YEAR: 1996

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: October

DATE: 26

STATE: Pennsylvania

COUNTY: Potter County

LOCATION DETAILS: Roger's lot.

NEAREST TOWN: Loucks Mills

OBSERVED: 1996...Potter County Penna...Loucks Mills PA....camping in a place called Roger's lot...October....me and two others ...had a close encounter ....1 am...getting ready for bed..we were hooting back at the owls...sounding off...all around..I think that is what started the whole thing...the hooting at the owls...suddenly...something started crashing in the brush..then howling and smashing...it circled the camp ...the sounds were like a ape.inhaling and exhaling hoots...then screams...the thing howled all the way up the neighboring hill in about 60 seconds to the top...screamed again then was gone...something's out there...the strange thing the owls shut up when the thing started...and was silent the rest of the night...we contacted the PA game commision they said it was a mountain lion...interesting...at the time they claimed publicly moutain lions were extinct in PA.. (I know better)...I know what they sound like...I know all animals in this area...this was different..the tracks were huge, human like, tracks circling the camp...wish I had some plaster....second time...I heard something like this first was in 1972..felt menaced...nightmares for months afterwards...Something is out there.

ALSO NOTICED: Large footprints...broken limbs of trees.

OTHER WITNESSES: 3 witnesses

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 1 a.m...clear night...warm

ENVIRONMENT: Creek bottom....pine forest.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I spoke with the witness by phone.

The witness is an experienced hunter and woodsman and considers himself knowledgeable of all the wildlife in this area. He stated that the vocalizations were very loud and intimidating. He said that the sounds were baboon like.

They found five or six footprints the next morning in the mud. According to the witness, two of the footprints were of sufficient detail to show the toe impressions. The footprints, he stated, measured sixteen inches long and six inches wide.

About BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

Stan Courtney has a special interest in wildlife audio recording. He has attended numerous BFRO Expeditions. See Stan's blog StanCourtney.com for recordings he has collected over the years.

Stan Courtney can be reached at [email protected]