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296 encounters
21 July 2001 Rock Creek, Grantsburg, Chisago County, Minnesota Class B #2983

Two campers on island surrounded by strange night time activity

Two people were camping on an island when they heard strange noises through the night into the morning. Around 8 a.m. the noises stopped and they heard something large running on a nearby island, accompanied by a very bad odor. They later found many large tracks around their island, plus a pile of clam shells and a large indentation that had not been there earlier.

Unidentified soundFootstepsTracksOdor
June 2001 Milton, Cabell County, West Virginia Class B #2786

On-going encounters makes rural family cautious

In June 2001 the witness's children discovered large footprints in the field behind the family mobile home and photographed them. About a week later the children heard something running across the hillside while playing at the creek, and the family dog chased it and later returned covered in slime. The children later encountered large rocks rolling toward them on the hill, and the witness heard a loud prolonged growl, with a horrible unidentified odor lingering after the hillside activity.

TracksFootstepsRock throwingGrowlOdor
2001–2002 Onego, Pendleton County, West Virginia Class B #8796

Hunter experiences object throwing and vocalizations near Onego

The witness was climbing a steep ridge before dawn with hunting gear when his light revealed three or four sets of yellow eyes about 60 yards ahead. One set rose vertically and maintained eye contact as the group moved off across a hollow without showing deer traits like a white tail or snort. Shortly after, a heavy object landed near him, which he later interpreted as thrown, followed by guttural vocalizations unlike known wildlife and a skunky odor at a suspected bedding area.

EyeshineVocalizationObject throwingOdor
November 2000 Moutain Center, Riverside County, California Class B #24137

Young couple encounter something large on Lake Hemet

The witness and a companion drove to Hemet Lake late at night intending a walk and sat by the car. They heard something large breaking branches and moving down a canyon behind them, then smelled a strong rotten wet-dog odor and felt watched, so they left. When they returned about an hour later, a large steel trash bin had been knocked over and had a large circular dent.

Movement onlyOdorProperty disturbance
September 2000 Breesport, Chemung County, New York Class B #410

A bicyclist's daylight, partial sighting of a large animal with a rancid smell

The witness was riding a bike on a country road in the morning when a very strong rancid smell was noticed. A patch of brown fur was glimpsed ahead about six feet off the ground moving back into the woods, with no road crossing seen. A chained dog across the road was barking toward the woods and appeared agitated. On riding past the spot again shortly after, the smell was gone and nothing further was seen or heard.

Partial sightingOdor
September 2000 Tipp City, Miami County, Ohio Class B #257

Mother describes possible observations by children near Tipp City, along Miami River

A woman took three children to play in a shallow river area in the evening. After hearing responsive whistling sounds and a tree being pushed down nearby, the group fled to their vehicle. The child who briefly lagged behind later described seeing a brown hair-covered creature walking toward him.

Full-body sightingWhistleTree breakOdor
1 August 2000 Yellowjacket Mine- Challis, Lemhi County, Idaho Class B #18050

Series of loud vocalizations from two sources heard in the Yellowjacket Mountains

The witness and a relative camped at the end of a forest road and prepared to sleep in their tent. They heard loud hair-raising howl-like screams coming from opposite directions for several minutes, as if two sources were calling back and forth. Minutes after the sounds stopped, a foul rotting odor drifted through camp while the forest remained completely silent.

HowlScreamGrowlOdor
15 July 2000 Munford, Talladega County, Alabama Class B #1419

Large footprint found in a sandy creek bank near Talladega National Forest

The witness and two companions hiked to Salt Creek Falls and sat on large rocks while the water was low. During the outing they noticed a foul odor and a sound of trees or brush moving. On the way out they found a very large footprint with distinct toe prints in the sandy creek bank.

OdorTracksUnidentified sound
July 2000 Queensbury, Washington County, New York Class B #1603

Couple hear loud screams and experience a feeling of being watched on a trail near Buck Mountain

The witness and his wife left the trail by a creek to take photos. They heard a very loud deep roaring and screaming vocalization approaching from across the creek, repeated several times, with breaking branches as it circled and then followed them as they fled. Frightened, they gathered their belongings and ran back down the trail while the animal tracked them from alongside the creek.

ScreamGrowlVocalizationMovement onlyOdor
June 2000 Molalla, Clackamas County, Oregon Class B #85

16 year old has strange experience walking home

A teenager was walking a short distance between two houses on family property around midnight. He heard a loud thump nearby followed by sounds he interpreted as bipedal footsteps moving toward him. He ran to his house, locked the door, and stayed inside to calm down. He later recalled a musky smell in the area at the time.

