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517 encounters
November 1964 Zenia, Trinity County, California Class B #6962

Friends hear late night scream near Garberville

After returning late from a dance, three people sitting indoors heard a loud wailing cry from bluffs across the road that rose in pitch and lasted several minutes. Frightened, they stayed inside with doors locked for the night. The next morning two of them found a freshly cleared, trampled area on the blufftop where trees had been pulled from the ground, with a strong smell but no tracks due to hard ground.

ScreamTree breakOdor
August 1964 Between Crested Butte And Gothic, Gunnison County, Colorado Class B #2553

Bowhunter and wife abandon deer when threatened by large, unseen animal

The witness and spouse were bow hunting in timber when something unseen followed them, starting and stopping as they moved. After the witness shot a deer, the follower vocalized loudly and thrashed brush and trees while pursuing them downhill. The pair abandoned the deer and left the timber, with the follower continuing to vocalize behind them to the timber edge.

VocalizationHowlScreamFootstepsTree break +1
Fall 1964 Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina Class B #5381

Solider describes late night encounter on Fort Jackson

While on a solo night escape-and-evasion march at Fort Jackson, the witness stopped at a fire-lane crossing around 2 a.m. in total darkness. Something approached, moved away after being challenged, made growling talk-like sounds, then approached again before crashing away through brush. Startled, the witness ran and eventually reached another soldier with a fire and truck.

VocalizationGrowlFootstepsMovement only
Summer 1964 Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah Class B #28095

Man recalls possible encounter at a family cabin in Big Cottonwood Canyon outside Salt Lake City

In August 1964 two teenagers were walking back to a family cabin in Big Cottonwood Canyon after dark when they heard footsteps matching their movements and a low unearthly growl. They ran through a gully to the cabin and locked themselves inside. They then heard the nearby outhouse door open and slam, saw nothing when they turned on an outside light, later heard the door fling open with crashing in brush, and spent the night upstairs.

FootstepsGrowlDoor or window contactMovement only
August 1963 Big Bear Lake Resort., San Bernardino County, California Class B #7759

Young man has strange encounter on a dark gravel road at Big Bear Lake Resort

The witness walked alone at night up a gravel mountain road toward a cabin after retrieving a wallet in town. Something unseen below the road in steep brush kept pace, breaking branches and dislodging rocks, stopping when the witness stopped and moving faster after rocks were tossed at it. Before reaching a bend where the road met the canyon, relatives arrived by car and the witness got in and left.

FootstepsMovement only
1963–2002 Bend, Deschutes County, Oregon Class B #7785

Family in small boat hears animal retreating and finds prints

In 1963 the witness hiked with family members to Teddy Lakes to fish. While rowing around an island they heard splashing and then found a line of very large, deep, human-like footprints in shallow mud where an animal had exited the water. Neither the witness, then a youth experienced with tracks, nor his expert-tracker grandfather could identify the maker, and the trail was lost in forest litter.

TracksMovement only
October 1959 Marysville And Grass Valley, Yuba County, California Class B #7211

Hunters Have Unusual Night Time Encounter

While deer hunting and camped overnight, the witness and a companion heard a very loud yelling-like scream from nearby woods and followed the companion's dogs with rifles. In a flashlight beam they saw a bipedal figure handling the dogs, throwing one, which then turned toward them and fled into trees with crashing brush and a lingering odor. They left the area that night and heard the vocalization again from farther off while packing.

Partial sightingScreamOdorMovement only
1956 Prattsville, Vinton County, Ohio Class B #4982

Personal encounter of a camper as well as a history of encounters concerning his family members, dating back 40 years.

The witness and a companion were sleeping in a tent on a hill while camping. In the early morning hours the witness was awakened by a deep growling grunt very close to the tent, followed by brush sounds as something moved away. In the morning the witness searched for tracks, fur, or other sign but found nothing, and concluded the sounds had been made by a bigfoot.

GrowlMovement only
24 August 1953 Lawrenceville, Lawrence County, Illinois Class B #49182

Memory told of a possible childhood encounter at Georgefield Barracks

The witness was staying at home with her older sister while her parents were out. After hearing movement outside and seeing a large head at the window, she opened the front door, turned on the porch light, and came face to face with a tall hair-covered figure. Her middle sister arrived and ran toward the figure, which then left and quickly disappeared. The sisters did not discuss the incident at the time and only recalled it decades later.

Partial sightingMovement only
1952–1953 Chatsworth, Burlington County, New Jersey Class B #45647

Memory told of a possible encounter while camping with Girl Scouts in the Pine Barrens

The witness was camping overnight with a large scout group near a lake when a large pot of food disappeared from camp. Throughout the night the group heard bushes thrashing, repeated tree knocks, and loud long whistles coming from different sides of the camp. Counselors kept everyone by the fire until daylight, when another scout group helped them leave and police were called but reportedly found nothing.

