YEAR: 2015

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: June

DATE: Wednesday the 3rd

STATE: Minnesota

COUNTY: Itasca County

LOCATION DETAILS: Within the marked trails in the Lost Forty scientific research area. Within the Chippewa National Forest. It is easy to find on Google maps.

NEAREST TOWN: Alvwood MN

NEAREST ROAD: Bark Clark Forestry Rd.

OBSERVED: I need to speak to someone personally about my incident right away. I was walking alone through the Lost Forty scientific natural area near Dora Lake MN on this past Wednesday the 3rd of June 2015. Around 12 o'clock noon. Just last week as I was taking pictures of the 350 year old white pines with my camera phone. My Dad was back in the car and he honked the horn and yelled at me to come back as he was getting impatient as always. I immediately heard strange unexplainable sounds after he honked the horn. I believe he startled whatever it was back there because the sounds were getting louder after he honked the horn. I was deep in the forest and you could hear a pin drop. The sounds I heard were absolutely unexplainable for me to write down. It sounded like there must be a 500 pound woodpecker back here banging into some trees. I didn't think anything of it because nothing really scares me. I carried on, taking many beautiful pictures of the untouched white pines deep into the Lost Forty scientific and natural area. 15 minutes after my hike,I heard a tree starting to loudly crack and fall within 20 maybe 30 feet from where I was standing still. Startled, I looked all around 360 degrees to make sure it didn't fall on top of me. Just less than 20 to 30 feet away this GIANT birch tree flung back up into the air in its original upright position. The path was curved so I couldn't see around the next corner on the ground. I had less than 5 seconds as my mind was running through all the possibilities of what just happened. I have never been so afraid in my entire life and nothing ever really scares me. I thought it may be a bear at first but that tree was so big I almost ruled it out right away. I immediately ran for my life in the opposite direction as fast as humanly possible about a quarter mile back to the car. I was afraid whatever it was had been chasing me. It wasn't thank God, because halfway to the car I had to stop and catch my breath for about a minute. It seemed like I ran forever and I thought this was the end of me. As I was running back to the car my Dad heard me running through the forest huffing and puffing, and he thought I was just messing with him. He told me that "I looked like I had just seen a ghost and, what the hell just happened?". I drove away from that place going about 80 miles an hour. Couldn't barely breath for a half hour. I have never heard or seen or experienced anything like this in my whole life. I did not personally see it, but it saw me and must have climbed up a large birch tree causing it to bend down and crack as the creature fell to the ground. As I described the event to other people and some locals throughout the week, some said it was not a bear. They told me to watch your show on tv. I am watching your TV show for the first time now while I'm typing this. I have never seen your show before today. And as I see those people in your Base camp episode. I'm realizing I was only a half hour drive away from most of those incidents. We have a summer home in Blackduck MN. I was up there for my annual fishing trip, I live in Rockford IL. So I am very far away from where it happened right now. If you are looking for a sasquatch I suggest you head to the Lost Forty scientific natural area (SNA) in Northern Minnesota. I'm never going back there alone. Maybe for the right reasons if there were people with firearms with me. And I hope you guys please contact me by phone right away.This was only a few days ago so every detail is fresh in my mind still.

ALSO NOTICED: Loud banging and knocking sounds. Until I watched your shown today for the first time I have never heard any such noise. After watching the show I got a little freaked out because it's exactly what I heard. Whatever it was, was sitting in a tree watching me. The tree began to snap loudly and bend to the ground. It flung back up again to its original upright position.

OTHER WITNESSES: My father was waiting in the car in the parking area. I was alone in the marked trails within the forest area. No other witnesses. No cars or people around for miles.

OTHER STORIES: Not until today when I was recommended to watch your show. Then I realized that it is not very far from your Base camp episode near Leech Lake.Those people in your episode seemed convincing enough for me to come forward with this information.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: It was about Noon. A hazy overcast day. No rain at the time but layer that day it rained.

ENVIRONMENT: The Lost Forty is an unlogged preserved natural forest that is protected by the DNR. There are swamps, creeks, and the tallest and oldest trees in Minnesota. The trees are over 350 years old.White pines and birch trees among many other.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Jim & Carol Telenko:

I spoke to the witness via phone interview. He described hearing loud bangs, knocking and trees breaking, photographing the white pines in the area at the time. He also stated the area was very silent prior to when the noise began. Knocks were also heard, 4-5 knocks, silent for 10-15 seconds, then 4-5 more knocks. The witness is 6' 4" inches tall, weighing 270 pounds, and it would have been impossible for him to bend the tree as he described.

The Lost Forty SNA is located in the Big Fork State Forest and within the Chippewa National Forest. The Lost Forty is considered a unique area in the Chippewa National Forest. Most of the mature red and white pine are found on the east end of this SNA, these trees are up to 350 years old and between 22 and 48 inches in diameter. Today, less than two percent of Minnesota’s forests are considered old growth.