Report 13503: Possible moonlight sighting by prospector outside Metaline Falls City

In July 2005, my son and I were prospecting in Pend Oreille Co,Wa.  just outside Metaline Falls City.  We had been asleep for a couple of hours when I was awoke by the smell of wet fur. I got up to go relieve myself while looking at the creek when I spotted something walking across the creek about twenty feet away from my truck. I quickly went back to my truck and tried to wake my son to no avail. While doing this I grabbed my rifle and stepped away from the truck where I chambered a round and watched until the figure stopped by a tree next to the bank, then told my son to hit the remote button to unlock the truck and turn on the bed light to shine out towards the creek.  This I did several times until I felt safe again. I could not see the figure anymore so I went to bed. I've been hunting and fishing also prospecting for over thirty years so I know the differance between bears and what I saw in the moon light and it wasn't a bear.