YEAR: 1981/2011

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: May

DATE: 15

STATE: Washington

COUNTY: Cowlitz County

LOCATION DETAILS: along highway 12

NEAREST TOWN: first (salkum) the other two near (Packwood)

NEAREST ROAD: Highway 12 east

OBSERVED: My cousin and I where fishing on the Cowlitz near (SAULKUM) next to the trout hatchery river bank and we were about forty yards from each other. I kept getting the feeling that we were being watched. I did not speak to my cousin because the noise from the river was so loud. I thought I might of heard something close to me directly behind me so I looked back only to see the trees move like something was walking through them.This area was at the bottom of a cliff with sort of a small point along the river and I was on the tip point. The trees were mostly 30 plus foot alders and thick under brush.

After seeing the trees moving I could make out something large in the brush but it was concealed just enough to block my perfect view. So as I looked at my cousin he was looking at me with a scared look on his face and motioned his head toward the area this thing was in and I pointed at the trail and motioned him to go back toward camp.The subject at this time was behind him he did not see any shape or anything he sensed something and then heard something. As he started running down the trail I joined in behind him and pulled my knife out and told him if something gets me dont stop. As we were running down the trail I looked back over my shoulder several times after say 50 to 60 yards into the trail and saw nothing then I looked again before slowing down and when I looked back there was an arm and hand reaching for me as it came out onto the trail right behind me I yelled at my cousin run its behind us dont look back just run. I looked again and it was gone. We continued back to camp and told my grandfather that i think we just got chased by a bigfoot and his response was "are you smoking dope there is no such thing as big foot ". I was 16 at the time and an avid sportsman hunting in the woods by myself for years always going into my area to hunt before dark with no flashlight. so this isnt a case of a scared little boy. my cousin and I went back the next day and looked around we did find tracks in the soft dirt at the bottom of the cliff face however they had no details the soft dirt filled the prints. I am a gifted tracker and have been all my life I am the one in the family that always gets called to track wounded animals or to locate animals that had been seen and lost. I am woods wise and not one to let the imagination run wild. I know what I saw that day and if the public thinks I am full of it well I know the truth.That was 30 years ago however I will never forget it nor will my cousin, it freaked him out and he did not see what I saw.

I am a fan of the show and I thank you for all the long hours spent in the field to bring this topic into the limelight.

I had two more encounters last year along the Cispus river near (Mount Adams) with my cousin. We were up in Cispus river valley near (Cat creek) and even over the water I could hear a scream twice and the snow was about one and a half feet deep on the roads and there was no sign that other people had traveled this area. My cousin did not want me to respond. Then just up the road about 3 miles on a different trip a few months later and while on a hike in a timbered area with snow about 3 feet deep as we went along an old logging road we started hearing tree knocks and other than us and a few plants as well as a few birds it was silent dead silent. The tree knocks seemed to be about 30 to 40 yards on our right in thick brush only to hear a response tree knock on our left and ahead of us about 60 to 80 yards. then we stood there and I asked them if they wanted me to respond to the knocks with more knocks or a call and they both asked if I please would not respond and they wanted to leave. I took them back to camp and let it go. I did make a hike later by myself to look for tracks and to try to get a response to tree knocks. Well no response to the knocks and the snow was disturbed by something large but again no visible detail the snow was powdery and lots more had fallen by the time I returned. I was also carrying my video and still camera when I came back but like I said nothing there where no other vehicle or human tracks in the area. I will be returning to the area this year as I do every year but this year I will be on a mission to look for more evidence and I will be calling and tree knocking because I will be alone this time so no limits this time.

Thank you
(Name removed by investigator)

ALSO NOTICED: see above

OTHER WITNESSES: 1 the first time the second time 2

OTHER STORIES: yes years ago

TIME AND CONDITIONS: the first time was in the evening about two hours before dark the next was about 11 pm and the last was early morning

ENVIRONMENT: river valley and mountains

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Scott Taylor:

I talked with this witness over the phone. He is a life-long hunter and resident of Washington State. As a teenager, in 1981, he was camping with his grandfather and cousin near the trout hatchery on the Cowlitz River, south of Salkum. While fishing, he became aware of being watched, as did his cousin. He could actually see it in the brush behind him, but not clearly as it was behind foliage. When they turned to run away, the animal chased them. At one point, he saw a long arm come out of the brush as if it was reaching for him. It did not actually grab him. What he saw was a very long, very big, hair covered arm. It had a human look, but was far too big to be a human, in addition to being covered with short, thick, hair. He got a good enough look to know what it was he saw.

Last year, on two occasions at the same area near the Cispus River, south of Randle he experienced wood knocking. On the second encounter, they felt that whatever it was wanted them to leave the area. What they experienced was commonly reported sasquatch behavior.

The encounter from some time ago is about an hour away from the more recent experience.

About BFRO Investigator Scott Taylor:

Scott Taylor is a retired aerospace manager. He lives in Mason County, Washington. He had his first bigfoot encounter in October 2005 where he was stalked and later heard vocalizations.

Scott has attended official BFRO Expeditions in the Washington Cascades in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. He also attended 2007 Central Oregon Cascades and 2007 Utah. He now organizes BFRO expeditions in Washington and has participated in bigfoot conferences over the past 17 years.

Scott will be leading a Washington BFRO expedition in 2025 (July 17-20) which is open to non-members. For more details and registration information for that trip click here.

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