Class A First-hand BFRO #37553

Multiple childhood interactions recalled by a woman who grew up near Kalamazoo

1969–1979 early afternoon Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan 1 witness

Account

As a second-grade child the witness wandered from a school picnic into adjacent pine woods while gathering cones. She collided with a huge hair-covered biped holding aside a tree limb and stared up at its expressive face as its look shifted from startled to gentle. After a prolonged motionless pause the creature released the limb, which swung overhead, and walked away with long powerful strides.

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

Described appearance

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

Height src
huge and towered over child
Build src
huge, solid as a rock with softness
Hair colour src
deep chocolate, dark brown with reddish and lighter highlights
Hair length src
long, scraggly, matted, brittle/dry looking
Face src
expressive, surprise/anger then gentle, deeply lined under eyes, little hair
Eyes src
very gentle
Arms src
long right arm holding tree branch
Hands src
right hand holding branch
Legs src
stood on two legs, upper thigh solid
Gait src
long, strong strides, heavy deliberate powerful, smooth unrushed
Posture src
upright on two legs
Apparent sex src
male
Other features src
tawny reddish skin, leathery flesh on chest, no visible teeth ears or neck, head balanced on shoulders

Facts & provenance

Each value names where it came from.

Date
1969–1979
Stated BFRO report #37553 · BFRO report, labelled field: Year
Time of day
early afternoon
Stated BFRO report #37553 · BFRO report, “Time And Conditions” section
Place
Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo County, Michigan
Stated BFRO report #37553 · BFRO report, labelled fields: State, County, Nearest Town, Location Details, Nearest Road
Map point
42.23, -85.69 (± 4 km)
Stated BFRO map layer · BFRO published map layer · read with 85% confidence
BFRO map layer point for report 37553 with published boundary
Account type
First-hand
Stated BFRO report #37553 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witnesses
1
Derived BFRO report #37553 · BFRO report, “Observed” section · read with 85% confidence
Figures reported
1
Stated BFRO report #37553 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness was
picking up pine cones in woods
Stated BFRO report #37553 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness's word for it
a Sasquatch
Stated BFRO report #37553 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Source classification
Class A
Stated BFRO report #37553 · 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
Jim Sherman (BFRO)
Tracks

The witness's parents had someone examine the large footprints in snow, who said they were not a hoax and were made by something very large and heavy.

BFRO report, “Observed” section
Follow-up

The witness's parents had someone examine the large footprints in snow, who said they were not a hoax and were made by something very large and heavy.

BFRO report, “Observed” section
Follow-up

An investigator interviewed the witness for hours, redacted specific locations to protect a school and residence, and played Michigan vocalizations that did not match.

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 2012-11-20 Retrieved 2026-09-25 Version 1 Hash 63b6df0633cf
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization
  2. BFRO map layer Reference
    Retrieved 2026-09-24 Version 1 Hash cfb8a3d423b7
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization

The report refers to

  • “Patterson-Gimlin film”
    Not in the Anomadex yet