SIGHTING: ELMORE COUNTY (HOUSE MOUNTAIN ROAD), ID

Witness Testimony

" My son and I were elk hunting in Area 39, when we were headed back to camp in my station wagon after hunting near the lake till dark. We were approx. 1 mi. from Meadow Creek road on the House Mountain Rd. There is a little loop (old logging road) near here which is a big draw that only allows access on foot or single rider ATV. We had been in this draw earlier in the day on our ATV's and encountered a strange acting individual who gave us the impression he was a little lost, but we assured him he would come out to one of the more traveled roads in a 30 min. or so walk. He talked more to my son who was on the running ATV in front of me. As I went by he sort of looked a little spooked. When we came out of the limited access area we did not see a truck or vehicle for this guy and we did not see a vehicle going in for him to be walking to. ODD We were passing by the gated area for this area going back to camp at about 9 pm. and it was pitch black at night except for the old dim headlights of my 1995 Taurus wagon I use as a beater. All of the sudden the whole draw lit up as if a flash from a huge stobe had went off, and at that same instant a ball of light smaller than a volkswagon bug, but larger than a beachball, shot straight up into the sky. There was NO noise produced. My son said, "Dad some idiot just shot off a flare." I stopped the car, put in park and we got out of the car and watched it ascend to jet liner altitude in about 5 seconds....it slowed zigged and zagged for 30 seconds or so and then made a left turn and vanished after a couple of minutes.We were both astonished at this and ........it was no flare. I am a retired professional structural firefighter, and I know how flares work.((NUFORC Note: We spoke via telephone with the source of the report, and he seemed to us to be an exceptionally serious-minded person. We suspect that he is an excellent witness. PD)) "