YEAR: 1998

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: August

DATE: 10

STATE: Michigan

COUNTY: Benzie County

LOCATION DETAILS: County Line Road - CR 602 - west of Buckley.

NEAREST TOWN: Buckley

NEAREST ROAD: County Line Road - CR 602

OBSERVED: In August of 1998, my younger sister and I were on our way back from the hospital, she was about 20 yrs. old, I was 23. It was probably around two or three A.M. when we finally hit County Line Rd. outside of where my mother lives. We were both staying with her at the time of the sighting. My mother lives in Buckley, about six miles down County Line Rd, once you turn off the main highway (can't recall the name of the highway at the moment.) We were about a half a mile or so down County Line Rd when we were talking, making jokes. We were both very tired.

I turned to say something to her and when we both looked back strait ahead on the road ahead, I saw a tall "thing" literally take two steps and it was accross the road. It stood aprox. seven or eight feet tall. (my husband at the time was six five so it was easier to make out the difference) as soon as we saw it, we both jumped and said "did you just see that!?" We emediaitely knew what we both saw and I raced back to my mom's house. once we were back home, we recalled the details. We were finnishing each other's sentances which was very disturbing KNOWING we recollected the same thing.

It still seems funny to think about but the "thing" had long flowing fur. It actually looked GROOMED! The hair was all over it's body and it was brownish with silverish tips. The arms were very long hung down just above it's knees. The head was hunched down and we did not see the face. We laugh about it now and still get chills especially when we both recall how the thing was walking like it had someplace to be. It was the strangest thing. We both agreed that it was walking in haste not as if it were trying to get away from something or someplace, rather, almost like a person would walk hastily on a city street when they are late for a job or an appointment or something like that.

OTHER WITNESSES: My sister and I.

OTHER STORIES: In and around the same area, just down the short drive off County Line Rd. (rd. my mother lives off of) an elderly man and woman lived in a small house off the same drive. I don't think I was living with my mother at the time of this alleged incident but as I recall, it wasn't too long after our sighting. My husband and I went for a visit to my mother's home and my mother told me the man down the road was just beginning to head down County Line Rd. going back toward the way we were coming when we had our sighting. The story was, he was just starting to pick up speed and he was alone in his truck during the day when he had to slow down because he noticed "something crouthced down in the road". He had to eventually come to a complete stop when the animal turned to look at him and proceeded to run off down the ditch and into the woods. The description of it was that it had hair all over it's body, it had a puggish nose and the chest was more bare. They said he was saying it probably stood about seven feet tall........ I would like to know if there are other people in this are who have had similar sightings. We have had a lot of strange happenings in this area even other than just these sorts of sightings. Is that usual? I know of other's in the surrounding area....... Kinglsey, Fife Lake, Boardman Valley, etc.. who have seen strange unexplainable things but most of the people I know of aren't the types that might report what they are seeing. meaning quiet, nice people that don't want to stir things up in any way. I once asked a gas station attendant in the Kingsley area about it not long after the sighting and he laughed and said "that's nothing new"..........Please let me know if there are more people in this area who have had simmilar experiences. It would just be nice to know.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Nightime, clear.

ENVIRONMENT: Clear, on the highway. Tall brush on either side in the ditch.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I spoke with both sisters by phone.

The witnesses both described the animal as being very bulky in the shoulders with shaggy hair and no visible neck.

As the animal crossed the road the muscle tone was evident. They stated that it walked with determination, arms swinging and did not look towards them. They were not able to see the any facial features.

About BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

Stan Courtney has a special interest in wildlife audio recording. He has attended numerous BFRO Expeditions. See Stan's blog StanCourtney.com for recordings he has collected over the years.

Stan Courtney can be reached at illinois@bfro.net

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