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9 encounters
June 2014 St. Croix Falls, Polk County, Wisconsin Class B #45418

Campers hear possible vocalization and have trailer shaken at Interstate State Park

A group camped and hiked a short trail at night to elicit responses. After a child's whoops received an immediate whoop reply nearby, two adults who stayed behind briefly heard something approach closely then step away, seeing nothing with lights. Back in camp the group saw intermittent orange eyeshine below the ridgeline, and later heard movement around camp overnight including a camper shaking.

WhoopFootstepsEyeshineMovement onlyStructure or nest +1
8 December 2011 Greenville, Bond County, Illinois Class B #31419

Possible nighttime sighting and vocalizations in a backyard near Old Ripley

The witness was in bed late at night when barking dogs prompted them to go outside. They saw a dog run under the porch and something retreat into the woods. After shouting and tossing a small stone into the trees, the witness heard a shriek/howl and the stone was thrown back to land at their feet. The witness ran inside, then returned with a flashlight to find twisted vegetation and snapped branches and noted a foul smell.

Partial sightingScreamHowlRock throwingObject throwing +3
14 August 2011 Peoria County, Illinois Class B #30510

Possible footprint found near Peoria

The witness was walking along a creek bed in heavily wooded terrain when they found a very large footprint with five distinct toes. After photographing it with makeshift scale items, they heard movement and a large branch being twisted on the hillside and left the woods. An investigator later visited the site with the witness and summarized the track as a 17-inch-long left-foot impression.

TracksMovement onlyTwist
15 July 2007 Atoka, Tipton County, Tennessee Class B #21240

Possible activity (smell, branch twist) around residence outside Atoka

The witness stepped out of the garage around midnight and noticed a strong musky odor while dogs barked across the road. The next morning the witness found a yard tree limb twisted and split despite calm weather the prior day. The witness searched for footprints and other traces but found none, and cut out the twisted section to keep for study.

OdorTwist
13 October 2006 Darrington, Snohomish County, Washington Class B #16276

Multiple witnesses hear possible vocalizations near Darrington

Six people sitting around a campfire heard a very close, loud two-part vocalization described as whooing/moaning followed after a pause by a booming scream, then heard something moving across the creek. No visual contact was reported. The next day witnesses found a freshly broken/twisted sapling and barefoot-like prints of multiple sizes in a sandy area and made casts of tracks.

ScreamWhoopMovement onlyTracksTree break +1
24 May 2005 Ormond Beach, Volusia County, Florida Class B #12068

Possible intimidation behavior experienced while shining for alligators in Ormond Beach

Two people were shining lights for alligators beside a lake at night when vegetation beside the dock shook and repeated knocking like wood hitting a tree was heard. A nearby tree then fell, and as they ran toward safety they heard heavy steps and grunting keeping pace parallel to them. About an hour later they returned and found a tall tree freshly snapped about eight feet up with dripping sap and a hair on a branch.

Movement onlyWood knockTree breakTwistFootsteps +2
October 2004 Buckley/mesick Area, Wexford County, Michigan Class B #24695

Disoriented coon hunter is followed out of the woods and experiences possible intimidation near Buckley

The witness and a companion were hunting raccoons at night with a hound that first treed a raccoon then pursued another animal through forest. After the dog returned frightened and stayed close, the pair tried to walk out in darkness with failing lights. For an hour or two they heard something large circling them with heavy footfalls and crashing vegetation and small trees breaking nearby, but they never saw the source.

FootstepsTree breakTwistMovement only
9 September 2001 Grande Rhonde, Polk County, Oregon Class B #3064

Bowhunter finds twisted trees, tracks, scat, & unusual sounds

The witness was bow-hunting in coastal second-growth forest on the morning of 9/1/01. He heard whooping and scream-like vocalizations followed by a large tree falling, plus heavy footsteps, and later found large ground impressions, broken limbs and tops, and animal hair high on a tree. An investigator later reviewed photos of broken and twisted trees and received frozen scat and hair samples for examination.

WhoopScreamUnidentified soundFootstepsTracks +5
8 August 1999 Buford, Gwinnett County, Georgia Class B #18001

Possible vocalizations near Plunketts Road outside Buford

Four people in a house heard very loud deep shrieks from beyond the backyard tree line at night. Two of them went onto the patio with a rifle and flashlight; when the light was pointed at the treeline the shrieks stopped and something was heard moving away through the woods while grunting deeply. The next day the witness followed a wide trail of fresh tree damage through the woods for about two hours.

ScreamGrowlMovement onlyTree breakTwist