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29 encounters
Winter 2004 Georgetown, El Dorado County, California Class A #11656

Couple Has Early Evening Encounter Near Stumpy Meadow Reservoir

The witness and a companion spent the day fishing and prospecting near a dam and spillway while feeling watched. As light faded they walked back toward their car, sensing something pacing them unseen and stopping when they stopped. After reaching the dam road in darkness, the witness saw one large dark form and two smaller forms move around the spillway and up a hill, then heard them make repeated guttural, sentence-like sounds in response to a shout before disappearing over the ridge.

Partial sightingSilhouetteRoad crossingVocalizationChatter +2
18 October 2002 Yreka, Siskiyou County, California Class A #7637

Parents pursue 7 1/2' tall female biped across pasture after being alerted by daughter

The witness was taking a dog outside at night and felt watched after the dog stared and growled. After shining a flashlight in that direction, the witness saw two hairy bipedal figures cross a fence and then ran inside. Relatives then went outside, reportedly saw the larger figure up close, noticed odor and sounds, and the group found large tracks the next day.

Full-body sightingEyeshineTracksOdorUnidentified sound
21 August 2001 Reno, Sierra County, California Class A #3027

Three young people on an early morning outing hear roar followed by sighting

Three people went by car into a heavily forested area in the early morning to be alone. About half an hour after arriving they heard rustling followed by a loud bellowing scream. As they ran toward their car, the main witness reported seeing the front of a tall dark figure about seventy feet away and hearing it flee into the woods before the group left quickly.

ScreamFull-body sightingMovement only
May 2001 Johnson, Humboldt County, California Class A #2755

While conducting sound survey project, two team members see Bigfoot

A team of four was conducting a nighttime sound survey from a clear-cut overlooking a river valley while one member did a live radio interview from a parked vehicle near the treeline. The interviewer heard repeated charging sounds, footfalls and a grunt-growl from dense brush a few feet away while two teammates uphill watched with a night-vision device. The uphill observers reported a huge 8-foot-plus figure about 25 feet away leaning side to side to look through the trees and moving its arms. The episode lasted about 30 minutes, followed later by a distant scream, and a next-day search found disturbed soil but no footprints.

Partial sightingFootstepsGrowlMovement onlyAnimal behaviour
October 2000 Lewiston, Trinity County, California Class A #405

Several tracks found by hunter near Lewiston Lake

While deer hunting, the witness found many large tracks and followed them to a hidden hillside spring in a dry area. The water was murky as if recently disturbed, and the witness also found dung with an unusual sweet smell that was collected for testing. No creature was seen, but the witness believed he had just missed it.

TracksScatOdor
July 2000 I Cant Remember, El Dorado County, California Class A #913

Hikers see creature in Desolation Wilderness

The witness and a companion were hiking in the afternoon when they heard movement in the brush. The witness then saw a large hairy creature with yellow eyes walking away and noticed a garbage-like smell. The witness attempted to photograph it but could not get a clear shot because it kept moving in and out of trees.

Partial sightingFootstepsOdor
November 1999 Holtville, Imperial County, California Class A #8345

Truck driver has a short but memorable encounter

A semi-truck driver pulled over at a desert highway pullout at night and got out of the truck. He heard rocks falling, noticed a strong decaying odor that became gagging, and saw a large hairy biped cross the road in front of his headlights while making a loud grunt. Frightened, he got back in the truck and drove away.

Partial sightingRoad crossingVocalizationFootstepsOdor
11 August 1998 Hornbrook, Siskiyou County, California Class A #2862

Sighting by a Family on the Banks of the Klamath River near Hornbrook

A family of four was fishing along the Klamath River on a sunny afternoon when they noticed quiet woods and a strong sour odor. They saw a very large dark-brown hair-covered figure standing across the river by brush and watched for a few minutes as it crouched to drink. The figure was gone after a loud jeep passed and distracted them.

Full-body sightingOdor
15 November 1997 Strawberry, Tuolumne County, California Class A #615

Sighting by woman in Eagle Meadow, above Strawberry

A woman hunting with her husband from under pine trees across a meadow noticed a dark figure that had not been there minutes earlier. She watched it through binoculars for about 15 minutes, seeing yellow eyes looking back, before leaving for camp without telling her husband why. Her husband, positioned nearby, did not see the figure but reported smelling something awful at the same time.

Partial sightingUnidentified soundOdor
15 March 1996 Lewiston, Trinity County, California Class A #2820

Campers describe an encounter after dark

The witnesses returned late at night to find their tent knocked over with contents spilled. While loading the vehicle to leave, one witness saw a tall brown human-like figure stand up about 15 feet away and walk toward the river. The pair left the area that night and returned the next day to photograph apparent footprints on a hillside.

Partial sightingProperty disturbanceOdorTracks
29 October 1995 Fresno, Fresno County, California Class A #1068

Two fisherman have daytime sighting above Huntington Lake

The witness and a companion were fishing separate pools along a river when the companion called him over. They smelled a strong musky odor and then saw a tall, hairy biped standing about 25 yards upslope. The creature walked up and over the hill on two feet while the men felt unable to move, after which they walked back in silence to their third companion.

