Knocking in St. Clair County, Michigan

ok well this is to help you out and if im contacted i will get you in touch with the other two individules that wittnessed the incident. this occured in october of 1988 in st.clair county michigan, near mich. hwy 21 and rabidue rd. neer goodells mi. two friends and i wher out in the state forest in october for deer hunting season. we wher camping out on a ridge about 1 mile from the junction of the two roads i mentioned. it was dark, and we wher sitting around our fire talking. we all heard something walking the low side of the ridge along the north side by the pine river about 40-50 yds distant. it was heavy, and methodical in its movement. it didnt really waver and never triped over all the branches brush and undergrowth along the stream. it circled to the east then we heard a piercing screem. we all froze and began to regain our thoughts. we decided it was someone trying to scare us. during this time the creature in question moved to the south slope of the ridge and was no more than 20 yards distant. we had no view of anything as haveing all just rose from the fire we couldnt see to far into the woods. dan yelled out that we all had weapons and the joke was up but if the individule didnt show themselves we would shoot in its direction. the next we heard was a loud high pitched screem and a tree falling. we all retreated to the fireside again and as we did something very large passed us just beyond the fire light and was running faster than us with long strides we could hear the footfalls and it tore through the forest knocking down small sapplings and dead branches as it went. if you know how in the woods at night sound travels, just imagine our surprise when we judged its speed by the length of time it took the sound to fade to nothing. it was no more than 15-20 seconds. after a short time we got our nerve up again, and took flashlights to wher the sound of the tree falling came from. to our surprise we found a tree about 6-8 inches in diameter snapped like a toothpick, about 8 1/2 feet up. we returned to camp and decided to stay by the fire and leave at daybreak for the road, even though only 1/2 mile or slightly more , it was dark we couldnt see too well and whatever it was could see real well. that night as the fire died several times we could make out a large outline shadow about 10-15 yards beyond the good light watching us at one point it aproached a view steps and when we all moved to reach for weapons it retreated into the dark and reapeard off to the side . this went on all night.