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12 encounters
10 November 2018 Bishop, Inyo County, California Class B #62169

Couple experience large rock thrown and possible bluff charge in Inyo National Forest

The witness and a companion hiked to a high-elevation lake to fish and stopped to rest on the trail. A large angular rock landed near them after they heard it moving through the air, followed by a loud grunt, a foul odor, and heavy footsteps approaching downhill. Fearing a bear, they fled down the switchback trail while the footsteps cut straight downhill behind them for about five minutes before stopping. They abandoned personal items, returned to the trailhead, and left the area.

Rock throwingGrowlFootstepsOdor
June 2018 California #b00b8dcf-40ed-426b-9b0c-73e0d9207aa7

Wood knock in California (2018)

The witness and friends camped at a small creekside site off a mountain road in late June 2018. After evening knocking sounds and a strong musky odor at night, a large human-like creature with yellow eyes appeared at the witness's tent, grabbed it, lifted and dropped the witness inside, then left in a few steps after a shot was fired. The group saw large footprints, later heard whoops from multiple directions, and had a basketball-sized rock thrown at their truck while leaving.

Wood knockGrowlOdorEyeshinePartial sighting +5
19 November 2006 Twain Harte, Tuolumne County, California Class B #16722

Possible vocalizations heard by resident near Twain Harte

Late at night the witness took a dog outside and heard movement in the densely wooded backyard. The witness then heard a deep growl followed by a loud progressive scream that seemed non-human and kept hearing vocalizations after going back inside. The next morning the witness found disturbed underbrush and broken branches but no footprints.

FootstepsGrowlHowlScreamVocalization +1
16 April 2002 Sunland, Los Angeles County, California Class B #14953

Possible intimidation in the late afternoon reported by hikers in the Big Tujunga Canyon area

Two hikers returning up a dry creek bed in late afternoon smelled a strong foul odor and noticed a dead squirrel placed over a boot print. From a short distance away they heard loud banging like wood striking trees, saw treetops swaying, then heard very loud groaning and screaming vocalizations. The sounds paused while they walked away and resumed when they stopped, until they left the area.

Wood knockScreamGrowlOdorMovement 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
September 1992 Burney Ca, Shasta County, California Class B #8784

Residents Awakened by Early Morning Vocalizations

The witness was woken by their mother after she heard a strange noise outside their Burney apartment. The witness waited on the porch and heard a very loud, guttural sequence of chirps and a scream, and noticed a pungent odor worse than skunk. No source was seen during a search, but the next morning a next-door neighbor said someone had been outside her elevated back window overnight.

GrowlChatterWhoopScreamOdor
1 July 1985 Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, California Class B #4886

Two men hear afternoon vocalization near Fort Bragg

The witness and a companion were at a house overlooking a river when they heard loud crashing from the forest across the river. They then heard vocalizations that began as grunting and a deep loud moo-like sound and rose into a very loud high-pitched scream. After vocalizing, the unseen source moved rapidly inland through the forest until its footsteps could no longer be heard. The witness concluded the sounds were made by a Bigfoot, noting the speed and distance covered did not match a cow.

VocalizationScreamGrowlFootstepsMovement only
1978 California #69b382a5-30f0-4438-8cab-1f270c00d963

Growl in California (1978)

On the same trip, after hitchhiking back toward the parked truck, the witness got out in pitch darkness without a flashlight. From the side of the road the witness heard a grunt and movement approaching, then ran to the truck, started it, and drove away without seeing the source.

GrowlMovement only
September 1976 Lee Vining, Mono County, California Class B #10718

Campers hear a vocalization near Tenaya Lake

A group camping by a lake at night heard animal sounds go quiet followed by a very loud vocalization that rose from low to a high shrill pitch. Other campers from near the mountain came down the trail with their gear to leave, saying the scream had been right by them and they had seen something run toward and past the witness camp. The witness group did not see anything but noticed a strong dirty or wet dog smell after leaving their tents and waited until daylight to leave.

ScreamGrowlOdorMovement only
July 1974 Alturas, Modoc County, California Class A #875

Man has sighting near Alturas

The witness was camping by a pond with family and stayed up late by the campfire. Around 1 a.m. he heard noise in the cattails across the pond and approached with a flashlight. A tall hair-covered figure stood up, screeched, faced him briefly, then walked toward the forest like a man. He later found flattened cattails and a strong urine odor at the spot.

Full-body sightingScreamGrowlOdor
Summer 1970 Inyo County, California Class B #2182

A large, unseen growling animal breaks large branches as it moves quickly up a hillside

The witness and a companion hiked about five miles up a creek to fish and felt they were being watched as the forest went unusually quiet. During an afternoon thunderstorm a lightning strike hit across the creek, after which they heard a growling or grunting sound and branches breaking high in trees moving rapidly up the creek and mountain out of hearing. The witness briefly saw a large shadow moving in the woods but nothing conclusive, and they could not search for prints because a fire from the strike caused evacuation.

GrowlMovement only
BFRO YEAR: 1973-74 Redding, Ca, Because French Gulch Was A Town Back In The Gold Rush Days Of Old California. People Still Live In The Area Of What Is Now Called French Gulch., Shasta County, California Class B #26381

Man recalls adversarial encounter with an unknown creature near French Gulch

During midnight rounds at an isolated school compound, the witness crossed a suspension bridge and heard something raiding trash cans by the cookhouse. He threw rocks toward a large dark figure under the eaves, which stood erect, stepped onto the bridge, dodged thrown rocks, vaulted the bridge cables and fled upstream on two legs. He noted glowing eyes and a foul stench, then returned to his trailer without anyone else responding.

SilhouetteEyeshineOdorProperty disturbanceVocalization +3