Cisco Grove Robot Encounter
On September 4, 1964, bow hunter Donald Shrum became lost in the Tahoe National Forest and climbed a tree to spend the night. He was then approached by humanoid beings and a robot-like entity that attempted to dislodge him from the tree throughout the night. Shrum fought them off with fire, arrows, and flares until dawn. The Air Force investigated.
The Cisco Grove encounter is one of the most dramatic and violent close encounters in UFO history. A hunter, stranded overnight in the Sierra Nevada wilderness, spent an entire night fighting off what he described as humanoid beings and a robotic entity that seemed determined to capture him. His account of hours of terror in a tree, battling unknown entities, remains one of the most disturbing UFO reports ever documented.
September 4, 1964
Donald Shrum was on a bow hunting trip:
The Hunter: Donald Shrum, a welder from Carmichael, California, in his late 20s.
Location: Tahoe National Forest, near Cisco Grove, California.
Activity: Bow hunting with two companions in the remote Sierra Nevada.
The Problem: Shrum became separated from his hunting partners as evening fell.
Decision: Lost and with night coming, he decided to climb a large pine tree to spend the night safely.
The First Sighting
As darkness fell, strange things began:
The Light: Shrum saw a light in the sky that he initially thought was a helicopter.
Signal Attempt: He lit signal fires to attract what he thought was a search party.
Approach: The light approached and revealed itself as a dome-shaped object.
Silent: Unlike a helicopter, it made no sound.
Realization: This was not a rescue aircraft.
The Beings Appear
Entities emerged from the darkness:
First Being: A humanoid figure in a light-colored suit approached.
Second Being: Another similar figure joined the first.
Appearance: They had large, dark eyes and wore tight-fitting suits.
Movement: They moved stiffly, almost mechanically.
Intent: They seemed focused on getting Shrum out of the tree.
The Robot
The most terrifying element appeared:
The Entity: A dark, metallic robot-like creature joined the humanoids.
Size: Approximately 5 feet tall.
Appearance: Dark, with a hinged mouth-like opening.
Sound: When its “mouth” opened, it emitted a vapor or gas.
Effect: The gas caused Shrum to lose consciousness temporarily.
The Night Battle
Shrum fought back throughout the night:
Fire: He lit matches and threw them at the beings.
Arrows: He shot arrows at them with his bow.
Flares: He had signal flares which he used as weapons.
Belt Buckle: He even threw his heavy belt buckle at them.
Effect: The beings seemed driven back by fire but always returned.
The Gas Attacks
The robot entity deployed some kind of weapon:
Emissions: When its mouth opened, vapor or gas emerged.
Effect on Shrum: The gas caused him to black out repeatedly.
Recovery: Each time he regained consciousness, the beings were still below.
Persistence: This continued throughout the night.
The Second Robot
The situation worsened:
Reinforcement: A second robot-like entity arrived.
Combined Assault: The two robots together increased their gas attacks.
Desperation: Shrum was becoming exhausted and running out of things to throw.
Survival: He tied himself to the tree to avoid falling when he passed out.
Dawn Rescue
Light brought relief:
Departure: As dawn approached, the beings and robots retreated.
The Object: The dome-shaped craft was seen departing.
Shrum’s Condition: He was exhausted, frightened, and physically drained.
Rescue: His hunting partners eventually found him.
The Investigation
The case attracted official attention:
Air Force: The incident was reported and investigated under Project Blue Book.
Interviews: Shrum was interviewed multiple times.
Character Assessment: Investigators found him sincere and not prone to fantasy.
Classification: The case was filed as “unexplained.”
Physical Evidence
There were traces of the encounter:
Arrows: Several of Shrum’s arrows were missing, shot at the beings.
Flare Casings: Evidence of the flares he used.
Tree Damage: Marks on the tree consistent with his account.
Shrum’s Condition: His physical exhaustion was consistent with his story.
The Witness
Donald Shrum was a credible witness:
Background: A working-class family man with no history of fabrication.
Reluctance: He was initially reluctant to report the incident.
Consistency: His story never changed over the decades.
No Profit: He never sought to profit from his experience.
Other Witnesses
Shrum was not entirely alone:
Hunting Partners: His companions saw strange lights that night from their position.
Similar Reports: Other hunters in the area reported unusual lights.
Corroboration: While no one else witnessed the close encounter, the lights were seen by others.
The Entities
The beings Shrum described were unusual:
Humanoids: Two appeared generally humanoid, though strange.
Robots: Two appeared mechanical or robotic.
Cooperation: They worked together, suggesting coordination.
Purpose: They seemed determined to capture or retrieve Shrum.
Questions
The case raises profound questions:
Why?: What did the entities want with Shrum?
The Gas: What was the vapor the robots emitted?
The Retreat: Why did they leave at dawn?
The Violence: Why such a prolonged assault?
Legacy
The Cisco Grove encounter matters because:
- A credible witness endured a prolonged, violent encounter
- He fought back and documented his resistance
- The case was officially investigated
- It features both humanoid and robotic entities
- It remains one of the most detailed close encounter accounts
Whatever descended on the Sierra Nevada that night seemed determined to capture Donald Shrum. His night-long battle for survival, alone in a tree fighting off beings beyond his understanding, remains one of the most harrowing accounts in UFO literature.
Sources
- Project Blue Book files
- Donald Shrum interviews and testimony
- UFO researcher investigations
- “Aliens in the Forest: The Cisco Grove UFO Encounter”