BFRO #67540: Gold panner reports rocks thrown in frequent sighting zone within Uwharrie National Forest
📍 Location
Thickety Creek area, Montgomery County, North Carolina, Troy, NC
Specific Location: Thickety Creek Rd near Thickety Creek, beside a large flat rock used as a workstation
Coordinates: 35.25000, -79.95000
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35.2500°, -79.9500°
📝 Description
This happened around 2014 in the Thickety Creek community of Montgomery County, south of the county seat of Troy. A friend at church asked me if I could come down and check his creek for gold. He knew I liked to do some gold panning as a hobby. We never settled on a day or time, I just told him I would come by one day when I got a chance. I ended up getting off work early one day and decided to run down and wash some rocks. So, I parked at his gate and grabbed my backpack at gear and walked about 200 yards from the road. To my left is the creek with about 4ft banks and a steep mountain to my right. I walked down looking for a place to easily get down into the creek without lots of brush. This area is well known for huge Timber Rattlers. So I find a spot next to a huge flat rock that I end up using as a work station. After a couple hours of panning I stopped to take a break. I always freeze a 2 liter bottle of water and drink it as it melts. I�m standing there drinking the water and I hear something fly through the trees above my head. My first thought was �I�ve never heard a bird fly through the trees and hit limbs and leaves like that! Why is it doing that?� So as I stand there puzzled and confused I hear more commotion coming through the tree tops! This time my eyes focus on the sound and I see a rock about the size of a Jr sized football flying over my head and on the bank on the other side of the creek! As I stand there stunned, racking my brain try to make sense of it, I unsnap my 9mm and shout in that direction �You stay over there and I�ll stay over here!� Needless to say I packed up and left, feeling like I�m being watched the whole time! I threw my stuff in the back of my truck and hauled buggy out of there! I don�t know of any animal in the woods that can throw a rock that big that far! I was so effected that I gave up gold panning and hunting for the most part! I never told the land owner or anybody else for that matter for a few years. I still don�t tell many folks. I feel like I have to keep inside or people will think I�m crazy.
🔍 Circumstances
None
🌤️ Weather Conditions
Warm Clear day around 1:00pm
ℹ️ Additional Details
Warm Clear day around 1:00pm
🔗 Sources (1)
👥 Community Contributions
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Case Information
- Case ID
- cmiz1scbf022p8fysdralueyp
- Primary Source
- BFRO
- Added to Map
- December 9, 2025
- Last Updated
- December 10, 2025