YEAR: 1981

SEASON: Spring

MONTH: February

STATE: Tennessee

COUNTY: Hawkins County

LOCATION DETAILS: In a community called Clouds Creek Off 11W south of Rogersville

NEAREST TOWN: Rogersnille

NEAREST ROAD: Clouds Creek RD

OBSERVED: I, my wife and 2 sons were living on a remote farm in Hawkins Co TN.
One nite around 11 PM directly behind the house screaming started. It was like the combination of a woman, large cat and a mule. It took place in a cedar thicket up on a hill. I ran outside on the porch to see what was going on. I could also here the sound of trees cracking or thrashing
The screaming kept up for approximatly 1 1/2 hrs.
The house itself sat on a bench, surrounded by ridges or in a bowl so to speak. What ever was making the screams and growls , did so while circling the house on the ridges.
After standing on the porch for a few minutes {the whole time my wife was begging me to comeback in) I went back in the house. Alls I had was a single shot 20ga shotgun., which I loaded.
We both sat there scared to death.

We had no phone and the nearest neighbor lived a 1/2 mi away down a 4 wheel drive road which was treacherous in daylight.

ALSO NOTICED: Off and on heard the sound of rocks being hit together

OTHER WITNESSES: Wife

OTHER STORIES: No

TIME AND CONDITIONS: 11PM overcast

ENVIRONMENT: As explained in story

Follow-up investigation report by BFRO Investigator Tony Gerard:

I was able to speak with the witness by phone. The event took place on Short Mountain. The witness was living, at the time, in a valley area on the side of the mountain locally referred to as a "cove." He described the area as "remote at the time, but not anymore." The house had been occupied only sporadically for several years, mostly in the summer, prior to the witness living there.

The screaming vocalizations started approximately fifty to sixty yards behind the house. At that time the shaking of cedar trees and other brush could be heard. The vocalizations lasted eight to ten seconds each. The creature then moved uphill away from the house and along the ridge to the other side of the cove, vocalizing every four or five minutes for over an hour. Between the screaming vocalizations sometimes another sound could be heard. "It seemed like it would scream, then click rocks together."

About BFRO Investigator Tony Gerard:

Tony Gerard is a community college biology professor.