BFRO #12122: Morning sighting by hunter in Homochitto National Forest near Knoxville

📍 Location

📝 Description

FIRST I WILL SAY THAT A CREATURE REALLY EXIST WITHOUT A DOUBT.I HAVE NOT DISCUSSED THIS WITH MANY PEOPLE BECAUSE IT WOULD DO NO GOOD.IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND SOMEONE MUST EXPERIENCE A ENCOUNTER PERSONALLY.IT WAS NOV 28TH 1978 OR 79.I REALLY LIVE TO DEER HUNT AND SEASON HAD BEEN OPENED A WEEK OR SO.I WAS NOT OLD ENOUGH TO DRIVE AND JUMPED AT A CHANCE TO GO HUNTING WITH A COUPLE OF MY BROTHERS OLDER FRIENDS.WE ARRIVED TO THE AREA OFF OF BUNKLY RD IN KNOXVILLE WELL BEFORE DAYLIGHT.THE HIKE TO OUR INDIVIDUAL STANDS WAS APPRX1-1-1/2 MILES.ONE OF THE MEN LEFT US WHEN WE PASSED HIS STAND.ME AND THE OTHER MAN CONTINUED ON UNTIL WE REACHED HIS STAND.HE THEN INSTRUCTED ME OF SOME GOOD BUCK SIGN THAT HE HAD FOUND IN A CREEK BOTTOM ABOUT 300YDS AWAY.IT WAS STILL DARK AS I CROSSED A SMALL FIELD TO TAKE A STAND IN THE FAR TIMBER.HALF WAY ACROSS THE FIELD AN ERRIE FEELING OF BEING WATCHED CAME OVER ME.I STOPPED AND SHINNED THE FLASHLIGHT SCANNING THE TREE LINE BUT SAW NOTHING.I CONTINUED MAYBE 100 YDS INSIDE THE WOOD LINE AND FOUND A LARGE TREE THAT WOULD BE SUITABLE FOR A BACK REST.I SETTLED IN TO WAIT ON DAYLIGHT.IT WAS VERY COLD AND THE FROST FROM THE NIGHT BEFORE MADE THE FALLEN OAK LEAVES IMPOSSIBLE TO MOVE IN WITHOUT MAKING TREMENDOUS NOISE.AS ABOUT 9 AM I SPOTTED A DEER ON A SMALL KNOLL ABOUT 75-80 YDS AWAY.HE WAS MOTIONLESS STARING IN MY DIRECTION.I REMAINED STILL BUT THE DEER TURNED AND BOLTED AWAY AND INTO A THICKET AWAY FROM ME.THERE WAS A STEADY BREEZE IN MY FACE SO I KNEW HE COULD NOT HAVE SMELLED ME AND I HAD NOT EVEN BLINKED.WHILE I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED I BEGAN TO HEAR HEAVY BREATHING BEHIND ME BUT IT WAS NOT CLOSE.HOWEVER IT BEGAN TO GET LOUDER AND LOUDER.LOOKING OVER MY LEFT SHOULDER I COULD SEE MY SHADOW THE SHADOW OF THE TREE I WAS SITTING AGAINST AND THE SHADOW OF A LARGE UP RIGHT CREATURE DIRECTLY BEHIND ME.STARTLED I QUICKLY JUMPED UP AND SIDE STEPPED BACK AND AWAY FROM THE TREE.NOT 5 FEET AWAY STOOD A CREATURE LOOKING AT ME.HE WAS COVERED WITH MEDIUM LENGTH PINE STRAW COLORED HAIR.HIS FACE DID NOT HAVE ANY HAIR ON IT.HIS ARMS HUNG DOWN TO HIS KNEES AND WAS AT HIS SIDES.HE HAD SUNKEN COAL BLACK EYES.HE STOOD AROUND 7 FT TALL AND I COULDN'T GUESS HIS WEIGHT.WE MADE EYE CONTACT FOR ONLY A COUPLE OF SECONDS AND I WAS IN STRIDE VACATING THE AREA LEAVING ME GUN BEHIND.I YELLED THE WHOLE TIME I WAS RUNNING.ONE OF THE MEN WITH ME HEARD ME YELLING AND WAS IN THE FIELD WHEN I RAN OUT OF THE WOOD LINE.HE ASKED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND I TOLD HIM.WE WENT AND GOT THE OTHER MAN AND WE RETURNED TO RETRIEVE MY GUN.THEY LAUGHED AND PICKED AT ME UNTIL WE REACHED THE TREE WHER MY GUN LAID.IN THE LEAVES BY THE TREE WERE VERY LARGE TRACKS.IT HAD 3 TOES AND MEASURED ABOUT 14" LONG AND ABOUT 4-5" WIDE.WE COULD SEE THE DIRECTION OF TRAVEL THROUGH THE LEAVES.WE FOLLOWED FOR ABOUT 75 YDS NO ONE SAID A WORD.COMING TO THE CREEK WHERE THE TRACKS DROPPED OFF THE BANK.LOOKING OFF THE BANK WE COULD SEE THE TRCKS CLEARLY IN THE SAND.YOU COULD ALSO SEE WHERE THE CREATURE SLID DOWN THE SIDE OF THE DROP OFF.WE LEFT IMMEDIATELY.TO THIS DAY I HAVE NOT RETURNED TO THAT PARTICULAR AREA.THE MEN NEVER MENTIONED THIS TO ANYONE TO MY KNOWLEDGE.I HAVE SEEN MANY BEARS AND OTHER WILDLIFE BUT I ASSURE YOU AT 5FT AWAY THERE IS NO CASE OF MISTAKEN IDENTITY.

🔍 Circumstances

2 OTHER MEN.I DONT WISH TO REVEAL THEIR NAMES.THE THREE OF US WERE DEER HUNTING.

🌤️ Weather Conditions

AROUND 9 AM.IT WAS A CLEAR COLD MORNING

ℹ️ Additional Details

AROUND 9 AM.IT WAS A CLEAR COLD MORNING

🔗 Sources (1)

👥 Community Contributions

Help improve this case by adding notes, observations, theories, or tags. Your contributions help the community understand patterns and connections.