FootstepsOdor
May 2000 Greenwater, King County, Washington Class B #1815

Hiker encounters intimidating beating sounds and heavy running footsteps

The witness parked to hike a closed-area trail and heard loud, fast drumming sounds from two directions that could be felt as percussion. After smelling a strong unfamiliar musky odor, the witness heard and felt heavy footsteps moving rapidly through brush ahead and then across a second trail as if cutting them off. The witness fled cross-country back to the vehicle without ever seeing the source and heard the drumming again near the vehicle.

Wood knockFootstepsOdorMovement only
March 2000 Albion, Edwards County, Illinois Class B #34919

Motorist has a possible nighttime sighting west of Albion

Late at night the witness was driving home from work when a strong odor was noticed through an open vehicle window. The witness then saw a very large dark figure beside the road between a ditch and a field about 120 feet away in the headlights, moving upright and pausing as the vehicle passed. The witness was frightened and said the figure was not a coyote, wolf, or bear known from the area.

Full-body sightingOdor
Fall 2000 Spring Arbor, Jackson County, Michigan Class B #45976

Trucker recounts possible early morning experience while making a delivery outside Spring Arbor

The witness stopped his grain truck on a dark rural road to prepare the trailer for unloading at a nearby farm. While outside the truck he heard loud pacing, branch-snapping and thrashing from woods on one side of the road and smelled a strong dead-animal odor from a ditch on the other side, accompanied by intense fear and a sense of being watched. He ran back to the cab and drove to the farm to unload. After unloading, he returned to the area and found the noises, odor, and fear were gone.

Movement onlyOdor
November 1999 Whitehall, Washington County, New York Class B #15398

Possible tracks & smell noticed by hunter at Black Mountain outside Whitehall

The witness was deer hunting along a logging road in a mountainous area in 1999 when he noticed wide, footlike tracks in mud and a sudden strong foul odor. The smell dissipated quickly but was unlike anything he had encountered before, including bear odor. The toe details of the tracks were obscured by mud, preventing determination of claws or other features. He reported feeling unsettled and later told family and hunting companions.

TracksOdor
November 1999 Sugar Camp, Oneida County, Wisconsin Class B #38361

Memory told of a possible encounter by a hunter tracking a deer near Sugar Camp

While deer hunting the witness followed buck tracks down to a dense, mossy creek bottom. There he reported an intense putrid odor, a feeling of being watched and hunted, and profound fear despite hearing nothing and seeing nothing. He left quickly with weapons ready and ended hunting for the day.

Odor
Summer 1999 North Port ,Florida, Next To Back Side Of Myakka State Park, Sarasota County, Florida Class B #8561

Husband and wife hear early morning vocalizations near back of Myakka State Park

The witness and his wife were awakened around 2 a.m. by sounds outside their bedroom window and a very strong odor coming through the window. An unseen source then produced a loud, wild, almost human-like shriek. Their two dogs, normally fearless, refused to leave the room, and the couple did not go outside. The witness inferred whatever was at the window must have been at least seven feet tall to reach it.

Unidentified soundOdorScream
15 September 1998 South Sioux City, Dakota County, Nebraska Class B #22577

Three witnesses encounter a large creature while walking down a gravel road outside South Sioux City

Late at night three people walking on a gravel road smelled a strong foul odor. When they returned to the spot, a tall creature stood up from the roadside ditch, frightening them and causing them to flee. As they ran home they saw deer in a nearby cornfield and heard an extremely loud screeching-howling sound.

Partial sightingOdorScreamHowl
August 1998 Eden UT ? There Are Smaller Towns Near But I Dont Know Names, Weber County, Utah Class B #2349

Bowhunter has daytime sighting near Six Bit Springs.

While hiking alone during bow season, the witness followed a strong odor to a sunlit dried-pond clearing. From the treeline about 25-35 yards away, the witness watched a dark seated shape shift back and forth as if focused on something in the grass ahead of it. Unsure whether it was a stump, cow, or moose, the witness returned to camp and noted the camp dog acted unusually nervous.

Partial sightingOdor
August 1998 Klamath Falls, Klamath County, Oregon Class B #455

Squaw Lake fisherman followed. Unrecognized stench, knocking, and high pitch howl heard while fishing along lake shore

The witness hiked into a wilderness lake to fish from the shore. While fishing, the witness noticed a very foul odor, then heard sounds like something striking a tree, followed by a high-pitched howling/scream-like sound and more tree-striking sounds. Feeling watched and unnerved, the witness left the area, and on the trail out noticed fresh broken branches on a pine tree.

OdorWood knockHowlScreamTree break
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