YEAR: 1977

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: June

DATE: Unknown

STATE: Texas

COUNTY: Palo Pinto County

LOCATION DETAILS: Location was roughly 2.0 miles south of Tx Hwy 16 south of Possum Kingdom Lake.

Vocalizations occurred on the south side of river. Campsite was on the north side.

Exact location is 1.22 miles south of Hwy 16 bridge just east of large boulders in river (very easy to see on Google Earth).

NEAREST TOWN: Brad Tx

NEAREST ROAD: Hwy 16

OBSERVED: I was 14-15 years old. My father and I were camping with another father and son along the Brazos River. It was after midnight and my friend and I were running a trotline we had stretched across the river. As we approached the opposite bank from our campsite, we heard what was to this day an almost indescribable sound on the bank. It was a combination of a low frequency howl with varying low pitch grunts and growls. We immediately froze and shined our flashlights at the bank. There was a steep drop off into the river with a patch of evergreen shrubs and driftwood about the size of a single car garage. This vegetation started a few feet from the water and extending two thirds of the way back up the bank. Our flashlights were poor, as were most from this time period, and we could see nothing. We were within 30 feet of the bank and we both knew exactly where the sound originated. Whatever we heard was behind the described vegetation, so it was obscured. A second vocalization occurred within 10-15 seconds of the first.
The first time it ”sounded off” lasted less than 10 seconds. The second time was considerably longer, louder, and the meaning seemed clear. The first sound was a warning, the second time was threatening. There was no howl the latter time, only grunts and growls directed straight toward us. It was loud enough both times to be felt in your chest, similar to a large bass speaker in a car, but stronger.

We dropped the trotline and fanatically rowed our canoe back across without saying anything. When we reached the bank we ran back to our camp which was approximately 40 yards from where we landed. Both adults were up and out of their tents asking us, “What was that?’ My father was a Marine and State Trooper. He was rattled by what we heard. The straight line distance from the vocalizations to our camp was 150+/- yards. The sound was loud enough to wake both adults. We planned to spend two nights at that site before continuing down river but left the next morning for a campsite 6 miles downstream. The trip was to last five days but we cut it to two nights due to being very unsettled.

My father and I had both spent our lives hunting and fishing. I was comfortable in the woods and an accomplished outdoors man. I was a Boy Scout for years and had camped on that same spot in the past. What we heard was nothing I can explain. I know of no animal that can make those sounds, particularly in the combination we heard and the low frequency pitch we experienced. Whatever made the sound was massive and seemed mammalian.

The experience haunts me to this day. I’m not afraid in the woods, but the experience still follows me. I wish I had seen it just to verify what I believe it was. The interesting thing is, that even at the time, I knew what it was. There was, for me, no other explanation. I feel privileged to have what I know must have been a Bigfoot encounter, even if it left an indelible mark.

Width of the river was roughly 50-70 yards.
Embankment where vocalizations occurred from top to waterline was 15-20 ft. It was a relatively sandy bank that was nearly vertical.

ALSO NOTICED: No

OTHER WITNESSES: Three

OTHER STORIES: No

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Around midnight. Clear and warm.

ENVIRONMENT: River bank.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Gary Christensen:

I spoke with the witness by phone. He recounted the experience to me and answered questions.

- He had no recollection of an unusual smell.

- He and the other witnesses were so shaken by the experience that they did not return in daylight to the location of the vocalizations. They abandoned their trotline.

- He described the power of the vocalizations as similar to standing in front of a speaker at a rock concert and feeling the vibrations in his chest.

- I found the witness’s testimony to be very forthright and detailed as he recalled his experience even though it occurred over 40 years ago.

- We discussed all the other possibilities for these vocalizations and no other explanation reasonably fit with his encounter. I believe that he had a close encounter with a Bigfoot.

About BFRO Investigator Gary Christensen:

Gary is a retired USAF pilot, a Vietnam veteran with 312 combat missions in the B-52. He also retired from American Airlines in 2008 after 18 years service as a flight training manager. A graduate of USAF ground and sea survival schools, Gary is an avid bird hunter and fisherman. He has been following the bigfoot phenomenon since the 1950's.

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