Aug 21

I saw a tall figure moving away from me

In 1983 I was hunting a creek bottom in North Carolina called the little Shocco Creek.

The creek bottom is heavily forested,and a dense crop of a bamboo like reeds grow along the bottom. I was leaving the woods,but stalking slowly along a logging road. As I started up a hill,a doe deer that was bedded down just above the reed cane (on the side of the hill),jumped up and headed for the thick cover of the reeds. The deer was angling to my right,and down into the reeds. I quickly got to higher ground,above the reeds,in hopes of seeing the deer as she slipped through the reeds. As I was watching her white tail waving through the thick,green and brown cover,something to my extreme right moved,and on the other side of the creek. I could not really understand what I was seeing.

I saw a tall,(in comparison to the reeds,which grow at least 4-6 ft tall)figure moving away from me,and it appeared to be dark,and sort of mottled in color. The mottling was not in highly contrasted colors,but simply darker shades of brown,and slightly lighter shades of brown.Maybe it was the effect of the sun filtering through the leaves. It was the early part of the deer season,and the leaves had not fallen entirely. I estimate the distance to maybe 50 yards. Being above the reeds,was the ONLY way I could have seen this. As I watched it move through the woods,it appeared to have what I would call a hump on it’s back,and I only saw that when it turned and looked in my direction,as it pushed through the vegetation.

I had the perception that it went through some very heavy limbs,as I saw them snap back once it was through. It did not seem to be running,but moving quickly,and with no need to duck or dodge the vegetation.It just pushed through it. I will admit,that I was unbelievably unsure of what I had seen.I was scared to be honest. At that time,and as it is now,black bears were NOT known to inhabit that part of our state. And,black bears do not walk very far in an upright manner.This was upright. I did not go back into that bottom again. I hunted a very large clearcut area that afternoon,and I could see for several hundred yards in each direction. I was armed with a heavy caliber hunting rifle,and armed with a .44 mag. revolver,and I would not venture back in there again I have seen no tracks on the creek bottoms,or around muddy spots,that we could not identify. As far as I know,area residents ,my immediate family,have not reported any thing similar. I have several cousins that practically LIVE in those woods during hunting season,and have heard nothing,rumor or otherwise. Hunting with hound dogs, is still popular in that region,but no one has reported anything unusual being brought to bay,or treed,including bears.

I was convinced I had seen another hunter. Until I left and drove up and down the road,and saw NO OTHER vehicles. The woods were VERY deep,and the idea that someone had hiked in that far,is (was)not likely It was a week day,I had taken off work. Most hunters hunt during the weekend. I was only about 300 yards from my vehicle.

 

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6 Responses to “I saw a tall figure moving away from me”

  1. Robert P

    Wow .Great story. I heard a similar tale by some hunters in the hills south of Tulsa. It really shook them up. They really won’t tell anyone because they’re afraid it will hurt their business.

    • Teresa V

      Which hills are you talking about Robert? I had a possible siting kind of north of Stone Bluff, right off of what they call Leonard Mountain. This was a couple of years ago.

  2. Karen C

    Robert P- I wonder how long is it going to take for us the American Public to feel free to discuss this subject openly??? It needs to get out there for our own Safety an others…

    • Julie D

      Couldn’t agree more! People need to be aware of what’s out there and sadly most of them don’t have a clue! I no longer look at the woods the same way.

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