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12 encounters
28 July 2020 Lee Vining, Mono County, California Class B #65849

Possible sighting at Mono Lake at Sunrise

The witness and a relative arrived at a high desert lake before sunrise to photograph the sunrise. The witness saw a black bipedal figure walking parallel about 15 yards away before it disappeared behind rock formations. The relative also noticed movement in that general area. The witness later concluded the figure was not the other photographer present, but did not search for traces.

Full-body sightingMovement only
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
30 June 2010 June Lake, Mono County, California Class B #27966

Possible howl heard by three family members while on vacation at June Lake

The witness and family were staying in a cabin backing to forest and granite cliffs near June Lake. Late at night they went onto the deck and heard a distant loud, deep howl lasting under a minute. About 10-15 minutes later, while the witness was showering, the rest of the family heard the same type of sound three more times from inside the cabin with windows open. The witness, familiar with local wildlife sounds, felt the vocalization was louder and deeper than any known animal.

Howl
14 September 2008 Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, California Class B #39649

Tall figure seen crossing a field in Mammoth

The witness was driving out of a condo complex around 2:30 a.m. to drive home. The truck headlights illuminated a very tall figure walking north through a field beside the road. The witness watched its side profile as it moved quickly with long swinging arms and did not react to the lights. After turning onto the main road, the witness looked back and could no longer see it.

Full-body sighting
October 2007 Lee Vining, Mono County, California Class B #24743

Camper has a possible close encounter west of Mono Lake

The witness was camping alone at night reading in a chair when a loud branch snap was heard nearby. Gas cans and other items behind a shed were knocked over as something large moved a short distance through trees and stopped across a creek. The witness's dogs cowered at the trailer door and the witness retreated inside with a feeling of being watched.

Unidentified soundFootstepsProperty disturbanceMovement only
7 July 2007 Tioga Pass, Yosemite, Mono County, California Class B #20594

Campers hear possible whoop-howls near Yosemite (Sawmill campground)

The witness and two relatives were camping at the Sawmill Walk-in Campground east of Yosemite and talking around the camp table after sunset. From the forested canyon to the west they heard a series of about ten loud whoop-howl calls with pauses between them. Normal background wildlife noise stopped during the calls and resumed shortly after, with no answers or repeats and no visual contact.

WhoopHowl
July 2005 Mammoth, Mono County, California Class B #20306

Young man claims possible sighting at night near Lake Mary, outside Mammoth

The witness was staying at a cabin near Lake Mary and took two dogs for a night walk. The dogs began growling and pulling toward sounds of rustling leaves and breaking branches. The witness shone a flashlight and saw a huge ape-like but human-built figure about 200 feet away watching and swaying between trees. After a minute or two the figure turned and walked away, and the witness hurried back to the cabin.

Full-body sightingFootstepsOdor
3 May 2001 Mammoth Lakes CA, Mono County, California Class B #3105

Campers hear late night scream near Mammoth Lakes

The witness and a companion were at a cabin late at night preparing a truck for departure when they heard three very loud, long screams that started very close and then sounded progressively farther away. They checked the area with headlights, saw nothing, noticed lights from another cabin in the distance, and then secured themselves inside for the night. The witness felt the sound was threatening and unlike familiar animal sounds, but retained doubt about a natural explanation.

Scream
1 May 2001 Mammoth Lakes, Mono County, California Class B #2942

Brothers hear late night howl in Mammoth Lakes

The witness was sleeping in a tent at a campground in Mammoth Lakes when the dog woke them whining and pacing. They then heard a long repeating howl that lasted several minutes and also woke the witness's brother. Both later agreed the sound matched howl recordings on the BFRO website. The dog remained frightened throughout the howling.

Howl
Summer 1995 Benton, Mono County, California Class B #23319

Father and son come across two sets of tracks while hunting near Benton

The witness and a relative were hunting in desert terrain at dawn and found no game. While walking they discovered two side-by-side lines of bare human-like footprints, one very large and one small, pressed deeply into sand. They followed the tracks for some distance to a fenced paved road where the tracks disappeared. The relative left to retrieve a camera from the vehicle but could not locate it, so they walked the road to a nearby town and then back to their vehicle and left without photographs.

Tracks
August 1980 Bridgeport, Mono County, California Class B #13613

Hikers find footprints, hear sounds, etc., near Leavitt Meadows

While camped in high alpine forest, the witness went to a snowdrift above camp and found two lines of large footprint-like impressions that had not been there the day before. The lowest prints showed clear toes with a deeply impressed big toe, while higher prints were smeared sideways as if the makers stepped into their own prints ascending the steep slope. The group followed the two trackways, spaced about eight feet apart, to the top of a cliff.

Tracks
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