Incident #1000346
Fort Bragg, Mendocino Cty, California
Feb 1962
Account
Robert Hatfield went outside to see why dogs were barking, then came in and told Bud Jenkins that he had seen a bear standing head and shoulders above a 6-foot fence beside the house, looking at the dogs. They went outside to look and in rounding a corner of the house Hatfield bumped into the creature, fell down, and crawled quickly to the door. The animal came to the door, passing a window where Jenkins could see only its upper body. It apparently held the door from being closed for a brief time until Jenkins said to let it in and he would shoot it. It then walked off across Highway 20. Next day a muddy handprint was found on the house, 11 1/2 inches long, with stubby fingers. Creature resembled a bear but was upright and had a flat, hairless face. It did not appear at all menacing.
When
- Month
- Feb
- Year
- 1962
- Season
- winter
- Time of Day
- 3 a.m. to dawn
- Duration
- minute
Where
- State / province
- California
- County
- Mendocino Cty
- Nearest Town
- Fort Bragg
- Direction from Town
- South
- Distance from Town
- 5
- Population of Town
- 4500
- Elevation/Altitude
- 0.5
- Latitude
- 3924--
- Longitude
- 12345--
What was seen
- Individuals
- one large, sex unknown
- Total Individuals
- 1
- Population Status
- rural
- First Seen
- in
- Terrain Object
- garden
- Near or/at
- occupied building
- Shot Hit
- No
Witnesses
- Witness(es) Sex
- Male
- Report type
- 1st person
Setting
- Terrain
- plain
- Exact Terrain
- clearing
- Slope
- level
- Substratum
- fine material
- Ground condition
- wet
- Cover
- heavy
- Tree size
- mostly small
- Tree condition
- mostly new
- Tree type
- coniferous
- Unnatural Conditions
- second growth
- General
- none
- Undergrowth type
- logging slash
- General undergrowth
- none
- Species
- redwood, fir
Weather and light
- Clarity
- overcast
- Humidity
- rain
- Lighting
- yard light
- Visibility Index
- 6
Source
- Source
- Bud Jenkins intv. by Chuck Edmonds, on tape.
- Source Type
- colleague
- Source Date
- 1963
- Source reliability
- 8
- Incident reliablility
- 6
- Jwg file date
- 1963
- Incident type
- 1
Creature description
- Eye shape
- round
- Eye color
- dark
- Human like Y/N
- No
- Hair Covered
- yes
- Height
- 8 ft
- Build
- heavy
- Posture
- erect
- No hair on
- on face
- Appearance
- unkempt
- Hair Colour
- dark
- Face Colour
- light
- Neck Length
- short
- Expression
- none
- Back of Head
- sloped to shoulder
- Nose
- no snout
- Nose Shape
- large flat nose
- Legs
- medium
- Digits
- short
- Movement
- staying still
- Direction
- West
- Later Movement
- approached
- Walking Stride
- long
- Walking Speed
- slow
- Object Handled
- building, person
- Odour
- strong
- Human Contact
- followed
- Reaction
- approached, avoided
- Attracted By
- livestock
- Other Unusual Y/N
- Yes
- Describe Unsual
- Creature was looking at dogs when first seen. It bumped into a person, and it apparently held a door from closing. It left a hand print.
- Anmals Present Y/N
- Yes
- Additional Movement
- walked away
- Position when first seen
- erect
Witness
- Sex
- Male
- Interviewer
- Chuck Edmonds
- Interview date
- 1962
- Witness Saw with
- naked eye
- Observer Was
- at home
- Closest horizontal distance
- contact
- Farthest horizontal distance
- 50 yards
- Least vertical distance
- nil
- Action on sighting
- fled
- No of witnesses
- 2