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53 encounters
Summer 2020 Lemon Cove, Tulare County, California Class B #65943

Possible tracks found close to Giant Forest Museum in Sequoia National Park

The witness was hiking with family near Bear Hill Trail and photographing the children when two large, deep footprints with distinct toes and heels were noticed on a hillside. A third similar print was later found higher up on the trail, and photos and video were taken including the witness's own foot for scale. The witness also heard a twig snap uphill but saw no person or animal.

TracksUnidentified sound
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
30 September 2015 Lee Vining, Mono County, California Class B #49896

Possible encounter at night by hunters camping at Virginia Lakes

A family was camped in a trailer near a treeline with a deer carcass stored nearby. During the night the family was awakened by rocks hitting the trailer, knocking sounds, growls, screams and whoops. The witness later went outside with a flashlight and saw a single glowing red eye high in the treeline. In the morning stacked rocks were gone, footprints were found, and a large pine by the carcass had been pushed over.

Rock throwingWood knockGrowlScreamWhoop +3
29 September 2008 Kernville, Tulare County, California Class B #24877

Deer hunter comes across possible sasquatch tracks (w/ cell phone photo of one track)

The witness camped alone on a mountain ridge during deer season. Late in the evening he heard a single loud guttural pop-like sound nearby that he took as an animal warning. The next morning he found very large human-like footprints and followed them about 75 yards through a saddle before resuming hunting. He photographed the first print with a cell phone.

VocalizationTracks
30 September 2007 Right Off Of I-80, Between Auburn And Meadow Vista Exit On Drycreek Road, Placer County, California Class B #21808

Possible sighting by family walking their dog near Auburn

The witness and four family members walked a trail by a lake near dusk. After moving a large branch from the path, they found wet foot-shaped prints leading uphill and saw two dark human-like shapes lying still in the woods. They heard bipedal footsteps that stopped and started with them, then left and returned later to photograph and measure the prints and hear more steps and a breath-like sound.

TracksPartial sightingFootstepsUnidentified sound
26 October 2006 Shaver Lake, Fresno County, California Class B #18325

Possible sighting and howls heard by deer hunters in John Muir Wilderness

Two deer hunters hiking back to camp at dusk near Heart Lake heard loud bellowing howls and watched a deer flee through brush. They then saw a tall dark figure on the ridgeline that first resembled a standing bear but looked like neither a bear nor a man through a rifle scope. The figure ran downhill after the deer and disappeared into brush, and the hunters later found a very large footprint where it had stood.

HowlSilhouetteTracks
8 August 2005 Wright's Lake, El Dorado County, California Class A #15821

Backpacker's moonlit encounter near the trail from Wright's Lake to Enchanted Pools

While camping alone at night near a stream, the witness heard a deep growl and saw a crouched dark mass at the treeline, fired warning shots, then heard rocks repeatedly splashing in the stream for hours and heard deep oof sounds on a later approach. Near dawn a very tall hair-covered female-like figure stood by the tent and walked rapidly toward the witness despite additional warning shots, then ran away over granite and out of sight. The witness remained in place until daylight and then hiked out.

Full-body sightingPartial sightingSilhouetteGrowlVocalization +2
10 June 2003 Placerville, El Dorado County, California Class B #8650

Brothers hear unusual, late-night vocalizations near Sly Park

The witness reports hearing various vocalizations at night during summer at a family home bordering National Forest in Sly Park, last heard the previous summer, experienced with a brother. The witness, brother, and mother also reported very large human-shaped bare footprints with a long stride in a dirt roadway, with no casts or photos taken. They also reported finding twisted and broken tree limbs nearby and submitted photos of the damage, described as occurring where machine cause was unlikely.

VocalizationTracksTree breakTwist
18 October 2002 Yreka, Siskiyou County, California Class A #7637

Parents pursue 7 1/2' tall female biped across pasture after being alerted by daughter

The witness was taking a dog outside at night and felt watched after the dog stared and growled. After shining a flashlight in that direction, the witness saw two hairy bipedal figures cross a fence and then ran inside. Relatives then went outside, reportedly saw the larger figure up close, noticed odor and sounds, and the group found large tracks the next day.

Full-body sightingEyeshineTracksOdorUnidentified sound
September 2002 Ponderosa, Tulare County, California Class B #4887

Family has strange experience in Golden Trout Wilderness

A family staying at a remote pack station heard a high-pitched whooping call for many minutes that seemed to approach and then pass toward a wilderness trail. The daughter went to the access road to meet the caller and saw a large, hair-covered, unclothed being with a long beard, long arms and a big mouth walking quickly past. She said it did not see her and was not vocalizing when seen. The next morning the family found a few possible wide-toed prints in the dust at the spot she indicated.