Full-body sightingOdor
June 1995 Weaverville, Trinity County, California Class A #2819

Campers menaced after dark by what they assume was a family group

A group camping above a swollen river heard mumbling voices and stick-breaking approaching, followed by loud chanting, shouting and stomping that shook a log seat and was taken as a demand to leave. The sounds stopped after deep hooted calls and later receded to distant screams up the valley and across the mountain. Later, while in a tent, the witness saw the firelight blocked by a squatting silhouette that touched the zipper with five digits, with felt breath and strong odor, before withdrawing. In the morning the witness noted hairs and deep depressions on the trail.

SilhouetteVocalizationScreamWhoopTree break +3
October 1993 San Bernardino County, California Class A #2247

A camp site incident at Barton Flats with multiple witnesses. The campers were approached while they were sleeping

The witness was trying to sleep in a van while two companions slept in a tent nearby. The van began rocking violently from side to side until the witness yelled, then the witness shone a flashlight outside and saw a hair-covered figure walking upright past the vehicle into the forest. A foul cesspool-like odor was noticed around the camp, and the companions said pebbles had been tossed onto their tent and something had brushed against it. The group built a fire, discussed what happened, and packed up to leave early.

FootstepsVehicle contactFull-body sightingOdorRock throwing +1
1993–1994 Redwood National Park, Orick, Humboldt County, California Class A #2998

Daylight sighting by a horseback rider, near a pond in Redwood National Park

The witness was horseback riding with friends and stopped for lunch when crashing was heard in the brush. The witness rode toward the noise to look for elk and watched a small hair-covered creature trying to drink from a pool about 30 feet away. The horse became agitated so the witness left to tell friends, who returned and heard movement and saw ferns moving as something left toward the larger creek. The witness believed the crashing was made by a larger animal accompanying the young creature.

Partial sightingFootstepsMovement only
5 May 1989 Weed, Siskiyou County, California Class A #174

Camper awakes to a very large hairy figure

The witness reports waking in the back of a truck at a campground in the pre-dawn hours and seeing a large dark form leaving the canopy window. She looked out and watched a very large, dark, hairy bipedal figure move quickly uphill into dense pine forest. Afterward she woke her companion, both noticed a dank musky odor, and they promptly left the camp.

Full-body sightingOdor
October 1987 McCloud, Shasta County, California Class A #2844

Loud Screams Heard by Hunters While Camping Near a Natural Spring

Two hunters were camped overnight during deer season when they noticed a bipedal figure crossing a moonlit clearing. Shortly after, they heard loud screaming and crashing in brush on the hillside, followed by a log coming down, a strong urine-like odor, and renewed screams. Later, from inside their tent, both saw a very large shadow pass between the campfire and the tent. The next morning they found no tracks but noticed a large log newly present near their vehicle by the spring.

Partial sightingSilhouetteScreamFootstepsObject throwing +1
Summer 1987 Laytonville Ca., Mendocino County, California Class A #6521

Woman hears late night scream and has close encounter near Laytonville

The witness was sleeping in a sleeping bag on a river bank with companions when she woke to bipedal footsteps on a ledge above. A large figure stood behind willow canes about 10 feet away, yelling with speech-like inflection while stomping, shaking vegetation, and giving off a skunk-like odor. After a few minutes the figure left without the witness seeing or hearing its departure, and she stayed awake until morning.

Partial sightingScreamFootstepsOdor
June 1986 Old Shasta, Shasta County, California Class A #2845

Unusual "Wild" Smell from Animal Walking Around Camper's Truck Near Sheep Camp

The witness and a companion were sleeping in a truck bed while camping when they were awakened by something circling on foot. The circling continued for about 1.5-2 hours with branch-breaking sounds, grunting, and a strong wild odor, while they remained lying down without looking. Near dawn the sounds moved off to the southwest, and in daylight they found disturbed pine needles and broken tree limbs nearby.

FootstepsVocalizationOdorTree break
25 October 1983 Sonora, Tuolumne County, California Class A #1919

Friends have night sighting above Sonora

Two men returned at night to a fenced rural property above Sonora after viewing a motorcycle for sale. A tall, wide human-like figure stepped from brush a short distance away, looked at them, then crossed the clearing toward a shed in a few strides while making a huff sound. One man got into their truck while the other backed onto the hood with a knife, and they later spent a sleepless night guarding the cabin door.

Full-body sightingSilhouetteVocalizationOdor
April 1982 Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County, California Class A #25444

High school teacher recalls a nighttime sighting while camping in the Los Padres National Forest

Four people camped by a river heard a loud crashing sound while eating dinner. They saw a large hairy biped running down a nearby trail illuminated by their campfire. After they yelled it glanced toward them, continued over a ridge and out of sight within seconds. They kept watch in shifts overnight and found no tracks the next morning.

Full-body sightingFootstepsMovement only