DATE:          November of 1975

TIME:         Morning

LOCATION:      Wichita, Kansas, Sedgwick County
                  One and a quarter mile. from k-42 and Hoover Rd.
                  An area known locally as the "Big ditch" Wichita/Valley
                  center flood control project.

TERRAIN:      Rolling, sectioned area leading to the stream.

OBSERVED:  I had spent Saturday night at a friend's home.  I awoke at 6:00 AM. And decided to go hunting. I woke my friend, and asked if he wanted to go. He didn't, so I went to an area we had hunted several times.

I had hunted along the dike, for about thirty minutes.  But had not see any rabbits, nor any other game.
The morning was foggy, but I notice there were doves flying down to the stream that flows through the center of the ditch.  So, I decided to try my luck at bagging some doves.
I sat in some tall reeds, at the edge of the water. With in about three minutes, I started hearing some splashing coming from down stream.

I leaned out to see what it was, and seen a creature, standing in the middle of the water, about a hundred yard from me.  It was black in color, with short hair covering it's body.  It appeared to be swishing it right front limb. Back and forth, in the water. It suddenly stood on it hind legs, and looked around. It was than I realized it was not a animal I had ever seen before.

It was 5'7" to 6'0" tall, and well proportioned for it height. The hair was close to it body. And was human like in appearance. There was no tail, nor any other sign that would tell me what it was. No snout,no claws, no visible
ears. Just black hair covering from head to toe.

After it had looked about for a couple of minutes. It bent at the waist, and continued swishing in the water.

I decide to get a better look, so I checked the wind. I was down wind. I worked my way through the tall grass.
Hoping I could get far enough to use the fog as cover. I crossed the stream, and worked my way along a bluff.
Till I thought I was about where the creature had been.

I peered over the bluff, but it was gone.

Activities of Witness:  Setting in tall reeds beside the course of the stream.  Holding a 20 gauge shot gun. Waiting for doves to fly over.

Description of Creature: Black in color, with short hair covering it's body, stood on 2 legs.  It was swishing it's right front arm back and forth, in the water. It was 5'7" to 6'0" tall, and well proportioned for it height. The hair was
closed to it body. And was human like in appearance. There was no tail,  no stout, no claws, no visible ears. Just black hair covering from head to toe.
After it had looked about for a couple of minutes. It bent at the waist, and continued swishing in the water.

Other Notes:  My friend, who I stayed with. At the time, lived a mile and a half.  From the area, of my sighting.  He said that every once in a while  that something kept "nosing" around there place at night. And the chickens would not come out of the roust for most of the next day. Even to eat.

My friend  and I had also found areas of tall grass, that had been flatten down, into a round "Sleeping pad". For some time before my sighting. I asked my dad, about them.  He said it was probably cows doing it.
So I had not thought any more about them.

I had not told even my closest friends about this.  But some years later, I was passing time with a co-worker.
He asked if I hunted or fished. When I told him I did, he asked where?  I started naming my favorites, when I got to the ditch.  His eyes got big, and he asked if I had see the "Panter-man". I asked what
he meant.

He than told me his story:  When he was in high school, he and his friends went fishing.  At a sand pit,
that is just the other side of where I had my sighting.

It was night, and the only light they had was the moon.  At about 1:00 AM., they heard a scream. From the other side of the pit. He said it sounded almost like a angry woman. No words, just a long scream.

They suddenly heard the sound of something coming through the underbrush around the pit. It sounded to be something big. So they grabbed their stuff, and ran to the car.

The driver was doing about 25 mph. When they heard the scream again, this time at the side of the car.
Every one turn to look out the rear window. When they saw a "Hand" that was covered with black hair.
Come from the dust, and hit the trunk of the car.

The "Bang" caused the driver to go even faster. They never went fishing there again, even in the daylight.
I then told him of my sighting.
 

Other Other Notes: In 1984, the sheriff's department received several reports of a large black animal. Being sighted in an area to the west of the ditch. And in resident's back yards.

Though a few officers, off the record said they had seen a "Big cat" leap over fences. And run away, on two legs.
(This told to me only if I would never tell they names) The official line was a big dog/unfounded.  To the best of my knowledge, the sighting stopped after about a month.