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767 encounters
September 1974 Wakefield, Washington County, Rhode Island Class A #6496

Bicycling student has night encounter

Late at night the witness stopped under a streetlight while biking back to school to fix a brake. He heard loud bipedal footsteps approaching, then saw a white-haired gorilla-like creature about 20-25 feet away. The creature chased him briefly, moving bipedally and on its knuckles, before stopping, swaying, and climbing over a rock wall. The witness rode to a nearby house and waited until morning.

FootstepsFull-body sightingAnimal behaviour
September 1974 Lakeland, Polk County, Florida Class A #11812

Twilight sighting on the west side of Lakeland

Two people were sitting outside watching the sunset when they heard muffled tapping like wood being chopped from behind a house across the street. They stood to look and then watched a very large upright monkey-like animal climb a pine, jump to another tree, pause briefly, and jump down from an estimated 20 feet.

Full-body sightingWood knock
20 July 1974 Davie, Broward County, Florida Class A #44837

Years of South Florida Skunk Ape stories supported by witness accounts and newspaper articles

In July 1974 the witness and his older cousin were staying overnight in a relative's sitting room in southern Florida. Late at night under floodlights they watched a tall hairy biped outside the picture window scream, then walk around the property while they followed it from window to window. They saw it eat a watermelon with both hands and scoop water to drink before leaving on a wooded trail.

Full-body sightingScreamAnimal behaviour
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
15 June 1974 Douglasville, Douglas County, Georgia Class A #447

Unusual incident... a horseback rider's close encounter

The witness was riding a horse on a wooded dirt road at dusk when the horse became agitated. After hearing rustling and a loud scream, the witness saw eyes and then a large upright creature that lunged out and seized the saddle. Face to face with the creature, the witness clung to the horse's neck as it bolted without looking back. The saddle was later described as torn with deep gouges.

Full-body sightingEyeshineScreamMovement onlyProperty disturbance
5 May 1974 Shawingan Lake B.C. Vancouver Island, British Columbia Class A #24564

Woman recalls multiple witness daylight sighting on Shawnigan Lake

Five girls were walking in the woods when they heard crashing from across a meadow and hid to watch. They observed a very tall, hairy bipedal figure with long arms approaching, noticing a foul smell. After one cousin made a noise, the figure was startled and walked back into the woods, and the girls ran home.

Full-body sightingOdorFootstepsAnimal behaviour
1974–1976 Waukeena East Of Tallahassee, Jefferson County, Florida Class A #40784

Memory told of a large hairy biped approaching a family as they dumped their garbage near Waukeenah

Relatives stopping at a communal trash dump in daylight saw a very large, naked, reddish-brown hair-covered male figure emerge from the tree line about 70 feet away. The figure growled and grunted as it approached quickly to within about 30 feet, emitting a strong rotten odor. The family retreated to their car and drove away. The reporter states he was reportedly present but has no memory of the incident.

Full-body sightingGrowlVocalizationOdor
September 1973 Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania Class A #26888

Man recalls his encounter after riding his dirt bike as a young man near Bradford

The witness stopped while riding to pick berries near a pipeline clearing and noticed what appeared to be a bear digging behind a fallen log. After watching for several minutes, the animal stood upright, stared at the witness, then walked smoothly across rough ground into the woods. The witness ran to the bike, briefly returned to the area, then left without looking for tracks.

Partial sightingVocalization
September 1973 Sheridan, Hamilton County, Indiana Class A #6094

Child has sighting in cornfield near Sheridan

A child playing in tall corn behind the house at dusk heard heavy bipedal footsteps and corn being pushed aside. The corn parted and a very tall, thick dark figure stood within arm's length, emitting a strong musky odor and a heavy sigh or grunt before running around the child and disappearing. The child's mother heard the footsteps and corn breaking but did not see the figure.

Partial sightingFootstepsOdorVocalization
24 August 1973 McCall, Valley County, Idaho Class A #3292

Mountain goat hunters have encounter with 8'-9' tall biped

In late August 1973, two companions setting up a hunting camp at night heard loud screams, whistles, and brush thrashing around them and retreated into their truck cab. The witness then shone a spotlight toward the sounds and saw an erect, dark brown-to-black biped move rapidly up a steep rock slide on two legs. The witness later felt the animal had no intent to harm them.

ScreamWhistleMovement onlyFull-body sighting
8 August 1973 Maryland, Otsego County, New York Class A #13874

Old sighting (1973) and recent vocalizations (2005/06) on the outskirts of Maryland (town)

On February 2, 2006 around 6 a.m. the witness was walking to a vehicle after dropping children at a sitter. From across the road and over a creek about 100 yards away, the witness heard a single loud yell lasting six to seven seconds that sounded like the Ohio Howl. The witness did not remain to listen for a second vocalization.

