Geographical Index > United States > New Jersey > Burlington County > Report # 45903
(Class B)
Submitted by witness Mike Mcauliffe on Tuesday, July 15, 2014.
Camper has nightime intimidation encounter in the Pine Barrens
(Show Printer-friendly Version)
YEAR: 2013
SEASON: Spring MONTH: May DATE: 18 STATE: New Jersey COUNTY: Burlington County NEAREST TOWN: Wading Pines NEAREST ROAD: Godfrey's Bridge Rd OBSERVED: I was camping one week and I went for a hike say around 12am about 3 miles from my camp site. I had heard some rustling around me and continued walking. I then heard what sounded to be a large animal about 15 yards away but it sounded like it was moving on two legs, not four. I had shown my light all around and did not see any thing. No glowing eyes like a deer, fox or coon. At that point I turned around and started to head back to my camp. I then heard walking again, I started to walk faster. Out where no one is around for miles and sounds like someone is near, it can scare you. The people I was with would not have followed me like that because they knew I had my knife and my flare gun with a .22 sub caliber fitting with me. A tree branch had then landed next to me, it was fairly large, with no other branches on it so it did not fall from a tree. I turned and fired the gun. Something ran away with a very large thud sound as it ran. It sounded like a very, very overweight person running, but it was very fast. I never believed that a bigfoot or anything like that was in this area. I've tried to explain it as something else, but can't find anything native in the area that could sound like that running. OTHER WITNESSES: Alone - if I told anyone they would just call me crazy. TIME AND CONDITIONS: 12am very dark I had a head lamp and very bright flashlight ENVIRONMENT: Pine Forrest, rivers around.
Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Eric Spinner:
Spoke to the witness by phone and he was able to reveal further details.
He was taking a hike into the woods to set snares to catch food. He was hiking off trail near a small creek when he heard the rustling noises coming from roughly 50 feet away. He tried to shine his light to see what was making them, but was unable to make out anything. When he lowered his beam, he could see a shadow approximately 6 1/2 feet tall behind a tree swaying back and forth, but when he shined his flashlight he couldn't see anything. At this point, he felt very uneasy, and turned around and headed back towards camp. He could hear what sounded like bipedal footsteps paralleling him, but could not see what was making them. Then he heard a loud cracking sound, and a large branch landed in front of him. Mike turned and fired his flare gun once, pointed down at the ground as a warning. Whatever it was took off and ran away, crashing through the brush and trees. He recalls it sounding like an overweight person running, but with very long strides. Mike quickly returned to camp, and found the others in his party asleep. He didn't tell anyone of his experience for fear of ridicule.
Mike is an avid outdoorsman and a hunter, and has lots of experience in the woods. He is familiar with the sounds of the native animals, and can't imagine what could have made those sounds. He was not out there actively searching for Bigfoot, and had never given much prior thought to the subject.
Following this incident, he did see a few shows on the subject on TV. It was after watching an episode of Finding Bigfoot on Animal Planet, that he made a connection with an incident that was investigated, and decided to file a report to our database.
Having spoken to the witness, I find him to be credible. I know several others, including myself, who have had a similar experience in this particular area that lead me to believe that what he says is plausible.
About BFRO Investigator Eric Spinner:
Eric Spinner is the owner of a health food store in Medford, NJ - a town that borders the Pine Barrens. He is a Certified Nutritional Consultant, and a Shiatsu Practitioner. Eric has attended the 2008 NW Pennsylvania Expedition, the 2009 Sunshine Coast BC Canada Expedition, the 2016 & 2020 So NY Expeditions, and 2021 & 2022 PA Expeditions. He also organized the 2023 PA East Expedition. Eric has been an investigator for the BFRO since 2009 and has been organizing New Jersey Expeditions since 2014. He makes numerous solo excursions into the NJ Pine Barrens, and Pennsylvania, and has done investigations in Missouri and Florida. He was most recently involved in the production of the South Jersey Sasquatch episode of Finding Bigfoot and was one of the witnesses featured during the Town Hall meeting.
Eric is cofounder of NASBRO, and host of Squatch Talks Podcast.
|
