1999-02-25,WA,USA : 真昼、UFO がヘラジカを空中に吊り上げ持ち去る場面を複数の森林作業者が目撃 ⇒ この謎を解く （途中：その 4）

The 1999 Washington State Elk Abduction Incident
Marcus Lowth
12-15 minutes

A truly bizarre incident from February 1999 near the forests and mountainous terrain of Washington State would see three farmworkers seemingly witness an attempted alien abduction of an elk, apparently singled out by the strange aerial craft.

What is the truth behind the Washington State Elk Abduction?

It is an interesting case for several reasons, not least due to there being multiple witnesses to the encounter. Furthermore, animal and cattle mutilations are known to have been reported in the state of Washington previously. It would appear that this was an animal abduction taking place right in the middle of the day, with multiple people witnessing it, to boot.

The case remains unexplained today, despite two well-established UFO organization investigating the incident within days of it taking place. Just what happened that gray afternoon in the upper northwest? And what might it mean in relation to other cases of alien abduction and cattle mutilation?


A Disc-Shaped Object Out Of The Dull Gray Sky

Slightly before noon on a gray day on the 25th February 1999 three state forestry workers would witness an incident that would alter their lives greatly. [1] While planting seedling trees in the woodlands near Mount St. Helens in the upper northwest of the United States, a disc-shaped object came into view. It would slowly and calmly enter a valley, coming from the north of the three forestry workers’ position.

As well as the calm manner with which it moved, there appeared a very “purposeful” nature of its movements. It was also completely silent as it cut through the air, the witnesses noticing a “wobble” as it did so.

Why might aliens target animals?

It was then that the three men called out to the rest of their crew (eleven more men in total), who were on a hill facing the other way. They would turn around and, along with the three initial witnesses, would watch the bizarre scenario unfold.

It would become pretty obvious to the forestry crew that the bizarre craft was seemingly moving in the direction of a herd of elk nearby. For their part, the elk continued on as normal, apparently unaware or unconcerned with the approaching anomaly that was quickly seeming like an aerial Jaws heading toward its prey.

Only when the metallic disc was almost on top of the herd did they begin to become agitated and aware of its strange presence. Then, an already bizarre incident became even stranger.
Separated From The Herd

Although no one seemed to see the exact circumstances, one of the elk quickly became isolated from the rest of the herd. It was, according to the witnesses, quite obviously an adult elk, so it’s possible it was a conscious decision to draw attention away from the others. Whatever the reason, though, the object soon zeroed in its attention to the separated animal.

The members of the forestry work crew watched in disbelief as the object hovered directly over the top of the lone animal. Then, the stricken elk seemingly rose into the air as if a pair of huge and invisible hands had lifted it.


The “wobble” of the object would get decisively worse at this stage. The elk, however, would remain firmly in the invisible grip of the bizarre disc-shaped craft.

The object began to move upwards slightly. As it did so, the elk would rotate under it while also appearing to get closer to the actual disc itself.

Initially, the object, still with the elk hovering below and moving in unison as if suspended by an invisible rope, would head towards the east. However, after first moving back to the west and then performing a complete 360-degree turn, it would begin to ascend. And it would do so at a greatly increased speed than it previously moved.

Also, at this stage, the elk was no longer visible. As no one had seen it drop to the ground, it was assumed by the witnesses at this stage that the captured animal must have somehow been taken inside the strange craft.
Immediate Report And Investigation

The witnesses would claim that the rest of the elk remained tightly packed together as if for protection. Furthermore, they, whether consciously or not, did the same, working for the remainder of the day within close proximity of each other.

On 1st March, just under a week later, a report of the incident was made to the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC). They would go out to the location in question. However, NUFORC’s director, Peter Davenport, would also contact the Director of Investigations for the MUFON branch in the state of Washington, Robert Fairfax, who would assist in leading the investigation.



The field where the UFO activity took place

They would speak to the three main witnesses as well as inspect the location of the sighting for themselves. Furthermore, they would also witness the corpse of an adult and pregnant elk that was discovered along a roadside several miles away by another group of forestry workers. Whether this was the elk that was “taken” is uncertain. However, it is highly likely that it was.

