YEAR: 2005

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: April

DATE: 26

STATE: Kansas

COUNTY: Shawnee County

LOCATION DETAILS: Directions withheld by request of witness.

NEAREST TOWN: Topeka

OBSERVED: Walking the trails there are small ponds near one parking lot. Back in February, I had heard 3 equal-length whoops while in the woods there, about 10 seconds before a train came through. I thought it was probably an owl.

Tuesday afternoon, the 26th, I took this picture near the edge of the smallest ponds near the parking lot. I took the photo because I thought it was odd that a bare human-looking footprint would be there in the mud, fairly fresh, as the nightly temperatures had been near or at freezing recently, and the water/mud would have been quite cold too. The more I looked at the footprint, I noticed how flat the sole was and how even the toes were. I don't know what to make of it, so I'm reporting it here.

ALSO NOTICED: 3 whoops heard back in early March/late Feb.; not heard since.

OTHER WITNESSES: None other than myself and the photos.

OTHER STORIES: No

TIME AND CONDITIONS: Photos taken at 4:30pm; gray cloudy sky, about 50F, strong north wind (30-40mph); rained the previous day or so.

ENVIRONMENT: Near the edge of the smallest pond, very close to parking lot so very open spaces, but not many people around that afternoon as it was quite chilly.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

I spoke with the witness by phone.

The footprint was nine and one half inches long and three and one half inches wide.

The witness supplied the following photo:

About BFRO Investigator Stan Courtney:

Stan Courtney has a special interest in bird and wildlife audio recording.

Stan has attended numerous BFRO Expeditions.

Stan Courtney can be reached at illinois@bfro.net

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