YEAR: 2025

SEASON: Winter

MONTH: March

DATE: 12

STATE: South Dakota

COUNTY: Custer County

LOCATION DETAILS: Off county rd Argyle

NEAREST TOWN: Hot springs

NEAREST ROAD: Shirt tail rd

OBSERVED: I was out hunting for mountain lion, there was no snow so I sat and used my game call. After sitting and calling for a couple of hours I heard 2 different style of knocks behind me. You could tell one was closer then the other then they where closer. It's not wood knocking it's a cluck. (It's when you pull your tongue off the roof of your mouth from the suction you make that loud knock). After I was hearing that for about 15 minutes then I heard the weirdest deepest language that I've never heard before. I jumped up and ran out into the open and waited. I never did see anything. I grabbed my gear and hiked out and I never been back since. It's in an area where I've seen lions cross and there a big lay down area (den) where animals lay to get out of the weather. Last time I was there there was a colorful dead bird laid out on a rock like it was on displayed.

ALSO NOTICED: None

OTHER WITNESSES: None

OTHER STORIES: No

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Mid of the day warm sunny

ENVIRONMENT: Pine forest

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Ontario Richardson:

Over the course of a few weeks I spoke with our witness over e-mail and phone. I found him to be very credible with no extra-ordinary claims other than what occurred.

He was mountain lion hunting in a deep ravine, with heavy forested slopes on either side. He was tucked up in the trees with his rifle, using a predator call to lure in lions. The specific call he was using was a distressed fawn.

He first heard what he described as a mix between a mouth-pop and knock off to his right, then another on his left. He said this repeated at least a few times over the course of five minutes. He then reported hearing a deep mumbling. This made him uneasy enough to leave the wood line and enter the clearing, then make his way quickly back to his vehicle. He has not returned to this area since, but recalls seeing a patch of flattened grass, under the overhang of a steep cliff. These types of locations have historically been great areas for animals and Bigfoot alike to take refuge from inclement weather.

My interpretation of this encounter is that two Bigfoot were communicating back and forth with each other, attempting to move in on what they interpreted as easy game (a distressed fawn) and very likely did not know our witness was present at the time.

This area has a long history of bigfoot reports, both class A and class B. It has more than enough resources to hold a resident population of bigfoot within the Black Hills area.

About BFRO Investigator Ontario Richardson:

- Native of Eastern Iowa

- BFA from Iowa State University (2015)

- National Account Manager for one of the largest contract security companies in the world

- Prior employment in law enforcement

- Early years included family fishing trips in remote parts of Canada

- Several solo bigfoot investigations in Eastern and Southern Iowa, as well as Wisconsin and Minnesota

- Equipped for thermal imaging, audio recording and casting tracks

- Attended 2023 & 2025 Iowa BFRO expedition; 2023 & 2025 Minnesota BFRO expedition; 2024 Wisconsin BFRO expedition; several private expeditions

- Recommended as BFRO investigator by expedition organizer Bob Barhite