Class 3a

Fisherman has encounter while bowfishing for gar in Sabine River bottoms.

Report#
01040021
Occurred April 1999
(Submitted September 26, 2004)

Witness Observation

My dad was bowfishing when he saw something on the bank. It was about the size of a man with raggy fur and entangled with twigs and leaves, it also had bright yellow eyes. My dad smacked the water with the paddle. It immediately turned and screamed.

Additional Observations

My friend saw one jump across a road.

Time and Conditions

Somewhere from 1pm to 3pm - Dark murky waters.

Investigator's Comments

Daryl Colyer

This investigation was conducted as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in Newton County, Texas, near Bon Wier in April of 1999.

I was able to directly interview the witness of this reported incident, who is the father of the two teenage boys who submitted it. Very adamant about what he saw, the witness was quick to point out that what he saw was like nothing he had ever seen before or since. Even now, the witness is unsure what it was that he encountered, other than a strange, undiscovered animal of some sort. The boys managed to report the gist of the event, but the father narrated the event to me in detail.

While bowfishing in the Sabine River bottoms on an adjoining small lake, between 1:00 and 3:00 PM, the witness reportedly saw an upright figure “covered with hair from head to toe,” that he could not identify, standing on the bank at a distance of approximately thirty yards. The unknown subject was facing away so that the fisherman had a “quarter view” of its backside.

Upon seeing the subject, the witness slowly put his bow down in the aluminum boat, unintentionally making a slight clanking noise. At that time, the subject turned to look at the witness and emitted a “high-pitched scream like a woman.” It then turned quickly away and walked off, away from the water. The witness quickly grabbed a paddle and slapped the water as the subject briskly walked off. The witness stated that he was able to watch the subject continue to walk for another fifty yards or so before it disappeared into the undergrowth of the woods. The witness was struck by the way that the subject walked, which he did not classify as human-like. He described the walk to be in a stooped fashion with knees bent. He said the subject heavily swung its arms.

The fisherman told me that if he had had a gun, he would have certainly shot the subject without hesitation. He described the subject as having reddish-brown hair all over that was matted and had matter and leaves entangled in it. The witness noted that there seemed to be dark-colored skin on the face and palms. When the subject turned to look at the witness and screamed, the witness noticed a “monkey-like face,” but he thought that it did have human characteristics. The nose was flatter than a human nose, and the teeth seemed sharper than human teeth. The witness said he could not explain it, but the eyes appeared to have a golden hue or tint. The glutes of the subject were covered with hair and in no way appeared to be like a chimp, orangutan or gorilla.

The witness, who is ex-military, explained that he has hunted the Sabine River bottoms all his life and he had heard stories of such animals but never believed them until his encounter. He said he has heard weird vocalizations sometimes at night that he described as “screams and whoops.”

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Class 1a
A sasquatch/bigfoot specimen has been collected (alive or dead).
Class 1b
A report investigation results in a sasquatch observation or the documentation of clear tracks or other forms of physical evidence by an investigator.
Class 1c
An investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot by a very reliable observer is a distinct possibility, tangible corroborating evidence is documented, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 1d
A visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility involving two or more reliable observers, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 2
Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is exceptionally trustworthy, professionally trained, and experienced in the outdoors and/or is accustomed to looking for and recording details (e.g., biologist, anthropologist/archaeologist, ranger, trapper/tracker/seasoned hunter, bird watcher, game warden, naturalist, law enforcement), and other explanations can be reasonably excluded.
Class 3a
Investigator determines that a visual encounter with a sasquatch/bigfoot is a distinct possibility, the observer is credible, and all other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 3b
Unidentifiable vocalizations were reported and there is accompanying tangible evidence to possibly indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot, the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.
Class 3c
No visual encounter occurred, but physical evidence was found to indicate the presence of a sasquatch/bigfoot (tracks, hair, scat, etc.), the observer is very reliable, and other sources can be reasonably ruled out.