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517 encounters
Summer 2005 Payson Or Heber, Coconino County, Arizona Class B #16397

Rock throwing incident at Woods Canyon Lake

The witness was fishing at a lake spillway in the afternoon when a basketball-sized rock flew through trees from an upslope hill to the east and landed in the lake. Birds that had been chirping went quiet, and another nearby fisherman who also saw it left. The witness later smelled a strong skunk-like odor upwind.

Rock throwingOdorMovement onlyUnidentified sound
23 November 2004 Willis, Montgomery County, Texas Class B #9869

Man has night encounter at home just outside Sam Houston National Forest

After a storm knocked out power, the witness walked a powerline to check for damage and then headed back toward the house. They noticed blinking eye-like lights high off the ground, smelled a musky odor, and made out a large bulky dark shape in weak flashlight light before running to the house. A short time later the witness returned with a brighter light and companions, saw the blinking eyes again in woods beside the house, then heard movement and a throaty howl as it left.

EyeshineSilhouetteOdorMovement onlyHowl
14 October 2004 Ruidoso, Lincoln County, New Mexico Class B #9992

Fisherman stalked at dawn near Ruidoso

The witness had been camping and fishing for several days and went upstream alone at first light. After feeling watched and noticing the woods go quiet, the witness saw brush and trees shaking but could not make out the source. Minutes later while heading back toward camp, the witness heard a guttural moan or cry from across the river and believed something followed downstream. The witness ran back to camp, injuring an ankle, and noted the behavior and sound differed from prior bear encounters.

Movement onlyVocalization
October 2004 Dungannon, Scott County, Virginia Class B #12727

Bow hunter is escorted from woods by foul-smelling, acorn-throwing bipeds

The witness was bow-hunting deer from a tree stand at dusk when deer ran through the creek below after a scream and thump. After climbing down to investigate, he smelled strong body odor, heard tapping and vocal sounds coming from two directions, and had acorn-like objects thrown at him. He then briefly saw a large dark figure watching him from cover before fleeing the area and never returning.

Partial sightingScreamWood knockObject throwingWhistle +5
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
October 2004 New Waverly, Montgomery County, Texas Class B #9627

Hunter hears strange chattering and finds tracks in Sam Houston National Forest

The witness was bow hunting and walking a fire trail near dark when he found a large human-shaped footprint and photographed it and the surrounding woods. While photographing he noticed a strong layered odor of sour sweat, decaying flesh and musk. After walking back to his truck after dark, something growled at close range for 1-2 seconds, but a flashlight search revealed nothing and he left to develop the film.

TracksOdorGrowl
20 September 2004 Grarrison, Putnam County, New York Class B #15144

Possible red eyeshine in woods near Garrison, New York

The witness drove late to a job site to retrieve a bobcat loader with a dump truck and trailer. While loading, he noticed a skunk-like smell and then saw red eyes watching from down the road, appearing taller than six feet. After moving the truck he saw the same eyes again about 30 feet into the woods at roughly his eye level from the cab. He maneuvered to turn the truck around and drove away quickly without looking back for several miles.

EyeshineOdor
9 September 2004 Molalla, Clackamas County, Oregon Class B #9391

Campers are greeted by tree-shaking display in afternoon near Molalla River

The witness and a companion briefly left their truck to check a regular campsite. From about 10 feet away they heard loud cracking in brush and saw it moving violently, then heard and felt two or three extremely heavy steps moving away. They saw no animal but concluded something very large, fast and heavy had been startled nearby.

FootstepsMovement only
September 2004 Wawa, Ontario Class B #17457

Family describes possible rock throwing while fishing in Lake Superior Provincial Park

The witness, his wife, and their infant son walked to a fishing pool along a brushy creek after noticing a strong odor. While the witness fished, his wife heard a rock land beside her on a gravel bar, followed by cracking noises like branches breaking underfoot in the forest behind them. The witness threw rocks toward the sounds thinking it was a bear, but the noises continued, so the family packed up and left without further incident.

OdorFootstepsRock throwing
August 2004 Cougar, Skamania County, Washington Class B #9944

Campers Awaken to Unknown Vocalizations, Brush Popping and Foul Odor

About 2 a.m., dozens of campers were awakened by loud prolonged screams from the woods east of the campground. Six campers entered the woods with flashlights toward the sound about 200-300 ft from the perimeter, smelled a foul odor and heard loud brush movement and wood cracking, then retreated. The screams lasted 20-25 minutes total, fading to the east with a similar sound from the south, followed by coyotes howling.

ScreamOdorMovement onlyHowl
17 July 2004 Cottage Grove, Lane County, Oregon Class B #9020

Camping family has auditory and olfactory encounter in early evening southeast of Dorena Lake

A witness camping with two relatives heard repeated whoop sounds and felt watched during an early-evening hike, then ran back to camp. Overnight the group heard heavy slow footsteps outside the tent, and around 4 a.m. noticed a strong foul dirty-animal odor. By morning the tent and tarp were found marked with a strong urine-like smell, and the tarp was left behind.

