An account in Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana

Fall, October 1972, 7:00 am, out duck hunting in Lousiana bayous between Acadia Parish and Jefferson Davis Parish. Had been in the blind since 5:00 am, waiting for dawn. As there were no ducks landing in the pond we had chosen for our blind, my friend and I decided to do some exploring of the surrounding bayous and overflow into the cypress forest swamps. We were in a 14 foot flat bottom boat with a three horse power outboard motor. There was a low, misty fog (not thick) on the water, the sky was entering the dawn's twiligt as there was a reddish peach tint at the horizon and the sky was light (not yet daylight). As we were traveling on the water at a low speed to avoid cypress knees, stumps and floating debris, we noticed a large object directly in our path. It was about 30 yards in front of the boat. At first it appeared to be stationary, until we realized it was moving toward us. As we got closer, our first impression was that it was a man with long grayish brown hair and long beard (a lot of hair on face). We shouted out, thinking perhaps the person had capsized his boat, as we were in a wide channel of water. There was no reply from the "person". As we got closer, we realized that the it was moving with purpose toward us. As we were not able to identify the object as a person through verbal contact, we started questioning ourselves as to whether it was a deer, cow, horse, wolf, coyote, dog, nutria, goose, duck, etc. Nothing fit the visual profile or movement of the "object". It appeared to be walking through the water, not swimming. The gait matched that of a man up to his shoulders in water, walking. Shoulders swaying back and forth in a forward motion, not that of a large quadruped swimming and lunging or bobbing up and down as a horse, cow or deer would. I checked the water depth by plungeing a six foot paddle into the water and could barely touch bottom with my arm immersed up to my elbow (an extra 18 inches of length over the paddle). We started to become very scared and aggitated as we could not identify it visually and by this point were exceedingly close (approx 15 yards) and could already discern what apeared to be eye sockets, nose and mouth behind a long matted hair. At this point my friend wanted to shoot it with a 12ga shotgun, I stated that I would not shoot what I am not sure of and that if wounded the "object" could possibly lunge forward and capsize our boat. At ten yards, I turned the boat around abruptly and gunned the motor. We were both in a panic, and shouting with fear. We left the decoys in the water and went straight back to the boat landing. We were shaking with fear, yet both agreed not to tell any one for fear of being ridiculed and deep inside my self, to protect the "animal"! Neither of us wanted to start a "witch hunt" by crazed cajun hunters. I am coming forward now, as my memory of the incident has been resurfacing repeatedly in the last month. I can't forget that morning!