Josephine County, Takilma, Oregon
August 1996

In August 1996 we took horses into the country south and east of Takilma, Oregon. We weren't quite back into California, but somewhere close. How I wish I had a camera and global positioning device! I am a retired investigator dealing with insurance fraud, and I don't really fall for anything that isn't black and white, or plausible. It takes something quite extraordinary for me to be at a loss for an explanation. We had finished dinner, and were smoking cigars and pipes (tobacco) when we heard a scream from somewhere above and behind us. I have never heard anything like it, and quite honestly, it scared the hell out of us.

I was with two friends who know the outdoors well. I'm not a hunter, but they are, and have been in the rough country for as long as I've been behind a desk.

Neither of my friends could identify what we heard. It was quiet for about 10 minutes, and we heard it again. It seemed like the source was lower than the first time we heard it, and seemed louder. We heard nothing else, and hit the sack around 9 pm. In the morning, my friend Jack came back to our camp after a little look-see, and said he had the feeling he was being watched as he "did his business" in the brush. He said he heard footfalls fairly close, but thought it was one of us. We had just gotten up, and hadn't even made coffee.

As we were about to, we heard something moving quickly through the heavy scrub and up the hill. We could occasionally see brush and tree limbs moving, but couldn't make out who, or what it was. Al, who moved to our left, said it looked like a man, but that it was too big and fast, and he only saw it for a second. He said the "man' seemed to be hairy, but it wasn't really light yet, and there was lots of interference. We followed, and realized we could never make the kind of time that it did. We smelled a horrible musty stink, but never got a good glimpse of our visitor. What amazed my partners is that branches were broken about 6 feet up, and the speed with which it moved. I still won't say the word Bigfoot, but I'm more of a believer now. Sincerely, N.A. (Please don't divulge my address)

Addendum: Originally called Taklamah, "the town's name was changed to Takilma in 1902. Colonel T.W.M. Draper of the Waldo Copper Mining Company was the founder of Takilma, which was named for an Indian chief. The first post office was established on August 2, 1902, by George F. Morgan. The town was established due to copper mining. The Queen of Bronze Mine was a major mine throughout the 1920's.

Date: Thu, 24 Jan 2002 13:42:46 -0800 (PST)
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