YEAR: 2012

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: January

DATE: 8 & 9

STATE: Florida

COUNTY: Levy County

LOCATION DETAILS: Black Prong trails Goethe State Forest

NEAREST TOWN: Bronson

NEAREST ROAD: County Road 337

OBSERVED: I never got a visual. I was hog hunting/scouting an area with fresh activity. The first thing I noticed were some unusual scrapings on some tree's, higher up than any animal found here. Really paid little to no attention to that until after the fact. I went further into a game trail and I heard a noise as if someone, or something was flanking me. It moved when I moved. As it grew darker I changed my direction and then began hearing a screech/growl that I was unfamilar with. Raised the hairs on my neck and I got out of there. I went home and told my wife and we laughed it off. I studied the satellite imagery for the area and chose a close by location for the following day.
The following day I enetered thick brush on a game trail working my way back to a dried up lake with a clearing. The brush on either side of me was so thick you couldn't enter if you wanted. I heard, again, something walking with me, and another audible screech/growl, followed by what sounded like a large stick hitting a tree several times. I exited the area fastly. I went to another area 1/2 mile away and walked a horse trail. I experienced the same audible noise and then the tree hitting again. As I approached I felt the ground as it seemed as tho something were stomping or pounding it just off the trails edge. Then a rock was thrown in my direction followed by that screech/growl and then I could hear all hell break loose into the woods. As I was exiting the trail I came across a HUGE track that I took pictures of in comparison to my size 14 shoe it was nearly twice as long and wide. There were no prints in the footprint, like what my shoe left behind. I could make out the heel,ball and toes.
I am a skeptic myself, but I'll be damned if I can explain this, and I know I will NOT be going back to that area alone.

ALSO NOTICED: Possible fur found

OTHER WITNESSES: No

OTHER STORIES: It's often joked about, alot of folks don't think it is impossible that such a thing exists. I havent talked to anyone with any sightings etc.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 4-6pm. Warm for this time of year, upper 70's day/40's night. Full moon cycle

ENVIRONMENT: Pine forest mixed with bottom hardwoods and cypress swamp. Thick (fire recovery) underbrush such as palmetto.There were several ponds in this area and creeks that are currently dry.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator David Bakara:

The witness' encounters happened on two consecutive days during early evening and dusk while hunting hogs in Goethe State Forest. Witness (JR) has been hunting in the area for 20 years, though this was the first time at these exact spots.

As he progressed on the first trail, he could hear branches and twigs popping as if something was keeping pace w/him in the dense brush to his left. After he continued down the trail, it let out a type of low growl/screech that he'd never heard before. JR left the area and went home.

When he returned the next evening, he tried a spot that he picked out on a satellite map the night before. As he was working his way in, he heard another growl/screech just off the trail to his left and a stick hitting a tree three times. He exited this area and drove to another approximately a half mile away that had a wider horse trail with a sandy base that reveals many horse, boot, and animal prints.

As he progressed on the horse trail, he heard the same growl/screech noise to his right then another wood knocking to his left. JR thinks he may have been in between two of them. When he challenged the noise maker to come out, he heard a pounding that sounded like it was only 10 ft. from him in the dense brush. JR compared it to a horse stomping right next to him, only ten times louder. Then something was thrown past him which landed on the other side of the trail in the woods. He could hear it travel through the brush and land on the other side. Then he heard crunching bushes and breaking branches as if something was angry and he ran back towards his car.

Along the trail he discovered a very large bare footprint that was approximately twice his boot size of 14. He snapped a photo of the print with his cell phone and continued his run to his car. As JR approached his car, he could hear an animal breaking through the brush 30 ft. from him. He exited the area and will not return alone. It's difficult to take a clearly discernible photo of a track under the best of conditions. JR's cell phone photo of the track as he was hastily returning to his vehicle turned out to be an indiscernible blur.

About BFRO Investigator David Bakara:

David has three daughters and a wife that shares his interest in research, both having developed a deep respect for nature and knowledge of the outdoors and wildlife. Attended Northern Florida Expedition 2011, 2012 Washington Exp., and 2012 North Florida exp. Prior US Navy and currently works as a Leasing Agent, spending his time off in the woods as often as he can investigating Bigfoot reports.

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