Sheriff Investigates Reports of Hunter Shooting at Man He Thought Was Bigfoot

A still from the famous 1967 Patterson-Gimlin film that claimed to have captured the ape-like bigfoot.

It’s a question that has lingered in the mind of many a sasquatch hunter: If you see “Bigfoot,” do you shoot it?

One mysterious Montana hunter, identified only by his black F-150 ford pick up truck, has his answer.

After firing several shots at a man in the hills near Helena, Montana, the hunter claimed to have mistaken him for the legendary ape-like creature rumored to live in wooded areas in the Northwest.

The shooter, who is being sought by local sheriffs, was later reported to have fired at a woman in a separate incident.

The victim who was allegedly mistaken for the creature had been pinning shooting targets to trees on public land in the North Hills, according to the local sheriff’s office, when he himself became a target.

After two bullets had zipped past, one landing to his left, the other to the right, the 27-year-old dived for cover in the trees.

After several more rounds, he confronted the shooter, according to Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton.

“I thought you were Bigfoot,” the shooter told the man, according to Dutton. “I don’t target practice—but if I see something that looks like Bigfoot, I just shoot at it.”

The man described the incident to dispatchers in a 911 call following the incident, said Dutton, ABC reported.

Media reports do not date the incident.

‘You Should be Wearing Orange’

But the shooter didn’t appear apologetic, according to the Sheriff.

“Then the guy said, ‘You should be wearing orange.’ It seemed like a non-emotional approach to something that’s extremely serious,” said Dutton.

However, the bigfoot stand-in did not want to press charges.

According to the Idaho Statesman, Dutton said that “there was some question about the veracity of the report” because it was called in the day after, and because the man couldn’t describe the alleged shooter.

But the man’s story was given more credence when a second person stepped forward, describing a similar experience, according to the Stateman.

The woman told law enforcement that she had also been shot at by a man in a black Ford F-150.

She didn’t mention Bigfoot, but like the other man, she had also confronted the shooter

“We’re working to find this person,” Dutton said, according to the Statesman. “It is of great concern that this individual might think it’s okay to shoot at anything he thinks is Bigfoot.”

The shooter could face charges for attempted negligent homicide.

However, Dutton said he doesn’t think the public is in danger, saying it appeared localized to the North Hills near Helena.

The incident caused a stir on social media locally, with a number of humorous remarks.

 “Guess he should have shaved,” wrote one Facebook user.

It isn’t the first time Bigfoot has been blamed for accidents.

Last year, a woman in the neighboring state of Idaho drove her Subaru Forester into a deer which she claimed was being chased by Bigfoot.

The 50-year-old told the Latah County sheriff’s office she was driving on Highway 95 when she saw a 7-8 foot tall “shaggy” figure chasing a deer on the side of the road.

She looked in her mirror, according to the Moscow Pullman Daily News, to get a second look. As she drew her gaze back to the road in front, the deer ran in front of her and she drove into it.