A childhood camping trip along Medicine Creek, Nebraska, turned terrifying when two young brothers encountered a towering figure that screamed from the bluffs, then later stood up on the riverbank and stared directly at them. Decades later, the witness still wonders whether the same creature followed them through the rugged Nebraska backcountry that summer.

"I grew up near Niobrara, Nebraska, not far from the river. My brother and I were able to do a lot back then. We were outside year-round. We really enjoyed fishing in the river for catfish. It was the 1950s, and things were different. No one cared much what you did, so long as you didn't cause trouble.

We usually fished in the morning and evening during the summer. In June 1959, we planned to hike to an area on Medicine Creek and spend a few nights there. It was about 5 miles from home. The second night we were there, we heard strange screaming sounds coming from one of the bluffs west of us. It wasn't like anything else I've ever heard before. We also heard something heavy moving through the brush and trees. I'll admit we were scared. As the night progressed, the atmosphere quieted down.

The next morning, I walked towards the bluff while gathering firewood. As I approached a rocky pass, I caught a glimpse of something big and hairy running away from me. It wasn't a bear and stood at least 7ft high. It was huge with a broad back. That was enough for me. I was ready to move camp somewhere else.

My brother and I packed up and started back toward the old trail. We had walked about a mile, then stopped to fish at a good spot we knew. We spent most of the day there. Late in the afternoon, we decided to hike back home. I wasn't feeling well anyway.

The area was much different than today. It's part of a state park with lots of roads and camp areas today. Back then, it was much more rugged.

It was about 6 pm, and we were near the footbridge over the river. My brother suddenly stopped walking and pointed at a clearing on the riverbank. He said someone was over there. We stood there for a minute, then this giant hairy creature stood straight up and looked right at us. It let out a loud grunt, swinging its arm up over its head. We started running. I don't think we stopped until we got near the roadway at the end of the trail.

Over the years, we've discussed our encounter with the creature, and we're both certain it was a Bigfoot. I only told a friend about it a few years later, but he thought I was lying to him. We've been back to the same area many times since then and never noticed anything. I contacted the BFRO in the 1990s, but they never came out to take a statement. That's my story. Thanks." Gary T.

NOTE: I called Gary, who is 70, the next morning, and we discussed the two encounters. It might be the same Bigfoot trailing the brothers. There were no other details available from Gary, who has never heard of another sighting in that part of Nebraska. I checked the database. There isn't much to refer to, other than a sighting in Knox County near Santee in 1979. That was classified as a BFRO Class' A' report. I forwarded an inquiry to Nebraska Game and Parks about the area of the sighting. BTW, there have been documented Mountain Lion encounters throughout northern Nebraska. Lon