While bow fishing near Plum Creek, Edward Henry, 47, and his 12-year-old son say their peaceful outing was interrupted by a rustling in the trees, followed by a hefty thud. Entering their area was a large, hairy creature with a notable posterior, leaping out from a tree and dashing through the brush on two legs. The family’s dog gave chase, but the creature vanished as swiftly as it appeared. Too swiftly to get any photographs either (the photograph with this story is a “generic” Bigfoot).

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The 12-year-old said to his father, “Holy s – – t, what was that?!” with the elder Henry reporting to the media that it was as big as a bear but it looked like a gorilla.

Expert opinions?

According to the Detroit News, the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO) – the self- proclaimed Sasquatch experts based in Akron, Ohio – sent their Director and Investigator, Matthew Moneymaker, to interview the witnesses separately. He determined their stories were both “credible” and classified the event as a “Class A encounter,” meaning the sighting involved conditions that allowed for a clear view of the creature, leaving little room for mistaken identity.

“Yeah, that would be Bigfoot,” Moneymaker said after reviewing the information provided and emphasizing the creature’s distinct primate features and upright posture, affirming it was not a bear. Moneymaker also pointed out that the area where the creature was spotted is rich in deer and plant life like cattails, which are potential Bigfoot food sources.

Is Bigfoot real?

While the existence of Bigfoot remains unproven to most, sightings like this have kept the legend alive and well since about the mid-20th century. Michigan alone has had a total of 225 reported sightings (now 226) many of them in the Upper Peninsula. If you need to submit a report yourself, you can click here.

Public reaction.

Public reaction to the sighting was exactly what you’d expect – plenty of ridicule and a flood of jokes. Matthew James asked, “Was he drinking a Faygo?” (referencing a popular Michigan beverage).

Justin Collins said, “Ya’ll if Bigfoot did exist no way in hell is he choosing to live in Monroe.”

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D.B. Stallions, however, defended the event saying, “I have long suspected this area of having Sasquatch activity. It’s entertaining to see the comments from people who have never spoken to those who’ve had a life altering encounter, never been out and found the tracks etc. Instead, they ridicule.”

So, was it a bear, a prankster in a fur suit, the Henrys’ creative imagination, or Michigan’s very own swamp-dwelling Sasquatch? The jury’s still out. But for Edward and his son (and their dog), it was a heart-pounding encounter they won’t soon forget.