The Mulchatna River Hairy Man

Two hunters saw a hairy creature near the Mulchatna River walking with big strides back in 2003 as depicted in this illustration. Illustration by AI

by Dr. Robert Alley

Derek Blackmon, a Ketchikan hunter, reported to me in 2003 that he was working with his brother for a fly-in outfitter out of Dillingham in 2000 when they were surprised by something unusual on the tundra not far from their floatplane.
Derek recounted in a 2003 interview:
“We had just flown in to a remote up on the Mulchatna River on a clear sunny summer day and had finished unloading the floatplane for six to eight passengers who were headed off for an hour or so and we had some time to kill.
“I had my 30-06 rifle and we were just hiking over the riverbank to view the tundra.
“Then something caught my eye in the distance, about three football fields away. I pointed it out to my brother and we both just stared at it. It was a tan-to-chocolate brown upright figure, just walking away from the river.
“But it was taking great big strides and walking smoothly but really fast. It didn’t bob up or down like a person but it stayed upright. It wasn’t a caribou or bear, for it was way too tall and looked like it was swinging its arms as it walked.
“We watched it for a good while as it headed straight away from the river. It was amazing. I wondered if maybe the plane had disturbed it, whatever it might have been doing there, sleeping maybe.
“I couldn’t hear any sounds from it, neither could my brother, but it was just an absolutely amazing thing. We watched it until it disappeared into the fold of the land. There was no smell but we were a fair distance away.
“We didn’t see any caribou or other animals around. There is no doubt in my mind that in every way it fitted the general description of what you would call a Bigfoot. I’ve never seen another one but I’ll never forget seeing that thing.”