prints that she had found were difficult to discern, and a later follow-up revealed that the soil was soft, but sprinkled with gravel.

The witness stated that her sister has also had rocks and sticks thrown at her, and that two of her friends have had similar experiences. She said that these incidents occur only at night. When an incident occurs, she "just stands there" or "walks away, and it follows [her]."

On July 16, 2005, I visited the witness' house. I noted that the topography of the area included marshy and swampy areas, and the home itself was surrounded by intermittent thick and sparse foliage and a Douglas Fir/Hemlock forest. The flora of the area also included alder, thimbleberries, salmonberries and an apple orchard, and there was an ample amount of farmland and grazing pastureland. The fauna of the area included deer, elk, bear, coyote, raccoon and salmon.

I initially spoke with the witness’ sister, who indicated that she had also experienced rock and stick throwing. The witness’ father stated that the area has had activity for more than twenty years. He indicated that in the autumn of 2002, some tenants on his property had been staying in a trailer, and on several occasions, they had smelled a foul odor “like garbage,” and the trailer had been rocked violently back and forth. These incidents only occurred between 11:30 p.m. to 1:00 a.m.

A neighbor also indicated that he had two sightings over a fifteen-year span, the most recent one occurring approximately six years ago.

An in-depth follow-up with the witness included a walk along the road where the incident occurred. She showed me where she had seen something cross the road, and indicated that she knew it was crossing, but it was too dark to discern what it really looked like, other than the fact that it was a “large, dark figure.” The point of departure for the animal was thick underbrush that gradually thinned out into marshy grassland alongside the road. The opposite side of the road had a steep, forested incline that terminated in pastureland far below the slope.

We investigated the road and its surrounding areas, and we also walked a nearby forest service road, but heard nothing other than coyotes and insects. The number of incidents in this area makes it a promising area for continued research.

About BFRO Investigator Tracy H.:

Tracy has a BA in Social Sciences with a minor in Anthropology. She participated in primate field work in Africa from Jan. - Mar. 2008 and is currently taking primate behavior coursework. She works with young children in the behavioral science field and has participated in numerous BFRO expeditions, including WA, NM, FL, WV, and OR.

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