WhoopFootstepsOdorProperty disturbance
July 2004 Dennison, Harrison County, Ohio Class B #9022

While staying in cabins, sleepers awakened in early morning by strange sounds and notice unusual smell in Appalachian foothills

A group staying overnight in cabins was awakened around 3 to 4 AM by loud wood-on-wood knocking that continued on and off for about five minutes. The witnesses could not determine the direction or distance of the sounds. Some in the group had noticed a foul odor earlier that night, and a dog had reacted aggressively to something across the hollow the previous evening.

Wood knockOdor
2 June 2004 Mescalero Apache Nation, Otero County, New Mexico Class B #10126

Possible night time sighting by a resident in the Carrizo neighborhood of Mescalero IR

After being awakened around 1 a.m. by barking dogs and loud screaming and hollering sounds that lasted about ten minutes and came closer, the witness looked out a window and saw a tall hairy man-like figure standing at another window looking in. The witness hid, then later saw the figure walking away into the dark carrying something. A sour body odor was noticed during the presence, and deer jerky hanging on the front porch was missing the next morning.

ScreamSilhouetteOdorProperty disturbance
June 2004 Middlebourne, Tyler County, West Virginia Class B #11828

Woman experiences rock throwing, vocalization during walk

The witness was walking with a dog on a gravel road through woods when she heard repeated banging like something striking a tree. Two rocks were then thrown from the woods and narrowly missed her as she hurried away. Near a bend in the road she heard a loud low growl followed by a scream and fled running. She later learned a family member had been home the whole time and days later saw a large oddly shaped footprint near the roadside.

Wood knockRock throwingGrowlScreamOdor
March 2004 Opp, Covington County, Alabama Class B #8635

Possible repeat approaches to a rural residence at night outside OPP

The witness describes recurring strange noises around the family home shared with parents, including window banging, howls around dusk, growls, moans, grunts and rocks striking the house. The source was never seen, and indoor and outdoor dogs reportedly failed to react normally. A dank odor was also noted over several days. The activity is presented as ongoing, mainly at night and around dusk.

HowlGrowlVocalizationDoor or window contactRock throwing +1
January 2004 Between Osoyoos & Greenwood, British Columbia Class B #15419

Photographer is "escorted" out of the woods between Osoyoos & Greenwood

The witness drove to an abandoned homestead to take sunset photographs. While walking back to the truck through knee-deep snow he heard twigs snapping and footsteps running through thick woods alongside him. He ran to the truck, heard a deep elk-like grunt, and saw pines shaking with snow falling off as he left. He returned two weeks later and found snapped-off saplings.

FootstepsVocalizationMovement only
January 2004 Sumter, Sumter County, South Carolina Class B #7865

A family reports strange incidents in the woods behind their property near Shaw Air Force Base

Late at night the witness heard loud walking with dragging footsteps downhill near a path and, with a parent, approached and fired shots without deterring it. They later staked out the area, heard weird noises, and smelled a foul odor. The next morning they found human-like footprints sized to the witness's foot and groups of bent and broken trees.

FootstepsUnidentified soundTracksTree breakOdor
2004–2005 Columbia, Boone County, Missouri Class B #27023

Huge animal screams and circles campsite at Finger Lake Park

Four people were camping around a campfire at Rocky Fork Lake in July 2004 when a large animal came from the woods to the south, circled the campsite three times at close range, and ran toward the lake emitting a high-pitched howl and pig-like squeals before running behind the camp. The group later noticed smeared foot impressions at the site, but rain had obscured detail and no identifiable evidence was preserved.

Movement onlyHowlScreamTracks
December 2003 Anchorage, Anchorage County, Alaska Class B #8792

Four nocturnal hikers get pelted with snow near Anchorage

The witness and three companions took a late-night winter walk on game and recreational trails in the woods. On the way back they heard footsteps and branches breaking around them and something repeatedly threw snow or hard snow clods at them, while dogs barked nearby and a rank carcass-like odor was noticed. They jogged most of the way out, leaving around 3-3:30 a.m., and the witness believed deep snow ruled out a prank by a person.

FootstepsUnidentified soundObject throwingOdorAnimal behaviour
16 November 2003 Orleans, Humboldt County, California Class B #7452

Campers Hear Unusual Evening Sounds

Two campers spent a rainy night at a campground after noticing a skunk-like odor on arrival. Through the night they heard ape-like hoots, single-note whistles, repeated wood-on-wood whacks from several directions, heavy two-legged footsteps, and nearby rockslides. They saw nothing in the dark and left the next morning, noting the steep bowl-shaped hillside could carry sounds from far uphill.

VocalizationWood knockFootstepsWhistleOdor