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605 encounters
1978 California #69b382a5-30f0-4438-8cab-1f270c00d963

Growl in California (1978)

On the same trip, after hitchhiking back toward the parked truck, the witness got out in pitch darkness without a flashlight. From the side of the road the witness heard a grunt and movement approaching, then ran to the truck, started it, and drove away without seeing the source.

GrowlMovement only
1978 California #69b382a5-30f0-4438-8cab-1f270c00d963

Footsteps in California (1978)

While on leave and hiking toward Yosemite Falls, the witness slept in a mummy bag without a tent. After dark something approached on two feet and repeatedly pushed the bag with what felt like fingers and knuckles, then walked away. The witness waited, looked around, and saw nothing.

Footsteps
Spring 1978 Auburn, Placer County, California Class B #3612

Two fishermen have truck shaken early one morning, outside of Auburn

The witness and a relative parked a heavy flatbed truck in a wooded area to sleep for a few hours before fishing at dawn. Around 5 a.m. something shook the truck violently side to side several times, waking both occupants. They smelled a strong rancid odor, saw nothing in the darkness, and stayed in the cab until daylight before leaving without checking for tracks.

Vehicle contactOdorPossible misidentification
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
Spring 1978 Orleans, Klamath River Area., Humboldt County, California Class B #4642

Prospector has possible morning encounter on east side of Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation

In 1978 the witness was prospecting alone on a mountain trail and was overcome by intense fear. The witness left the trail, knelt and covered the eyes while something bipedal approached, paused nearby, then continued downhill. The witness did not look until it had left and therefore never saw it.

Footsteps
August 1977 Hayfork/Hyampom, Trinity County, California Class B #2579

Series of footprints 17" in length

The witness and two companions were on horseback to put up horses at night near a town dump and fairgrounds. They observed a black standing figure but could not see a face despite fairly good visibility from stars and lights. The next day they returned and found dry grass flattened where the figure had stood. The witness noted bears frequent the area but judged this was not a bear.

Partial sightingSilhouette
August 1977 Antler Camp, Shasta County, California Class A #7555

Two Young Fishermen Have Mid-day Encounter at Lake Shasta

The witness was walking back toward a lakeside cove after dropping his sister at a dock when he heard footsteps and saw a large hair-covered figure approach to within a few feet. He and his cousin jumped into the lake and watched from the water as the figure stood watching them before running rapidly up a steep brush-covered hill and disappearing. People arriving from a nearby hilltop cabin later said such creatures visited their cabin occasionally.

Full-body sightingFootsteps
July 1977 Sawyer's Bar, Trinity County, California Class B #7352

Hiker see prints and hears sounds in the Trinity Alps

The witness was camped beside a creek during a Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike when he heard low voice-like sounds coming from opposite ridges. Feeling uneasy as he also heard limbs and sticks breaking on the ridgeline, he broke camp and hiked out by moonlight. The next morning at a side creek he found vegetation slid down and up where something had crossed, with one large clear footprint in a sandbar, which he photographed with his foot alongside for scale.

VocalizationFootstepsTracks
July 1977 Nearest Town Would Be Lee Vining, Mono County, California Class A #1510

Brothers have early evening sighting near Lee Vining

Two brothers were gathering firewood near a lake at dusk when they heard heavy footsteps and crashing in dense brush. The writer saw the bushes shaking but no animal, while the brother, 10 to 15 feet away, saw a large dark-brown head moving rapidly above the brush. They fled in their truck and crashed into a tree on the way back to camp.

Partial sightingFootstepsMovement only
July 1977 Bear Valley, Calaveras County, California Class B #4366

Hikers have late night experience near Spicer

The witness and a companion were camping in a tent near a river. Late at night they heard loud screams and then footsteps on a dry creek bed behind the tent. The witness saw a large silhouette move past a tree toward the river, heard splashing and screaming, then footsteps approach the tent and run away. They waited for daylight and left quickly.

SilhouetteScreamFootsteps
February 1977 Weaverville, Trinity County, California Class B #7231

A young man and friends had two consecutive night encounters with an unknown creature

In February 1977 five youths camped in two VW buses at a remote, densely forested campground in the Trinity Alps. On two consecutive nights around 10:30 p.m., something rushed down the steep hill behind camp and violently rocked the bus the witness slept in. The first morning packs were found strewn and torn open; the second night a large boulder was found wedged behind the bus tire and the other bus had shifted about five feet toward the river. The group reported seeing nothing because windows were iced over, noting only hillside skid marks, rushing noises, and a brief strong odor before leaving early.

Movement onlyUnidentified soundVehicle contactRock throwingProperty disturbance +1
1977 Arnold, California #469f1cca-9e52-44d4-9757-43bb47d1202c

Howl near Arnold, California (1977)

The witness and a companion were on a deer-hunting trip and had parked to sleep in the bed of a truck. Late at night they heard a loud howl followed by rapid gibberish and saw a dark shape in the road that stood and moved away with smooth motion. After returning to the truck and falling asleep, the witness was awakened by the truck rocking and heard something move alongside the vehicle before kicking scattered camp gear and walking away.

HowlChatterFull-body sightingFootstepsVehicle contact +1
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
Winter 1977 Tuolumne County, California Class B #2887

Loud, High-pitched Animal Screams Heard Outside a Cabin Late at Night

After midnight while getting ready for bed in a cabin near Pinecrest Lake, the witness heard extremely loud high-pitched screaming from behind the cabin that lasted over a minute. The witness judged the sound to be very close and unlike any known animal, ruling out cats, humans, and bears at the time. Months later the witness read a description of similar screaming and associated the sound with Bigfoot.

Scream
Summer 1977 Sawyer's Bar, Siskiyou County, California Class B #5637

Campers have frightening experience in the Marble Mountains Wilderness

In summer 1977 the witness and a companion were backpacking and camped at a trail junction near a creek in forested mountain country. In the middle of the night they were awakened by loud crashing of logs and rocks being hurled in the streambed below. Bipedal footsteps then approached up the slope to behind nearby trees, with heavy breathing heard high in the air and a humph sound after the witness shouted, before the creature walked away parallel to the creek.

FootstepsRock throwingObject throwingVocalization
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
November 1976 Lake Hughes, Los Angeles County, California Class B #27687

Possible tracks found in snow and mud on family property many years ago near Lake Hughes

Four deer hunters stopped at a relative's ranch for lunch and fed hogs when horses in a back pasture became highly agitated for about 30 minutes. They found very large, deep tracks circling the pasture with a strong wet-dog and rotten-egg odor still present. They followed the bipedal trackway to a very steep hill where the steps ascended out of reach, tried and failed to replicate the stride and step-up, then left without ever seeing the maker.

TracksOdor
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
September 1976 Azusa, Los Angeles County, California Class B #1634

Varmint hunter has a night encounter with a large animal

While night hunting with a dying-rabbit call, the witness heard extremely loud, threatening screams from an unseen animal on a ridge. The animal screamed three times while moving to get downwind of the witness. The witness used a powerful hunting light and reported catching its glowing eyes, and described being truly frightened.

ScreamEyeshine
June 1976 Big Bear City, San Bernardino County, California Class A #9759

Young man has a midnight face-to-face encounter with an unknown creature outside Big Bear City

The witness was staying at a cabin with a friend's family and left the cabin during the night to urinate. About 20 feet away, a large dark being stood behind a bush parting the top with its hands, with its upper chest, head, arms and hands visible. After looking back for 15 to 20 seconds, the witness ran inside, and a search the next morning found no traces.

Partial sighting