Donny Schmidt reports seeing a broad, reddish-haired figure rise on two legs during a June 13, 2026 hike above Deadwood Dam, Idaho. He first considered ordinary wildlife; no independent photographic or physical evidence is presented.
In his firsthand BFRO submission, Schmidt says he was hiking above Deadwood Dam around late morning when he noticed movement uphill. He initially considered a bear or mountain lion; the figure then reportedly stood upright, looked toward him and moved uphill. He described reddish hair, broad shoulders, and long arms. All measurements and identifications are the witness’s estimates.
This is a traceable public first-person report, not independently verified evidence of an unknown species. No sighting conclusion follows from the title or the BFRO classification.
The BFRO follow-up attributes separate interview observations to investigator Matthew Moneymaker, who reports speaking with Schmidt. The investigator’s assessment is a research-source role, not an independent eyewitness or proof of the reported animal.
Co-witness assessment: Schmidt said he was alone. His brother’s reportedly earlier 1991 experience is a separate, secondhand claim, not corroboration of this June 2026 event.
In his firsthand BFRO submission, Schmidt says he was hiking above Deadwood Dam around late morning when he noticed movement uphill. He initially considered a bear or mountain lion; the figure then reportedly stood upright, looked toward him and moved uphill. He described reddish hair, broad shoulders, and long arms. All measurements and identifications are the witness’s estimates.
This is the reported submission date, not necessarily the website publication date.
Publisher: BFRO (original report). The original witness account and subsequent investigator commentary remain separate source roles. No copyrighted report text or photos were rehosted.
Read original BFRO Report 81276 ↗
Research reviewed October 17; original source rechecked October 22, 2026.
The witness initially considered a bear or mountain lion. The published narrative does not include independent imagery, a recovered biological sample, or a conclusive identification test.
Schmidt said he was alone. His brother’s reportedly earlier 1991 experience is a separate, secondhand claim, not corroboration of this June 2026 event.
No independent case-level certification was established. This page does not establish a separate canonical case or confirm a creature identification.