Geographical Index > United States > Montana > Missoula County > Report # 1614
(Class A)
Submitted by witness Submitted to the BFRO Online Database by Laurie Watkins on Friday, January 10, 1997.
Young horseback rider has a face-to-face encounter in the Rattlesnake Wilderness Area
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YEAR: 1977
SEASON: Summer STATE: Montana COUNTY: Missoula County LOCATION DETAILS: in a wooded area bordering the wilderness area of the Rattlesnake Wilderness NEAREST TOWN: outskirts of Missoula MT OBSERVED: This incident happened 20 yrs ago. I don't know if this is too long ago for your research but I will tell you.
I am 31 years old. When I was 10 or 11 years old I was riding my horse in the summer time in a wooded area bordering the wilderness area of the Rattlesnake Wilderness in the outskirts of Missoula MT, and my horse stopped dead in his tracks as we rode through a meadow (that now has 3 houses in it). There I was, face to face with a bigfoot that was about 10 feet away from me. It was peeking out from behind a tree. (just like the 3rd drawing in this web page [http://BFRO.net/AVEVID/MJM/ohsket.htm])
It just stood there looking at me and didn't make a sound. I slowly turned my horse around and ran home. It must have stood at least 7 or more feet taller than myself. That was the only time I witnessed one.
ALSO NOTICED: In recent summer seasons loud screams have been heard near the Clark Fork River outside Missoula, usually between midnight and dawn.
As of today, my husband and myself built a home on the Clark Fork River on the outskirts of Missoula MT, and the over last two summers we hear an odd sort of scream that sounds almost like a prehistoric bird, really gravelly, and it travels very fast covering alot of ground. This sound only has happened in the summer time, usually right before daybreak, or right after midnight.
The neighbors have heard it, but no one can figure it out! It kind of sends chills down your spine, and all the neighbor dogs start to bark like in your tape recordings. [http://BFRO.net/AVEVID/MJM/ohsket.htm]
I will try to get it on tape this summmer, but it isn't consistent with when it does it!
OTHER STORIES: My grandparents saw one in the Swan Valley running through a river bottom near their home about 30 years ago (they are since deceased). They said it looked like a hairy man loping through the brush of the river bottom that ran in front of their home.
TIME AND CONDITIONS: always in the summer or spring ENVIRONMENT: wooded area, meadow with trees bordering. both had rivers close by
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