YEAR: 2025

SEASON: Summer

MONTH: June

DATE: 23

STATE: South Dakota

COUNTY: Meade County

LOCATION DETAILS: Investigator (MM) Notes:
The witness returned to the location the next day to get the GPS coordinates and to photograph the location (see those below).
The GPS coordinates are: 44.40194° N, 103.57773° W

NEAREST TOWN: Sturgis / Boulder Canyon

NEAREST ROAD: Boulder Canyon Hwy

OBSERVED: I was driving from Deadwood to Rapid City at around 10 p.m. through the switchbacks heading into Sturgis. There were not any other cars on the road and had my brights on so I could see any wild life well in advance. About 2.5 miles west the Aurora place turn off, a large animal was on two feet, easily clearing the top of my vehicle (greater than 6.5ft.) I saw it out my passenger side window. It came up out of no where.

On this road, there are guard rails which any wildlife would have to hop over to get on the road. It entered the roadway right as I was passing. Very dark brown, more red in undertone than gray so could not be mistaken as a large elk or deer. It was basically pitch black behind the vehicle so did not see which way it went. I was too scared to stop or turn around.

ALSO NOTICED: No other observations out of the ordinary.

OTHER WITNESSES: None. I was on the phone with my fiancé while driving and told him immediately what I saw but was driving alone.

OTHER STORIES: No but always joke how squatchy the area seems especially in the evening.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: about 9:45 p.m.

ENVIRONMENT: Switch backs through the Black Hills between Deadwood and Sturgis, SD. Along the side of the road 14A.

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Ontario Richardson:

I spoke with the witness by phone. I found her and her story to be credible.

On Monday, June 23rd Madeline was driving to her home in Rapid City from Deadwood. She had dinner with her parents at Mustang Sally's restaurant in Deadwood. She left around 9:35pm to drive home. She was driving along the Boulder Canyon Hwy, travelling around 35 mph to avoid hitting the wildlife on the highway switchbacks.

As she drove, she saw a large, long haired Sasquatch step over the railing, onto the highway about 2’ from her car. She was able to see the shoulders, chest and legs. The fur was brown with reddish undertones.

She pivoted her head quickly and saw the legs again, behind her before it was out of view in the darkness. She estimated it to be around 7 - 7 1/2’ tall.

She said her stomach sunk when it set in what she saw. Immediately afterward she called her fiancé and said that she almost hit an animal, but that it wasn’t an animal and asked him to contact her dad. Her dad believed her.

She commented that the creature picked the perfect time to step up and over the railing, as it was the second her direct headlights passed it. It avoided being illuminated in full brightness.

The animal would have had to walk up a very steep slope to get over the railing. On the other side of the road there is an even steeper slope up to pine forest.

She said the only thing she could compare the creature's size to was a very large, upright grizzly. She also commented that her father is 6’4” 250 lbs and 2-1/2’ across at the shoulders. She said what she saw probably had another 6” of width on either side of its shoulders.

Possibly related:

Around this time of year, South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks releases mountain goats ahead of the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally to support a growing population and give tourists a chance at seeing a mountain goat.

In 1924, non-native mountain goats were introduced to this area after a small heard escaped Custer State Park. South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks now releases additional mountain goats to enhance population diversity.

It may be coincidental that this sighting occurred near where these goats are released. They could be a tamer, more easily caught population compared to local mountain goats. This same phenomenon is seen with trout in WV. I think it is very possible that the local sasquatch could be predating on these goats, along with the native elk and deer.

The incident location is close to the boundary of the Black Hills National Forest, which is comprised of 1.25 million acres of uninterrupted mountainous terrain. There have been many sightings in the Black Hills over the years. It is perfect for hosting a resident population of sasquatches.

Refer to the BFRO database for other reports in the Black Hills.
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Notes from BFRO Investigator Matt Moneymaker:

I also spoke with this witness. She is a 25 years old graduate student at South Dakota State University studying Occupational Therapy. She is very credible and very certain about what she saw on the highway. She lives in Rapid City and returned to the location the following day to take the photos shown below. She sent in the report and sent the photos to Ontario Richardson but she investigated no further.

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 law as 911 Emergency Dispatcher

- 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 audio recording and casting tracks

- Attended 2023 Iowa BFRO expediton ; 2023 Minnesota BFRO expedition ; several private expeditions

- Recommended as BFRO investigator by expedition organzier Bob Barhite