Cleveland County, Oklahoma
Canada river between I-44 and I-35. October, 1983

Hello Bobbie Short, My name is Chris B. and I am originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. I currently live in Texas. The story I am about to tell you, although time and date may vary a little, is 100% fact. My friend Alan and I had planned a fishing trip on the Canada River near his home for about a week and decided to invite a few friends. The Canada River starts in New Mexico and runs through the pan handle of Texas all the way from to the eastern border of Oklahoma. The other men were to meet us at the campsite. They agreed to set up camp before Alan and I got there. Well Alan and I had gotten off to a late start. We managed to leave his house around eleven o'clock that night. The campsite was only 3 miles from his home.

Alan's older brother decided to tag along. We took several fishing poles, two lanterns, a 22 mag pistol and a 22 pump rifle. By the time we had gotten to the site, the other fellows were asleep. So we rudely woke them up and told them that we would be down the creek a ways fishing. We went about 100 yards or so and found a small clearing that would do fine.

Not long after putting the poles out did I notice something coming up on us in the woods from the opposite direction from where we had came. Alan and his brother thought that I was just hearing things, being a city fellow and all.

What they didn't know was that I had spent many a day out at my uncle's place in the sticks near Harrah, Oklahoma and have heard the different sounds the creatures of the woods can make.

This creature was not trying to be quiet and from the sounds of the cracking tree limbs I could tell this creature was very heavy. Suddenly the wind shifted direction and we smelt a very foul odor. That is when Alan and his brother became concerned.

They had hunted and fished in that area possibly all there lives and had never smelt anything like it. The creature continued to advance. Although the creature never came into our light, it did let us know that it was there and we were not supposed to be. The creature let out a roaring yell that to this day sends chills down my spin just thinking about it.

I immediately looked at Alan and his brother to see their reaction. They were so afraid I thought they would kill each other trying to get out of there. Trying to be as calm as possible, I told them not to panic and that we should leave together. Pistol at the ready, we headed out for the tent in a hurry. The creature confirmed we weren't hallucinating by letting out another roaring yell.

Back at the tent, we rousted the other fellows and told them that they shouldn't stay the night. Of course they thought we were joking around. We finally convinced them other wise and they reluctantly grabbed what they could carry and came with us. Half way back to the car as we were crossing an open field the creature cut loose again with one of those roaring yells. At that time the others agreed that this was definitely no place to stay for the night.

Needless to say it took several quarts of beer to calm our nerves that night. By the time we got back to Alan's house we were feeling pretty good but still anxious. When we told his father he didn't believe us nor did anyone else we told.

The next day we went back out to the site to recover left behind belongings and to look for any signs of the creature. We couldn't find a trail but we did find a large hole a the base of a tree and a four foot long tree branch that someone or something had used to dig the hole. I have kept this event a secret until recently when I told my wife, children and a few friends.

Chris B. (area map to follow)

Report filed by Bobbie Short, Thursday, January 04, 2001 7:15 AM