DATE:            1976 or 77

LOCATION:   Alabama, Jefferson County, Black Warrior River

TERRAIN:     Along river bank, lots of cane breaks.

OBSERVED:   This happened to my cousin in 1976 or 77 .  He also lives in North central Alabama, also Jefferson county, near the town of Warrior. This encounter happened on the Black Warrior River.  He is an avid sportsman, has been all his live, always hunting and fishing.  Well, one night he was checking trot lines that he had set out, I think it was Friday night. The river flows between two steep mountain slopes at this point, so it is dark and cloaked in trees.

At some point after midnight he heard this loud animal/human like scream comefrom the top of one of the mountains. He thought it was some kids up playing andaround, and so to have fun with them he yelled back.  It was at this moment herealized that all the frogs, creeks and other night critters had gone completelysilent.

Then, all of a sudden he heard this loud thumping and crashing noise as if something very large was running down the side of the mountain.  He heard large rocks rollingdown and good size tree branches, if not small trees, snapping in two. Whatever itwas got to the river bank and started to scream at my cousin, and then started to pace up and down the bank.  He couldn't see it because it was behind a cane break on the river bank, but could flow its movement with his spot light as the cane moved.  At one point there was an opening and all he could see was a mass of thick black hair.  This point was later determined to be 6 - 6.5 feet off the ground.  Anyway, the creature paced and screamed for about 10 minutes. Then suddenly it went quiet, but the night critters were also still very quiet.

He finished checking the trot lines, when he heard this noise of shaking branches and leaves in the tree over head of him.  That was enough for him.  He dropped everything and started the boat and took off up the river to his truck.  He heard the creature screaming in the distance as he backed up his truck and loaded his boat.  As each scream continued he realized it was getting closer!

Finally, he got the boat hooked up and secured and was getting into his truck when he heard the thing come crashing through the brush towards him.  He got in and took off as fast as he could.  He looked  back in the in the mirror and by the tail lights he could see something huge with very long arms and very red eyes covered in dark hair.  This experience scared him, and he isn't afraid of anything!  He had grown up in the woods, camping out by himself since he was 9 years old.  But he would not go out hunting at night with any one for a month, and wouldn't go out by himself at night for over a year!
 

Description of Creature:   6-6.5 feet in height, Tall and hair covered
 
 

 Other Notes:   None