Even stranger, there was no obvious injuries, wounds, or mutilations to the elk. As Davenport would state, “it was healthy, albeit it was dead”. Not even one single broken bone was found from an apparent fall to the ground. It was as if the animal had been placed where it lay, or simply lay down of its own accord.

Perhaps even stranger, despite other signs of dead animals almost immediately becoming prey to the many wild scavengers of the area, none would seemingly touch the body of the dead elk. Despite it laying where it was found for at least eight days.
A Genuine And Credible Mystery?

Although the incident remains without a full and satisfactory explanation, it remains one of the most intriguing encounters on record. And certainly, one that many would agree is credible.

For example, of the witnesses, Davenport would highlight how some of them had worked for the company in the area for almost 20 years. It wasn’t “likely that they would risk their jobs to pull a stunt” and make up such a drastic story. Furthermore, it was his stern belief that the witnesses were “sincere and believable”. Further still, although the corporation employing the workers wished to remain anonymous, they would vouch for each of the witness’s credibility.


Perhaps another indication of their genuineness was their insistence to a person that there be no publicity from the incident. Initially, the entire group was intent on keeping the incident between themselves only. However, when their supervisor saw them later in the day, it was immediately obvious something was wrong. Ultimately, however, he would “have to pry it out of them”.

Some would even go on to state they had suffered bizarre and persistent nightmares in the weeks that followed.

We should perhaps also note, as Davenport does, that the incident occurred on privately owned land. The landowners had been more than happy to allow investigators access to the site. However, they didn’t want the location made public. This means, as Davenport states, the lack of detail on the location could be used by skeptics to dismiss the case entirely.
Further Fascinating Details From A Fascinating Case

Follow-up reports would suggest that many of the witnesses would develop an interest in UFOs following the incident. Whether this is an expected reaction or not is perhaps down to opinion. Many would state to investigators several weeks later that many members of their own families refused to believe their account.

Many of them also become extremely uncomfortable whenever they had work anywhere near to the location of the incident. This would continue for some time.

Some further extraordinary details would also come to light in the weeks following the encounter. For example, one of the witnesses would claim it appeared as though the craft was actually “increasing in size” shortly after capturing the elk. Another witness, however, would wonder whether this was a “trick of the light” and the overall angle of the craft.

What is intriguing, however, are the reports of “strange lights” or “flashes” during this precise time. One UFO researcher questioned whether these lights and the apparent increase in size of the craft may have actually been “plasma”, which is often witnessed around orb-like sightings. This would also suggest that the craft, as solid as it appeared, was much more flexible.

Perhaps even stranger with this in mind are the comments of one of the witnesses. They would claim that he could shake the notion that the craft was actually some kind of ancient prehistoric animal.
The Stevens Pass Incident

Perhaps it is also worth mentioning if only in brief, another sighting in the mountain regions of Washington State that took place a little over a year later in the summer of 2000. The account was broadcast on local radio. It would claim that several witnesses rang in to report a strange “round, green object” in the skies near the mountain regions. Furthermore, both government and private radar had also picked up the sighting (this remains unofficial, however).

One witness, a driver with several passengers in his vehicle, would state how they had been forced down Goat Trail Road because of repairs to the main highway. As they made their way along the road, however, they would witness the bright green object hovering in the air. Every now and then it would move up or down and then come back into its resting position.

Then, without warning, it would take off with breakneck speed. Rather unbelievably, even to the witness, despite him bringing the vehicle to a stop for several moments, none of his passengers witnessed the bizarre aerial display.

The witness would continue on with his journey. He would eventually speak of the sighting to close friends and family, none of whom would initially believe him. That was until the aforementioned report on the radio around a week or so later. However, following this, the witness didn’t hear anything else about the sighting. Nor did he manage to find any other witnesses to the incident.

Whether there is a connection to the Elk abduction the previous year is not clear. That strange aerial activity is taking place in the mountains and forests of Washington State, however, is perhaps something we can state is happening with a lot more clarity.
That Old Question – Aliens? Or Shadow Government?

Undoubtedly the encounter is one of the most bizarre and disturbing. Whatever did happen that afternoon near Mount St. Helens it would certainly appear to be something significant enough to unsettle 14 grown men. Ones, in some cases, with years of experience working in the outdoors and wilderness of the Washington state environment.

