Clallam County, Washington
Olympic Peninsula
September 1971

I have been holding this back for a long time and think it is finally time to share it. And by the way since I know what I saw on that misty morning so many years ago was absolutely alive and real.

It was September 1971 I was 23 yrs old and I owned my own taxidermy business and hunting safari co., so you can see I knew something about animals. I was on a bear hunt with a friend of mine who lived in Clallam Bay Washington. We had our own pack of trained bear hounds and had plenty of experience in the bush.

We were out on the Olympic Peninsula in Clallam County as I recall either in or right next to the national park. We had eight dogs with us that morning and were in the hunting area at first light. Our lead scent dog had just picked up a red-hot bear track so we let the rest of the pack go and off they went, baying and barking like crazy. Well we followed those hounds for about 3 hours and finally that big old walking bear took us to an extremely dense piece of old growth forest the likes of which neither myself nor my 40 year old friend had ever been in. I was dark dank and dangerous in there because of all the dead falls and holes beneath the moss.

The dogs followed this damn bear down an enormously deep chasm about 30 yards wide but at least a mile or more straight down; all choked up with snags of old growth and pines. We could hear a river running down at the bottom of it and we were both afraid we were going to lose the dogs once they got out of ear shot down that entrance to hell.

We decided finally that my friend would go down after the dogs and I would stand guard at the top and about 20 yards back of the rim just in case the bear came back out my way. Here's the part you've
been waiting for.

After about one half hour I caught sight of a movement at the edge of the canyon. At first of course I thought it was my friend then I thought it must be the bear but then I got the absolute fright of my
life. What I saw was no more than 20 yards from me. It was an enormous blackish brown soaking wet stinking hominid type creature like something out of your worst nightmare.

I immediately brought my rifle up to my shoulder ready to defend myself if need be, remember I am within smelling distance of this thing. The creature climbed up out of the fog-shrouded crevice and
stood staring back down into it. Then it sat down for about 10 minutes or so and all this time it hadn't seen me yet.

Suddenly it slowly turned its whole body half way around and stared right straight at me; rifle pointed at him and all. In my mind I had decided that if he came at me I would shoot him in the head as he
looked too big at that distance to try and stop with a body shot.

I was holding a 44.mag short-barreled rifle with loaded with 240-grain hollow points and I still didn't feel I could stop thishulking beast unless it was a brain shot. I knew it would only be
one chance to do it if I had to.

Suddenly the brute jumped to his enormous feet, plunged back over the side of the embankment, much to my enormous relief, and disappeared back down into the abyss. I stood there shaking a bit, - still
aiming my rifle at the spot where he dropped over the side until I was to weak to stand any longer. He was just so enormous and frightening looking that I never ever could forget what an impression
he left on me until this very day. He looked like a 10 foot 800 lb. ape with a head that was too small for his body.

I could smell his urine and sweat musk for an hour after he was gone, in fact I can still remember it even today 30 years later as I am writing this to you.

The rest of the story pales in comparison to this so I'll just say that we never saw the dogs again but I did shoot a big bear about 4 hours later as it barreled out of the ravine just ahead of my buddy. This is my true story and probably the longest email you'll ever get Bobbie. GOD bless you dear for listening and please feel free to pass my story on to whom ever you wish. You may also give out my email address if you feel it is appropriate. Thanks again. Jim K. Chicago.