Property disturbanceWood knockWhistleMovement only
BFRO YEAR: About 1979 British Columbia Class B #2446

Witnesses hear, smell, and feel something large moving & walking right next to them

Late at night in heavy fog, the witness's wife went to the outhouse and encountered something very close that she heard moving and smelled strongly, then fled back inside. The witness went outside with a gun and flashlight but could see nothing in the fog, though he heard bipedal footsteps, noticed a strong odor, and heard a low screeching sound toward a relative's home. The next morning he found a barbed-wire fence broken down with nails pulled out but found no tracks or hair.

OdorMovement onlyFootstepsVocalizationProperty disturbance
BFRO YEAR: ~1970 Baxter, Piscataquis County, Maine Class B #8259

Hunters find scat and have large rock thrown at them

While hunting near a lake in the fall of 1970, the witness reported a strong musky odor, unusual large and small scat, rhythmic thumping with ground vibration, and a large dead tree falling nearby while alone. The next day the witness returned with a companion, encountered the thumping and shaking again, and a large rock flew over their heads, after which they left the area.

OdorScatUnidentified soundFootstepsTree break +1
BFRO YEAR: 95-96 Clarendon, Orleans County, New York Class B #4799

Possible vocalizations heard by coon hunters near Clarendon

The witness and a hunting companion were about to start a nighttime hunt when they heard an unfamiliar loud scream. The sound appeared to move rapidly away, shifting from nearby to much farther within seconds while crashing through brush. Frightened despite being accustomed to the dark, the pair left without seeing the source and returned to their truck.

ScreamMovement only
BFRO YEAR: 72 or 73 York; More Specifically Manchester Twp., York County, Pennsylvania Class B #8000

Shriek heard in PA woods in early 70's

Three teenagers were camping by a fire near a pine grove on a farm property. They heard intermittent branch-breaking and movement approaching and receding, then a single loud inhuman scream. They fled to the house without seeing anything and reported no odor or sense of being followed.

ScreamUnidentified soundMovement only
BFRO YEAR: 2006-pres Kane, McKean County, Pennsylvania Class B #49903

Several possible incidents over the years in the Allegheny National Forest

In March 2014 while staying at a cabin with four companions, the witness went alone to a nearby meadow after dark to look at stars. The witness heard bipedal footsteps approaching up the slope, called out twice with no reply, and the steps paused then stopped at the lane edge. As the witness walked back past that spot, brush shuffled as if something turned to watch, but all companions were still inside and had heard nothing.

FootstepsMovement only
BFRO YEAR: 1976 or 77 Sussex NJ, Sussex County, New Jersey Class B #7185

Teens have scary encounter in abandoned creamery near Sussex

Two teenagers exploring an abandoned creamery had the companion climb a ladder to the upper floor, where he reported a foul smell and hairy legs behind a box. Both then heard heavy running overhead with ceiling boards moving, and saw a large hairy figure break through a wall, cross a roof, and appear directly after loading doors blew open. They watched it run away through a cornfield for several seconds until it went over or through a fence and disappeared.

Full-body sightingPartial sightingFootstepsOdorProperty disturbance
BFRO YEAR: 1985/86 Marietta, Greenville County, South Carolina Class B #791

very loud vocalizationSounds heard by four witnesses near a farmers field used for crops.

The witness was spending the weekend at a friend's house when the group heard loud high- and low-pitched screaming on a summer Saturday night. Three of them walked toward a field near a river with a flashlight and saw red eyes in the brush while hearing limbs breaking, then ran back to the house. Screaming reportedly continued for hours, and the next midday they found a snapped vine, bark torn high on a tree, disturbed ground, and a partial large heel print.

EyeshineScreamOdorTracksTree break
BFRO YEAR: 2000/01 Hoxeyville, Wexford County, Michigan Class B #26196

Possible intimidation experienced by two bow hunters near Cadillac

The witness and a companion were bowhunting deer from separate ground positions near a creek and swamp. The witness heard quiet rustling behind a small hill, then a large tree shook violently and a loud roar/scream sounded. The witness fled to the truck, met waiting officers, and returned with them to retrieve the companion, who had also heard the scream and seen deer flee. The group left the woods together without explanation for the sound.

Movement onlyScreamAnimal behaviour
BFRO YEAR: 86 and 87 McKinley, Oscoda County, Michigan Class B #2943

Wood knocking and tree shaking noticed while deer hunting

In fall 1987 the witness was archery hunting with a relative in Michigan when wood-on-wood knocking was heard to the west. About 15 minutes later a nearby small pine shook violently from side to side with no animal visible. The witness left the area for lunch shortly afterward and noted no odor.

Wood knockMovement only
BFRO YEAR: 85-present Whittemore, Iosco County, Michigan Class B #14854

Possible ongoing activity outside Whittemore

The witness reports recurring nighttime activity over many years at her parents' wooded property. She and others hear footsteps pacing them along the tree line, loud crashing movement, screeching sounds and cracking noises, often accompanied by a strange smell. Family members and visitors have also reported red eyeshine and ape-like figures, and large footprints were found in snow. An investigator later visited, interviewed family members and noted unusual stick and vegetation features in the woods.

FootstepsScreamUnidentified soundMovement onlyOdor