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205 encounters
October 1985 Humboldt County, California Class B #2176

Large footprints found by witnesses

The witness and a friend were walking their dog on a trail when the dog lunged up a steep embankment toward loud crunching and branch-breaking sounds from above. They followed a short way to the top of a ridge but the source of the noise was gone. On top they found freshly broken lower tree branches up to 10 feet high and foot-like impressions in the duff without claw marks, then returned cross-country to the trail.

TracksTree breakFootsteps
July 1985 Lake Chelan, Chelan County, Washington Class B #77373

Unidentified sound near Lake Chelan, Washington (1985)

Two hikers ascended from Lake Chelan toward Cub Lake on a sunny summer afternoon. After entering the lake basin they repeatedly heard large trees falling nearby about every two minutes and felt the ground thud, with about five falls on the way in and five more while leaving. They never saw any trees fall or anything unusual. Feeling unsafe, they turned back and descended to camp, interpreting the sounds as something trying to drive them away.

Unidentified soundTree break
1 October 1983 Reydon, Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Class B #56829

Hunters experience possible vocals, find nests, get screamed at over three-day hunting weekend north of Reydon

Three hunters camped in a river bottom over the opening weekend of bow season. Over several days and nights they reported heavy impacts, rustling, a skunk-like odor, red eyeshine, wood knocks, whistles, talk-like mumbling, a whoop-ending vocalization, and bent trees and branch structures. The most intense moment was a predawn episode with a deep guttural roar followed by a scream-like sound near camp. They left early after smelling the odor again near a plum thicket.

Unidentified soundMovement onlyOdorEyeshineWood knock +9
August 1983 Puyallup, Pierce County, Washington Class B #24310

Camper diverts tall creature approaching him near Puyallup

In 1983 the witness was camping and was awakened around 11 p.m. by loud screams repeated every 15-20 seconds that approached through brush. The witness then saw a tall dark shape about 7-8 feet tall striding through undergrowth and yelled, after which it veered to go around and continued on screaming. A foul odor was noticed as it passed, and broken branches were found the next morning.

ScreamSilhouetteFootstepsOdorTree break
June 1983 Probably Bissett, Manitoba Class B #23849

Backcountry campers in the Nopiming Provincial Park are approached and hear vocalizations

While camping on an island during a multi-day canoe trip, the witness and a companion heard a distant crying-like sound that grew louder and became high-pitched growling as something paced on the opposite shore after dark. They tracked the sounds with flashlights but never saw the source, though they thought trees were swaying. After a rifle shot was fired over the sounds, the vocalizations stopped and the source was heard running away through the forest.

VocalizationGrowlFootstepsTree breakMovement only
March 1983 Sequim, Jefferson County, Washington Class B #23068

Unknown animal heard crashing through property near Blyn and Sequim Bay

The witness left her remote cabin in the evening to go to the outhouse when her guard dog hid under the cabin and she heard something large crashing through nearby alders. She went back inside to get her husband, who also heard crashing through the trees. The next morning they found alders snapped off about four feet up along a flattened trail but found no tracks.

Movement onlyTree break
Summer 1983 British Columbia Class B #2423

Hikers are followed by a 8-10 foot tall black creature, later that night they heard a series of roars

In summer 1983 a camp leader took an assistant and nine boys on an overnight hike on Tet Ridge. During the afternoon hike they repeatedly glimpsed a large black figure at a distance and found very large tracks and broken branches high above the ground. That night at a near-summit camp the group heard multiple loud roars and stayed awake by the fire, also hearing movement below. They found no further sign on the hike out and agreed not to tell others.

Partial sightingTracksTree breakVocalization
31 October 1982 Provo, Utah County, Utah Class B #10024

Deer hunter finds a series of footprints on Y Mountain

The witness was deer hunting alone on a snowy mountaintop where he planned to spend the night. He followed large human-like tracks in deep snow and found they were bare footprints with clear toes. Frightened, he left immediately, later noting more tracks and a small snapped-off pine surrounded by circling tracks on his way down.

TracksTree break
October 1982 Park Hill, Cherokee County, Oklahoma Class B #40280

Memory told of a possible encounter that ends a camping trip early near Park Hill

While camping with fraternity companions near a river at night, the witness and two companions went to gather firewood near a brush-covered hill. They heard something large moving through dense brush toward them, breaking branches, with heavy bipedal-sounding steps and a musty stagnant-water odor. After retreating to the campfire and later returning with additional group members, the group heard rapid heavy steps approaching and fled in a vehicle, without ever seeing the source.

FootstepsOdorMovement onlyTree break
June 1982 Steelville, Crawford County, Missouri Class B #6775

Child has daylight sighting along Meramec River

While camping with family and friends, the witness's young son ran from a dirt road saying he saw a tall hair-covered man. Later that evening the group heard heavy walking and loud limb-snapping in the adjacent woods and noticed a dead-like smell. The next day they found a bulldozed trail with broken limbs and saplings where the sounds had come from.