What intelligence was behind the strange craft? Is it some kind of top-secret military drone-type weapon? And if so, what kinds of experiments would it be conducting on animals such as elk?

Or might the intelligence belong to an extraterrestrial visitor? And if that is the case, is this even more worrying than a secret military project? Just what are the reasons for their actions? Might they view humans much the same as the separated elk, essentially fair game?

And what of the state of the dead elk itself, if we assume the carcass on the roadside was indeed the same as the one taken by the disc-shaped craft? The lack of injuries means the actual cause of its death remains a mystery. Why did it not succumb to the scavengers who were quick to strip similar bodies of their flesh upon death?

Let’s assume once more that this was indeed the same elk as the forestry workers witnessed. Can we also assume there was some form of radiation of contamination that such scavengers noticed? Or might it be something much more primal that keeps such predators away? Something that they could sense that unnerved them and urged them to keep their distance?

Whether any further information of the incident comes to light, only time will tell. The case, though, remains one of the most intriguing on record.

Check out the video below. It looks animals and aliens in a little more detail.

Washington Elk Abducted by UFO

7-9 minutes

MUFON of Ohio

Elk Abducted by UFO

by George Filer

MUFON Eastern Director

This article appeared initially in Mr. Filers Filer’s Files #11-1999 on March 19, 1999. Mr. Filer’s digital newsletter always contains interesting information. We feel this report is unusual enough to be included here for those of you who do not have access to his newsletter.

WA MUFON Director of Investigations Robert A. Fairfax, and the Director of National Reporting Center, Peter Davenport drove down to the Mt. St. Helens area to investigate a phenomenal case—the daytime elk abduction witnessed by 14 forestry workers. Peter reports: "The crew was planting trees on February 25, 1999. A herd of elk was grazing about 280 feet down slope and to the north of them (about 1600 feet away). Just before noon, a small UFO flew slowly over the ridge and wobbled its way down toward the herd. About 100 feet from contact with the herd, the animals become aware of the craft and run uphill to the east. One of the elk separates somewhat from the rest and the UFO pursues it. Without pause the craft goes over the animal at a height that might have brushed the elk’s head. The craft with the elk dangling beneath then starts ascending to the northeast. The witnesses added that shortly after lifting the elk off the ground, the object seemed to begin to "wobble" to a more pronounced degree than it had exhibited earlier. The object seemed to be having trouble with the extra weight.

"As the object appeared to increase its altitude, the elk, which was suspended upright below the disc, rotated slowly beneath it and appeared to be getting closer to the central surface of the disc. The elk is slowly rotating but no other movement from the animal is detected. When the craft reaches the end of the clear-cut and encounters the tree line the elk is almost totally inside, however the craft is not high enough to clear the treetops. It is thought that the treetops might have been hit. They also commented that the object seemed to increase in size slightly after it had picked up the animal. With the elk suspended below it, the object began to ascend slowly up a clear-cut slope to the east. However, the witnesses watched it apparently brush the tops of nearby trees to the east, at which point it reversed its course and proceeded to the west.

"The witnesses stated that once the object had started to ascend and had climbed to an altitude above their vantage point, they no longer could see the animal suspended below the craft. Their presumption was that the animal had somehow been taken into the craft. The witnesses could discern no "door," or any kind of aperture through which the animal might have been conveyed into the craft. The craft circled (after much wobbling) 360 degrees; gaining altitude then ascended nearly vertically until it was lost from sight in the clouds.

"We found a dead elk two miles or so from the sight. However, there were no mutilation marks discernible, no gunshot wounds found, and no broken bones from a fall. The large female elk appeared healthy albeit dead. We were on the site 8 days after the event. No scavengers had attacked the elk body. We found a dead porcupine on the drive out with a scavenger bird picking at the remains.

"A large corporation and another company are involved in the investigation, but want their names kept secret. Robert Fairfax stated this is an excellent sighting because of these 5 factors that point to a real event. (1) The 14 forestry workers were working on contract for a large corporation with a number of individuals that had worked for 15 to 20 years with the same company. It is not likely that they would risk their jobs to pull a stunt. The forestry people were sincere and believable. (2) The corporation (which must remain unnamed at their request) vouched for the past integrity of the individuals who are all hard working family men that work in inclement weather conditions without any complaints. (3) The voice tone and body language during interviewing left me with no doubt that they had been frightened, awed, confused and were telling the truth. (4) Details that would generally not be known to ordinary people, e.g., (i) the description of the oscillating wobble traveling 360 degrees around the circumference of the craft. (ii) that the elk herd gathered together in a tight group for the rest of the afternoon after the one was abducted. (iii) the humans grouped together for the rest of the afternoon also. (5) Some reported having continued nightmares after the fact. (6) They wanted absolutely no publicity and they were not even going to tell anyone about it. A corporate supervisor (not at the site but seeing the group later) noticed that the whole group appeared frightened by something and the supervisor had to pry it out them."

It appears that this incident happened on privately owned land. The owners reportedly want their property and their names kept confidential. While this hasn’t limited access to the area by the primary investigators, they may be unable to reveal exactly where this occurred in their final report. Thus, critics may use this as a way to demean the event.

Thanks to Robert A. Fairfax and G. Knowles, WA State Director, Walter Sheets and Peter Davenport for this report.

An update to this case appeared in Filer’s Files #12-1999. Mr. Filer contacted Mr. Robert A. Fairfax to see if he had more details on the case. Part of Mr. Fairfax’s response follows.

Filer: "I am particularly interested in the description of the craft itself."

Fairfax: "So am I; this is one of the areas we will try and nail. There were two flashes described as the craft wobbled. A fluorescent magenta (top) and a white (bottom). These were apparently not lights but seemed to be areas on the surface. They were seen intermittently but again we will need to pin the details down along with many others."

Filer: "What was the direction of flight and the last known direction of travel?"

Fairfax: "It was first seen in the SE traveling toward the NNW. It departed slowly to the NE, and then made a near vertical ascent into cloud cover."

Filer: "Did they notice any kind of plasma, lighting, or electrical effects around the craft?"

Fairfax: "Possibly, the two bright color areas. The craft seemed to increase in size as it was capturing the elk. We’re trying to clarify that."

Filer: "Did the craft tilt as it changed direction?"

Fairfax: "Wobbling was reported that was more pronounced before direction changes, but we need to verify with more witnesses.

Filer" "Did they notice a hum or sound?"

Fairfax: "There was no sound."

Filer: "Did you notice the height of the trees or the approximate height and distance from picking up the elk to the top of the trees?"

Fairfax: "Yes, but no precise calculations have been done. It had plenty of room to maneuver and climb."

Filer: "Did they notice any windows?"

Fairfax: "There were no windows."

1999: The Washington State Elk Abduction

(Last Updated On: March 2, 2021)

THINK ABOUTIT ABDUCTION REPORT

Date: February 25, 1999

Sighting Time: before noon

Day/Night: daytime

Location: Cascade Mountains, near Mt. St. Helens, Washington

Hynek Classification: DD (Daylight Disc) Metallic or whitish object was seen in the day.

Duration:

Shape of Object(s): Disc

Number of Witnesses: Multiple

No. of Object(s):  1

Size of Object(s): 7 to 8 feet

Distance to Object(s): 800 yards

Color of Object(s): red and a white patch on the surface

Source: NUFORC report: Source

Summary: A team of forestry workers allegedly had been witness to an incident on Thursday, February 25, 1999, during which time an elk was lifted off the ground and carried away by a very peculiar, disc-shaped object.

Full Report

Above: Rendition by Robert Fairfax, UFO researcher, of elk abduction. (credit: FATE Magazine)

One of the witnesses, “Augustine”, points toward where he saw the craft carry the elk. (credit: MUFON Journal)

Diagram of UFO by Robert Fairfax. (credit: FATE Magazine)

UFO Elk Abduction Said Witnessed In Washington State

On Monday, March 01, 1999, the National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) received a call over its telephone Hotline (206-722-3000) from an individual who identified himself as an employee in the forestry industry in Washington State. The individual left a message, in which he reported that a team of forestry workers allegedly had been witness to an incident on Thursday, February 25, 1999, during which time an elk was lifted off the ground and carried away by a very peculiar, disc-shaped object. [*Click here to hear an excerpt from the hotline recording.]

Peter B. Davenport, Director of NUFORC, contacted several of the individuals whose names and telephone numbers had been provided by the first contact. Based on those telephone conversations, he elected to initiate a preliminary investigation of the incident.

Because NUFORC traditionally does not serve as an investigative body, Mr. Davenport contacted Mr. Robert A. Fairfax, Director of Investigations for the Washington State Chapter of the Mutual UFO Network, which does conduct investigations of alleged UFO sightings. Messrs. Davenport and Fairfax traveled to the location of the alleged incident, and jointly have been conducting an investigation of this elk abduction case since Friday, March 05.

Their investigation to date has included a trip to the site of the incident, an interview of three of the alleged fourteen witnesses to the actual abduction, and several conversations with individuals who work with the eyewitnesses. In addition, the investigators inspected the carcass of an adult elk, a pregnant cow, which was found dead beside a logging road on March 01 by other forestry employees within a few miles of the principal event.

The investigation and collection of facts surrounding the case will continue. This preliminary summary of their findings to date is submitted jointly by Messrs. Davenport and Fairfax.

—————————

By Low Lawhon

The Washington State Elk Abduction
February 25, 1999
11:58 A.M.

On this winter morning, fourteen forestry workers, employees of a large, unnamed company, were planting trees in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State about 20 miles west of Mt. St. Helens. Three of the men had been watching a nearby herd of elk in the valley below them all morning.
Suddenly, a heel-shaped object with two stripes on its back appeared over a nearby ridge and began drifting in a northeast direction. Initially, the three men thought it was something like a parachute, but it maintained a steady altitude, following the contours of the terrain below it.

As the object began to move toward the herd of elk, the three men called out to the other eleven members of the work crew. All fourteen men stood on the hillside and watched as the object floated down into the valley towards the elk.

The silent object was able to get quite near the elk before the animals noticed it. When they did notice it, most of the herd ran to the east, toward a densely wooded area. One elk, though, trotted off toward the north, down a logging road. It was to this lone elk that the object flew. The amazed workers watched as the object floated above the elk and then appeared to lift the elk off the ground with some sort of invisible force. The object then moved off, with the elk slowly rotating beneath it. It moved up the ridge, barely clearing the trees, and then down into the next valley, out of sight of the forestry workers. After a few minutes, the object then reappeared, apparently without the elk, and rose at high speed until it disappeared into the sky.

The case was reported to NUFORC, and Peter Davenport of NUFORC and Robert Fairfax of MUFON Washington traveled to the site and interviewed the witnesses. For their report go to NUFORC. They also examined the body of a female elk that was found to the north of the site. It could not be determined if this was the same elk. Many of the witnesses had been with the company for years and they were generally deemed to be reliable.

MUFON REPORT

On February 25, 1999, three forestry workers in the Mt. St. Helens area of Washington State witnessed a daytime elk abduction. The preliminary report appeared in the MUFON UFO Journal of May 1999. The follow-up investigation reveals additional details and corrects inaccuracies. For purposes of confidentiality, all witness names are pseudonyms.

The preliminary investigation: 

On a cold March afternoon with fresh snow up to their boot tops and a rolling valley before them, Peter Davenport (Director, National UFO Reporting Center) and Robert Fairfax (MUFON investigator) stood contemplating the account of an extraordinary event. Also at the edge of the bank stood Jack (landowner’s representative) recounting details-albeit secondhand – of “the incident witnessed by members of a crew of Hispanic forestry workers: a daytime elk abduction. As it turned out, Jack did not have all the particulars of the elk abduction correct, but we were not to find that out until much later. The 14 forestry workers could not plant seedling trees the Friday we arrived on-site because ten inches of snow had fallen the previous night; therefore the crew had been given the day off. Hastily, an interview was arranged, through their employer, with three of the witnesses that same afternoon.

However, circumstances were not conducive to obtaining an accurate and detailed report. The meeting took place in a deserted parking lot of a wayside cafe. The cacophony of rushing traffic saturated the background, creating additional handicaps since none of the three witnesses spoke more than a smidgen of English. Add to this picture a chill to the air, limited time before sunset, and the requirement of telling the story through their boss, Emanuel, as an interpreter to get an idea of the situation. So here we were, seven of us, standing around the tailgate of a pickup truck for an extemporaneous investigation. Conducting separate interviews was not a viable option. Even though group interviewing conflicts with traditional investigative practice, we perceived little choice in the matter-we needed to take advantage of this opportunity. Fully aware of the pitfalls this method of investigation presented, we made sure we scrutinized the group dynamics. As far as we could tell, each held to a personal version without acquiescing to group decision or falling under another’s influence. We were aware the participants had discussed the events among themselves extensively.

Emanuel’s efforts at translating were laudable, but he was neither a trained investigator nor an interpreter. He had not been present during the abduction, and the event floated somewhere outside his compass of understanding. This presented a challenge since we were unable to understand for ourselves what the witnesses were saying. Compounding these difficulties, Emanuel seemed reserved in his translations. We knew he believed something strange had happened to his workers; however, we also suspected he was not ready to believe anything as exotic as an alien craft snatching up an elk. The testimony waxed expansive and waned timid by turns-torn between the need to tell their story and the anxiety of raised eyebrows at the outrageousness of the tale they told. We struggled with the narrative for 35 minutes. There were innumerable questions yet to ask, but the hour grew late and signals via body language suggested we close the interview and bid farewell. Though crippled by the language barrier, our initial interview provided a tentative and skeletal picture of the event. We wanted to schedule individual interviews for the upcoming week but were told that the witnesses would be too busy planting trees for the next few weeks-an apparent conspiracies of wet weather and time of year.

Our wait was to last 57 days. Weighing on our minds during this time-out was the knowledge that the ponderous passage of time truncates a witness’ sharp recollection of details-the the blur factor. In the meantime, we searched for another translator. Finding no suitable candidate in Washington, our eyes turned south to California where we knew an ideal interpreter resided. Ruben Uriarte, MUFON’s State Director for Northern California, was the answer to our problem: he not only speaks fluent Spanish but also excels in the investigation. Could we recruit him and persuade him to fly to Washington and give us a hand? The answer was an enthusiastic “yes.”

The follow-up investigation:

Ruben began immediately by phoning Emanuel and coaxing the witnesses’ phone numbers out of proprietary insularity. Then, over the next few days, he arranged a meeting with several of the witnesses at one of the worker’s homes. Prior to Ruben’s involvement in the case, another Washington MUFON investigator, Kathleen Andersen, joined the team. Kathleen began by cross-checking other UFO events in the Mt. St. Helens area, seeking correlation and commonalities. She found cases, but no matches. An early gray Seattle morning on the first Saturday of May found Kathleen packing her Jeep with food, with equipment, and with two investigators—Ruben and Robert. We headed south. When we arrived at the designated house, the scene was a bit awkward at first, due to a small crowd that included friends and relatives milling about. The witnesses were not quite sure if they wanted to be interviewed. Fortunately, Ruben has the gift of setting people at ease, and within a short time, the witnesses began talking. We were able to interview the witnesses both individually and together as a group. Later that afternoon, seven of us jumped into two vehicles and drove to the remote site in the foothills where the abduction had taken place. After 9 1/2 hours of investigation, we discovered that the preliminary report (as reported in MUFON UFO JOURNAL of March 1999) needed amendment.

The incident:

Shortly before noon on the last Thursday of February 1999, fourteen forestry workers had just broken for lunch and were heading for the crew vehicle. Francisco and Augustine were nearly at the turnout (1900 ft. elevation), Manuel and two others were walking up the slope (about 1600 ft. elevation) from an old overgrown access road, while the rest of the crew was scattered, almost midway between the two groups on the north-facing hillside. Francisco stopped to rest momentarily and watched the 14 elk of a herd that had been browsing all morning on a nearby slope northeast of them.

Then, out of the northeast, he spotted a strange moving object. The UFO, presumably, had already dropped some 70 feet down the height of the Douglas Fir trees bordering the dirt road and was now drifting over a hilltop. Skimming the clear-cut at brush top-level and hugging the contour of the hill, the UFO appeared to be heading slowly toward the herd of elk. The object’s initial location was approximately 800 yards distant and 200 ft. lower in elevation than Francisco’s location. At first, Francisco mistook it for a bi-colored paraglider silently drifting in for a landing. The object had a strange, slow wobble. It showed red on the right half, white on the left. Francisco quickly realized that he was not seeing any type of parachute.

The object advanced toward the elk herd, staying close to the ground as if in a “stealth mode.” When the elk became aware of the object, they bolted. Most tried running up the slope to the east, but the going was slow. A lone elk separated from the herd and headed north. The craft targeted the loner and moved in. Surprised and astounded, Francisco shouted to Augustine, “Look at that! Look at that!” The clear-cut terrain prevented rapid movement for the animals: innumerable small deciduous trees had trunks cut about 18″ above the ground, transforming them into sharp stakes pointing skyward. The trunks, bristling with branches, lay helter-skelter, presenting crisscrossing barricades. The lone animal could not run fast. The wobbling craft, moving no faster than between 5 and 7 mph (est.), easily overtook it.

Augustine had missed the pursuit but caught sight of the UFO as it took the elk. Down-slope, Manuel (crew supervisor) also witnessed the capture-500 yards distantly. Nearly every other person’s attention had been diverted toward the main group of fleeing animals. The craft moved directly above the female elk and somehow lifted it into the air without any visible means of support evident to the observers. At this point, the animal ceased discernible movement-no kicking legs, no struggling body, and no indication of consciousness. The witnesses were amazed that the craft could lift the 500-pound animal. The “wingspan” of the object measured not much longer than the length of the elk-about 7 to 8 feet. (The increase in size attributed to the craft in the earlier report seems to have been an illusion caused by a change in the craft’s angle of tilt over the terrain at the point of capture.)

The captured elk, its head apparently against the ventral surface of the craft, and body standing stiffly upright was lifted off the ground just enough to clear the underbrush. The craft continued its slow, wobbling oscillation. The suspended elk moved likewise as if she were a solid metal sculpture welded to the craft. After the craft acquired (without pause) the animal, it moved away at the same slow pace, to the north, following the contour of the land. The elk’s feet were observed sweeping circles, in conjunction with the craft’s movement, just above the brush and treetops. Within a short time, the craft approached the forest edge that defined the end of the clear-cut area. Apparently the craft did not stop or maneuver in time to avoid hitting some of the lower branches. Because of the considerable distance of the craft, the witnesses could not discern exactly what had hit the trees-whether the craft, the elk, or something else is unknown.

After hitting the branches, the witnesses saw it dip sharply and reverse direction before ascending vertically in front of the tree line. All three had the impression that the object had almost dropped the animal. Once above the treetop level, it moved over the forest margin and continued northward, dipped out of sight momentarily (perhaps still following the contour line of treetops), then ascended at roughly a 45-degree angle into the distance until it was obscured by clouds. Meanwhile, the rest of the herd had gathered into a tight huddle near the tree line, a normal behavior when a predatory threat is perceived. This herd consisted of cows and yearlings. The bulls at this time of year stay in bachelor groups at a higher elevation. The huddle lasted for two hours.

Reactions and emotions:

The witnesses shared their stories among themselves at lunch. Several of the workers that had not sighted the craft expressed doubt that anything extraordinary had happened. Nevertheless, the reactions of both the elk and the excited co-workers evoked fear, generating a tense emotional atmosphere. The humans, analogous to the elk’s behavior, consciously stayed in close proximity for the rest of the afternoon. Even those that doubted the story knew something had happened and were not comfortable working far from the rest. Some, perhaps because of limited beliefs imposed by philosophical predisposition, clung to a tightly fenced world – trying to force all that they had heard into some familiar pattern, consistent with their reality. These were the fellows that had directed jokes and gibes at Francisco in particular. These skeptics continued planting seedling trees throughout the afternoon in a normal manner. This was in sharp contrast to those workers who feared a return of the object-they planted with heads continually swiveling skyward.

Craft Details:

Curiously, the witnesses were unable to agree on all the structural details of the craft. No one person had a complete description. Generally, all agreed on the length of the “wingspan” (7-8 ft.) because they could compare it to the elk suspended beneath. Augustine perceived the relative depth to length, which measured out to 14 -18 inches. Manuel had the clearest perception of the width to length (5-6 feet) and the rear indentation. All agreed that the UFO intermittently showed a red and a white patch on the surface. Francisco was sure it was a part of the craft’s skin, but Augustine thought they were lights, and Manuel could not tell either way. They were unanimous that the red was dull (comparable to red pencil on a heavy textured paper), without luminescence, and that the white reflected like bright enamel paint. They were in agreement that red was on the right, white on the left, yet size, shape, and position of the colors was not precisely known.

The craft’s wobble caused the red and white to show intermittently. (See the illustration of oscillation cycle: the top surface orients toward the observer for approximately one half of the wave revolution period.) The craft’s color, other than the red and white areas, was described as gray. There were no reflections or surface characteristics that suggested the surface was metallic (note: it was an overcast day.). The trio described the craft’s complex motion primarily through hand movements. As close as can be determined, the UFO had an oscillatory period of about 2 to 2 1/2 seconds. This particular motion-apart from the object’s forward motion-is difficult to describe except in terms of analogy. Peter described the motion as similar to that of a spinning coin as it is winding down and closely approaching a flat surface. Francisco expressed regret that he had not taken time to carefully examine the details of the craft. He had been astounded and felt so much concern for the elk that his attention was focused on watching the animal. He realized immediately that if the object could carry off a 500-pound animal, it could easily abduct a per-son-a frightening notion that several members of the group later shared.

Puzzling Question:

The craft’s estimated speed (“I could walk as fast as it moved.”-i.e. approximately 5-7 mph) closely matches the estimated duration (3-5 min.) required for the observed distance traveled, as measured on a topographical map. With such a long sighting duration, an important question looms: “Why didn’t more people see the craft with an elk suspended under it?” A number of reasons appear to answer this:

• When Francisco excitedly announced and pointed out the event, only Augustine was near enough to discern that the direction of his index finger pointed left of the herd. 14 panic-stricken elk, all weaving their way up slope, presented a sight that would be apt to draw a person’s attention.

• Not everyone heard Francisco shout, and the other witnesses remained quiet.

• Within a very short time, the craft and herd (both moving away from each other) had separated enough that when bystanders visually searched for an assumed predator, such as a mountain lion, they did not scrutinize terrain far enough away from the herd to see the craft. They also spent time checking the immediate area around themselves for dangerous animals.

• All three witnesses to the craft were so astounded and absorbed with watching the UFO that at the time they did not think to question other spectators as to what they were watching.

Aftermath:

Most of the workers have developed a sudden interest in UFOs following this incident. Some related that their spouses did not believe the story. A few are nervous when working in the forest, especially when in the general area of the incident-they constantly search the sky. Francisco could not understand what he saw and spent several sleepless nights pondering whether the object was some type of prehistoric animal or an extraterrestrial craft. All want answers.

An update to this case appeared in Filer’s Files #12-1999. Mr. Filer contacted Mr. Robert A. Fairfax to see if he had more details on the case. Part of Mr. Fairfax’s response follows:

Filer: “I am particularly interested in the description of the craft itself.”

Fairfax: “So am I; this is one of the areas we will try and nail. There were two flashes described as the craft wobbled. A fluorescent magenta (top) and a white (bottom). These were apparently not lights but seemed to be areas on the surface. They were seen intermittently but again we will need to pin the details down along with many others.”

Filer: “What were the direction of flight and the last known direction of travel?”

Fairfax: “It was first seen in the SE traveling toward the NNW. It departed slowly to the NE, and then made a near vertical ascent into cloud cover.”

Filer: “Did they notice any kind of plasma, lighting, or electrical effects around the craft?”

Fairfax: “Possibly, the two bright color areas. The craft seemed to increase in size as it was capturing the elk. We’re trying to clarify that.”

Filer: “Did the craft tilt as it changed direction?”

Fairfax: “Wobbling was reported that was more pronounced before direction changes, but we need to verify with more witnesses.

Filer” “Did they notice a hum or sound?”

Fairfax: “There was no sound.

Filer: “Did you notice the height of the trees or the approximate height and distance from picking up the elk to the top of the trees?”

Fairfax: “Yes, but no precise calculations have been done. It had plenty of room to maneuver and climb.”

Filer: “Did they notice any windows?”

Fairfax: “There were no windows.”