Well, this isn't a made up story and actually happened to me;
Back in about 1974, before treestands became common, we stalk hunted, moving very slowly on old logging roads taking plenty of time to watch for deer. We actually got quite a few shots back then, we practiced with our equipment much less that we should have and missed almost every shot we took.
I was stalking up Little Coon Valley on Skyline Mgt Area in N/E Alabama, bow in hand, walking up an old logging road in mid October when this happened.
This was mountainous terrain that stepped up in benches from the bottom of the valley to the top of the mountain. As I got close to a river cane covered bench, slightly above the logging road, something in the canebreak started growling, the cane was about 10-12 ft tall and I couldn't see what it was.
I was about 25 yards from the comotion, in a matter of seconds, the guttural growl became a angry roar increasing in ferocity and volume. The "thing" started throwing sticks and leaves straight up into the air above the cane break. The roaring growl increased in anger and intensity, the shaking cane indicated a large "something" was in there.
Then came the rocks, all of which were being thrown in my direction. My heart was pounding like crazy, I was frozen momentarially, then a log as big as my leg came flying out of the cane break and landed beside me.
I looked down at my bear Kodiak Hunter recurve and little razor head tipped 2016 arrows and thought "NO WAY". I turned tail and ran like a scared little girl down the valley as fast as I could, I made it back to my car and got the heck out of there.
Of course I told this story to the locals who hunted the same area, not a single one believed me.
I live in N/W Alabama now and have run into two credible witnesses who had a similar encounters in the Bear Creek area, the difference between their story and mine is they actually saw the creature.