Full-body sightingFootstepsTree breakOdor
February 1981 Rogersnille, Hawkins County, Tennessee Class B #8022

Couple hears vocalizations on Short Mountain

A witness living on a remote farm reported prolonged screaming and growling from the ridges around the house late at night. The sounds appeared to circle the house for over an hour and were accompanied by tree cracking and rock-clicking noises. The witness went onto the porch briefly then remained inside frightened, without seeing any creature.

ScreamGrowlTree breakUnidentified sound
Spring 1981 Bakerville, Humphreys County, Tennessee Class B #6418

Turkey hunter is followed Northeast of Tennessee National Wildlife Refuge, Duck River Unit.

The witness was turkey hunting with a companion in wooded river bottomland and walked back toward the parked truck after dark. An unseen source in the woods kept pace about 100 feet away for about ten minutes, including keeping up when the witness ran about 100 yards. The witness heard it snap a large fallen tree in two, suggesting great weight. The witness reached the road area, slept in the truck overnight, and heard no additional screams or strange noises.

FootstepsTree break
June 1980 Calcutta, Columbiana County, Ohio Class B #12220

Possible approach to a dwelling between Calcutta and East Liverpool

The witness was sitting inside a mobile home with an infant after dark when a dog began barking and would not leave its house. After turning out the lights and waiting, the witness saw a tall figure approach the trailer window breathing heavily and froze until it walked away. The next morning the witness found paths of flattened brush leading toward a creek bottom.

Partial sightingUnidentified soundTree break
October 1979 Grand Rapids (largest), Kent County, Michigan Class B #35671

Bow hunter remembers possible intimidation behavior near Grand Rapids

The witness was bow-hunting deer alone from a makeshift blind at a clearing near a power-line cut. From inside the woods he heard loud branch and log breaking sounds together with strange slurred chatter-like vocalizations lasting a few minutes, then silence. He walked toward the area with bow drawn but could not penetrate the dense brush, and companions hunting elsewhere reported nothing unusual. Decades later he felt the vocalizations matched published Samurai chatter recordings.

ChatterTree break
Summer 1979 Tillamook County, Oregon Class B #691

Crashing and snapping sounds heard by campers

Just after sunrise while camping beside a river, the witness and a companion heard breaking and crashing sounds moving through dense forest toward their tent. Heavy, slow footsteps approached to within a few feet behind the tent, paused, then moved away. The witness briefly followed on foot but saw nothing in the dense woods, and later found several small trees snapped or pushed over beyond a tangle of large fallen logs.

FootstepsTree breakUnidentified sound
Summer 1978 Pawnee, Sangamon County, Illinois Class B #28370

Memory told of a possible encounter and footprint found along Horse Creek north of Pawnee

Two companions walking along a wooded driveway in the afternoon heard unidentified tapping sounds and entered the woods to investigate. They found freshly matted grass and a human-like bare footprint with five toes in dried mud. Shortly after, the companion shouted to run as loud timber-breaking crashes and movement occurred in dense undergrowth behind him. The reporter did not see the source, but the companion reportedly saw something about seven feet tall, after which both fled to the driveway.

Unidentified soundTracksTree breakMovement onlyPartial sighting
1978 Dry Prong, Grant Parish, Louisiana Class B #1456

Campers hear the woods come alive with screams

While camping with relatives in swampy woods, the witness heard prolonged screaming and strange noises through the night that frightened the group. They were unable to leave due to muddy roads and remained in camp until morning. At first light they found small trees snapped over, grass flattened, and what they described as huge footprints.

ScreamUnidentified soundTree breakTracks
Fall 1978 Estacada, Clackamas County, Oregon Class B #656

Rancher finds a large track while looking around outside at 1:00 am to see what's disturbing his horses

Around 2 a.m. on a fall night in 1978, the witness and a relative went to the corral to check on panicked horses, suspecting a bear. They heard something crashing away into brush and found a corral-post tree snapped over with large human-like footprints around its base. They concluded the prints were not from a bear and later wiped them out while telling other family members it was a bear.

Movement onlyTracksTree break
September 1977 Ranger, Eastland County, Texas Class B #56212

Memory told of a scary, daytime encounter while frog hunting near Ranger

In 1977 two companions hunting frogs at a remote pond heard a roar and saw trees moving. One saw a large brown hairy form partly hidden behind a cedar tree and swaying. Both fled on foot while hearing heavy thuds, and one saw a large rock bouncing nearby. A few days later they returned and found a cleared limb bed and a limb torn from a mesquite tree, but no footprints due to rocky ground.

Partial sightingVocalizationTree breakFootstepsRock throwing
1977 Mendocino County, California Class B #2199

Witness heard stomping and crashing of small trees.

The witness was lying in a tent at night in woods near Mendocino when loud stomping and crashing of small trees was heard about fifty yards away. The sounds lasted about 30 seconds and were interpreted as a biped moving quickly, apparently pursued by barking dogs. After the crashing stopped, a dog was heard yelping as if badly injured, then silence fell. The next morning the witness found broken vegetation but no clear sign of its cause and moved camp.

FootstepsMovement onlyTree break