The Elk Hunters

Here is another anonymous story sent to us via Instagram. This story takes place in Washington state:

We were in the high country of Western WA, at about 4500' above sea level, it was opening day of the 2016 general elk season.  I wasn't hunting that season, as I usually bow hunt elk.  Anyhow, I had met two of my buddies up in the hills at our spot, and was just there for the good times and to be an extra set of eyes behind the glass for spotting.

We were set up on a hillside glassing across a massive canyon, and within 10 min of daylight, I had spotted about half dozen elk, one of them being a legal bull. So my two buddies drove around the end of the canyon where the road ended and began their exciting stalk along the hillside of the canyon. I stayed where we had spotted them from, since I wasn't actually hunting, no need for the extra guy making noise and human smells. Plus I would be able to watch the whole thing unfold, elk or no elk.

As they made there way toward the elk, they had probably gotten only within 700 yards and the elk suddenly and quickly moved up the canyon and into a drainage/draw where I couldn't see them. My buddies were nowhere near close enough to spook them, wind in their favor, and definitely not visible to each other. I thought maybe a bear or cougar had startled the elk, since they had gone about 150 yards up an extremely steep hill, steeper than 45 deg.

My two friends made it over to where the elk were when we had spotted them, they had seen all the fresh elk sign, tracks & scat. They could see the elk had left in a hurry and figured the same I had, either a bear or cat pushed them off. When they were headed back toward the truck, I was watching them through my binoculars, they were probably 1000 yards off, but clearly visible through my binoculars, walking through a hillside berry patch.

To keep them anon, we'll call them Bob & John. John is about 5'9 160-170 lb, while Bob is 6'6 260 plus. I could easily tell them apart. They were walking side by side when I saw something large move extremely fast in the edge if my binoculars, so I looked over and saw a huge dark brown/grayish (close to the same color as a black tail buck in fall/winter) bipedal figure moving in from behind them and slightly above them on the hillside, then it slowed and paced them once about 20 yards from them. I literally said "holy f*#% it's a Squatch" out loud to myself. It paced them for about 30-40 yards then went behind a tree and was gone.

I was definitely worried for them when I saw how fast it approached them, I have never seen any living being display the type of speed and power. But when it slowed and paced them, I instantly knew it wasn't going to harm them, that it was curious and that was all. I felt it. I also felt that right before it disappeared, it knew I was watching it.  If I had to guess its size, based on the difference between it and Bob, I'd say it was easy 8'6 to 9' and 600 to 800 pounds all day. It moved like a ghost and at the distance it got from them, they  never heard it either. I never did tell them about it, I figured that neither one of them would ever want to hunt again and I didn't want a curious Squatch to ruin that for them.

After the fact, I realized that the Squatch was what had pushed the elk off and up the hill.

Thanks again for keeping me anon, i feel "Bob & John" would put 2 & 2 together of they heard the story and lose their love for the outdoors, and be a little ticked at me. Weirdest thing about it, was the vibes I got, knowing it wasn't going to harm them, and feeling like it knew I was watching.

Feel free to share the story.