Class B First-hand BFRO #26381

Man recalls adversarial encounter with an unknown creature near French Gulch

BFRO YEAR: 1973-74 midnight, no moon Redding, Ca, Because French Gulch Was A Town Back In The Gold Rush Days Of Old California. People Still Live In The Area Of What Is Now Called French Gulch., Shasta County, California 1 witness

Account

During midnight rounds at an isolated school compound, the witness crossed a suspension bridge and heard something raiding trash cans by the cookhouse. He threw rocks toward a large dark figure under the eaves, which stood erect, stepped onto the bridge, dodged thrown rocks, vaulted the bridge cables and fled upstream on two legs. He noted glowing eyes and a foul stench, then returned to his trailer without anyone else responding.

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

Interaction

Other senses

Context & caveats

Described appearance

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

Height src
just shorter than 10-foot bridge uprights
Build src
far bigger than any man
Eyes src
glowed in the dark
Arms src
extended both arms above head to grab cables
Hands src
vaulted cables with one hand
Legs src
long
Gait src
like a big man, bipedal
Posture src
rose from crouch to stand erect
Other features src
silhouette darker than night sky

Facts & provenance

Each value names where it came from.

Time of day
midnight, no moon
Stated BFRO report #26381 · BFRO report, “Time And Conditions” section
Place
Redding, Ca, Because French Gulch Was A Town Back In The Gold Rush Days Of Old California. People Still Live In The Area Of What Is Now Called French Gulch., Shasta County, California
Stated BFRO report #26381 · BFRO report, labelled fields: State, County, Nearest Town, Location Details, Nearest Road
Map point
40.83, -122.64 (± 4 km)
Stated BFRO map layer · BFRO published map layer · read with 85% confidence
BFRO map layer point for report 26381 with published boundary
Account type
First-hand
Stated BFRO report #26381 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witnesses
1
Derived BFRO report #26381 · BFRO report, “Other Witnesses” section
Figures reported
1
Derived BFRO report #26381 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness was
conducting midnight bed checks on foot
Stated BFRO report #26381 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Witness's word for it
animal
Stated BFRO report #26381 · BFRO report, “Observed” section
Source classification
Class B
Stated BFRO report #26381 · 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
Richard Hucklebridge (BFRO)
Tracks

Few large indefinite impressions in soft sandy soil near trash cans with many human-sized impressions; no definitive tracks at river bed

BFRO report, “Follow-Up” section
Tracks

The witness returned the next morning to search for evidence around the trash cans and river bed.

BFRO report, “Follow-Up” section
Follow-up

The witness returned the next morning to search for evidence around the trash cans and river bed.

BFRO report, “Follow-Up” section
Follow-up

An investigator called the witness to review the decades-old experience.

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 2009-08-05 Retrieved 2026-09-24 Version 1 Hash e467cddcae31
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization
  2. BFRO map layer Reference
    Retrieved 2026-09-24 Version 1 Hash cfb8a3d423b7
    BFRO - Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization