:grin:
Okay, this was over a wilderness, not in it. I moved to MN in 1998. I am a private pilot and like to explore. So, in summer of 1999 I spent many hours flying over the various parts of MN. It was a CAVU (ceiling and visibility unlimited) day over the wilderness areas north west of Bemidji. I was flying in the last hour of daylight and heading back south to home port, and the skies were calm. Approaching me from the south east was what I took to be a hanglider, about 3-4 miles off. As I veered towards the southwest to avoid it, the "damn fool" appeared to veer toward me. I turned almost due west and the "hanglider" followed and seemed to be trying to intercept me. I climbed and it climbed. I was faster however, and now was able to head south as I wanted. The "hanglider" was now about 1/2 mile to the south east off the port side. It veered towards me, and as the distance closed to about 1/4 mile I could clearly see the biggest bird I've ever seen. Now, flying in upstate NY I reported bald eagle sightings to the DEC, so large avian friends are nothing new. This bird was big, and is it passed about 200 feet off the port side, I would estimate it had a wingspan of 16 feet (equal to the left wing length of the PA-28-160 I fly) or so. Perhaps it was Quetzalcoatl without the serpent's head. It was brown and gray, but lacked the white head and yellow beak of the bald eagle, having a dark gray beak; and it was much bigger.