Howl
August 1973 East Liverpool, Columbiana County, Ohio Class A #33014

Memory told of a daylight sightling while walking down railroad tracks near East Liverpool

The witness and a companion were walking along railroad tracks beside the Ohio River in the evening when they heard brush being trampled on the hillside. They looked up and saw a very tall hair-covered figure about 25 yards away leaning out from behind a tree with an arm around the trunk. Both immediately ran back the way they had come.

Partial sightingUnidentified sound
July 1973 Marblemount, Skagit County, Washington Class A #58048

Recalling a morning sighting as a teenager horseback riding near Marblemount

The witness and a relative were riding horses on a ranch trail in the morning when the horses stopped and refused to move. After the birds went quiet and a branch snap was heard, the witness saw the back of a large hair-covered being about twenty feet away moving trees aside before disappearing. The horses then galloped back to the barn, and the relative declined to discuss what happened.

Partial sightingUnidentified soundAnimal behaviour
May 1973 The Closest Town Would Have Been Naples. But We Thought It Was Too Far To Lodge Or Get A Meal., Collier County, Florida Class A #2856

Construction worker has startling encounter outside hunting cottage

The witness and a relative camped overnight at two unfinished houses in swampy pine woods while on a work assignment. After dark by a campfire the witness saw eyes and then watched a tall upright figure cross an open area and take bacon left near the fire. The witness retreated into the house, retrieved rifles, and kept watch through the night. No usable tracks were found the next morning.

Full-body sightingOdorUnidentified sound
Winter 1973 Amite County, Mississippi Class A #1338

Several incidents in the East Fork Community

The witness and a friend were in the woods near a creek bottom when the friend sensed being watched. The witness saw a figure about 25 yards away that was squatting, then stood seven to eight feet tall, covered in very dark brown hair except the face, and walked upright. It followed them to the edge of the wood line with a long stride and swinging arms while making whistling noises.

Full-body sightingWhistle
1973–1975 Cotton, Cooper County, Missouri Class A #44283

Family members describe screaming and house smacking near Prairie Home

Five women staying overnight at a rural farmhouse heard loud piercing screams approaching from up a hill toward the house. A backlit tall, large-framed figure walking hunched over passed in front of the front picture windows and beat on the house, and a very hairy leg was seen when the front door was opened. The figure then went around the corner of the house and disappeared, leaving a burning skunk-like smell. Two men who had been away returned later and searched the large farm into the early morning without finding anything.

ScreamSilhouettePartial sightingDoor or window contactOdor
November 1972 Estey, Midland County, Michigan Class A #2830

BF shakes bush and screams at 2 hunters

Two people entering the woods to deer hunt at daybreak encountered a large creature about 150 feet ahead. The creature stood up, paced, shook a large bush, and screamed at them, causing both to flee in panic. They returned in full daylight hours later, estimated its height at about 8 feet from the bush, and found no prints or hair.

Full-body sightingScream
29 October 1972 Chestline, Adams County, Illinois Class A #28423

Man recalls his face to face daylight encounter in Siloam Springs State Park

The witness was breaking camp for the weekend and walked down a path to smoke, sitting on a rock. After hearing a sound behind, the witness turned to see a large, bulky brown-gray hair-covered figure about twenty feet away downslope at eye level. They locked eyes for a few seconds while the witness noted facial details, then the figure swung around a tree and hurried down a gully making noise as the witness ran up the path.

Partial sightingUnidentified soundFootsteps
26 August 1972 Medicine Hat, Alberta Class A #38116

A boy's summer encounter in a Saskatoon patch in Strathcona Island Park, next to Medicine Hat

In the afternoon after swimming, the witness ran ahead of the group on a winding trail back toward the campsite. Stopped by a strong foul odor, the witness noticed a large dark furry creature sitting among berry bushes a short distance away. The creature stayed motionless and made a quiet chattering sound, after which the witness ran away while hearing it crash away through the trees. No one else in the group saw or heard the creature.

Partial sightingOdorChatterFootsteps
August 1972 Van Zandt, Whatcom County, Washington Class A #5771

Silhouette awakens boy while camping near S. Fork Nooksack River

The witness and a cousin were on an overnight fishing trip and sleeping at a riverside camp. In the middle of the night the witness awoke to hissing sounds and saw a broad-shouldered silhouetted figure about 20 feet away behind a fence for several minutes. The figure then turned and left silently, after which rapid clicking sounds like rocks striking were heard moving away across the river.

Partial sightingSilhouetteVocalizationUnidentified sound