Full-body sightingWhoop
September 2002 Georgetown, El Dorado County, California Class B #11948

Quad riders find fresh footprints, encounter overwhelming stench near Stumpy Meadows

The witness was riding an ATV with her husband on a forest road and stopped alone to wait for him. She reported a very strong foul odor, a feeling of being watched, and hearing a branch break. When she started to leave she noticed very large footprints over their fresh outgoing tracks. Her husband saw the prints but attributed their size to dust and reported only a faint dead smell.

TracksOdorUnidentified sound
August 2002 Middletown, Lake County, California Class B #9648

Hunters have strange experiences and make an unusual discovery

Two companions were hunting deer on a family property near Pine Mountain when they found a footprint and other tracks near a pine overhang, noticed a localized strong skunk-like odor, and saw a pile of fresh acorns with no oak nearby. As they moved uphill using alternating advances, each heard an unrecognized whistle and the sound of a large boulder rolling, with neither attributing the sounds to the other. Both reported a feeling of being followed uphill.

TracksOdorWhistleUnidentified sound
1 August 2001 Sugar Pine, El Dorado County, California Class B #3794

Campers hear more nighttime vocalizations at Sugar Pine Campground, on the west side of Lake Tahoe

The witness and a relative were camping overnight when they heard a loud whooping sound nearby followed by loud crunching like branches breaking. A girl was heard screaming after the whooping. In the morning they found large footprints near their tent measuring about 12 to 16 inches long, which they felt were too large for a bear.

WhoopMovement onlyTracks
March 2001 Twain Harte, Tuolumne County, California Class B #3072

BFRO Investigators detail activity around Twain Harte

Investigators found fresh broken trees, dozens of footprints and two nests where a trail crossed a road and staked out the spot. No creature was seen, but something large moving on two feet approached the stakeout before fleeing downhill through brush when a car passed. The sign was documented the next day with footprint and tree-break measurements and a body-length impression in one nest.

TracksTree breakStructure or nestFootstepsMovement only
June 2000 El Dorado County, California Class A #147

Sound reports from resident in South Lake Tahoe

The witness reports hearing loud mournful screams and wails almost nightly for three months at a home south of South Lake Tahoe, often described as paired calls that converge then stop. Recordings were made mostly from a bedroom window between late evening and morning. The witness with a companion also backpacked, made all-night forest forays, and camped with bait to locate the source, finding tracks and bed-like structures with torn branches, while noting dogs refused some areas and little wildlife was seen.

ScreamTracksStructure or nest
10 June 1998 Plumas County, California Class B #2211

Fourteen inch by six inch tracks found

The witness was day-hiking alone in a remote wilderness area when they noticed a strong sickly-sweet, garlic-like odor they could not source. In the same area they heard a screeching vocalization they did not recognize as bear, mountain lion, or raptor. They also found large footprints near where they had eaten lunch, measuring about 14 by 6 inches, which they felt were not bear tracks but could not positively identify due to hard rocky ground.

OdorScreamTracks
6 June 1996 Humboldt County, California Class B #1665

Thirteen and a half inch track found at Fish Lake (near Bluff Creek).

The witness found two unusual footprints in the evening and made plaster casts and footage of them. Later, while sleeping alone in a tent, the witness was awakened by heavy footsteps, ground vibrations, and breaking branches very close by. Upon exiting the tent with a flashlight, the witness saw and smelled nothing, then packed up and left.

FootstepsTracks
September 1995 Fresno County, California Class B #2961

Witness heard a large animal moving in the forest

While mountain biking, the witness heard a large animal moving in brush off the trail but could not see it. About 200 yards farther up the trail, the group found very large detailed footprints overlying companions' tracks, which left the trail for a meadow and reappeared crossing the road about half a mile farther on. Coincidentally encountered bear hunters also examined the prints and were unfamiliar with them.

TracksFootsteps
June 1995 Weaverville, Trinity County, California Class A #2819

Campers menaced after dark by what they assume was a family group

A group camping above a swollen river heard mumbling voices and stick-breaking approaching, followed by loud chanting, shouting and stomping that shook a log seat and was taken as a demand to leave. The sounds stopped after deep hooted calls and later receded to distant screams up the valley and across the mountain. Later, while in a tent, the witness saw the firelight blocked by a squatting silhouette that touched the zipper with five digits, with felt breath and strong odor, before withdrawing. In the morning the witness noted hairs and deep depressions on the trail.

SilhouetteVocalizationScreamWhoopTree break +3
1 September 1991 Humboldt County, California Class A #2147

Sighting by two backpackers

Two companions camping overnight were awakened by movement on rocks above camp. They listened for about 15 minutes, then watched a bipedal form cross a stream and meadow into the treeline about 200 yards away. After daylight they found a large gouge in soft earth and flattened grass, then left the area.

Full-body sightingFootstepsTracks