YEAR: 2006

SEASON: Fall

MONTH: November

DATE: 04

STATE: Colorado

COUNTY: Moffat County

LOCATION DETAILS: At the southern end of the Danforth Hills, on private property known as the Morgan Creek Ranch, owned by the Colowyo Coal Company. This property is part of the Colorado Division of Wildlife's Ranching for Wildlife program, and is actually known as Morgan Creek Ranch.

NEAREST TOWN: 23 mi north of Meeker, 26 mi s. of Craig

NEAREST ROAD: CR 32, Hwy 13

OBSERVED: While hunting in Moffat County, Colorado, my wife and I both heard a sound that was inexplicable to either of us. There is no doubt in my mind that what I was hearing was a vocalization of some sort. I have spent my entire life in Colorado, and spent quite a bit of time in the outdoors, and this sound was unlike anything I have ever heard, and I can not imagine any animal in Colorado that would be capable of making this sound.

It started as a very low range roar, of sorts, and built in volume and range to a high pitched, very primal scream. The sound was very, very loud, and very "large", for lack of a better word. The sound came from an area closed to vehicles, and it echoed from the surrounding hills. The duration was about 6-7 seconds, and it was repeated 4 times in the course of about 90 seconds. This sound was so primal, so intense, so big, that it raised the hair on my arms and the back of my neck, and I was chilled as I have never been before in the wilderness.

I know what bear, elk, raptors, and big cats sound like in Colorado, and I assure you, this was nothing like I have ever even imagined.

ALSO NOTICED: Nothing.

OTHER WITNESSES: One other witness that I know of. We were both hunting, and as such, were stalking quietly through the environment.

OTHER STORIES: Nothing.

TIME AND CONDITIONS: About 7:30 AM. The sun was over the horizon, but only by about 1/2 hour. Winds were fairly calm, slightly cloudy, with a temperature of about 35 degrees F.

ENVIRONMENT: Rolling sagebrush hills, liberally covered with scrub oak on the ravine hillsides, transitioning into steeper mountains with aspen stands on the north facing slopes. Elevation was about 7000 feet, give or take 1000 feet depending upon exact location.

Follow-up investigation report:

A brief telephone discussion yielded nothing significant to add to this simple report other than being persuasive as to the sincerity of the witness and his desire to get his account of stunningly unusual sounds on the record. Apart from the possibility of these sounds being bigfoot-related, he could find no other reasonable or likely explanation.

David Petti