I'm Being Hunted

Derrek Mates tells his fiance, Maddison Hotchner, that in two days he's going to go explore the Pisgah Forest in North Carolina. He loves exploring around the world, and since it is just a two-hour drive, he decided to go there. Though, soon he will find that it would all turn into a nightmare, for something is stalking him.

What could it be?

This story, except for the cryptid, is an original story.
The cryptid has been a folklore since the 1920s.
Information on the cryptid:
https://cryptidz.fandom.com/wiki/Hidebehind
https://astonishinglegends.com/astonishing-legends/2018/7/26/the-hidebehind