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245 encounters
August 1991 Shingletown, Shasta County, California Class B #2558

Man hears strange late night scream outside Shingletown

During an overnight stop at a roadside rest between Redding and Mt. Lassen, the witness escorted his ill spouse to the restroom in the middle of the night. He heard many dogs barking loudly, then a loud yell after which the barking stopped abruptly leaving silence. He reported seeing and smelling nothing, keeping the experience to himself until morning.

Vocalization
8 April 1991 Two Small Towns Close To Eureka, Humboldt County, California Class B #1794

Strange frightining noises in Redwood grove north of Philipsville

In April 1991 the witness and his ex-wife were hiking a day-use trail off Avenue of the Giants when they heard a loud yell or howl from the forest that rapidly closed distance to within about 75 to 100 yards. They saw nothing, felt unwelcome, and ran back to their car and left. The witness said the sound was unlike an elk, human, or bear, and later heard a published Bigfoot scream recording that matched it.

HowlScream
August 1990 Dorrington, Calaveras County, California Class B #6160

Group of hunters have unusual experience near Dorrington

Twelve hunters were sleeping in a meadow camp after a day of bow hunting. Around 2 a.m. something heavy ran through the camp emitting a high-pitched female-like scream. The runner shook a truck as it passed and knocked over a full ice chest but was not seen in the dark. No unusual prints were found the next morning.

ScreamVehicle contactProperty disturbanceMovement only
June 1990 Dutchmans Flats Area By Idyllwild, Riverside County, California Class B #5253

Backpackers report screams and camp stalking near Dutchman's Flats outside Idyllwild

The witness and a companion were camping in a tent when they were awakened in the very early morning by prolonged loud screams, followed by heavy footsteps, sniffing and heavy breathing just outside the tent. They remained inside until sunrise. In the morning they found scattered pine needles and dirt but no blood or fur, and large deep human-like footprints leading away into a wooded ravine, which the witness followed briefly before packing up and leaving.

ScreamFootstepsTracksUnidentified sound
Summer 1990 Shasta County, California Class B #2843

Loud Howling Sounds Heard

In the summer of 1990, the witness and a companion were camping and preparing dinner just before nightfall when they heard a loud distant howl. Both reacted to the sound, which the witness estimated as about a mile away and coming from something large. The witness said the sound closely matched a howl recording on the website.

Howl
September 1989 Weldon, Kern County, California Class B #9426

Hunter hears early morning vocalization not far from Weldon

The witness was deer hunting alone before dawn from a rocky bluff. While glassing the brush-covered mountainside in gray light, he heard a very loud booming scream from several hundred yards upslope that he compared to a woman screaming. He first wondered if someone was playing a trick, but the steep terrain, darkness and dense brush unnerved him and he left the area immediately.

ScreamPossible hoax
22 July 1989 Humboldt County, California Class B #2150

Tracks found on the bank of the Trinity River across from Tish Tang Campground

Children discovered large footprints on a river beach across from a campground. An investigator visited the site days later and documented about half a dozen large tracks leading from the water's edge upstream to bedrock. The tracks were estimated to be at least two weeks old, with grass growing in them.

Tracks
September 1988 Long Barn, Tuolumne County, California Class B #2333

Family hears late night screams near Long Barn

The witness and family were camped in a mountain valley for deer season when loud screams were heard at night over four nights, seeming to come closer each night until only a few hundred feet away. The sound was described as a mix of a woman screaming and a mountain lion roar. The father and uncle later reported finding a footprint on a road that was larger than the uncle's foot. The family left camp the next day.

ScreamTracks
July 1988 Escondido, San Diego County, California Class B #51530

Camper on Mount Palomar reports heavy biped running through campground late at night

About 1988 the witness and a companion were tent camping on Palomar Mountain. Late at night while settled in the tent, the witness heard fast, very heavy footsteps run through camp. The companion slept through the noise, and no footprints or other evidence were found the next morning.

Footsteps
April 1987 Sierra County, California Class B #2858

A sheriff's Deputy Discusses Reports in the Area

The writer refers to a Bigfoot sighting reported in the area about four weeks before their own earlier sighting. The writer states they searched for and found the newspaper article they recalled about that Bigfoot report. The writer comments on details that might suggest a hoax while also noting an argument against a hoax motive.

Possible hoax
1 September 1986 Lakehead Ca., Shasta County, California Class B #2855

Man had deer stolen by creature near Lakehead

A homeowner had shot a deer and hung it in a tree behind the house. That night while going to let dogs out, he heard an unfamiliar scream and saw a large ape-like creature in the yard. The creature seized the deer and fled into the forest, tearing out a stretch of barbed-wire fence and leaving hair and tracks. A friend visiting the next day was shown where it stood and ran, including the tracks and hair.

Full-body sightingEyeshineScreamTracksHair
August 1986 Truckee, Nevada County, California Class B #16550

Solo camper's late night encounter outside Truckee

The witness had pulled off a remote forest road for the night and was sleeping beside the truck with dogs. In darkness heavy bipedal footsteps approached up the road and stopped a few yards away. The unseen source emitted an extremely loud prolonged scream then ran away down the road still screaming. The witness searched briefly by headlights for tracks, found none on the rocky road, and left when the dogs refused to leave the truck.

FootstepsScream
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
July 1986 Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California Class B #8598

Daylight Sighting by Hikers Near Bennett Mountain

The witness and two companions were hiking toward Bennett Peak and stopped to rest before a large climb. They heard loud snapping and cracking of limbs across a valley and saw a large hairy back moving very fast uphill through brush, clearing foliage out of its way. Afterward they visited the spot and found broken branches several feet above the ground.

Partial sightingTree break
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
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
October 1985 Gasquet, Del Norte County, California Class B #4445

Campers hear late night scream near Gasquet

In 1985 the witness and a companion were remote camping near Patrick Creek when they heard loud primate-like screams and conversational voices from a nearby ridge around 11 p.m. During the night the witness heard heavy tramping and deep breathing just outside the tent while a normally bold dog hid trembling inside. At dawn the witness found the campsite duff heavily scuffed with signs of foot traffic that had not been there the previous evening.

ScreamVocalizationFootstepsTracksUnidentified sound
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
Summer 1985 Groveland;, Tuolumne County, California Class B #816

Camper experiences strange night time visitor near Groveland

The witness was camping in a remote area near Yosemite, sleeping in a tent set apart from companions' tents. Very late at night while drifting toward sleep, the witness heard heavy footsteps moving around the tent and became frightened. The witness ran to a companion's tent; the companions reported hearing nothing, and the night was noted as unusually quiet with no crickets. No visual observation was made.

Footsteps
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