Class A First-hand BFRO #23691

Man recalls encounter at a cabin on Nelson Lake

4 July 1981 about 1 a.m. HAYWARD WI, Sawyer County, Wisconsin 2 witnesses

Account

Late at night two boys inside a lake-front home noticed a shadow passing a high bedroom window and went outside with lights to check for an intruder. From a deck they heard a loud snap on a trail leading to the woods and saw a very tall, broad, black-haired upright creature run away and disappear. The next day a search found only a broken limb, and the witness later heard that nearby residents had also reported sounds, tracks and fence damage that night.

Summary drafted by AI from the source report and checked by code before I publish it. The witness's own words remain with the publisher — read the original report .

What was reported

Every kind of observation in the account. Select one to find other encounters with it.

Sightings

Other senses

Described appearance

In the source's own words, field by field. Hover a field's marker to see where it was read.

Height src
approx. 8’ or 9’ tall
Build src
very broad, shoulder width of 4 feet
Hair colour src
black
Gait src
running
Posture src
upright
Other features src
muscular back

Facts & provenance

Each value names where it came from.

Date
4 July 1981
Stated BFRO report #23691 · BFRO report, labelled fields: Year, Month, Date
Time of day
about 1 a.m.
Stated BFRO report #23691 · BFRO report, “Time And Conditions” section
Place
HAYWARD WI, Sawyer County, Wisconsin
Stated BFRO report #23691 · BFRO report, labelled fields: State, County, Nearest Town, Location Details, Nearest Road
Map point
46.10, -91.49 (± 2 km)
Stated BFRO map layer · BFRO published map layer · read with 85% confidence
BFRO map layer point for report 23691 with published boundary
Account type
First-hand
Stated BFRO report #23691 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witnesses
2
Stated BFRO report #23691 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Figures reported
1
Derived BFRO report #23691 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness was
reading in bedroom then searching yard for suspected intruder
Stated BFRO report #23691 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness's word for it
huge black haired creature
Stated BFRO report #23691 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Source classification
Class A
Stated BFRO report #23691 · BFRO classification label

Evidence & investigation

What the source says was found or done. Claimed evidence is listed as claimed; the Anomadex has not examined it.

Investigated by
Paul Schnabel (BFRO)
Tree damage

broken limb across trail apparently snapped where stepped on

BFRO report, “Observed” section
Tree damage

The next day the witness and others searched the yard and trail and found a broken limb that resisted breaking under body weight.

BFRO report, “Observed” section
Follow-up

The next day the witness and others searched the yard and trail and found a broken limb that resisted breaking under body weight.

BFRO report, “Observed” section
Follow-up

An investigator later interviewed the witness about the 1981 encounter and recorded size and appearance details.

BFRO report, “Follow-Up” section

Source timeline

Every record this entry is built from, earliest known first. Records are versioned and never edited in place.

  1. Published 2008-04-28 Retrieved 2026-09-25 Version 1 Hash 674e10c3e9f4
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization
  2. BFRO map layer Reference
    Retrieved 2026-09-24 Version 1 Hash cfb8a3d423b7
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization