Report 317: Sighting by a courier near Benton, across from a log cabin on Cole Cemetery Road

(Please excuse the old story, was not aware a site like this exsisted to record information, also, haven't told too many people...guess you can just imagine why...) April, 1990, rural Marshall County, I was attempting to make a residential delivery.  While walking up the gravel drive I noticed a flock of birds flying overhead coming from the direction of a thick grouping of trees in the back of a field to my left.  They were chattering loudly and flying wildly in what seemed to be a race.  As they got closer I noticed that there were different speices flying together...Blue Jays, Caridnals, Black Birds, Finches, etc...This struck me as odd for a moment.  When I reached the steps to the porch of the home I heard the thunder of hooves hitting the ground and turned and saw many horses that were in the field come running from the edge of the forest towards the house, they too where whinnying and making alot of commotion.  Before I could really think anything about it, I saw several deer leeping from the thick trees and running thru the fields away from the same spot, and behind the horses.  My first thought then was that there was a fire!  I hurried to the residence door and knocked very hard and repeatedly, while scanning the sky for any signs of smoke.  No one answered.  Having delivered here before I thought the occupant might be around back in the barn so I left the porch and turned to walk in that direction, that's when I heard the most terrifying sound in my entire life that I knew could not have been human or from any known animal in this area. The sound came from the thick group of trees and echoed over the fields in thick vibrations.  It was a mixture of a deep lions growl that hightened into a scream containing the same low, deep, loud rhythym.  I stood stunned, half scarred and half curious.  From the area of the trees where the sound traveled from was the figure of something very tall, very large in width and very strong, as some of the smaller pine trees about 10 to 15 feet in height were being shaken back and forth vigorously and violently.  The figure itself was not totally visible but hidden mostly behind the shadows of the larger trees behind and around it.  It was dark in color, guessing dark brown or black, with a thick furry outline.  It looked to have stood well over 7 feet in height. It began moving along the edge of the trees towards the house, just keeping inside the safety of the shadows.  The horses in the pasture where on the far right hand side now, rising up and hitting the fence with their hooves.  This was too much excitement for me, and I turned to run to my truck.  That hideous sound came thru the air again, but this time it was much closer than before,  I quickly made it into the truck, started the engine and left very rapidly.(Half way expecting the engine to be flooded or the battery dead, like in some lame horror movie.) This event left me pretty shaken, but it was also my duty as a courier to return to the home the next day to reattempt the delivery.  Upon reaching said home, I briefly explained to the occupant what occured the day before, expecting him to start laughing.  To my surprize, he only agreed that there had been some strange sounds coming from 'those neck of the woods' lately, and that his horses were frequently 'spooked' by something in the area.  He also stated that a friend of his had took his hunting dog back there a few weeks prior to this incident and that the dog took out after something, disappeared from sight, let out  curdling yelping sounds, then went quiet.  He said his buddy found what was left of the dog, it's head was not to be found, and that there had been a fowl ordor around the area at the time.  He further insisted it was probably a 'bobcat' or something and never suggested anything else, except not to 'go in them there woods' by myself. Not to worry, I had no intentions of it.