Class 3a Encounter Report in Mountain Home, AR, Case #03080026

Class 1a: Class 1, Corroboration: Reports involving a sighting, and accompanied by another form of support.
1a A sasquatch/bigfoot specimen has been collected (alive or dead).
Class 1b: Class 1, Corroboration: Reports involving a sighting, and accompanied by another form of support.
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: Class 1, Corroboration: Reports involving a sighting, and accompanied by another form of support.
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: Class 1, Corroboration: Reports involving a sighting, and accompanied by another form of support.
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: Class 2, Competency: Reports involving sightings by professionally trained or highly skilled observers.
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: Class 3, Credibility: Sightings or possible wood ape evidence reported by credible witnesses.
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: Class 3, Credibility: Sightings or possible wood ape evidence reported by credible witnesses.
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: Class 3, Credibility: Sightings or possible wood ape evidence reported by credible witnesses.
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.

Case: 03080026

Woman remembers encounter as a girl near her home.

Report Details

Occurrence date: Fall/1972
Location: Baxter County, AR
Nearby/Vicinity: Mountain Home
Time / Conditions: 16:00 — Don't remember exactly. Maybe cloudy.
# of Witnesses: 1

Witness Account:
I was standing about 10 feet down in the forest around a deep ravine not really too far from the house but it was right next to a patch of woods going back further south into the national forest. (The narrow patch of woods then stretched on northward.)

Leaves were on the ground. That was the first thing that impinged on my consciousness -- the sound of something walking through leaves. It was a measured long tread, I could tell. I started really looking around trying to see what was making those sounds. (I was much braver back then.)

Then over on the other side of the ravine close to the bottom but definitely walking uphill, I saw it - for all of about three seconds, (it seemed like longer at the time), and about 50-100 yards away. It was very large and I could see that it was hairy. I could see the ground between its moving legs, and some vague image of arms, but not the head. Some forest branch obscured my view of the very top part of the body. I could tell it was walking upright uphill. It wasn't a bear; it was striding with a purpose up the hill on the other side. It was quickly out of sight.

Now I know I wasn't thinking clearly, because I decided I had to try to get a better look at it. So I ran as quickly as I could around the rim of the ravine, since its origins began in our front yard (not the best playground I can tell you). Anyway, it didn't take me long to reach the other side and move down into the woods slightly to look around and see if I could find it again. I did not see it again. I was there for only a minute or so when it suddenly occurred to me that I didn't hear anything anymore at all, no sound, no birds, nothing, and fear like I'd never known before hit me and I went running practically screaming back to the house for Mother.

I told her what I'd seen and she, of course, did not believe me, although she told me to never tell anyone else the story. For a long time after that, I didn't tell anyone, except family members, but they didn't believe me. It didn't help that only one or two people since then truly believe that I saw a bigfoot. Since then I have lots of trouble going out alone in the woods. While no one actually calls you a liar, they look skeptical and you can tell they either think you'd been drinking, taking drugs or saw a bear.

Hand/foot prints:
None noticed.

Sounds:
I didn't hear anything.

Additional observations:
I think I'd just gotten home from school and was wandering around outside after playing with my dog or something. I was a sophomore in high school, but rather sheltered and did not run around or do any partying in those days. We had just moved there that summer. My parents kept close tabs on me and I was into horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, books, etc.

Investigator's Observations

Investigator(s): Jerry Hestand

This report was published as a result of an incident that allegedly occurred in Baxter County, Arkansas in 1972.

Upon interviewing the witness, she showed no deviation from the original report and had no additional details to add.

Class 3a Encounter Report in Mountain Home, AR, Case #03080026

Case: 03080026

Woman remembers encounter as a girl near her home.

Report Details

Investigator's Observations

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