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72 encounters
14 October 2003 Foresthill, Placer County, California Class B #7331

Fisherman hears late night scream near French Meadows Reservoir

The witness and a companion were camped overnight after fishing, and the witness repeatedly made loud whoop calls hoping for a reply. Around 1:30 a.m., after the companion had gone to sleep, the witness heard a single return vocalization from a roadless direction. The companion did not hear the return. The witness saw nothing and did not investigate the area.

Vocalization
10 June 2003 Placerville, El Dorado County, California Class B #8650

Brothers hear unusual, late-night vocalizations near Sly Park

The witness reports hearing various vocalizations at night during summer at a family home bordering National Forest in Sly Park, last heard the previous summer, experienced with a brother. The witness, brother, and mother also reported very large human-shaped bare footprints with a long stride in a dirt roadway, with no casts or photos taken. They also reported finding twisted and broken tree limbs nearby and submitted photos of the damage, described as occurring where machine cause was unlikely.

VocalizationTracksTree breakTwist
26 October 2002 Lake Isabella, Kern County, California Class B #5251

Hunters hear, and possibly see, a strange creature near Lake Isabella

The witness and a companion were sleeping in a tent on a hunting trip when they were awakened by five unknown vocalizations from different directions over several minutes. The sounds were described as between a growl and a scream, likened to a higher-pitched seal. Other nearby hunters also heard the sounds and no one could identify the source.

Vocalization
December 2001 Hiouchi (near Crescent City), Del Norte County, California Class B #4845

Calif. Del Norte County Jed Smith Park

The witness and two children were reading inside their trailer in the park campground one evening when they heard an extremely loud, unfamiliar echoing vocal sound described as between a cat-call and a moo. The sound seemed to come from across the river despite closed windows, and was louder than human campground noise the witness had previously heard. The witness, experienced with local wildlife sounds, said it matched nothing previously heard.

Vocalization
25 October 2001 Huntington Lake, Fresno County, California Class A #9296

Hunter has daytime sighting near Huntington Lake

While hunting in dense pines the witness repeatedly heard loud expulsions of air and branches breaking moving around him. After returning to the area with his father, deer were spooked by the same sound. The witness then saw a large black-haired figure sitting under a pine about 30 yards away and stared at it before it stood and bounded away making the same noise.

Partial sightingVocalizationFootstepsTree break
21 May 2001 Orick, California #gid://art19-episode-locator/V0/TY2oDERxCQLmzCyeNUqKE1Rhg0TzcFut3kAEoMOxmJc

Howl near Orick, California (2001)

The witness went to the clearing and made loud calls, then heard a howl turn into a roar approaching for about 40 minutes. Two or three unseen individuals roared, knocked, broke a treetop, circled, bluff-charged the tree stand, and growled close behind him with strong physical effects and a perceived mental threat. He fled to his truck, found his dog hiding, got briefly stuck while turning around, heard pursuit downhill, and drove to a mill and bars seeking a witness.

HowlVocalizationChatterGrowlWood knock +2
18 August 2000 Ruth, Trinity County, California Class B #533

August 18th 2000 camping trip in Six Rivers National Forest, family hears screams

The witness and her husband were camping in a dispersed site when they heard a prolonged strange vocalization that moved along a rocky creek bed from one side of camp to the other over several hours. Their dogs acted frightened, trying to get into the tent rather than barking. The witness compared the sound to a recorded scream from a nearby county and could not identify it as a known animal.

Vocalization
November 1999 Holtville, Imperial County, California Class A #8345

Truck driver has a short but memorable encounter

A semi-truck driver pulled over at a desert highway pullout at night and got out of the truck. He heard rocks falling, noticed a strong decaying odor that became gagging, and saw a large hairy biped cross the road in front of his headlights while making a loud grunt. Frightened, he got back in the truck and drove away.

