YEAR: 1981

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

STATE: New Jersey

COUNTY: Burlington County

LOCATION DETAILS: Edited out at the request of the witness.

NEAREST TOWN: Tabernacle NJ

NEAREST ROAD: caranza road

OBSERVED: When i was 14 i was camping in Wharton state forest north of Hampton furnace.I was alone.Just before dark I was out walking,I became aware that something was shadowing me back in the brush.It followed me to camp and began to circle.It was very stealthy, it circled while I cooked and got ready for the night.I finally crawled in the tent and tried to sleep.After awhile I heard a faint sound behind me, I was about to look out the back window when this thing started screaming,I have never heard anything that loud in the woods The volume was like a car horn up close.people tell me it was an owl,well I have heard alot of owls and they can't even come close. I lay there for a long time to scared to move,I thought I heard it moving closer and I started screaming.It just stopped and walked off.After a very long night I packed up at first light and got out of there.The area behind the tent was covered in pine needles and I had no desire to look in the brush for tracks.

ALSO NOTICED: I once found human tracks in the mud in winter. they were no longer then ten unches but very broad at the time i thought some nut was running around in winter in their bare feet.The tracks were very wide

OTHER WITNESSES: no

OTHER STORIES: Just on your web site.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: dusk to about two hours after dark.

ENVIRONMENT: bog on one side swamp on the other

Follow-up investigation report:

I spoke with the witness over the phone on 4/3/2006 for about an hour. I believe this person to be credible. He is an avid outdoorsman and knows his wildlife. He recalled the encounter in detail even though it took place twenty-five years ago.

The witness had camped out often by himself in this area of the Pine Barrens. On this day he was returning back to his campsite when he noticed something had just crossed the dirt road in front of him at a distance of about fifty feet. He did not see what it was but noticed the brush was moving where the animal had just entered from the opposite side of the road. He also heard what he described as deep thumping sounds.

All the way back to his camp something was paralleling and pacing him. It was very sly and would stop when he stopped, as if trying not to be heard. Again he would hear the occasional thumping sounds.

When he retired for the evening something began to approach the back of his tent. The animal started to scream at a very loud level. He had never heard anything like it before or since. Some low mumbling growls and chatter followed the scream.

After hearing the animal approach the tent a second time, he became frightened and started to scream back at it: "Get out of hear, go away, leave me alone". Immediately after screaming, the animal retreated. The witness stayed up the entire night listening intently but never heard the animal again. He never saw what was making the noises.

The next morning he packed up his gear and left the area.

He has been back to the area since then and has come across human-like tracks in the mud. He estimated the tracks at about ten inches long and six inches wide. The area has become heavily used since the time of this incident. He has not had another encounter since then.

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