Three friends on a gravel road in Kentucky whistled at the woods, and something answered. The sighting is BFRO Report 82512, rated Class B, filed by witness Clayton Sims on August 25, 2026 for an encounter on August 23 in Larue County, about 50 miles south of Louisville.
Knocks, a Whistle, and Snapping Sticks
The group was riding back roads near their homes when they stopped at a lookout on River Road, a small public gravel road off Howardstown Road not far from Rolling Fork WMA. They heard what sounded like a distant knock. They stood in silence for about 20 seconds, and one friend suggested whistling or howling in case it was a Bigfoot. Sims let out a long whistle and got a reply that sounded like sticks or saplings being broken, so they jumped back in the trucks.
They drove a bit farther to turn around, then came back to the lookout. This time they stayed in the vehicles. Around 10 p.m., Sims shined a spotlight into the woods. About 40 yards out, he says, a black, hairy figure was so dark he could not see it until it moved. It stood 7 to 8 feet tall with its back turned, then slightly turned toward the truck as if checking whether they were still there. He describes an ape-like face outline, a cone-shaped head, and yellowish-green eyeshine. He told his friend to get out of there, and the friend floored it.
The Investigator’s Interview
BFRO investigator Charlie Raymond interviewed Sims over Zoom. Raymond is the founder of the Kentucky Bigfoot Research Organization, has researched Bigfoot in the state for more than 30 years, and says he has spoken with more than 300 witnesses. In his version of the account, the group was under a clear sky and full moon between about 9 and 10 p.m. The figure stood 50 to 60 yards away inside the tree line. Sims described extremely bulky shoulders about 3 to 3.5 feet wide, a thick chest, a very short neck, and long, jet-black, somewhat flowing hair. The face looked dark brown against the black body hair and longer than a human face, but without a true muzzle.
The creature was hunkered down with its arms tucked in, as if trying to stay hidden, and the whole visual encounter lasted about five seconds. About 10 minutes earlier the group had heard two wood knocks, with the second one noticeably closer after Sims whistled back.
Raymond found the witness credible. The story stayed consistent across the online submission, text messages, a phone call, and the video interview, and Raymond noted that Sims had more to lose from ridicule by his friends than he stood to gain from attention. Sims also mentioned local stories about coon hunters whose hounds vanished overnight, with tracking collars later found hanging in trees where no people were around.
Where It Gets Shaky
I will go about 70 percent open on this one. Back-and-forth knocking is one of the classic patterns in Bigfoot lore, and the report is detailed and consistent. But there are soft spots. The distance changes between the written report (about 40 yards) and the interview (50 to 60 yards). Knocks and snapping sticks could come from other animals or from people, and eyeshine at night shows up on plenty of woodland animals. And at that range, with a dark shape and a few seconds of viewing, the size estimate is hard to trust.
Still, the setup is interesting. A group that has been to that lookout many times with no trouble gets a reply to a whistle, then sees something hunched and hiding that turns to look at them. That is worth logging, and the BFRO did.
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