Partial sightingRoad crossingVocalizationFootstepsOdor
August 1999 Bluff Creek/Weitchpec, Humboldt County, California Class B #2151

High-pitched vocalization sounds heard by woman playing solitaire at her kitchen table

Late at night while awake alone at the kitchen table, the witness heard a loud vocalization that started as low resonant yelling and rose into high-pitched screams. She said she recognized the sound from family descriptions and was thrilled to finally hear it after visiting the region for many years.

VocalizationScream
23 August 1997 Orleans, Siskiyou County, California Class B #22431

Forestry workers report possbile encounter along the Klamath River near Orleans

Late at night while sleeping on sand bars beside the river with a companion, the witness was awakened by limping bipedal footsteps moving on the slope above. A flashlight revealed nothing and the steps resumed, approaching close before loud guttural yelps and moaning described as a cry for help were heard. After remaining awake and still for an extended period the witnesses fell asleep, later heard a large splash in the river, and found no tracks in the morning.

FootstepsVocalizationUnidentified sound
June 1995 Weaverville, Trinity County, California Class A #2819

Campers menaced after dark by what they assume was a family group

A group camping above a swollen river heard mumbling voices and stick-breaking approaching, followed by loud chanting, shouting and stomping that shook a log seat and was taken as a demand to leave. The sounds stopped after deep hooted calls and later receded to distant screams up the valley and across the mountain. Later, while in a tent, the witness saw the firelight blocked by a squatting silhouette that touched the zipper with five digits, with felt breath and strong odor, before withdrawing. In the morning the witness noted hairs and deep depressions on the trail.

SilhouetteVocalizationScreamWhoopTree break +3
February 1995 Fresno County, California Class C #2960

Howling followed by speech-like vocalization heard

The witness was sitting outdoors with four companions late at night when a distant loud howl-like sound repeated several times, each lasting about 15 seconds. A second prolonged echoing sound resembling garbled speech then continued for about five minutes. Nearby dogs across the lake began barking after the second sound started.

HowlVocalization
1994 Mount Laguna, San Diego County, California #274119d5-92ea-4d2a-8a9e-0ee229dc6cd9

Howl near Mount Laguna, California (1994)

The witness and his wife spent a weekend camping in 1994 at Laguna Mountain where the campground was empty. At night they heard wolf-like howls and the next day on a desert trail they found crossed dead trees, heard loud animal cries, and watched a distant reddish hair-covered figure standing and slamming backward into a tree, which they first took for a bear. A ranger insisted there were no wolves or bears in the area. On the second night rustling around the tent and sudden overwhelming fear caused them to abandon camp and drive home in the early morning.

HowlStructure or nestVocalizationFull-body sightingFootsteps
1992 Humboldt County, California #dc6166bd-ca91-465e-9e3b-5c0435304e3e

Vocalization near Humboldt County (1992)

Two 12-year-olds camped by the river on their family ranch and went to sleep around 10. In the middle of the night they heard splashing crossing the river approaching the tent, then close vocalizations like grunts and talking. The visitor moved downriver out of sight, then crashed up a steep bank breaking large branches before going silent, and the boys fled uphill to the house.

VocalizationFootstepsTree break
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
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
June 1986 Old Shasta, Shasta County, California Class A #2845

Unusual "Wild" Smell from Animal Walking Around Camper's Truck Near Sheep Camp

The witness and a companion were sleeping in a truck bed while camping when they were awakened by something circling on foot. The circling continued for about 1.5-2 hours with branch-breaking sounds, grunting, and a strong wild odor, while they remained lying down without looking. Near dawn the sounds moved off to the southwest, and in daylight they found disturbed pine needles and broken tree limbs nearby.

FootstepsVocalizationOdorTree break
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
25 October 1983 Sonora, Tuolumne County, California Class A #1919

Friends have night sighting above Sonora

Two men returned at night to a fenced rural property above Sonora after viewing a motorcycle for sale. A tall, wide human-like figure stepped from brush a short distance away, looked at them, then crossed the clearing toward a shed in a few strides while making a huff sound. One man got into their truck while the other backed onto the hood with a knife, and they later spent a sleepless night guarding the cabin door.

Full-body sightingSilhouetteVocalizationOdor