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24 encounters
12 August 2022 Susanville, Lassen County, California Class B #74829

Vocalization near Susanville, California (2022)

The witness, spouse, and dog were camping and cooking at a campsite after dark. They heard hoot-like calls from below, then a loud growl-howl about 100 yards behind them lasting seconds, followed by answering howl-scream calls from two other directions. They judged the sounds unlike known local wildlife and indicating communication among several sources. The dog hid in the car and the couple packed up in the dark and drove home the same night.

VocalizationGrowlHowlScream
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
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
13 September 2013 Pine Flat Resort, Tulare County, California Class B #42148

Possible nighttime encounters at a campground near Pine Flat Resort

The witness and a companion were camping in tents in a largely deserted mountain campground. On two consecutive nights after 11 p.m. the witness heard strange sounds near his tent, including chatter, stone-like banging, cough-like and shushing noises, and a deep guttural grunt from about thirty feet away. On the second night small debris struck the side of his tent as if thrown. The companion confirmed hearing weird noises on the first night.

ChatterGrowlVocalizationUnidentified soundObject throwing
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 September 2006 Navarro, Mendocino County, California Class B #15782

Possible intimidation/interaction heard by couple on two occasions in route to Fort Bragg

The witness and his wife parked along Highway 128 and walked about 150 yards into redwood forest on a trail. They reported feeling watched and feeling then hearing a low, nearly inaudible growl-grunt that grew louder over about a minute. Unable to see anything or tell the direction in dense woods, they became frightened and ran back to their car.

Growl
Summer 2006 Viola, Shasta County, California Class B #79711

Fisherman hear loud bigfoot howl on a sunny summer afternoon at North Battle Creek Reservoir

In late summer 2006, two companions fishing from a canoe in the middle of a remote mountain lake heard a very loud, long growl-yell coming from a hillside. They froze and visually scanned the hillside for several minutes but saw no movement and heard no further sounds, then packed up and left. The witness stated neither person had heard a similar sound despite extensive time outdoors.

GrowlScream
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
July 2000 Placerville, El Dorado County, California Class B #6130

Hikers hear strange screams in the Desolation Wilderness

The witness and a relative camped at Rockbound Lake in Desolation Wilderness. Late at night they heard three very loud high-pitched screams from across the lake. Just before dawn the next morning they heard a series of very loud roars from multiple directions around the lake, including one very close behind camp, then searched the area but saw nothing.

ScreamGrowl
July 1994 Yreka, Siskiyou County, California Class B #8069

Witness hears late night screams near Yreka

The witness was working on a bicycle on the back porch late at night when a low guttural growl/hoot was heard from an estimated 100 to 200 feet away between the residence and up the road. The sound lasted several seconds, rose in pitch, and did not resemble known local wildlife, while nearby dogs did not react. The witness retrieved a handgun and flashlight to search but found nothing unusual, with ground too dry to hold tracks.

Growl
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
July 1986 Kennedy Meadows, Tulare County, California Class B #22815

Campers hear loud vocalizations near Kennedy Meadows

Two people camping by a campfire heard an extremely loud yell that faded into a deep growl, repeating for several minutes from the direction of a nearby meadow. They then heard a branch break and leaves moving just beyond the firelight while the companion's dog froze, shook, and stared into the darkness. They did not see the source, abandoned their tents to sleep in a vehicle, and remained frightened through the night.

GrowlVocalizationFootsteps
October 1985 Kernville, Tulare County, California Class B #11407

Two young men camping in the high country, hear vocals

Two companions were camping away from developed sites and sitting by a campfire in the evening when they heard loud shrill scream-growl vocalizations that seemed to come closer over time. The surrounding forest reportedly fell silent and they felt frightened and that something was close. They turned off music, readied firearms, heard another series of screams later that night, and slept with guns for protection.

ScreamGrowlFootsteps
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
Spring 1985 Butte County, California Class B #1548

Several reports of vocalization sounds.

A resident went to the outhouse around 2 or 3 in the morning and heard something very large moving on two legs through dense brush toward him. The creature made deep guttural grunts that sounded aggressive and left the resident feeling severely threatened. The resident ran back to the house while hearing it follow below the trail.

FootstepsGrowl
August 1984 Not Sure., Shasta County, California Class B #8184

Large Footprints Found, Vocalizations Heard by Vacationer Near Lake Shasta

While on a family houseboat trip, the witness walked up a creek bed and found two sizes of bare human-like five-toed tracks that crossed sharp rocks and entered the woods. That night while sleeping atop the beached houseboat with a relative, both heard two loud distant resonant screams that rose high then dropped into a gargle-growl. The relative also later reported hearing heavy footsteps, breathing and grunting along the shore before dawn.

TracksScreamGrowl
September 1980 Weaverville, Trinity County, California Class B #7773

Hunters hear late night screams in the Trinity Alps Wilderness

Two hunters camping overnight on a ridge to be positioned for opening day heard a single extremely loud scream that shifted from high-pitched to deeper growl-like tones from the direction of a nearby tree line. About half an hour later their tethered mule became highly agitated and was found favoring a front leg that later swelled markedly despite no visible wound. Searches that night and the next morning revealed no source, tracks, or sign of trauma.

ScreamGrowl
1978–1979 Leggett, Mendocino County, California Class B #4182

Hiker finds an “A” frame type of nest in the Mammoth Lakes area

The witness, his mother, younger brother, and dog were hiking a trail while camping in a Mendocino County state park. They heard something moving parallel to them, then heard loud wooden knocks followed by a loud guttural huff from near a tree. Without seeing the source, they ran back to camp.

Wood knockGrowlUnidentified sound
January 1977 Groveland, Tuolumne County, California Class B #7097

Campers hear late night vocalizations at Carlon Station

The witness and two companions were snow camping in a tent when they were awakened in the early morning by loud footsteps in snow, puffing and grunting, and repeated piercing screams from a ridge above camp. The sounds moved around the campsite for about an hour before fading as the source walked away over the ridge. The group kept watch until daylight, then packed up and left quickly without seeing the source or approaching the ridge to look for tracks.

FootstepsGrowlScreamVocalization
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